Behind | The Possible Audiences of Isaiah

Many scholars see each section of the book having an appeal to a different audience. This is the general outline of those audiences:

The focus of each section in Isaiah does not necessarily imply different authors, but rather its relevant appeal to subsequent generations. What follows is a summary of what each generation faced. 

Pre-exile before Babylon’s destruction of Judah:

In the pre-exilic period, Syria-Ephraim presented an early threat, but over time Assyria would become the bigger threat to the independence of Judah and Israel until Babylon’s rise to power. 

Exile in Babylon:

As much of a threat as Assyria became, it was Babylon that drove Judah into exile, where they remained for about seventy years. The defeat of Babylon by Persia sent the exiles home under the policies of Cyrus. 

Post-exile after returning from Babylon:

Once the people return from exile, they discover that their place has been taken by an influx of foreigners in the land who settled there. Now that the exiles have returned home, their testimony will be a witness to the foreigners living with them and even reach other foreigners outside the land.

See a graphic below that portrays these distinct audiences and historical contexts in which they lived.