Oh You People Who Rely on Egypt: In the introduction to chapters 28–30 we suggested that 31:1–32:20 is one unit. Chapter 31 is much shorter than the units on either side, chapter 32 has no opening “Oh” like the rest of chapters 28–33, and taken together chapters 31–32 better fit the pattern whereby chapters 28–30 give increasing prominence to reassuring promise on the other side of threat.

32:1–8 It has been suggested that verses 1–5 directly portray and support a ruler such as Josiah or Zerubbabel, but there is no explicit indication of this, and verses 6–8 work against it. Whatever years they come from, verses 1–8 contrast with how things actually are in Judah. There is a tradition that Isaiah was in due course martyred. If he uttered this prophecy in public in Jerusalem, it is not surpri…