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Isaiah 58:11
and Yahweh will guide you continually, satisfy your soul in dry places, and make your bones strong. You will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters don't fail.
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Interpretation

The prophet calls a guidance that is embodied in study and play. Isaiah 58:11: trace "like" and "yahweh". Give guidance in hospitality and listening—turn worship into posture.

Context

This passage belongs to Isaiah, a prophetic oracle witness, highlighting guidance. Within ch. 58, a small unit frames the emphasis. It edges toward prophetic hope & judgment. Watch the terms “like” and “yahweh”.

Authorship & Historical Background

Long‑standing tradition credits Isaiah to the prophet Isaiah, Amoz’s son. Modern scholarship on Isaiah sees Many propose layered composition across exilic and post‑exilic periods.. Date: 8th–5th century BC. Prophetic Hope & Judgment is especially relevant in this line. Imagery of wilderness and highway speaks restoration. Chs 40–55 commonly exilic (Deutero). Chs 56–66 commonly post‑exilic (Trito). Exilic and post‑exilic horizons color sections of the book.

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 change the overall sense. Modern translations compare all available manuscripts to reconstruct the best reflects the earliest recoverable text text.
Sources & witness notes
MT