Isaiah 40 Footnotes

40:10-11 Isaiah depicted the salvation to come for Jerusalem with two metaphors for the Lord’s action: the warrior king bringing gifts to his people, and the shepherd who cares tenderly for his flock. This is not a mixed metaphor; in the ancient Near East kings were often compared to shepherds, a connection made in the original prophecy of David’s enduring dynasty (2Sm 7:7-8). The NT saw this prophecy realized in Jesus Christ, who is both the good shepherd (Jn 10:11-15) and the mighty warrior King (Rv 19:11-16).

40:22 Isaiah spoke of God who “is enthroned above the circle of the earth.” Some commentators have cited this as evidence that biblical writers were aware that the earth is a globe, not a flat surface. While the shape of the planet was not Isaiah’s concern here, his phrase is a reminder that modern critics should be cautious about ascribing a “primitive” or “prescientific” outlook to Scripture, as a way of discounting its relevance to contemporary cultures.