A Textlinguistic Analysis of Isaiah 25

The question concerning the discourse structure of Isaiah 25 remains something of a challenge for biblical scholars. English versions of the Bible and commentaries show a significant diversity of structural patterns. This present study displays a basic structure found in the NRSV, but with internal differences that suggests a marked genre difference between the first poem (25:1-5), and the remaining two poems (25:6-10a and 10b-12). There is a thematic relationship between the three poems with the first expressing thanksgiving to YHWH for His intervention in exacting judgment upon hostile nations while providing salvation for the poor and needy. Poem 2 draws primarily on the salvation theme, and Poem 3 draws on the judgment theme. But whereas Poem 1 has a mix of perfect and imperfect verb forms representing for the most part general or gnomic mode, Poems 2 and 3 are marked with weqatal verb forms prominent in predictive genre. There is, furthermore, the peak that appears at the final strophes of Poems 1 and 3 with the peak appearing at the center of Poem 2. Thus the structural patterns highlighted in the chapter create the awareness of three distinct poems in the chapter while yet marking the internal unity of the chapter.