Vjera kao povijesna snaga i egziszencijalni temelj života
Faith as a historical Force and an existential Foundation of Life

Summary/Abstract: The analysis of this paper focuses on the meaning, role and message of Isa 7:9b, which is the central element in Isa 7:1-17. Superficially, 7:9b appears to be unrelated to the previous section (7:1-9) or the subsequent section (7:10-17), but the analysis demonstrates that the principal message of 7:9b, about faith, is the hermeneutical key that unlocks the meaning of 7:1-9 and 7:10-17. In the first part, where the concrete historical situation is the Syrian-Ephraim War (7:1-9), Isaiah communicates to King Ahaz the Divine command to show faith and to rely on God and His Word if Israel is to survive in the face of historical and political challenges: and in the second part (7:10 -17) Ahaz addresses David’s dynasty, presenting the image of a child as a model of trust in the Lord. The language of 7:9b, with the verb ͗mn together with the derived conjugations of hiphil and niphal, concisely shows two basic dimensions of faith: faith as an existential foundation (niphal of ͗mn) and faith as a related force of life (hiphil of ͗mn). Faith according to 7:9b expresses the stability of life and at the same time the dynamism of history as openness towards others and towards the One who is completely other.

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