After Duhm, in his Commentary on Isaiah (Gottingen, 1892), assigned the ‘Hbed-Jahweh-Lieder to a different and later hand than that of Deutero-Isaiah, and hence pronounced them a subsequent addition to the latter, explaining them, at the same time, in the individual sense (as perhaps referring to Jeremiah), there sprang up a crop of similar hypotheses. The individual interpretation of the ‘Hbed-Jahweh-Lieder is supported also by J. Ley (Historische Erklérung des 2 Teils des Jesaja, Marburg, 1893; art. ‘Die Bedeutung des Ebed-Jahweh,’ etc., in SK, 1899, p. 163 ff.) and L. Laue (Die Ebed-Jahweh-Lieder im 2 Teil des Jesaja, Wittenberg, 1898; also in SK, 1904, Heft 3). Both see in the Servant of Jahweh ‘the Messiah of the future,’ as does also G. Fiillkrug (Der Gottesknecht des Deuterojesaja, Gottingen, 1899), only that he believes the Lieder to have been composed by Deutero-Isaiah himself. E. Sellin (Serubbabel, Leipzig, 1898) identified the Servant with Zerubbabel, who, he contended, actually assumed the crown, and in consequence suffered a terrible martyrdom at the hands of the Persians. In his” Studien zur Entstehungsgeschichte der jiidischen Gemeinde, i. (Leipzig, 1901), Sellin substitutes for Zerubbabel some other descendant of David. Kittel (Zur Theologie des AT, ii., Leipzig, 1898) finds at least in ch. 53 the crucified Zerubbabel. Bertholet (Zu Jesaja 58, Freiburg i. B., 1899) refers 531-11 to the sufferings and death of the ninety year old scribe Eleazar (cf. 2 Mac 618#-). The composition of 5213-5312 by a different poet from the rest of the ‘Ebed-Jahweh-Lieder (whose authorship by Deutero-Isaiah is likewise denied) is maintained also by Laue (see above) and Schian (Die Ebed-Jahweh-Lieder in Jes. 40-66, Halle, 1895). It was the merit of K. Budde (art. ‘The so-called Ebed Yahweh Songs and the Meaning of the term Servant of Jahweh in Is 40-55’ in Amer. Journal of Theology, 1899, iii. p. 499ff. [in German, Die sogenannten Ebed-Jahweh-Lieder und die Bedeu- tung des Knechtes Jahwehs in Jes. 40-55, Giessen, 1900]) and K. Marti(Das Buch Jesaja, Tiibingen, 1900) to recall the exegesis of these passages from the forest of hypotheses to a more sober consideration of facts. Their argument was strengthened on all sides by the very thorough discussion of F. Giesebrecht (Der Knecht Jahwes des Deuterojesaja, Konigsberg, 1902), and it may be considered as henceforward a position that is not likely to be shattered, that even the so-called ‘Ebed-Jahweh Songs are the work of Deutero-Isaiah, and that their subject is Israel, with its call to serve a missionary function to the Gentiles.
On the present occasion we must be content to say that, in the violent controversy which has raged since the year 1892, the explanation of the Servant of Jahweh as referring to the people appears to us to have retained the victory. Once he fondness of Hebrew poetry and prophecy for far-reaching personifications of collective notions, and especially of bodies of people, is grasped, and 5312: rightly understood as spoken by the Gentiles, all the declarations about the Servant combine into one perfectly intelligible whole. The question seems to us quite an idle one, whether Deutero - Isaiah meant the Servant of Jahweh to be understood of the whole nation or only of the truly godly kernel of it, the ‘spiritual Israel,’ which fully answered the idea of a people of God. When the bees has to speak of the election of Israel and its destined mission in the world’s history, his words naturally refer to the whole body of the nation, for it was this that was the object of election and of mani- fold guidance in the course of its history. But it is equally natural that, in the passages which have in view the representative suffering of the Servant
708 RELIGION OF ISRAEL
and his missionary function, not those should be thought of who perish in the purifying judgment, but only the truly pious kernel of the people, who seek God and have penitent hearts. Nay, it is not an impossible position that the Servant, as a portion of the people, namely, that which is specially penitent and afflicted, should be opposed to the general body (49° ‘ Jahweh that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and that Israel should be gathered unto him,’ cf, also v.°). But much more frequently and emphatically than this work on his fellow- countrymen is the missionary vocation exercised by the Servant towards the heathen world set forth, This is the central point of our prophet’s whole world of ideas. It is only from this stand- point that the problem either of Israel’s election or of her temporary rejection can be brought into harmony with the Divine plan of the world. The grievous sufferings of Israel were the indispensable condition of the salvation of the whole world.
That even the Gentiles are from the first destined to entrance into the kingdom of God, is shown by the Divine call (45":) to all the ends of the earth to turn to Him and let themselves be saved, as well as by God’s oath that at last every knee shall bow to Him and every tongue swear by Him. But the instrument in proclaiming His salvation is His Servant, whom He has called from the mother’s womb (7.e. from the beginning), that He may be glorified in him (49!-8), God has put His spirit upon him (421), given him persuasive elo- quence (497), the tongue of a proper disciple of Jahweh (504), that he may proclaim the true religion to the heathen (42"), and thus become a light to the heathen (426 498), the founder of a covenant (n 732) between God and men (428 498). And Israel is to await this call with all meekness and lowly submission (427*:). True, there is not wanting a certain measure of preparedness of the heathen for the Servant’s gospel of salvation. Already the isles wait for his instruction (424)— nay, the nations must themselves recognize that Jahweh alone could have accomplished the mighty transformation wrought through Cyrus (41*), But the decisive influence is brought to bear, finally, by the great sufferings of the Servant, and the patience with which he has submitted to every species of ill-treatment and mockery (50°). To their own extreme astonishment, the perception dawns upon many peoples and kings that the Servant of Jahweh—marred almost beyond recog- nition as a man, utterly despised, and maltreated to the uttermost—has, through his voluntary, patient sufferings, borne the punishment of others as a guilt-offering, atoned for their sins, and pro- cured salvation for them (52)5*-),