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Isaiah 9:2-7
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St. James Lutheran Church, Fayetteville, NC

• Reading the Text:
  • NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
  • Hebrew Interlinear Bible, WLCv, WLC5, CHES, AV.
  • The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
  • The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Hebrew text with concordance, commentaries.
  • The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary, exposition and sermons.
• Historical References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
  • Chapter XXXIV of The First Epistle to the Corinthians, Clement of Rome (ca. 96).
  • Chapter XXXV, The First Apology of Justin Martyr. (c 150)
  • III.XVI.3 (LXX), III.XIX.2, IV.XXXIII.11, Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons. (c. 180)
  • Chapter VI, Chapter X, Adversus Judaeos, Tertullian (c. 198)
  • I.5, Paedagogus, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
  • III.19, Against Marcion, Tertullian (c. 209)
  • IV.7, Against Marcion, Tertullian (c. 210)
  • V.11, Against Marcion, Tertullian (c. 212)
  • V.LIII, VI.V, VI.LXVI, VIII.XXVII, Against Celsus, Origen. (c.246)
  • Rashi's Commentary, c. 1075. chabad.org.
  • "To Us A Child is Born": Sermon on Isaiah 9:6, Martin Luther. Word & World, Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary.
  • From the Geneva Notes.
    • "The author of eternity, and by whom the Church and every member of it will be preserved forever, and have immortal life."
  • From Matthew Henry's Commentary.
    • "This Child was born for the benefit of us men, of us sinners, of all believers, from the beginning to the end of the world. Justly is he called Wonderful, for he is both God and man. His love is the wonder of angels and glorified saints. He is the Counsellor, for he knew the counsels of God from eternity; and he gives counsel to men, in which he consults our welfare. He is the Wonderful Counsellor; none teaches like him."
  • From Wesley's Notes.
    • "His peaceable and happy government shall be extended to all the ends of the earth."
  • From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
    • "The influx of Gentile converts (represented here by "Galilee of the Gentiles") soon was to be followed by the growth of corruption, and the final rise of Antichrist, who is to be destroyed, while God's people is delivered, as in the case of Gideon's victory over Midian, not by man's prowess, but by the special interposition of God."
  • "The Joy of Harvest: Isaiah 9:3," Charles H. Spurgeon. From Farm Sermons (c 1875).
    • "Who will have the most joy? Those who have been the most concerned about it. You who do not pray in private, nor come out to prayer-meetings, will not have the joy when the blessing comes, and the church is increased. You had no share in the sowing, therefore you will have little share in the reaping."
  • "Harvest Joy: Isaiah 9:3," Charles H. Spurgeon, 1893.
    • "We want converts who know this Christ, men and women to whom he is "Wonderful", to whom he has become the "Counselor." We want no additions to the church of those who cannot call him "The mighty God. The everlasting Father." We want men and women to whom Christ has become "The Prince of Peace.""
• Contemporary Commentary, Studies and Exegesis:
  • Resources specific to the Narrative Lectionary text for November 17, 2013, Isaiah 9:1-7:
    • Commentary, Isaiah 9:1-9, Stephen Reid, Working Preacher, 2013.
    • Lectionary Greek, Rob Myallis, 2013.
    • The Politics of the Child, Alastair Roberts, Political Theology Today, 2013.
    • Isaiah Foretold, commentary and discussion at RevGalBlogPals, 2013.
  • Commentary, Isaiah 9:2-7, Ingrid Lilly, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2013.
    • "The NORAD website allows you to track Santa's progress across the world on Christmas Eve...."
  • "Hope Springs Eternal!" John C Holbert, Opening the Old Testament, 2013.
    • "We ask that God rule with justice and righteousness so that our darkness may become light, so that God's world may at last truly become God's world and not ours alone."
  • "Messiah," sermon discussion from Frederick Buechner, Frederick Buechner Blog.
    • "As far as I know, there is only one good reason for believing that he was who he said he was. One of the crooks he was strung up with put it this way: 'If you are the Christ, save yourself and us' (Luke 23:39). Save us from whatever we need most to be saved from. Save us from each other. Save us from ourselves. Save us from death both beyond the grave and before. If he is, he can. If he isn't, he can't. It may be that the only way in the world to find out is to give him the chance, whatever that involves. It may be just as simple and just as complicated as that."
  • Commentary, Isaiah 9:2-7, Dirk G. Lange, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2012.
    • "Over the next couple of weeks leading from Christmas to Epiphany, the three readings from Isaiah come from all three sections of 'Isaiah' -- First Isaiah, Second Isaiah, and Third Isaiah. All three readings speak out of vastly different contexts.
  • Commentary, Isaiah 9:2-7, Patricia Tull, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2011.
    • "This commentary will explore the interpretive history leading to its presence at this powerful moment of the Christian year."
  • "The Birth of Christmas" pdf study guide, Robert B. Kruschwitz, (other resources at) "Christmas and Epiphany Library," Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University, 2011. Focus article: "The Birth of Christmas," Joseph F. Kelly.
  • "What Child Is This?" John C. Holbert, Patheos, 2011.
  • Commentary, Isaiah 9:2-7, Mark Throntveit, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2008.
