Joggal feltételezhetjük, hogy az Ézs 10,16–19 verseit eredetileg nem erre a helyre írták. A perikópa egy Izrael elleni prófécia része volt. Ezt a hipotézist erősítik meg a szerző által használt metaforák, a szöveg intertextuális kapcsolatai más, Izraelre vonatkozó próféciákkal, illetve a perikópa környezetéből gyűjtött információk is. A relokalizáció révén az Ézs 10,16–19 eredeti értelme megváltozott: az ítélet, amely korábban Izraelre vonatkozott, Asszíria-ellenes beszéddé alakult, azaz azon hatalom ellen fordult, akin keresztül JHVH egykor a saját népe feletti ítéletét hajtotta végre.
Ézsaiás 10
This study argues that Isa 10,16–19, located in the context of the anti-Assyrian prophecy, provides essential clues in understanding the formation of the book of Isaiah. While current research often takes this text as a late redactional composition, it is more reasonable to argue that the pericope was relocated by the editors from a prophecy originally threatening Israel with destruction. This level of meaning is endorsed by the specific metaphors used, as well as arguments from the context, most notably vv. 20–23, which still regard vv. 16–19 as an anti-Israel text.
Recent studies on the history of composition of the Book of Isaiah generally recognise the secondary character of Isa 10:16-19 in relation to the prophecy against Assyria. It is generally presupposed that these verses elaborate on the famous anti-Assyrian pericope, Isa 10:5-15. Verses 16-19 are most often dated to the seventh century when the book of Isaiah was subject to a major re-edition, the so-called Assyrian redaction, or - more rarely - to the exilic period when the entire book underwent another process of re-reading. Deriving vv. 16-19 from either the late Neo-Assyrian or the Babylonian era involves, however, several difficulties and needs to be reconsidered. While accepting the secondary character of Isa 10:16-19 on its current location, this study proposes a different interpretation and date for this text and assigns it a basically different role in the compositional process of the prophecies in its context than it has so far been proposed.
