Isaiah: Volume 13 (Volume 13)

New Collegeville Bible Commentary: Old Testament #13

by Leslie J. Hoppe

The book of Isaiah uses both prose and poetry to engage readers in a drama of great emotion and intensity. Although the circumstances under which this book took its present form remain in scholarly dispute, this commentary highlights its larger purpose—to provide the people of Judah and Jerusalem with hope for the future and the will to re-embrace their ancestral religious traditions.

Leslie Hoppe assumes the composite character of the books and approaches the work as a whole with its own literary and theological integrity. Unlike many other contemporary commentaries on the book of Isaiah, the divisions of the book used here focus on its literary shape rather than the history of its composition. With this approach, we recognize that the book of Isaiah is an expression of faith in the Holy One of Israel and in the future of Jerusalem, both of which have decisively shaped the faith of Jewish and Christian believers over the centuries.

184 pages, Paperback

First published October 11, 2012

About the author

Leslie J. Hoppe, OFM, is an adjunct professor at Catholic Theological Union after serving on its faculty for twenty-four years, and serves as the provincial minister of the Assumption Province Franciscans. He has written several books on biblical studies and archaeology, including The Holy City: Jerusalem in the Theology of the Old Testament (Liturgical Press, 2000). He is a former editor of The Bible Today and currently serves on its editorial board.

Reviews

[David Szatkowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to the book of Isaiah. I chose this series because I know the quality of the series and that the series is Catholic. Another reason I chose to start with this book is that I know the author (he is a professor where I studied) and Isaiah's prophecy is so important during Lent. I was surprised, when I read the prophecy in its entirety, how much the Prophet focuses on social issues, justice, and just economics. This is a good introduction for preachers, readers, or those who just want to know a bit more about this particular book of the Bible. The series is also quite reasonable in cost.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Book of Isaiah has a *lot* happening and it was useful to have each of the five parts broken down with commentary alongside the text. I didn't realize that it was a Catholic translation of the Bible, so the word choice in this translation left something to be desired for me.