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"Zdq" in Isaiah

S. Joel Garver

The following bits of essay don't really make any particularly original contribution, but they do collect together some of my thoughts on present topic, at least as I was thinking about it at a particular time.

Introduction

The notions of “righteousness,” “the righteousness of God,” and “justification” have a significant place in Christian theology, in part due to the attention given them by Paul, especially in Galatians and Romans. But this terminology was not newly minted by New Testament writers, having its roots, instead, deeply within the Hebrew Scriptures and Isaiah in particular.

The book of Isaiah uses words formed from the “zdq” root eighty times in its 66 chapters, with meanings ranging from “personal covenant faithfulness” to “divine vindication.” Of these eighty instances, two-thirds occur in the second (and shorter) portion of the book, in what is often distinguished as “Second Isaiah” (chapters 40-66). By far, the most common forms of zdq in Isaiah are “zedeq” and “z’daqah,” each of which occur at least twice as much in Second Isaiah as in the first part of the book. (see note below)

These brief observations suggest some shift in focus between the two parts of Isaiah, a shift marked temporally and thematically as the prophecies move from a pre-exilic attention largely upon imminent judgment towards an exilic eschatology of repentance and vindication.

In the following remarks, then, I will give some analysis of the semantic range of zdq, particularly the shifts between First and Second Isaiah. After this analysis I will briefly suggest some ways in which this terminology may undergird Pauline theology. After these remarks, there is a listing of all the occurrences of “zdq” in Isaiah along with some initial interpretive annotations.

First Isaiah

None of the themes taken up zdq in the first part of Isaiah are entirely absent from Second Isaiah, but there is development. In First Isaiah there are several axes along which the terminology must be considered: human righteousness, the righteousness of Yahweh, and divine vindication of Israel.

It seems to me that for Isaiah, all of these concepts function within a covenant framework, presupposing the relationship between Yahweh and Israel in which Yahweh has promised to be Israel’s God, has given Israel Torah as a way of life, continually calls Israel to covenant faithfulness, and has promised that as Israel’s God, he will be faithful to his covenant, even if Israel must undergo judgment. The terminology of zdq, while it certainly carries strong forensic or judicial connotations in various contexts, does so only in this broader context of Yahweh’s gracious covenant and the way of life that Torah shapes.

The following textual considerations may be offered in support of this perspective. I’ll begin with the song of Judah in Isaiah 26, as window upon other texts. Here Israel can be said to be a “righteous nation” (goy-zadiq; 26:2), a nation that “keeps faith,” that is, remains faithful to the covenant, trusting Yahweh for safety (26:2-4). This trust is warranted by Yahweh’s own actions with regard to the “righteous” who are, in this instance, the poor and needy who have been trampled, presumably often in the courts of justice, and now are favored by Yahweh (26:5-7). Yahweh’s “just judgments” (mishpatim; 8:9) are desired by the downtrodden since through these judgments the people of the land will learn “righteousness” (zedeq), lest the scoundrel continue in ignorance of it, continue injustice, and ignore the majesty of Yahweh.

Here the implication is that “righteousness” is, first of all, a matter of vindication for those who have been denied justice and thus now are “righteous” in that they have a “right-standing” before Yahweh’s court of justice. Furthermore, this vindication is a manifestation of Yahweh’s own righteousness, not merely his just judgment, but the covenant faithfulness that is expressed in it (cf. the “zeal for your people” 26:11). This, then, is the model for human “righteousness,” faithfulness to the covenant and Torah expressed in human justice, particularly in the legal cause of the poor.

In all of this the covenantal and the forensic are not separated, but presuppose one another. Moreover, Yahweh’s vindication (of the poor and needy) of Israel against adversaries is not merely a legal declaration, but a declaration that is manifest in the fruits of Yahweh’s faithfulness to his covenant: a level path and smooth way for the righteous and, later in the chapter, well-being (shalom; 26:12), and new life pictured, interestingly, in terms of childbirth and resurrection from death (26:17-19).

These brief reflections, then, can serve as a perspective upon various other texts of First Isaiah.

Personal “righteousness” or a “righteousness” that dwells in Zion, often has the connotation of just judgment on the part of human rulers (1:21, 26; 3:10; 5:7; 5:23; 9:7; etc). It is contrasted against murder, inequity, oppression, false accusation, and injustice (e.g., 1:21) and set in parallel with (just) judgment, impartiality, the cause of the poor and lowly, and establishing peace (e.g., 3:9-10). When such “righteousness” is carried out, the one who carries it out can be said to be “righteous” (zadiq; 3:10) while those he vindicates (or ought to vindicate) can be said to be “those in the right” (zadiq[im]; 5:23; 29:21). Thus the context is heavily forensic.

But the wider context is clearly that of covenant faithfulness to Torah on the part of rulers in their judgments. This is clear not only from allusions to Torah, for example, in the demand for impartiality or refusing bribes, but also from how “righteousness” is set in parallel with faithfulness to Yahweh (e.g., 11:5; 16:15). Again, the presupposition is that, ultimately, Yahweh himself is the just judge who judges in righteousness and is faithful to his covenant with Israel. Human justice is to reflect that divine model, especially among his covenant people, Israel.

