A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Isaiah 1

Kuruvilla Thomas
Bangalore
Published on 27 October 2025 *

Fig. 1

Introduction

This study treats Isaiah 1 as a cryptochiasmus in order to arrive at a coherent reconfiguration of the text ( see definition of cryptochiasmus in [1] ). If you wish to skip the technicalities of a chiastic parse, you may read starting from Section 4 of the Discussion section, which has the reconfigured text.

In this opening chapter, Isaiah makes the important prediction of the coming of a New Covenant, one that Christ brought into effect through his death. Isaiah also predicts the restoration of Israel to a righteous people of God at the start of the Millennial Reign.

Discussion

1. Presuppositions

We base our parse of Isaiah 1 on the assumption that it refers to 3 periods:

1. Christ introduces a New Covenant through His Ministry and Death (26AD-30AD).
2. The First Half of (66-70AD) of the First Jewish–Roman War (66AD–73AD).
3. Israel is Restored at the Start of Christ's Millennial Reign (circa 2027AD).

2. Parsing the chiasmus

We will use the NIV Bible for this parse.

Parsing this chiasmus involves dividing portions of the text into three categories as above. We will call the time of Christ's Death Period 1, the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD Period 2 and the start of Christ's Millennial Reign Period 3.

Categorizing Isaiah 1

vs 2-3 belong to Period 3. God has hidden His face from the Northern Tribes until the start of the Millennial Reign.

vs 4-5 belong to Period 1. The Judahites are stubbornly evil and rebellious. ( While the Israelites of Period 3 may worship other gods, they cannot be called wicked or rebellious. They are spiritually blinded because of the waywardness of their forefathers.)

vs 6-10 belong to Period 2. The Romans destroy Judea and lay siege to Jerusalem. Verses 6 and 10 could belong to Period 1 or Period 2, but they are placed in this Period so that we get proper regular chiasmi within the Periods.

vs 11-23 belong to Period 1. God signals the end of the Old Covenant and instructs the Judahites on righteous behaviour. God introduces a New Covenant, as the Judahites did not follow the Old Covenant in the right spirit.

vs 24-31 belongs to Period 3. Israel is purged and restored to being a nation under God.

Original text

We color-code the chiastic units of the original text below for easy visual identification using: red for Period 1, blue for Period 2 and green for Period 3. We have retranslated parts of the text.

Isaiah 1 2 Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the Lord has spoken: “I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. 3 The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”
4 Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.
5 Why do you continue to invite punishment? [a] Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is sick, your whole heart diseased [b].
6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness— only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil.
7 Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire. Your [c] fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers. 8 Daughter Zion is left—like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field—a city besieged [d] . 9 Unless the Lord Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah. 10 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
11 “The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?” says the Lord. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 12 Surely you come to appear before me, but who requires this of you, [e] this trampling of my courts? 13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations— I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. 14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening.
Your hands are full of blood!
16 Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. 17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; 20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
21 See how the faithful city has become a prostitute! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her— but now murderers! 22 Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water. 23 Your rulers are rebels, partners with thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them.
24 Surely, [f] the Lord, the Lord Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Woe! I will rid myself of my adversaries [g] and avenge myself on my enemies. 25 When I turn my attention to you, [h] I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities. 26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old, your rulers as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.”
27 Zion will be delivered with judgement [i], her converts [j] with righteousness. 28 But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the Lord will perish.
29 “You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be disgraced because of the gardens that you have chosen. 30 You are [k] like an oak with fading leaves, like a garden without water. 31 The strong one was tinder and his work a spark; both have burned [l] together, with no one to quench the fire.”

