First Isaiah and the Disappearance of the Gods

By Matthew J. Lynch

Isaiah 1-39 uses the unique term אלילים--usually translated as "idols"-- more than anywhere else in the Hebrew Bible. Using this linguistic phenomenon as a point of departure, Matthew J. Lynch reexamines the rhetorical strategies of First Isaiah, revealing a stronger monotheizing rhetoric than previously recognized.

Standard accounts of Israelite religion frequently insist that monotheism reached its apex during the exile, and especially in Deutero-Isaiah. By contrast, Lynch's study brings to light an equally potent mode of monotheizing in First Isaiah. Lynch identifies three related rhetorical tendencies that emphasize yhwh's supreme uniqueness: a rhetoric of avoidance, referring to other deities as idols (אלילים) to avoid conferring on them the status of gods (אלוהים); a rhetoric of exaltation, emphasizing yhwh's truly exalted status in opposition to all that which exalted itself; and a rhetoric of abasement, fully subjugating all other claimants to absolute power--whether human or divine--before the divine king.

Succinctly and persuasively argued, Lynch's book will change how biblical scholars understand the nature and development of Israelite monotheism.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1575068397
• ISBN13: 9781575068398
• Release Date: May 2021
• Publisher: Eisenbrauns
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"