Medhat Nady Youssef: Egypt from Judgement to Blessing in Isaiah 19, Kartoniert / Broschiert

Klappentext

Medhat Nady Youssef analyzes the Egypt motif in the rhetoric of Isaiah 19 and its application in Egyptian contexts. Isaiah 19 belongs to the Oracles Against the Nations (Isa 13-23), where foreign nations are generally portrayed as objects of divine judgment. Yet Isaiah 19 is distinguished by a marked rhetorical shift between its first unit (vv. 1-17) and its second (vv. 18-25). Whereas the opening section proclaims

judgment (vv. 1-15) and curse (vv. 16-17) against Egypt, the concluding section envisions a future

characterized by blessing, salvation, and inclusion. Youssef employs rhetorical criticism of the Hebrew Bible as his primary method, supplemented by insights from Arabic rhetoric. He asks: How does the Egypt motif function rhetorically in Isaiah 19 as a whole? The analysis demonstrates that Egypt serves as the central motif, functioning simultaneously as a metaphor, a persuasive mirror, and a structural device within a rhetoric of entrapment that integrates judgment, curse, and blessing into a coherent poem. This rhetorical strategy advances a single overarching theme: trust in YHWH rather than reliance on Egypt. Given the enduring significance of Isaiah 19 in Egyptian religious, sociopolitical, and cultural discourse, Youssef also traces its reception from antiquity to the present, with particular attention to its rhetorical use in modern Egyptian contexts, including the Egyptian Arab Spring.