Retranslation notes for Isaiah 1:
[a] vs 5 "Why do you continue to invite punishment?" instead of "Why should you be beaten anymore?".
[b] vs 5 "sick, your whole heart diseased" instead of "injured, your whole heart afflicted".
[c] vs 7 "fire. Your" instead of "fire; your". For the regular chiasmus.
[d] vs 8 "Daughter Zion is left—like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field—a city besieged" instead of "Daughter Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under siege". Changed the punctuation; a city cannot be compared to a city, Jerusalem is literally besieged.
[e] vs 12 "Surely you come to appear before me, but who requires this of you" instead of "When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you".
[f] vs 24 "Surely," instead of "Therefore". For the regular chiasmus.
[g] vs 24 "Woe! I will rid myself of my adversaries" instead of "Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes".
[h] vs 25 "When I turn my attention to you," instead of "I will turn my hand against you;". Based on the International Standard Version.
[i] vs 27 "judgement" instead of "justice".
[j] vs 27 "converts" instead of "penitent ones".
[k] vs 30 "are" instead of "will be". Changed the tense based on the Literal Standard Version.
[l] vs 31 "The strong one was tinder and his work a spark; both have burned" instead of "The mighty man will become tinder and his work a spark; both will burn". Changed the tense based on the Literal Standard Version.

3. Building the reconfigured text

From this parse, it appears that Isaiah 1 forms a cryptochiasmus as below:

A1   vs 2-3 Period 3. The Northern Tribes don't know their God
  B1   vs 4-5 Period 1. The Judahites are rebellious
    X   vs 6-10 Period 2. Jerusalem is besieged and destroyed
  B2   vs 11-23 Period 1. A New Covenant is introduced
A2   vs 24-31 Period 3. Israel is purged, its Northern Tribes redeemed

We now reconstruct the passages in the right order based on the chiastic structure above and based on the ordering rules of a cryptochiasmus [1].

We lead with central pivot point 'X'. The corresponding subunits (for example; subunit A1 corresponds to A2) are placed contiguously to form units (for example, A1,A2 is a unit) so that we get a list of such units.

The sequence selected for rearrangement is:

X  [A1,A2]  [B1,B2]        (1)

Translating (1) into verse numbers, we get:

vs 6-10  [vs 2-3, vs 24-31]   [vs 4-5, vs 11-23]        (2)

We arrive at the reconfigured passage in the next section by rearranging the verses so they are in sequence (2).

4. Isaiah 1 Reconfigured

The First Half of (66-70AD) of the First Jewish–Roman War (66AD–73AD) (vs 6-10)



Israel is Restored at the Start of Christ's Millennial Reign (circa 2027AD) (vs 2-3, vs 24-31)



Christ introduces a New Covenant through His Ministry and Death (26AD-30AD) (vs 4-5, vs 11-23)

5. A Commentary on the Reconfigured Text

5.0 Introductory Verse (vs 1)

1 The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

Isaiah son of Amoz ministered to Judah between the reigns of Uzziah and Hezekiah, circa 742BC–687BC. The name Isaiah means "Yehovah is salvation."

We believe that this passage in vs 1 is an introduction to the whole book and not just this prophecy in Ch. 1. Although many prophecies in the book are regarding nations other than "Judah and Jerusalem," we have shown that in the many cryptochiastically structured passages in the book, all have one Period regarding the First Jewish-Roman War and almost all have a Period on the time of the Millennial Reign - both these Periods can be considered to be regarding "Judah and Jerusalem."

5.1 The First Half of (66-70AD) of the First Jewish–Roman War (66AD–73AD) (vs 6-10)

This Period is arranged in the form of a single-unit chiasmus:

A1 vs 6-7a Judea has been destroyed by the Romans (66-70AD)
    X 7b-8 The Romans lay siege to Jerusalem (70AD)
A2 9-10 Judea has been destroyed by the Romans (66-70AD)

Subunit A1: Judea has been destroyed by the Romans (66-70AD) (6-7a)

6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness— only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil. 7a Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire.

God used the Romans to severely punish His own people, the Judahites. The Romans under Titus ravaged the towns and villages in Judea, leaving the whole land ("from the sole of your foot to the top of your head") in a devastated state ("wounds and welts..."). ( See our parse Daniel 9 for more details on this Period [2].)

Pivot X: The Romans lay siege to Jerusalem (70AD) (vs 7b-8)

7b Your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers. 8 Daughter Zion is left—like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field—a city besieged.

