Biblical Eloquence in Isaiah 40: 28-31

Isaiah 40: 28-31

28 ¶Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

 29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

 31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah is incredibly eloquent; his facility for language is apparent wherever we see his writings, whether in the Old Testament or the Book of Mormon. Throughout Isaiah 40, Isaiah uses rhetorical questions to start an internal dialogue with the reader, asking them directly to consider what he’s talking about; it breaks the fourth wall to open a conversation. This method of audience awareness, called erotema, is a powerful way to engender audience connection. In verse 28, especially, Isaiah’s use of erotema calls the reader’s attention to the obviousness of the Lord’s creation and power. In asking the reader, “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard…?” Isaiah is actually asking the reader to consider whether or not he has recognized his own God as infinitely powerful and unknowable.

This strong use of rhetorical questions leads into an explanation of what God can do, and highlights division of godliness and man. Isaiah repeats the words “faint” or “fainteth” four times in four verses. In the first instance, Isaiah explains that the Lord “fainteth not”, and in the next instance, explains that he actually gives power to the faint. This division, using repetition, emphasizes man’s inherent need of divine help. Isaiah’s opening of the dialogue using rhetorical questions compounds division through repetition by giving readers a chance to reflect, and then, with their attention, hits the point home. It’s an incredible example of how a prophet can simultaneously invite and exhort.