A groundbreaking contribution to Markan studies.
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"This book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of Markan structure and theology. . . . Watts has made his case that from the point of view of the evangelist, the good news of Jesus Messiah was 'just as it has been written in the prophet Isaiah'."
-Review of Biblical Literature
"This is a very important, groundbreaking study on the Old Testament background to Mark's presentation of Jesus. From here on, no one should try to read Mark's narrative with understanding without taking into consideration how much the theme of the New Exodus in Isaiah influenced his understanding of Jesus and of Jesus' announcement of the coming of God's rule."
-Gordon D. Fee, Regent College
"Rikki Watts' important book argues persuasively that Mark has been profoundly influenced by the book of Isaiah, and that his gospel reflects, in particular, the expectations expressed in chapters 40-55, where remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt has been transformed into hope for a new Exodus."
-Morna D. Hooker, University of Cambridge
"An impressive example of biblical theology and of solid scholarship. Watts shows convincingly how Mark interprets Jewish tradition in light of the fulfillment of Isaianic prophecy."
-Martin Hengel, University of Tübingen
"The relationship of the New Testament writings to the Jewish scriptures is a perennial problem for students of early Christianity. Rikki Watts' comprehensive study of the possible links between the Gospel of Mark and the Book of Isaiah represents a significant addition to the ongoing debate."
-Christopher Rowland, University of Oxford
"This work is definitely a source that demands consultation, not only for Markan studies, but by any one studying the New Testament's use of the Old Testament."
-The Evangelical Quarterly
Rikki E. Watts (Ph.D., Cambridge University) is associate professor of New Testament at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia.
About the Author
Rikki E. Watts (Ph.D., University of Cambridge) is associate professor of New Testament at Regent College. Originally published by Mohr (Siebeck), Isaiah's New Exodus in Mark is the seventh title to be released in the Biblical Studies Library Series.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Erin J.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book shows how Mark frames his gospel around Isaiah and specifically Isaiah's new Exodus theme. This is an important work and needs to be read by scholars and serious students of the gospel of Mark. One cannot read this book and come away without a fresh perspective on Mark and what Jesus himself was intending by his words and actions. Watt's takes seriously Mark's use of the OT and the context of all quotes and allusions. His reasoning is spot on and therefore his conclusions should all be taken seriously. There is much here, but some of the things Watts deals with are the servant songs in relation to Jesus, of course the exodus theme, Jesus healings and their link to Isaiah 35, and how the cleansing of the temple is thematic of Isaiah. Comparisons are made between Isaiah 6:9f and Mark 4:12 in order to bring out more fully the parable of the sower. Also, the Beelzebul controversy is expounded upon in light of Isaiah.
Watt's deals very well with the so called "way" section of Mark. This section is shown to be bracketed off by the healing of the blind man that at first sees men "as tall as trees" and the healing of Bartimaeus. Sandwiched in between is the way section of Mark that deals with the disciples continued inability to grasp who Jesus really is. The climax of this section is the confession of Peter that Jesus is "the Messiah, the son of the living God." In short the entirety of Mark is taken up in light of Isaiah.
A note of caution would be that this book is not written for a lay audience and would be difficult to read without knowing Greek and Hebrew. Watt's assumes his audience knows German and French as well and will at times write a couple of sentences in German without providing an English translation of this. The book would have been more accessible to others if he would have done so. That aside this is and excellent work.
Watt's deals very well with the so called "way" section of Mark. This section is shown to be bracketed off by the healing of the blind man that at first sees men "as tall as trees" and the healing of Bartimaeus. Sandwiched in between is the way section of Mark that deals with the disciples continued inability to grasp who Jesus really is. The climax of this section is the confession of Peter that Jesus is "the Messiah, the son of the living God." In short the entirety of Mark is taken up in light of Isaiah.
A note of caution would be that this book is not written for a lay audience and would be difficult to read without knowing Greek and Hebrew. Watt's assumes his audience knows German and French as well and will at times write a couple of sentences in German without providing an English translation of this. The book would have been more accessible to others if he would have done so. That aside this is and excellent work.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The book helps explain difficult problems in the Gospel of Mark through an Isanic framework. Watts book is significant because it comes to the important conclusion that the gospels, especially the Gospel of Mark, needs to be seen from an OT perspective and not from a Hellenistic perspective. After reading Joel Marcus' book, "The Way of the Lord," I would have to say that it is by far the superior of the two. Marcus deals succiently with the material and deals with more issues that Watts does.
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