As we shall see, the theme of Yahweh’s own “righteousness” does not receive the same degree of attention in First Isaiah that it does in Second Isaiah. Additionally, where Yahweh’s “righteous verdict” is spoken of, the emphasis is less on the vindication of his people and more upon judgment against Israel (e.g., 5:16; 10:22; 28:17). Nonetheless, the figure of the coming Davidic king, the shoot from Jesse, is a way in which Yahweh’s covenant faithfulness is expressed, his fulfilling of his promises to Israel and to David.

Through this king, whom Yahweh will establish, “righteousness” will be restored in Zion. His throne will be one of justice and “righteousness” (z’daqah; 9:7), judging with “righteousness” (zedeq) with regard to the poor and lowly, so that he may be said to be girded with “righteousness” and faithfulness (11:4-5; 16:5). This is later connected with the outpouring of Yahweh’s Spirit so that justice and “righteousness” (z’daqah) will dwell in the law, and calm, confidence, and peace will pursue (32:1, 16-17).

While this anticipation of the Davidic Messiah presupposes Yahweh’s deliverance of Israel from divine judgment, the language of Yahweh’s “vindication” of Israel is not specifically used in First Isaiah. The result of the rule of the king faithful to Yahweh and his Torah, however, is parallel to the final outcome of Yahweh’s vindication of Israel as that is portrayed in Second Isaiah (as we shall see below). And while in both cases the eschatological outcome is ultimately secured through the agency of Yahweh himself, in First Isaiah the role of the Davidic king is far more central to the administration of that final vision than it is in Second Isaiah.

Let us turn then to the developments expressed in Second Isaiah, directed towards Israel as she finds herself in the midst of exile and looks expectantly for Yahweh’s vindication.

Second Isaiah

In Second Isaiah, as much as in the first portion of the prophecy, the assumed background is that of Yahweh’s covenant with Israel and his promises to them. Indeed, in Second Isaiah these themes are brought to the fore through a more sustained emphasis upon Yahweh’s own faithfulness to his covenant as his “righteousness” and upon the final “vindication” he will bring to his people as an expression of that covenant promise.

Naturally, the terminology of zdq continues to be used in Second Isaiah in ways parallel to the first part, for instance:

  • Yahweh’s vindication leads to “righteousness” (z’daqah) springing up in the land (45:8)
  • had the people been faithful they would have experience peace (shalom) and “righteousness” (z’daqah; 48:18)
  • those who know “righteousness” (zedeq) listen, taking Torah to heart (51:7)
  • Yahweh’s servant is “righteous” (zadiq) in his faithfulness to God (53:11)
  • the people are called to maintain “righteous” verdicts (z’daqah) in their courts (56:1)
  • those who are faithful to Yahweh are “righteous” (zadiq) though they perish (57:1)
  • in the midst of false piety Israel acts as if they pursued “righteous” verdicts (zedeq) with regard to the poor (58:2)
  • the people of Israel does not sue in “righteousness” (zedeq) but lie in court and thus confess their failure to “vindicate” (z’daqah) the innocent (59:4, 14).

While these uses of zdq are quite similar to those we surveyed earlier, it is also the case, I think, that there is a greater emphasis, on the whole, upon the forensic sense of zdq, an emphasis that seems typical of Second Isaiah as a whole.

The primary focus of Second Isaiah, however, is upon Yahweh and his actions with regard to Israel. Israel is called to put confidence in God for he will deliver them with the right hand of his “righteousness” (zedeq; 41:10), in this context, I think, pointing to Yahweh’s covenant faithfulness to deliver Israel, though perhaps also pointing to that deliverance as “vindication.”

More clear, perhaps, is the confession that it was the creator Yahweh who made Israel his covenant people, a light to the nations, calling them in his “righteousness” (zedeq) by rescuing them (presumably from Egypt; 42:6). The background here is God’s promise to the patriarchs as that finds fulfillment in the exodus and so the righteousness of Yahweh here carried the strong connotation of “covenant faithfulness.”

In Isaiah 45 there are several instances of this sense of zdq. Yahweh, the sole creator, does not speak falsely, but speaks in “righteousness” (zedeq) and truth, fulfilling what he has promised by raising up Cyrus to deliver Israel (45:19). Thus, Yahweh alone is God, the one who fulfills his promises and thereby is a “righteous” one (zadiq) and a savior (45:21). When Yahweh swore his covenant, his mouth went forth in “righteousness” (z’daqah) with a word that will not return without being fulfilled (45:23).

