We have already looked at some passages of poetry in the book of Isaiah, but now I would like to look more specifically at the topic of poetry in the book of Isaiah. The oracles of hope in Isaiah are typically not just oracles of hope but poems of hope as well.

Many recent Bible translations offset poetry a little bit in the text to help distinguish it from prose for the English reader. Most people probably don't realize how much of the writings of the Old Testament prophets is actually poetry. There are 66 chapters in the book of Isaiah. Forty of these are entirely poetry. An additional 19 chapters are mostly poetry. Of the remaining 7 chapters, 3 of these contain some poetry. Of the 66 chapters in Isaiah only 4 contain no poetry, and 3 of these are very short chapters. So of the 66 chapters, 62 contain poetry, and 59 are mostly or entirely poetry. More than 80% of the book is poetry.

Entirely poetry	40 chapters
Mostly, but not all poetry	19 chapters
Some, but not mostly poetry	3 chapters
No poetry at all	4 chapters (3 of which are very short)

The extensive use of poetry by some of the prophets is a good reason to understand that, when choosing a Bible translation, an accurate translation is essential, but not necessarily sufficient for a full grasp of the text. An accurate and beautiful translation is also helpful to understand the message, which intentionally is designed to tug at the heartstrings.

In Hebrew poetry, the Hebrews didn't rhyme their poems with sound-alike words like we do in our poetry. ("Roses are red; violets are blue; sugar is sweet; and so are you.") They used several different concepts, the two predominant ones being "parallel" and "contrast". Although we haven't highlighted it, there have been some very good examples in the poetry that we have looked at thus far. For example,

"...though your sins are like scarlet
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool."
(Isaiah 1:18)

There is a contrast between line one and line two ("scarlet" vs. "white as snow"); there is a contrast between line three and line four ("red like crimson" vs. "like wool"). But there is also a parallel of the first two lines with the last two lines. The last two lines are saying the same thing as the first two, just in a slightly different form. What Isaiah says in lines one and two, he says essentially the same thing again in lines three and four but in different words.

In the oracle of doom in chapter two, we can see other examples. In verses 12-16, we can see both intense parallelism combined with the use of a key word, which is one of the principles often used in the arrangement of prophetic material. Isaiah repeats over and over again the different things that are proud and lifted up that will be brought low. Each line parallels the thought of the line before it.

For the LORD of hosts has a day
against all that is proud and lofty,
against all that is lifted up and high;
against all the cedars of Lebanon,
                        lofty and lifted up;
and against all the oaks of Bashan;
against all the high mountains,
and against all the lofty hills;
against every high tower,
and against every fortified wall;
against all the ships of Tarshish,
and against all the beautiful craft.
(Isaiah 2:12-16 [RSV])

In verse seventeen we see parallel and contrast:

And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled,
and the pride of men shall be brought low;

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