Narrative Structure and Style in Isaiah Chapter 6

Introduction: Isaiah 6 and Biblical Narratology

Isaiah Chapter 6 addresses Isaiah's commission and is a prime example of the use of narrative structure, format, and style in the Hebrew Bible. A plethora of Tate's literary elements pertain directly to Isaiah, and reading Isaiah with Tate's elements in mind enhances understanding of the text. In particular, Isaiah 6 reflects Old Testament narratology: the method by which the story is told. Hebrew narratology retains core elements, some of which are adhered to and some of which are subverted in Isaiah 6.

Isaiah 6 is told from a first-person point of view, evident from the opening line: "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple" (Isaiah 6:1). The first-person point of view establishes a literary, thematic, and semantic bond between the implied reader and the implied narrator. Moreover, it engenders trust. Isaiah speaks to the reader personally, encouraging a personal response, and the reader may situate himself or herself within the text.

Finally, the narrative structure of Isaiah 6 differs from those in other sections of the Pentateuch precisely because of the point of view. The narrator is clearly defined and speaks directly to the reader. In other biblical passages, especially in the Old Testament, the narrator is less clearly defined.

Omniscient Narration and Organic Unity

Although Isaiah is the first-person implied narrator, the passage also uses the characteristic omniscient narrator employed throughout the Hebrew Bible, as Tate points out. Isaiah himself is not the omniscient narrator; rather, he is the implied author. The omniscient narrator that Tate refers to seems notably absent in Isaiah 6, which is told from a more personal point of view. Yet God fills the role of omniscience, as it is God who tells Isaiah what to do next, and Isaiah obeys.

An intratextual and intertextual analysis reveals an overarching agenda to the entire book and to the Pentateuch. This constitutes the Hebrew narrative structure that Tate refers to, which provides underlying meaning and focus for the entire Bible. Yet Isaiah 6 also possesses what Tate calls organic unity: a quality in which form and content are jointly sufficient in providing meaning.

Setting, Plot, and Narrative Structure

Isaiah provides a complex narrative world. He offers narrative elements that extend beyond those of other books in the Pentateuch. There is a distinct setting, plot, and structure in the exposition of what Isaiah is communicating to the reader. Isaiah begins by establishing the narrative chronologically, situating it in space and time. The story opens with the death of King Uzziah, and it is implied that a power vacuum exists. Isaiah therefore foreshadows his being chosen by God to serve as a prophet.

The inclusion of flying seraphim, "each with six wings," offers almost a heightened or archetypal image of a moment of divine glory (Isaiah 6:2). Seraphim are angelic creatures that symbolize the spiritual power Isaiah is ready to possess and wield in the world. Isaiah also offers the implied reader narrative dialogue rather than relying solely on his own narrative voice.