What do you think?
The Book of Isaiah: A New Translation With Interpretive Keys from the Book of Mormon
Avraham Gileadi takes one by the hand to explain nuances of language, setting, and Jewish modes of thought. Suddenly Isaiah, a book foreign and opaque, becomes a book of light. Its prophetic intimacy is tied to the world around us and within us, and is full of meanings for the head and the heart." Hugh Nibley, professor emeritus of ancient scriptures, Brigham Young University, says: "Dr. Gileadi is so thoroughly familiar with the book of Isaiah that he can set before us in straightforward, uncomplicated form a clear exposition of what it is all about. He gives the reader a sense of intimacy with Isaiah which is unique. ...The work inspires reflection rather than contention. Above all it leads the reader into a spiritual state of mind that brings Isaiah to life.
- GenresReligion
250 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1988
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 4, 2021
Being a convert of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I began to see certain patterns of apostasy in the Old Testament and within the Book of Mormon. I noticed that Nephi gave extensive commentary on Isaiah's prophecies that began to paint a clear picture in my mind; this, in conjunction with Christ's injunction to study and search the words of Isaiah (see 3 Nephi 23:1-3), it became clear that THIS prophet's words are the most important focus for any disciple's study. Thus, dead prophets are just as important as the modern ones.
In 2015, I came across the Avraham Gileadi's works on Isaiah. After studying his works, I must admit that all other attempts to interpret Isaiah pale in comparison. This book systematically reveals how the Book of Mormon prophets were cognizant of Isaiah's mode of prophecy and that they actually prophesied in the same manner, which gives the reader a panoramic understanding of the words these great servants of the Lord conveyed. Gileadi demonstrates, quite effectively, that Isaiah's words are esoteric in nature and that without the Book of Mormon few will even begin to understand his message and meaning. What does this mean for the reader? Well, if you are a superficial reader of the scriptures, meaning you are not a patient reader and expect others to give you the answers, then you WILL NOT understand what Gileadi conveys here, especially about the "arm of the Lord."
The "arm of the Lord" is a pseudonym Isaiah identifies the latter-day messianic figure the Jews have waited so long for. Yet Isaiah does not only identify this being but two others as well. Isaiah 11 is a key chapter in understanding this, along with D&C 113:1-6. Again both Isaiah and Joseph Smith use pseudonyms to identify these too. This encryption of scriptures is the exact method prominent within Hebrew prophecy, namely typology. In order to decode them, you must find the patterns and clues that help you define the term under investigation, for rarely does the Lord blatantly give you the answers. You must first study it out in your mind.
Another ground-breaking aspect of this text is Gileadi's focus on the suzerain-vassel relationship extant in the writings of the ancient Near East. He effectively demonstrates how Isaiah incorporates this concept in his prophecies, revealing that this is the type of relationship the "arm of the Lord" will have with his Lord. This concept is not only evident with the ancient Near East but also within the Homeric tradition, especially in the Odyssey.
Although these are just a few aspects of Gileadi's insights, there is so much more to be mined from this work. His footnotes and bibliography are priceless for further research and understanding. This book is a tour de force for any serious student of the scriptures. Without the words of Isaiah and the Book of Mormon, the last days are hopeless. This is a must for all who want hope in these darkening times.
In 2015, I came across the Avraham Gileadi's works on Isaiah. After studying his works, I must admit that all other attempts to interpret Isaiah pale in comparison. This book systematically reveals how the Book of Mormon prophets were cognizant of Isaiah's mode of prophecy and that they actually prophesied in the same manner, which gives the reader a panoramic understanding of the words these great servants of the Lord conveyed. Gileadi demonstrates, quite effectively, that Isaiah's words are esoteric in nature and that without the Book of Mormon few will even begin to understand his message and meaning. What does this mean for the reader? Well, if you are a superficial reader of the scriptures, meaning you are not a patient reader and expect others to give you the answers, then you WILL NOT understand what Gileadi conveys here, especially about the "arm of the Lord."
