occupies Isaiah 40 to 48, which we have entitled 'Comfort and Controversy',

is, like every other section of Isaiah, sevenfold.

40:1 -11

Good tidings to Zion

40:12 to 42:17

My Servant (Israel and Messiah)

42:18 to 45:15

My witness (Israel)

45:16 -25

God and none else

46

Israel My glory

47

Babylon said, 'I am, and none else'

48

His servant Jacob redeemed.

Our subject, therefore is Isaiah 40:1 -11, 'Good tidings to Zion'.

Before we can proceed to the structural analysis of these verses there

is one item that must be settled.  In verse 9 we read:

'O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high

mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice

with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah,

Behold your God!' (Isa. 40:9 A.V.).

'O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high

mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy

voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of

Judah, Behold, your God!' (40:9 R.V.).

As an alternative, the Authorized Version places, in the margin, the

rendering subsequently adopted by the Revised Version, while contrariwise the

Revised Version places in the margin the translation found in the Authorized

Version.  It is evident, therefore, that the passage is one of considerable

ambiguity, and where so many authorities differ it would be temerity on our

part to assume anything like finality in coming to a judgment.

Among those who favour the Authorized Version rendering are Aquila,

Theodoret, Symmachus, Calvin, Vitringa, Ewald, Umbreit, Drechsler and Stier.

Among those who favour the Revised Version rendering may be enumerated the

LXX, Chaldean, Vulgate, Grotius, Lowth, Gesenius, Hitzig, Maurer, Knobel,

Henderson and The Companion Bible.  The balance, if anything, is in favour of

the Revised Version.  But the reader may find counterbalancing arguments from

Young's Literal Translation or Rotherham's Version, and this balance and

counterbalance of opinion might be pursued indefinitely, leaving us still in

a state of indecision.  There is, however, one appeal that we can make, and

that is to an obviously parallel passage where none of the great Versions

allow of the existence of ambiguity.  Such a passage is Isaiah 62:10,11,

'Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people;

cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard

for the people.  Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the

world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy Salvation cometh;

behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him' (Isa.