Wie is deze?: Een onderzoek naar de compositie en Godsvoorstelling van Jesaja 63

Abstract

Apparent contradictions concerning the image of God and the lack of literary coherence within the text of Isaiah 63gave the initial impetus to this study to the unity of this text as a literary composition. The author is looking for indications at the level of language, form and content of the text that this text must be read and understood as an entity. An investigation into the actants within this text and their mutual interaction (ch.3) follows an syntactical analysis of Isaiah 63 (ch.2). In this phase of the investigation, it appears that Isaiah 63 is a composition of two originally independent texts. In the following chapter (ch.4) the author studies the words of Isaiah 63 and the coherence of this text with the whole of the book of Isaiah. He shows that Isaiah 63 was written in close connection with other parts of this book. The study is continued (ch.5) with an examination of the rhetorical form and structure of Isaiah 63. At this point of his study, the writer takes a step back: he discovers that Isaiah 64: 1-11 should also be involved in the investigation. The study ends with an investigation into the image of God of Isa. 63: 1-64: 11 (ch.6), in which the writer enters into a conversation with W. Brueggemann and J. Jeremias. The conclusion of this thesis is that Isaiah 63 is a meaningful composition of two originally independent texts; the unity of the text lies in his speaking about God. Finally, the author outlines the relevance of this study to our own thinking and speaking about God.