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Isaiah 1:18
'Come now, and let's reason together,' says Yahweh: 'Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.'
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Interpretation

Isaiah 1:18 shows a white as snow that is lived within concrete decisions—see "'" and "'come". Align white as snow in what we celebrate and refuse—bind joy to obedience.

Context

Isaiah speaks here as prophetic oracle writing, highlighting white as snow. Within ch. 1, a small unit frames the emphasis. It edges toward prophetic hope & judgment. Watch the terms “'” and “'come”.

Authorship & Historical Background

Early sources associate Isaiah with the prophet Isaiah. A common scholarly view of Isaiah: Often read as a multi‑stage composition (Deutero/Trito‑Isaiah).. Scholars commonly date Isaiah 8th–5th century BC. Here the thread of prophetic hope & judgment comes into view. Chs 40–55 commonly exilic (Deutero). Chs 56–66 commonly post‑exilic (Trito). A long compositional arc is often proposed (Proto/Deutero/Trito).

More details
Traditional:Isaiah son of Amoz
Modern scholarship:Multiple authors (Proto‑, Deutero‑, Trito‑Isaiah).
Date:8th–5th century BC
  • Chs 40–55 commonly exilic (Deutero).
  • Chs 56–66 commonly post‑exilic (Trito).
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
In the Masoretic tradition the Hebrew text is preserved, standardized between the 6th–10th centuries CE. The Dead Sea Scrolls (1947-1956 discoveries) provide manuscripts 1000+ years older than medieval texts, generally confirming the Masoretic Text's reliability with only minor variations. The Septuagint (Greek translation, 3rd-2nd century BCE) offers an independent textual witness. Variations between manuscripts are typically minor: spelling differences, word order, or clarifications that do not alter the main meaning. Modern translations compare all available manuscripts to reconstruct the most probable original wording text.
Sources & witness notes
MT