YHWH of hosts rules on Mount Zion: literary cohesion in Isaiah 24-27
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Date
13/12/2019Item status
Restricted AccessEmbargo end date
26/06/2020Author
Clardy, Hannah Elizabeth
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Abstract
Isaiah 24–27, the so-called "Isaiah Apocalypse," is a striking section in the book of
Isaiah––from its opening depiction of cosmic upheaval, to the death of Mot, to the
summoning blast of the shofar. Its heightened, almost feverish, visions of "that day"
are interspersed with lyrical sections ranging from jubilant praise to anguished
lament. This distinctive alternation in genre, tone, and content, often without
conjunctive discourse markers, contributes to a sense of disorientation that has long
plagued interpreters. This synchronic study of Isa 24–27 addresses the related
problems of the text's structure and coherence. It asks how Hebrew poetry, in
particular Isa 24–27, indicates literary connectedness and what effect attending to
these connections has for understanding Isa 24–27. To answer these questions, the
study adapts tools from text linguistics and the work of Michael Halliday and
Ruqaiya Hasan to examine cohesive ties in Isa 24–27. The thesis argues that Isa 24–
27 is best understood as a series of announcements about the rule of YHWH, each
followed by a different response(s). Although there is a wide variety of cohesive
relations within the text, they all contribute to the dominant theme of the kingship of
YHWH.
Part I establishes the context for the study, beginning with a survey of existing
research (Chapter 1). The survey finds that, despite growing appreciation for the
literary (e.g. poetic, metaphorical, and intertextual) features of Isa 24–27, there
remains considerable disagreement about the "unity" or coherence of this passage as
a text in its own right. Chapter 2 introduces the project's aims, then defines and
illustrates literary cohesion in a variety of prose and poetic texts. Chapter 3 proposes
a macrostructure for Isa 24–27, which unfolds in three non-chronological
movements.
Part II analyses Isa 24–27 along literary cohesive lines, taking each of the three
movements in turn. Chapter 4 deals with Movement 1 (24:1–25:5) and considers the
relationship between the eschatological prophecy and responsive hymn. Chapters 5–
6 discuss Movement 2 (25:6–26:21), which similarly describes the nature of YHWH's
rule. However, the response within this movement incorporates lament concerning an
apparent disparity between the prophetic word and the community's experience.
Chapter 7 traces cohesion across the final movement (27:1–13) and argues that,
despite its use of several different metaphors, it unfolds similarly to the previous
movements (announcement–response). This final response is neither song nor
lament, but a theological argument for the community's difficulties.
Part III synthesises the findings of the study and examines more closely the major
themes of Isa 24–27 and their relationship with the book of Isaiah. Although each
movement contains unique elements and distinct imagery (e.g. dimmed luminaries in
Movement 1, birth imagery in Movement 2, and slain Leviathan in Movement 3), the
composition is nonetheless united by a number of cohesive ties that span the whole
passage. Chapter 8 explores the significance of the major cohesive ties of Isa 24–27:
temporal perspective; the unnamed cities; death, life, and new creation; and the rule
of YHWH. The thesis concludes with implications of the study (Chapter 9). Although
the structure and unifying principles of Isa 24–27 are not consistent with modern
literary ideals (e.g. chronology or syllogism), this discourse nonetheless expresses a
coherent structure and semantic unity in its claim that YHWH rules the cosmos from
Mount Zion and will one day create the world anew.