    • "In preaching this text, one should not be put off by the lack of explicit 'fulfillment' in the New Testament. Isaiah 7:1?9:7 relates God's coming to us in the birth of a child who will become a sign of God's presence among us ('Immanuel: God with us'). Historically, this may have been Hezekiah."
  • Isaiah 9:2-7 (Christmas Eve), Commentary, Background, Insights from Literary Structure, Theological Message, Ways to Present the Text. Anna Grant-Henderson, Uniting Church in Australia.
  • The Old Testament Readings: Isaiah 9:2-7. Weekly Comments on the Revised Common Lectionary, Theological Hall of the Uniting Church, Melbourne, Australia.
    • "We celebrate joyfully 'a son given to us' not in spite of all that is horrible, dangerous, or distressing about the world around us, but precisely because of it."
  • Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
  • "Who Would Send a Child There?" Eric W. Evers, Sabbatheology, The Crossings Community, 2009.
    • "Isaiah directs our attention to a fire, but not one of wrath. Instead, it is a purifying blaze. The symbols of violence shall be burned away. How can this be? A child! A child? Who would bring a child into this situation? Only God."
  • Isaiah 9:2-7, Studies on Old Testament texts from Series A, B, C, Ralph W. Klein, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
  • "The Hopes and Fears of All the Years..." Steven E. Albertin, Sabbatheology.
    • "As the carol reminds us, not only the little town of Bethlehem but all the world can now be at peace."
  • Environmental & earth-centered reflections from the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota Environmental Stewardship Commission.
    • "If you light a candle under a floodlight, who cares? Where there already is a great light, who needs a flashlight, who wants a flickering wick of new light?"
• Articles & Background:
  • "War in the Old Testament," John A. Wood, (other resources at) "Peace and War," Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University, 2004.
    • "How can God be both a God of peace and a God of war? The ancient Israelites reached no consensus about holy war, just war, and pacifism. Yet Scripture faithfully records their long and difficult debates, for the diversity of viewpoints arose out of a deep faith in God who had brought the people out of Egypt."
  • "The Linkage between Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6," Harold R. Holmyard, Journal of Biblical Studies, 2000.
    • "The purpose of this paper is to show that the firmness of this connection resides in Isaiah's prophecies, particularly in the association between the son named "God is with us" in 7:14 and the son called "Mighty God" in 9:6."
• Recommended articles from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are linked below. ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices. Annotated list of "starting place" articles at ATLAS for this week's texts (includes direct links).
  • Carlson, R.A., "The Anti-Assyrian Character of the Oracle in Is. IX 1-6," Vetus Testamentum, 1974.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Carter, Warren, "Evoking Isaiah: Matthean Soteriology and an Intertextual Reading of Isaiah 7-9 and Matthew 1:23 and 4:15-16," Journal of Biblical Literature, 2000.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Davies, Andrew, "Oratorio as Exegesis: The Use of the Book of Isaiah in Handel's Messiah," Biblical Interpretation, 2007.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Evans, Craig A., "Jesus and Justice," Ex Auditu, 2006.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
    • Lee, Max J., "Response to Evans," Ex Auditu, 2006.
        EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
        EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Goldingay, John, "The Compound Name in Isaiah 9:5(6)," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1999.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Janzen, J. Gerald, "The Child Is the Father of the Man: Moses in the Bulrushes," The Living Pulpit, 2003.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Koch, Klaus, "Damnation and Salvation: Prophetic Metahistory and the Rise of Eschatology in the Book of Isaiah," Ex Auditu, 1990.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Luther, Martin, "'To Us a Child Is Born': Sermon on Isaiah 9:6, Afternoon of Christmas Day, December 25, 1531," Word & World, 1996.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Norris, Kathleen, "Zealous Hopes," The Christian Century, 2005.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Oswalt, John N. "God's Determination to Redeem His People," Review and Expositor, 1991.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Oswalt, John N., "The Significance of the 'ALMAH Prophecy in the Context of Isaiah 7-12," Criswell Theological Review, 1993.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Rignell, Lars G., "A Study of Isaiah 9:2-7," Lutheran Quarterly, 1955.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Storey, Peter, "Let the Imbongis Sing!" The Christian Century, 2000.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Wegner, Paul D., "A Re-Examination of Isaiah IX 1-6," Vetus Testamentum, 1992.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Willimon, William, "From a God We Hardly Knew," The Christian Century, 1988.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
• Sermons:
  • "Christ is the Greatest Gift," Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson, Dim Lamp, 2010.
  • "War and Peace: Iraq, A Just War?" Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington - Sermons from Seattle.
• Reviews:
• With Children:
  • "Unto Us A Child Is Born," children's study, puzzles, coloring sheet, etc. Higher Praise Christian Center.
• Drama:
• Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
  • Images for this week's readings, Isaiah, Pitts Theology Library Digital Image Archive.
• Hymns and Music:
  • Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
  • Hymns with Scripture Allusions: Isaiah 9:2, 6. The Cyber Hymnal.
  • Hymn Selections, The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship.
  • At Digital Hymnal (midi files, guitar chords, karaoke files, projection text):
    • Christ Is Coming
    • Crown Him With Many Crowns
    • He Hideth My Soul
• Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
  • Isaiah
• Study Links and Resources for the Book of Isaiah

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