Most of the Judahites from the surrounding regions had fled to the well-fortified capital, Jerusalem. They watch from the rooftops as the Romans ("strangers", "foreigners") destroy the fields surrounding Jerusalem before they lay siege to the city in the spring of 70AD (see also Joel 2:1-3). Jerusalem is like a watchman's hut at the centre of a crop field - a lone refuge for the Judahites from the rampaging Romans. But after a few months the Romans go on to breach the fortifications of the city, kill all its people and destroy it. Jerusalem is called "Daughter Zion" according to the custom of the time of comparing great cities to comely young ladies (cf. for ex., Micah 4:8).

Subunit A2: Judea has been destroyed by the Romans (66-70AD) (9-10)

9 Unless the Lord Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.

The Romans conducted an indiscriminate slaughter of the Judahites and took the few that remained into slavery. Judahite Christians were spared the Roman massacre, as those who believed in Christ took his advice to flee to the mountains on seeing the Romans (see Matt. 24:15,16, Matt. 11:23). So Judah was spared the utter annihilation of Sodom and Gomorrah. ( This verse is quoted in Romans 9:29 as an example of God sparing those that are the objects of His mercy, those prepared in advance for glory - Rom. 9:23.)

10 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah!

For the enormity of their sins, God compares the leaders and people of Judah to those of Sodom and Gomorrah. However, even at this time of the destruction of Judea, some of the Judahites turned to Christ, heeded his word ("listen to the instruction of our God") and escaped this Roman massacre (this passage is in the imperative mood, but it is a prediction) (see also Zech. 12:10-14).

5.2 Israel is Restored at the Start of Christ's Millennial Reign (circa 2027AD) (vs 2-3, vs 24-31)

This Period is arranged in the form of a three-unit chiasmus:

A1 vs 2 Israel has sinned against God and it has been punished
  B1 vs 3 After millennia Israel returns to its God and rejects idols
    C1 vs 24 The wicked are destroyed: The wicked enemies of Israel are destroyed
      X vs 25-26 The leaders and the people of the New Israel are righteous
    C2 vs 27-28 The wicked are destroyed: The wicked in Israel are purged
  B2 29 After millennia Israel returns to its God and rejects idols
A2 vs 30-31 Israel has sinned against God and it has been punished

Subunit A1: Israel has sinned against God and it has been punished (vs 2)

2 Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the Lord has spoken: “I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me.

Israel, the chosen nation God had nurtured in its early years, had rebelled against Him (see also Hosea 11:2), and it has been punished for its sins (see corresponding Subunit A2 below). God announces this to the heavens and the earth as a warning against this sort of rebellion.

Subunit B1: After millennia Israel returns to its God and rejects idols (vs 3)

3 The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”

Because of the unfaithfulness of the Northern Tribes, God had cursed them with spiritual blindness and hid His face from them (see Isaiah 29:9,10). At this time before the Millennial Reign, the descendants of those Israelites continue to be ignorant of the God of their forefathers (they are worse than the ox and donkey in this regard) and unmoved by Christianity - they still worship the idols of demon gods (see also Isaiah 31:6,7). But in this Period, their spiritual eyes will be opened, and they will return to their God (see corresponding Subunit B2 below).

Subunit C1: The wicked are destroyed: The wicked enemies of Israel are destroyed (24)

24 Surely, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Woe! I will rid myself of my adversaries and avenge myself on my enemies.

God, the Mighty Protector of Israel, will destroy all who come against Israel at the start of the Millennial Reign (see also Rev 19:11-21, Ezekiel 39).

Pivot X: The leaders and the people of the New Israel are righteous (25-26)

25 When I turn my attention to you, I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities. 26a I will restore your leaders as in days of old, your rulers as at the beginning.

The people of Israel will be cleansed of their sins - like metals are purified of their impurities ("purge away your dross..."). The nation's righteous leaders will be chosen by God, as it was in the times of the judges of ancient Israel and of king David (1 Samuel 16:7).

