Because of the Servant’s work (Isaiah 53), Zion is restored to her husband (54:4-5). That restoration is marked by the outbreak of song (54:1-3) but also by a series of negations.
Verse 4 begins with three clauses that all begin with the Hebrew particle lo , “not”: Do not fear, you will not be ashamed, you will not be confounded. It continues with parallel clauses that promise deletion of memory: “the same of your youth you will forget” and “the reproach of your widowhood you will not remember.” Isaiah refers to two periods of Israel’s history: She was shamed by her early infidelities, she was reproached because of her Husband’s departure/death. Both of these she will forget.
The waters that Yahweh promises (55:1) might as well be from the river of Lethe. In the joy of reunion with her Husband, Zion forgets all the prior shame and pain of her adulteries and her abandonment.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Moral Certitude and the Iran War
The current military engagement with Iran calls renewed attention to just war theory in the Catholic tradition.…
The Slow Death of England: New and Notable Books
The fate of England is much in the news as popular resistance to mass immigration grows, limits…
Ethics of Rhetoric in Times of War
What we say matters. And the way we say it matters. This is especially true in times…