The "arm of the Lord" is a pseudonym Isaiah identifies the latter-day messianic figure the Jews have waited so long for. Yet Isaiah does not only identify this being but two others as well. Isaiah 11 is a key chapter in understanding this, along with D&C 113:1-6. Again both Isaiah and Joseph Smith use pseudonyms to identify these too. This encryption of scriptures is the exact method prominent within Hebrew prophecy, namely typology. In order to decode them, you must find the patterns and clues that help you define the term under investigation, for rarely does the Lord blatantly give you the answers. You must first study it out in your mind.
Another ground-breaking aspect of this text is Gileadi's focus on the suzerain-vassel relationship extant in the writings of the ancient Near East. He effectively demonstrates how Isaiah incorporates this concept in his prophecies, revealing that this is the type of relationship the "arm of the Lord" will have with his Lord. This concept is not only evident with the ancient Near East but also within the Homeric tradition, especially in the Odyssey.
Although these are just a few aspects of Gileadi's insights, there is so much more to be mined from this work. His footnotes and bibliography are priceless for further research and understanding. This book is a tour de force for any serious student of the scriptures. Without the words of Isaiah and the Book of Mormon, the last days are hopeless. This is a must for all who want hope in these darkening times.
August 25, 2008
Like most people I have a hard time understanding Isaiah. Avraham has studied and lived as a Jew, and is LDS. With his unique perspective and understanding I am seeing how amazing the book of Isaiah is. Isaiah's message is one that each of us needs to understand if we are going to be prepared for the Lord's coming.
October 2, 2012
Decided to tackle Isaiah and grabbed this for help :) I thought it was insightful and extremely helpful in identifying study keys for the book of Isaiah. I definitely need a deeper understanding of Jewish history and culture to truly appreciate Isaiah, but Gileadi really helped me to comfortably interpret Isaiah's writings verse by verse.
July 13, 2022
A really excellent book. Dr. Gileadi's Isaiah translation really makes it so much easier to study and comprehend this challenging but rewarding book of scripture. The introduction also had a lot of really helpful information. I will be coming back to this book again in the future to study Isaiah further.
March 16, 2019
I found this very interesting. I now have a deeper love for the writings of Isaiah.
“Without [relating to the things Isaiah writes] I might act presumptuously; I might neglect some pertinent aspects of what Isaiah says…we must understand Isaiah or be swept away by the events of the last days” (11).
“The spirit of prophecy, specifically being filled with the spirit of prophecy, makes Isaiah’s words plain” (11).
“The spirit of prophecy equates with the testimony of Jesus…but possessing the spirit of prophecy, or the gift of prophecy, depends on personal worthiness: when we continually exercise faith and repentance, when we receive baptism by one having authority and take upon ourselves the name of Christ, renewing this covenant often, bearing this identity valiantly before the world, we quality for the gift of the holly spirit” (12).
“In order to understand…a person must learn the peculiar manner in which the Jews use words…Jews rely on interpretive devices such as types and shadows, allegorical language, underlying structures, word links, parallelism, double meaning, key words, codenames, and other mechanical tools” (13).
“Isaiah employs and transforms the literary patterns of many ancient Near Eastern peoples. The Egyptians, for example, long before Isaiah’s time, wove narrative stories around a certain literary structure. The story of Sinuhe forms a classic model. The hero of the story, who is of royal origin, finds himself in trouble, political or otherwise, in his homeland. He is exiled from his country, forced to leave for his life. Making hood way among a foreign people and culture, he comes to understand himself. When he attains this self awareness, realizing who he is, what he must do with his life, there arises in him a desire to return to his homeland. Oddly enough, at that point those in authority welcome him back, escort him home with much fanfare, and restore him to a high position. This is also the story of Israel, and Isaiah frames his entire book around it as a literary pattern” (17).
“According to [the text] structure, God foreordained Israel’s exile. It forms an integral part of his saving plan for the world. When Israel goes into exile, the intermingling of her blood with the nations of the world gives all people a claim to Israel’s unique heritage” (19).