26b Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.”

So Israel ("the City of Righteousness" and "the Faithful City" refer to all of Israel) will be a bastion of righteousness that remains faithful to God and to Christian principles (see also Isaiah 9:6,7).

Subunit C2: The wicked are destroyed: The wicked in Israel are purged (27-28)

27 Zion will be delivered with judgement, her converts with righteousness. 28 But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the Lord will perish.

During the time of "Jacob's trouble" (Jer. 30:6-7, Rev. 6:8) at the start of the Millennial Reign, God righteously judges the Israelites ("Zion" represents all of Israel). The righteous Israelites, those who turn back to their God and convert to Christianity, will be delivered so that they can enjoy a blessed life in the New Israel. But the rebellious, unbelieving and unrighteous Israelites will be killed.

Subunit B2: After millennia Israel returns to its God and rejects idols (29)

29 “You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be disgraced because of the gardens that you have chosen.

The Israelites will turn back to their God in a great awakening (Ezekiel 37:22-23), and they will become ashamed of their idolatrous past (see also Isaiah 30:22). The "sacred oaks" and "gardens" - instruments of idolatry - represent the worship of fallen angels (see also Isaiah 57:5).

Subunit A2: Israel has sinned against God and it has been punished (vs 30-31)

30 You are like an oak with fading leaves, like a garden without water.

Israel ("You") has been severely weakened for its sins as a nation ("oak with fading leaves...") (Deut. 28:15-68). ( While in the previous verse, vs 29, the oaks and gardens represented idolatry, here the nation of Israel is itself compared to an oak and a garden.)

31 The strong one was tinder and his work a spark; both have burned together, with no one to quench the fire.”

Israel, once a strong nation under God, has been punished - it has burned like tinder, and its idolatry ("work") has been the spark that set it ablaze (see 2 Kings 17:7-23). This punishment from God that began in ancient times has continued until this Period ("no one to quench the fire").

5.3 Christ introduces a New Covenant through His Ministry and Death (26AD-30AD) (vs 4-5, vs 11-23)

This Period is arranged in the form of a two-unit chiasmus:

A1 vs 4-5 The Judahites have become a wicked people
  B1 vs 11-14 The Old Covenant is replaced by the New Covenant
    X 15 The reason the Old Covenant is replaced
  B2 vs 16-20 The Old Covenant is replaced by the New Covenant
A2 21-23 The Judahites have become a wicked people


Subunit A1: The Judahites have become a wicked people (4-5)

4 Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.

At the time of Christ's first coming, the Judahites had become a wicked people, primarily because they were the followers ("children", "brood") of the false teachings of the Pharisees (see Matt. 23). They followed a version of Judaism that was corrupted with teachings from Babylon, and many even turned to other gods (see also Zephaniah 1:5-6).

5 Why do you continue to invite punishment? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is sick, your whole heart diseased.

God asks Judah why it disobeys Him and forces Him to punish the nation severely (see also Matthew 23:37,38). The soul of the nation ("head/heart") is thoroughly infected with the disease of wickedness.

Subunit B1: The Old Covenant is replaced by the New Covenant (11-14)

11 “The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?” says the Lord. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 12 Surely you come to appear before me, but who requires this of you, this trampling of my courts? 13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations— I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. 14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.

God now abhors aspects of the Old Covenant Law - like sacrifices, offerings, temple visits, incense, rituals, assemblies, festivals, sabbaths - that once pleased Him; for, as practised by the Judahites, they have become meaningless. God clearly signals the upcoming end of the Old Covenant here - it will be terminated with the fall of Jerusalem in Period 2.

Pivot X: The reason the Old Covenant is replaced (vs 15)

15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening.
Your hands are full of blood!

In this pivot, God indicates why the Old Covenant must be replaced with a superior New Covenant (see also Romans 7:6,8:3). The Judahites may follow the letter of the Mosaic Law ("works", see Galatians 2:16), faithfully observing the sacrifices, rituals, festivals and prayers, but they ignore its spirit, for they continue to be unrighteous in their dealings ("hands full of blood") (see also 1 Samuel 15:22).

