BERND JANOWSKI and PETER STUHLMACHER (eds.), Der leidende Gonesknecht: Jesaja 53 und seine Wirkungsgeschichte. Mit einer Bibliographie zu Jes 53 (FAT 14; Tubingen: Mohr [Siebeck], 1996). Pp. vi + 286. DM 228.

This book consists of eight essays on the fourth Servant Song in Second Isaiah by Old and New Testament scholars, most of which were delivered in the advanced seminar of Martin Hengel in 1991. It also contains a twenty-one-page selected bibliography to Isaiah 53 divided into three parts (Old Testament, ancient Judaism, and New Testament) and an index to biblical texts and other texts.

Hans-Jurgen Hermisson, "Das vierte Gottesknechtslied im deuterojesajanischen Kontext" (pp. 1-26), believes that Second Isaiah himself is the bearer of the royal prophetic office, with the fourth song composed by his disciples. The experience described is that of many prophets, and the prophet represents in part the true Israel. The nations will acknowledge Yahweh's saving acts for Israel and so will share in its salvation. Through the servant's failure God will bring "the many" to salvation and so will give the servant ultimate success. Bernd Janowski, "Er trug unsere Sunden: Jes 53 und die Dramatik der Stellvertretung" (pp. 27-48), concludes that both testaments have a common insight, namely, that the suffering and death of the righteous one does not mean failure and meaninglessness. Hence, it is understandable why the NT witnesses used the tradition of the substitutionary suffering of the righteous one in order to grasp more clearly the meaning of the death of Jesus. Martin Hengel, "Zur Wirkungsgeschichte von Jes 53 in vorchristlicher Zeit" (pp. 49-92), surveys a wide range of pre-Christian interpretations in Zechariah, Daniel, Ethiopic Enoch, the two Isaiah scrolls from Qumran, the Aramaic Testament of Levi, the LXX, the Testament of Benjamin, and a puzzling hymn from Qumran. In this literature, the motif of exaltation was applied to the true Israel or to the righteous individual. The Isaiah scrolls show a messianic interpretation, probably referring to the eschatological high priest. Since there were traditions about suffering and reconciling eschatological messianic figures in Palestinian Judaism, the early Christians thought this idea would be understandable to their Jewish contemporaries (1 Cor 15:3-4). Peter Stuhlmacher, "Jes 53 in den Evangelien und in der Apostelgeschichte" (pp. 93-106), studies the references to the servant in the Gospels and Acts. Jesus' self-understanding represents a decisive innovation in the history of the interpretation of Isaish 53. The early witnesses applied the fourth song to an individual; hence, they interpreted the fate of Jesus soteriologically. They also thought that Jesus' prophecy of his own death was confirmed by Easter.

The volume continues as Otfried Hofius, "Das vierte Gottesknechtslied in den Briefen des Neuen Testaments" (pp. 107-28), observes that in the letters of the NT Jesus Christ is not interpreted through Isaiah 53, but Hofius himself interprets the chapter. The Christian understanding of the fourth Servant Song was not its original meaning; in fact, through this interpretation it virtually became a new text. Jostein Adna, "Der Gottesknecht als triumphierender und der interzessorischer Messias. Die Rezeption von Jes 53 in Targum Jonathan untersucht mit besonderer Berucksichtigung des Messiasbildes" (pp. 129-58), finds in Targum Jonathan a triumphant and intercessory messiah, with Davidic-royal traits, who effects the submission of heathen oppressors and the liberation of Israel from exile. He is seen in the targum as a teacher of the Law and an intercessor. He is an eschatological figure, in whom all eschatological roles are combined, much as they are in Jesus in the NT. Stefan Schreiner, "Jes 53 in der Auslegung des Sepher Chizzuq Emunah von R. Izaak ben Avraham aus Troki" (pp. 159-96), discusses a sixteenth-century Karaite interpreter of the fourth Servant Song and the conversation that was taking place between Jews and Christians about this poem in early post-Reformation times. Christoph Markschies, "Der Mensch Jesus Christus im Angesicht Gottes - Zwei Modelle des Verstandnisses von Jes 53 in der patristischen Literatur und deren Entwicklung" (pp. 197-248), traces two models for interpreting the fourth song in the patristic period: an exemplaric or ethical model, and a christological model.

This collection offers important resources to scholars of both testaments.

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By Ralph W. Klein, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60615