The Book Called Isaiah: Deutero-Isaiah's Role in Composition and Redaction (review)

Hebrew Studies 37 (1996) 171 Reviews Overall, Darr provides an admirable study of a long overlooked but constitutive motif in the book of Isaiah. By doing so, she prompts scholars to ask themselves why the women and children of Isaiah have been neglected for so long. But she also demonstrates the clear benefits to be gained by an integrated reading of Isaiah as a coherent work of literature. Marvin A. Sweeney School o/Theology at Claremont Claremont, CA 91711 THE BOOK CALLED ISAIAH: DEUTERO·ISAIAH'S ROLE IN COMPOSITION AND REDACTION. By H. G. M. Williamson. Pp. xvii + 306. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994. Cloth, $55.00. The impetus behind this study is the statement of C. Seitz (Zion's Final Destiny) that it is "impossible to prove" that the textual material in Isaiah 1-39 was edited by Deutero-Isaiah. Williamson emphasizes that no such theory can be proved "in the strict sense." According to Williamson "probability" is the only "appropriate yardstick" as well as inductive test by which the data in the book of Isaiah can be explained "in the most economic manner" (p. 240). No discussion, however, is devoted to the methodical yardsticks "probability" and "the most economic manner." As is wellknown , both "probability" and "economy of explanation" have not enjoyed favor in the history of science because they have a fairly undistinguished record as yardsticks for accepting or refuting theories. These concepts are yardsticks which function within a particular model, which a scholar has defined by establishing certain fundamental methodological viewpoints as the "truth." Without a model how can the arguments from "probability" function? Has not the most economic solution been often only an indication that some important problems have been overlooked? One may think, for example, of quantum physics, where the so-called "most economic models" have been refuted time after time when new questions and problems have been put forward. What is then the basic model which looms behind Williamson's study? Williamson has presented a generally plausible axiom in his interpretive model (or "possible world") for the book of Isaiah. The axiom is that an older literary core of Isaiah composed of textual material from chapters 139 did at one time exist. Many scholars accept this view as an established Hebrew Studies 37 (1996) 172 Reviews starting-point for the analysis of the literary evolution of the book of Isaiah. Williamson argues for three main proposals in his interpretive model: (1) Deutero-Isaiah knew this older core and was dependent on its formulations and content (chaps. 3 and 4; pp. 30-93). (2) Deutero-Isaiah regarded this earlier literary corpus as being sealed up (Isa 8:16-18) until the "coming era," which he understands to be his own time (chap. 5; pp. 94-115). (3) Deutero-Isaiah redacted the older literary corpus in order to bind his own texts in Isaiah 40-55 and Isaiah 1-39 together. This is the main thesis of Williamson's study (chaps. 6-8; pp. 116-239). Within the confines of this logical "possible world" Williamson writes clearly, and it is not difficult to follow his argumentation. These three proposals, however, reveal a fundamental methodological problem in Williamson's study. On the one hand, he presupposes that some texts in Isaiah 1-39 predate Deutero-Isaiah, and when there are parallels .to Isaiah 40-55 in chapters 1-39, he assumes that Deutero-Isaiah is dependent on the earlier corpus. On the other hand, Williamson assigns late dates to some texts in Isaiah 1-39, and when these have parallels in Isaiah 40-55, he concludes that the former texts must have been edited by Deutero-Isaiah. As far as I can see, Williamson does not present any clear criteria to distinguish the texts edited by Deutero-Isaiah from those texts on which DeuteroIsaiah is dependent. There are only those criteria which Williamson deals with on pages 27-29. He notes that he limits himself to those passages which can "with reasonable probability be ascribed to the book as it existed by the latter part of the exilic period" (p. 27). After having defined an older literary core of Isaiah 1-39, Williamson argues persuasively...