Subunit B2: The Old Covenant is replaced by the New Covenant (16-20)

16 Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. 17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.

Christ brings with him a superior New Covenant that goes into force at his death (1 Peter 2:24-25). The strict and detailed set of rules that made up the Old Covenant is replaced in the New Covenant by a few commands that capture the essence of the Law (see Matt. 22:37-40). But while there are fewer rules to follow under the New Covenant, the standard of behaviour expected of Christians is far superior (see Matthew 5:17-48). This passage lists a few examples of the type of behaviour expected of Christians; they are to stop doing evil ("wash and make yourselves clean") and live a life of love, faith and righteousness (Galatians 5:22-24, 1 Cor. 13. Hebrews 11:1-3, Philippians 4:8...).

18a “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord.

God calls on the Judahites to solemnly commit to the New Covenant ("let us settle the matter", meaning "let us commit to a binding contract"). The mutual obligations of the parties to the covenant/contract are detailed below (vs 18b-20).

18b “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

God promises that even the worst sinners ("those whose sins are as scarlet") will be forgiven ("white as wool" - cf. Psalm 51:7) if they believe in Christ and remain faithful and obedient ("washed in the blood of the Lamb" - Rev. 7:14); the sacrifices of the Old Covenant are no longer necessary after Jesus' death on the cross for the sins of mankind (Col. 2:14).

The dyes that were used for crimson at the time (extracted from insect eggs and worms) were known to be colour-fast - it was impossibly difficult to wash off this colour from wool or cotton to make it white again. So the thrust of the metaphor is that Christ's death cleanses you of even those sins that seem too heinous to be forgiven. ( We do not believe that the intention here is to associate sin with the colour crimson/red/scarlet.)

19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; 20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Those Judahites who are willing to commit to this covenant and remain obedient to the word of God and Christ, will be spared the massacre of 70AD and enjoy a peaceful existence in the land (see Isaiah 3:10) (note that "good things of the land" does not mean great earthly wealth). But those who resist Christ and disobey his message are killed by the Romans in Period 2 ("devoured by the sword") (see also Matt 24:15,16. Dan 12:1). The declaration that "the mouth of the Lord has spoken" these words is designed to draw the attention of the Judahites to this prophecy, for God wanted to spare as many of them as possible from the slaughter of Period 2.

Although these words on the New Covenant are addressed to the Judahites, the New Covenant is for all mankind.

Subunit A2: The Judahites have become a wicked people (21-23)

21a See how the faithful city has become a prostitute!

The once faithful city of God has become a prostitute; that is, the people had turned to false doctrines like Gnosticism and even to idol worship.

21b She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her— but now murderers!

With their religion perverted, the Judahites' behaviour has become immoral. Jerusalem's unrighteous people used the corrupt governing system to commit crimes, even murder (as they did in the case of Jesus' crucifixion - Luke 23:13-25).

22 Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water.

With the souls of the people defiled with bad doctrines, all aspects of the nation have become corrupt. For example, its merchants cheat with debased silver and diluted wine.

23 Your rulers are rebels, partners with thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them.

The rulers and the judges of the people rebel against God and so are unscrupulous in their dealings; they accept bribes from the rich, so that the poor and weak do not have justice (see also Isaiah 3:14-15).

Conclusion

With this chiastic reconstruction of the text, we have shown that Isaiah 1 contains prophecies on three distinct Periods. Christ's death for the redemption of the world indicated the start of the New Covenant in Period 1. The destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD and the killing off of the Judahites who did not believe in Christ signalled the end of the Old Covenant in Period 2. After the rest of the world came under the New Covenant, the Northern Tribes are finally brought under it in Period 3 (Romans 11:25-26).

References

[1] A Definition of Cryptochiasmus
[2] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of "The 70 Weeks Of Daniel"
[3] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Isaiah 10-12
[4] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Daniel 8
[5] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Revelation 4-22, Part 2





* First version published on November 10 2021.