What does Isaiah 65:15 mean by "a curse for My chosen ones"? Verse Text “You will leave behind your name as a curse for My chosen ones, and the Lord GOD will slay you; but He will call His servants by another name.” — Isaiah 65:15 Immediate Literary Context (Isaiah 65:1–25) Isaiah 65 contrasts two groups: the obstinate rebels (vv. 1–7) and “My servants” or “My chosen” (vv. 8–25). The rebels are those who persist in idolatry and covenant infidelity, while the chosen are the remnant that trusts Yahweh. Verse 15 marks the climactic reversal: the very name of the faithless will become a curse invoked by the faithful remnant, and God Himself will rename His servants as evidence of their new status in the coming age of restoration (vv. 17–25). Historical Setting Though Isaiah prophesied under Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (Isaiah 1:1), chs. 56–66 look ahead to the post-exilic period when returned Judeans again drift into syncretism. The warning fits both Isaiah’s eighth-century audience and the post-Babylonian community, illustrating prophetic telescoping that culminates in the eschaton. Theological Trajectory: Blessing vs. Curse Deuteronomy 28 establishes the covenant polarity of blessing for obedience and curse for rebellion. Isaiah 65 applies that rubric: curses realized on the faithless (65:13–15a) and blessings transferred to God’s servants (65:15b–16). The renaming motif (cf. Genesis 17:5; Revelation 2:17) signifies covenant renewal and eschatological transformation culminating in “new heavens and a new earth” (65:17). Comparative Ancient Near Eastern Curse Formulae Assyrian treaty tablets employ imprecations invoking the defeated king’s name as a future curse. Isaiah adapts this milieu to underline that Israel’s apostates will become proverbial examples of divine judgment—an argument cogent to Isaiah’s first hearers. Scriptural Cross-References • Jeremiah 29:22—“A curse among all the exiles… ‘May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab.’” • Zechariah 8:13—Judah was “a curse among the nations” but will be “a blessing.” • Romans 11:7—“The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened.” Paul invokes Isaiah’s remnant motif. Christological Fulfillment Jesus is the quintessential Chosen One (Isaiah 42:1; Matthew 12:18). At Calvary, He “became a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13), absorbing judgment so that believers receive a “new name” (Revelation 3:12). Thus Isaiah 65:15 prefigures the gospel paradox: the rebels’ curse is transferred to Christ for the sake of His true servants. Eschatological Outlook Verses 17–25 move immediately from the curse-blessing reversal to the new creation, underscoring that final separation of rebels and servants is consummated in the eternal state (Revelation 21:1–8). The “other name” given to the servants anticipates the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 20:15). Archaeological and Extra-Biblical Corroboration • The Lachish Letters (c. 588 BC) show Judah invoking divine judgment against betrayers, paralleling name-as-curse usage. • Sennacherib’s Prism corroborates Assyrian siege contexts that shape Isaiah’s polemics. • The Ketef Hinnom amulets (7th century BC) preserve priestly benediction language contemporaneous with Isaiah, illustrating the lived reality of blessing/curse dichotomy. Practical Application for Believers 1. Identity Matters: reputations endure; faithful obedience leaves a heritage of blessing (Proverbs 22:1). 2. Covenant Loyalty: the remnant theme urges perseverance amidst cultural apostasy (2 Timothy 2:19). 3. Evangelistic Warning: rejection of Christ renders one a byword (Hebrews 10:29). 4. Hope of Renaming: assurance of our future identity in Christ motivates present holiness (1 John 3:2–3). Answer to the Question “A curse for My chosen ones” means that the unrepentant idolaters of Israel will become a proverbial example of divine judgment, their very name invoked by the faithful remnant as an imprecation. God will excise the rebels (“the Lord GOD will slay you”) and simultaneously bestow a new, blessed identity on His servants. The verse encapsulates the covenant principle of curse vs. blessing, foreshadows the redemptive work of Christ who bears the curse, and anticipates the eschatological separation of the righteous and wicked. ––– ¹ 1QIsaᵃ col. 54, lines 8-9; cf. Biblia Hebraica Quinta, Isaiae. |
    |