Isaiah’s “structure consists of the four major prophetic themes of apostasy, judgement, restoration, and salvation. These parallel the themes of threat, war, victory, and feast that appear in the course of several cycles in the Baal myth.
“Isaiah’s pattern of malediction and benediction applies in the short term as well” (25).
“Without [relating to the things Isaiah writes] I might act presumptuously; I might neglect some pertinent aspects of what Isaiah says…we must understand Isaiah or be swept away by the events of the last days” (11).
“The spirit of prophecy, specifically being filled with the spirit of prophecy, makes Isaiah’s words plain” (11).
“The spirit of prophecy equates with the testimony of Jesus…but possessing the spirit of prophecy, or the gift of prophecy, depends on personal worthiness: when we continually exercise faith and repentance, when we receive baptism by one having authority and take upon ourselves the name of Christ, renewing this covenant often, bearing this identity valiantly before the world, we quality for the gift of the holly spirit” (12).
“In order to understand…a person must learn the peculiar manner in which the Jews use words…Jews rely on interpretive devices such as types and shadows, allegorical language, underlying structures, word links, parallelism, double meaning, key words, codenames, and other mechanical tools” (13).
“Isaiah employs and transforms the literary patterns of many ancient Near Eastern peoples. The Egyptians, for example, long before Isaiah’s time, wove narrative stories around a certain literary structure. The story of Sinuhe forms a classic model. The hero of the story, who is of royal origin, finds himself in trouble, political or otherwise, in his homeland. He is exiled from his country, forced to leave for his life. Making hood way among a foreign people and culture, he comes to understand himself. When he attains this self awareness, realizing who he is, what he must do with his life, there arises in him a desire to return to his homeland. Oddly enough, at that point those in authority welcome him back, escort him home with much fanfare, and restore him to a high position. This is also the story of Israel, and Isaiah frames his entire book around it as a literary pattern” (17).
“According to [the text] structure, God foreordained Israel’s exile. It forms an integral part of his saving plan for the world. When Israel goes into exile, the intermingling of her blood with the nations of the world gives all people a claim to Israel’s unique heritage” (19).
Isaiah’s “structure consists of the four major prophetic themes of apostasy, judgement, restoration, and salvation. These parallel the themes of threat, war, victory, and feast that appear in the course of several cycles in the Baal myth.
“Isaiah’s pattern of malediction and benediction applies in the short term as well” (25).
June 12, 2011
While an extraordinarily useful guide and probably the best translation of Isaiah we have out there now, I strained a bit at some of what I feel are misunderstandings. There is a great deal of time spent on the "arm" of Jehovah, and I just don't concur with his interpretation. Unfortunately, as with anything, once the assumption has been made, everything built upon it is shaky.
Still, that is one part of the text. I find this an absolutely indispensable companion and use it often. Kudos to Gileadi.
Still, that is one part of the text. I find this an absolutely indispensable companion and use it often. Kudos to Gileadi.
January 2, 2013
1: You should own this book.
2: Dr. Gileadi's translation of Isaiah is phenomenal.
3: I found his interpretation enlightening and fascinating and really think for the most part that he has hit the nail on the head. It is an easy and fun read. The book is divided into two parts; the first half of the book covers the interpretive keys and the second half is the translation. This is great because you can study up on the keys and go right into Isaiah with the information fresh in your mind. This really helps open up what is going on, it is truly a unique book and one that I highly value.
2: Dr. Gileadi's translation of Isaiah is phenomenal.
3: I found his interpretation enlightening and fascinating and really think for the most part that he has hit the nail on the head. It is an easy and fun read. The book is divided into two parts; the first half of the book covers the interpretive keys and the second half is the translation. This is great because you can study up on the keys and go right into Isaiah with the information fresh in your mind. This really helps open up what is going on, it is truly a unique book and one that I highly value.
November 27, 2015
Reading this translation beside the King James Version and parry's understanding gave me a good comprehensive way to begin to understand this prophetic book of scripture.
Read
November 18, 2015This book helped simplify Isaiah for me
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews