Isaiah 1–12

The book of Isaiah contains the writings and prophecies of Isaiah, a prophet who lived in Jerusalem during the latter half of the eighth century BC. Isaiah’s name means “the Lord is salvation,” an idea that is reflected in his writings. Isaiah lived in a time of widespread wickedness and political turmoil. The Assyrian empire was the most dominant and threatening political power in his day. Many of Isaiah’s prophecies address the danger that Assyria posed to both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Isaiah had a particularly strong influence on King Hezekiah of Judah.

Isaiah is quoted extensively in other books of scripture—more than any other Old Testament prophet. He spoke extensively about the house of Israel and its restoration in the latter days. Perhaps the most important part of Isaiah’s writings is his witness of the Holy One of Israel, the promised Messiah. President Jeffrey R. Holland wrote: “Isaiah is by every standard the messianic prophet of the Old Testament and as such is the most penetrating prophetic voice in that record.” When the resurrected Jesus Christ visited the Nephites and Lamanites in the Americas, He taught, “A commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah.”

Many of Isaiah’s prophecies are dualistic in the sense that his messages were fulfilled in his own day, but they were also types or shadows of events to take place at a much later time. President Dallin H. Oaks explained: “The book of Isaiah contains numerous prophecies that seem to have multiple fulfillments. One seems to involve the people of Isaiah’s day or the circumstances of the next generation. Another meaning, often symbolic, seems to refer to events in the meridian of time. … Still another meaning or fulfillment of the same prophecy seems to relate to the events attending the Second Coming of the Savior. The fact that many of these prophecies can have multiple meanings underscores the importance of our seeking revelation from the Holy Ghost to help us interpret them.”

The book of Isaiah can be organized into the following sections:

1. Isaiah 1–12: Isaiah’s call from the Lord, his message of warning, and his prophecies of the destruction and restoration of Judah and Israel.

2. Isaiah 13–23: Prophecies of God’s judgments upon wicked nations and a vision of Israel’s future prominence.

3. Isaiah 24–35: Additional prophecies of judgment and destruction.

4. Isaiah 36–39: Historical narrative of the Assyrian invasion of Jerusalem, parallelling the account found in 2 Kings 18–20.

5. Isaiah 40–48: Promises of deliverance for the Jews exiled to Babylon.

6. Isaiah 49–59: Prophecies about God’s servants, including the Messiah, who would bring salvation to Israel.

7. Isaiah 60–66: Promises of Israel’s final restoration, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and His millennial reign.

Isaiah 1 was likely written later than many of Isaiah’s other revelations. It is a prologue or preface to the rest of the book, similar to how section 1 is used in the Doctrine and Covenants. Chapter 1 summarizes a prominent message in Isaiah: When God’s people break their covenant, they will lose His blessings and protection. But when they return to Him, He will forgive and bless them beyond measure.

Isaiah compared Israel’s sins to scarlet and crimson—red colors that come from dyes. He pleaded with his people to “wash” and make themselves clean. Isaiah testified that their scarlet and crimson sins could be “as white as snow” and “as wool.” This powerful imagery can remind us that the sins of those who repent can be “washed white through the blood of the Lamb.”

Of these symbols, Sister Sharon Eubank, formerly of the Relief Society General Presidency, taught: “The scarlet dye of the Old Testament was not only colorful but also colorfast, meaning that its vivid color stuck to the wool and would not fade no matter how many times it was washed. Satan wields this reasoning like a club: white wool stained scarlet can never go back to being white. But Jesus Christ declares, ‘My ways [are] higher than your ways’ [Isaiah 55:9], and the miracle of His grace is that when we repent of our sins, His scarlet blood returns us to purity. It isn’t logical, but it is nevertheless true.”

Isaiah’s prophecy has multiple fulfillments. In its immediate context, it points to a time when the Lord will establish His temple in Jerusalem in the last days, and people from all nations will come to worship there. Latter-day prophets have also taught that this prophecy applies to the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ and the establishment of temples throughout the world.

This phrase uses a form of Hebrew poetry known as parallelism, where two lines express the same idea using different words. Throughout the Old Testament, the word Zion is used synonymously with Jerusalem and the temple mount. Isaiah’s prophecy indicates that in the last days, the word of the Lord and His sacred law will go forth from Jerusalem, where the temple will be built.

Isaiah’s prophecy can also refer to the New Jerusalem, which will be built on the American continent and from which Christ will reign during the Millennium. President Joseph Fielding Smith said the following about these two cities: “Jerusalem of old … shall become a holy city where the Lord shall dwell and from whence he shall send forth his word unto all people. Likewise, on [the American] continent, the city of Zion, New Jerusalem, shall be built, and from it the law of God shall also go forth.”

Most scholars agree that the phrase daughter of Zion in its singular form refers to the people of Jerusalem and Judah. The plural form, “daughters of Zion,” appears only a few times in the Old Testament. It may have a different meaning from the singular form, possibly referring specifically to the women of Jerusalem or the inhabitants of both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. Regardless of the specific meaning, Isaiah’s description of the daughters of Zion shows that pride and arrogance had come to characterize the people.

Isaiah prophesied that the Lord would ultimately wash away “the filth of the daughters of Zion.” Rather than abandoning Israel with nobody to care for them, God would continue to honor His covenant with them. Isaiah prophesied that the Lord would be in Israel’s midst as a source of protection and refuge in the last days.

The phrase “For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still” occurs several times in the early chapters of Isaiah. In each instance, the phrase is associated with the punishment of the wicked. Isaiah used this phrase to emphasize that because past punishments had not led Israel to repent, God’s hand would remain outstretched in judgment. These passages may also show that the Lord’s extended hands and arms are used to describe His mercy.

Seraphim are angelic beings that minister in the courts of God. The wings of the seraphim are symbolic of their power to move or to act.

The translation of verses 9–10 makes it seem as though Isaiah was commanded to prophesy in a way that would cause the people to harden their hearts and become spiritually deaf and blind. Some scholars believe that these verses are describing the people’s existing spiritual condition, while others believe they are a prophecy of how the people would respond to Isaiah’s message. Another possibility is that the Lord was instructing Isaiah to deliver his message in such a way that those with hardened hearts would fail to understand, but those who were spiritually prepared would comprehend.

In 735 BC, the Assyrian empire was rapidly expanding and posed a growing threat to nearby kingdoms. These included the Northern Kingdom of Israel (also known as Ephraim) and the kingdom of Syria (also known as Aram). In response, King Pekah of the Northern Kingdom and King Rezin of Syria formed an alliance to defend their kingdoms against Assyria. They urged King Ahaz of the Southern Kingdom to join them, but he refused. In retaliation, Pekah and Rezin attacked Ahaz’s kingdom, intending to replace Ahaz with a ruler who would join their alliance. It was during this time that Isaiah prophesied to King Ahaz.

See also “2 Kings 16:7–9. Why did King Ahaz seek help from Assyria?”

Isaiah urged Ahaz and the people of Judah to rely on the Lord for deliverance from the armies of Pekah (king of Israel) and Rezin (king of Syria). He also encouraged Ahaz not to seek help from Assyria. To strengthen Ahaz’s faith in the prophecy, the Lord promised a sign: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” The Hebrew word translated as “virgin” can simply mean a young woman of marriageable age. The Lord assured Ahaz that before this child reached maturity, Pekah and Rezin would be destroyed.

Despite Isaiah’s counsel, Ahaz chose to seek help from Assyria. As a result, Judah came under Assyrian control. Isaiah’s prophecy began to be fulfilled in 732 BC, when Assyria destroyed the alliance between Pekah and Rezin and conquered Damascus in Syria and portions of the kingdom of Israel.

Beyond its immediate historical context, the prophecy of Immanuel holds deeper significance. The Gospel of Matthew identifies it as a prophecy of the birth of Jesus Christ to the virgin Mary. The name Immanuel means “God with us.”

Isaiah declared, “I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel.” The names of Isaiah and his sons contained symbolic messages that would serve as reminders of Isaiah’s prophecies to the people. Maher-shalal-hash-baz (“to speed to the spoil, he hasteneth the prey”) foreshadowed the destruction the people would face if they persisted in wickedness. Shear-jashub (“the remnant shall return”) pointed to the eventual gathering of Israel back to the promised land and God’s everlasting covenant. The name Isaiah (“Jehovah is salvation”) represented the power of Jesus Christ to save His people.

In Isaiah 9, Isaiah prophesied of a time of “vexation” and “dimness.” He was likely referring to the Assyrian invasions of the Northern Kingdom of Israel that occurred in 732 BC. These invasions posed significant threats to the Northern Kingdom, as well as to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Despite these dangers, Isaiah prophesied of the coming of “a great light” and of the birth of a child who would bring peace and justice.