In Second Isaiah, however, it is primarily Israel’s vindication that is the result of Yahweh’s faithfulness to his promises. This vindication is, first of all, the decision of the divine judge finding in favor of Israel and thus carries a fully forensic importance (the law court scene is particularly evident in, e.g., 43:9; 50:8). But this decision is manifest in history as the defeat of Israel’s adversaries and the restoration Israel, first of all from exile, but also with sights set on a final eschatological restoration. When this restoration occurs, the land will return to an Edenic state in which God’s verdict is seen by all nations and true justice, in faithfulness to Torah, is established.

In Isaiah 45, which we considered in part above, Yahweh’s righteousness is seen in his vindication of Israel. Yahweh is said to have raised up Cyrus in order that the covenant be renewed, triumph sprout up, and “vindication” (zedeq) be rained down (45:8). The result is that within Israel, “righteousness” (z’daqah), as a way of life, will again spring up (45:8). Yahweh has roused Cyrus so that the city will be rebuilt and the exiles return, expressing God’s “righteous verdict” (zedeq) in Israel’s favor. The people respond by confessing that only in Yahweh is there “righteousness” (z’daqah) and strength, for when the people come to him their adversaries are put to shame (45:24; is this vindication or Yahweh’s faithfulness?). Therefore in Yahweh the seed of Israel will have “vindication” (zadaq) and glory (45:25).

In the following chapter Yahweh’s “righteousness” (z’daqah; his plan for Israel’s salvation and vindication) is far from them in exile, but it will be soon brought close (46:12-13).

In Isaiah 51, the Torah that goes out from Yahweh as a light is said to bring “vindication” (zedeq) and salvation, defeating Israel’s enemies and delivering the people (51:6). This salvation and “vindication” (z’daqah) is enduring and final, standing forever and unbroken (51:6). Those who accuse and insult will wither away when Yahweh’s vindicating verdict (z’daqah) is pronounced, his eternal salvation of Israel (51:8).

In the later chapters these themes are carried further. Though Israel doesn’t pursue righteous verdicts and thus can only hypocritically ask for Yahweh to vindicate them, Yahweh will nonetheless come in light, healing, and vindication, guarding Israel, should they begin to show compassion for the poor (58:1-8). In a song of repentance, the injustice of Israel’s own courts is lamented since it drives Yahweh’s vindication far from them (59:1-9). Nonetheless, Yahweh hears their repentance, sees the lack of righteous verdict, and decides to bring vindication by his own arm, dressing himself in military (and high priestly?) garb: vestments of vindication, salvation, vengeance, and wrath (59:14ff.).

In the final chapters of Isaiah, Israel is said to have peace as a governor and vindication/righteousness as an official, alluding perhaps to the fruits of divine deliverance (60:17). Those who receive vindication are said to be “righteous” (zadiq), God’s own handiwork (60:21) and they will be called “oaks of righteousness” (zedeq) that Yahweh himself has planted (61:3). Since the agent here is Yahweh, it seems that the point is not the personal piety or acts of the people, but their “right-standing” before Yahweh as the people whom he has vindicated. Thus the very garments of vindication that Yahweh himself wore in saving Israel and pouring out his wrath are now wrapped around Israel as garments of salvation, a robe of vindication, like a bride (61:10). Thus Israel’s vindication by Yahweh will be seen by all the nations, until kings recognize her glory as Yahweh’s bride (61:11; 62:1-2).

It is with the glorious image of Israel, vindicated by Yahweh who is faithful to his covenant with her, that I conclude my survey of Second Isaiah. As should be clear, the themes of Second Isaiah move well beyond those of First Isaiah, filling them out in light of the exile and Israel’s eschatological hope.

The New Testament

My remarks here shall be brief and preliminary. It is fairly clear, I think, that Pauline talk of the “righteousness of God” and God’s “justification/vindication” of his people are central to his epistles and reflect the kinds of language we have seen in Isaiah, particularly Second Isaiah. The question is precisely how Paul is appropriating this language and applying it to what God has accomplished in Christ.

I certainly cannot take the space to argue here for a particular interpretation of the Pauline corpus, but the following perspective seems on the right track. Paul sees Israel before Christ as still bearing the curse of exile and, insofar as Israel bears the fate of humanity, the human race remains under this curse as well. What happened with Jesus of Nazareth, Paul suggests, is that as the Messiah, he summed up Israel in his own mission and the entire world as well.

The eschatological hope of Israel for vindication by Yahweh has found its fulfillment in Christ. He not only bore the curse of exile upon the cross, but he came out the other side raised up by God, restored and vindicated, experiencing in the middle of history what Israel expected to have at the end. And all those who are in Christ share now, by anticipation, in that verdict and will experience it fully in the eschaton when all is restored. Thus, the righteousness of God is manifest in Christ in that the promises of the covenant are finally and decisively fulfilled in him.

More certainly needs to be said, but, I think, this captures some of what Paul is trying to say when he uses the language of Isaiah.

Note: For those of you who worry about these sorts of things, I should perhaps add that my use of the terminology of "First" and "Second" Isaiah is, for my purposes, purely a literary division in terms of theological emphasis and context; you needn't read into it any particular theory of authorship or date of composition or the like.