Lesson 94B – Isaiah 1–2

The Spirit of Prophecy

2 Nephi 25

• v1 – “for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews”

• v4 – “nevertheless they are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy.”– What was the “Spirit of Prophecy”? (Rev 19:10)– A testimony of Jesus

• So how do we understand Isaiah?1. Through our testimony and faith in Christ2. Understanding the manner of prophesying

Parallelism• Isaiah wrote in poetry, and his style was

parallelism. Why?• How many copies of the scriptures

were around back then? Who had access to them?

• Then how would the people remember Isaiah’s words (and the teachers)?

• What’s easier to remember? A nursery rhyme or a paragraph? What is song, really?

• Remember, too, that this is a translation. What may seem less structured to us worked much better in the original Hebrew.

• Grammatical parallelism vs Semantic parallelism

Victor Ludlow

“The ancient poets, prophets, writers, and scribes would assist their followers by organizing their material into an easily remembered form. Old Testament authors often used key phrases or words as verbal flags to alert the listener to important passages that would be coming up shortly in their presentation. They also used memory devices or patterns that made the poems easy to remember and still allowed the composer spontaneity of expression.”

Types of Parallelism

• Synonymous parallelism– The theme of the first line repeats in the second

line, but in different words– Isaiah 1:3

The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib

Types of Parallelism

• Antithetic parallelism– The theme of the first line contrasts with an

opposite thought in the second line– Isaiah 1:19-20

If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword:

Types of Parallelism

• Emblematic parallelism– Two ideas are compared by means of a simile or

metaphor– Isaiah 1:18

Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;

though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Isaiah 1:18

• How are each of these first three types used?

Though your sins be as scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow;

though they be red like crimson,

they shall be as wool.

Types of Parallelism

• Synthetic parallelism– The second line completes or compliments the

thought of the first (question and answer, proposition, conclusion, etc)

– Isaiah 1:2

I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

Types of Parallelism

• Composite parallelism– Three or more phrases develop a theme by amplifying

a concept or defining a term.– Isaiah 1:4 (also Psalms 1:1)

Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity,

a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord

Types of Parallelism

• Climactic parallelism– Part of one line is repeated in the other lines until

a theme is developed which then culminates in a main idea or statement.

– Isaiah 1:7 (also v8)

Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire:

your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

Types of Parallelism

• Inverted parallelism– A pattern of words or ideas is stated, then repeated in a reverse

order. Also called “chiasmus”.– Isaiah 6:10 (also 11:13, 2:3-5)

Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy,

and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes,

and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart,

and convert, and be healed.

Chiasmus

• Why is it called Chiasmus?• From the Greek letter, chi (which looks like Χ)– Connect the similar thoughts in Psalms 124:7:

Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers:

The snare is broken, and we are escaped.

Chiasmus

• Try this one:• Psalms 3:7-8 (translating literally from

Hebrew)

Save me, O my God, for thou has smitten all my enemies on the cheek-bone;The teeth of the wicked thou has broken; to Jehovah, the salvation.

Chiasmus

• Also found in the Book of Mormon– Mosiah 3:18-19

• humble, children, atoning blood of Christ, natural man, God, has been

• will be, Holy Spirit, natural man, atonement of Christ, child, humble

– Mosiah 5:10-12• name, called, left hand of God, remember, blotted out,

transgression• do not transgress, blotted out, remember, left hand of God, called,

name

• Do you think Joseph Smith new how to write complex Chiasmus as a teenager?

All right, now you try

• Using your reference sheet, turn to a random place in the book of Isaiah and see what types of parallelism you can find.

• (If you have trouble, try the other Isaiah SM verses)

Notebook Ideas

• Where else in your life does poetry or song help you to remember important things?

• How can the spirit of prophecy (testimony of Jesus) help you understand things that are complicated?