Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2021

Abstract

Interpreters often note the way in which the phrase ‘holy seed’ links Isa. 6.13 and Ezra 9.2. However, few explore how these texts apply the phrase to different communities/groups of people in ancient Judah. In Isaiah, the holy seed is the remnant in the land following the exile, whereas in Ezra, those returning from Babylon take the mantel for themselves. This essay, then, proceeds in three phases: first, it considers the function of Isa. 6.13 within the context of Isaiah’s call narrative, which helps situate Isaiah’s reference to the holy seed. Second, the study turns to Ezra 9.2 and examines how its reference to the holy seed operates in the Restoration narrative. Finally, the essay explores how this analysis of Isa. 6 and Ezra 9 clarifies our understanding of how these texts may have engaged each other in the early Restoration period.

Comments

Originally published in Jones, E. A. (2021). Who is the holy seed?: Purity and identity in the Restoration Community. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 45(4), 515-534. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309089220963428

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