In its immediate context, this prophecy may have referred to the birth of King Hezekiah. When Hezekiah became king of Judah, he brought spiritual light to the people by helping them turn away from idolatry and rely on the Lord. During Hezekiah’s reign, the people of Jerusalem miraculously avoided destruction at the hands of the Assyrians. Above all, Jesus Christ is the divine and ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. He is the great light who will forever sit “upon the throne of David” as the King of kings.

President Russell M. Nelson taught:

“As the prophet Isaiah prophesied, and as memorialized in Handel’s Messiah, when Jesus Christ returns, ‘the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together’ [Isaiah 40:5].

“In that day ‘the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace’ [Isaiah 9:6].”

Isaiah prophesied of the destruction of Assyria in Isaiah 10. Assyria was a dominant power that eventually conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel and scattered its people. Assyria also posed a grave threat to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Isaiah prophesied that the Assyrian army would invade Judah and even listed the names of cities that would fall along its path. He then described the army drawing closer to Jerusalem, advancing to the point that it would “shake [its] hand” against the city.

Despite how close Jerusalem would come to being destroyed, Isaiah prophesied that the Lord would intervene to save His people. He compared Assyria to a forest of trees that would be cleared. One fulfillment of this prophecy occurred during the reign of King Hezekiah, when an army of 185,000 Assyrians threatened to destroy Jerusalem. However, before the Assyrians began their attack, the Lord sent a plague upon the Assyrian camp, and Jerusalem was miraculously spared. Several decades later, Assyria was conquered by Babylon and ceased to exist as an empire.

Isaiah’s prophecy has multiple fulfillments. In one sense, Isaiah 11:1 can be seen as using synonymous parallelism, a form of Hebrew poetry where the second part of a phrase reinforces the meaning of the first. In this case, rod can be equated with branch, and stem (or stump) with roots. In other words, Isaiah prophesied of a rod or branch that would grow out of the stump or roots of a tree. This was fulfilled by Jesus Christ, who was a branch that grew from the roots of Jesse. Jesse was the father of King David and an ancestor of Jesus Christ.

Restoration scripture helps us understand an additional fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. On the night of September 21, 1823, the angel Moroni appeared to 17-year-old Joseph Smith and told him of the work God had for Joseph to do. As part of this visitation, Moroni quoted numerous Old Testament prophecies, including Isaiah 11. He told Joseph that this prophecy “was about to be fulfilled.” Nearly 15 years later, in March 1838, the Prophet Joseph Smith addressed questions about Isaiah 11. His inspired responses, which are recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 113, explain some elements of this prophecy.

Doctrine and Covenants 113:1–2 states that “the Stem of Jesse” is Jesus Christ. Verses 3–6 explain that the person symbolized by the rod and root is a descendant of Jesse and of Ephraim who would hold the “keys of the kingdom … for the gathering of [the Lord’s] people in the last days.” This is likely referring to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

In Isaiah’s day, an ensign was a flag or banner that an army carried that showed which nation they were from. The ensign was raised up during battle so that the army’s soldiers could gather beneath it or march behind it. The ensign spoken of in Isaiah 11:10, which the Gentiles would seek, is the “everlasting covenant,” or the gospel of Jesus Christ. The restored Church of Jesus Christ is an ensign to gather scattered Israel back to Him.

Isaiah spoke of a highway that would lead the scattered tribes back to Israel. While it is possible that Isaiah was referring to a physical road, he may have been speaking symbolically of the strait and narrow covenant path.

• Bruce R. McConkie, “Ten Keys to Understanding Isaiah,” Ensign, Oct. 1973, 78–83

• Bradley R. Wilcox, “Nephi’s Four Keys for Understanding Isaiah,” For the Strength of Youth, Sept. 2022, 11–13

• Ryan S. Gardner and David A. Edwards, “How Can I Understand Isaiah?,” New Era, Mar. 2012, 18–22

• “Scarlet, Crimson, Snow, and Wool,” New Era, Feb. 2016, 8–9

• “Unto Us a Child Is Born,” Liahona, Dec. 2009, 8–9

• “An Ensign for the Nations,” Ensign, Sept. 2018, 44–45

• “High on the Mountain Top,” Hymns, no. 5

• “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” Hymns—For Home and Church