Was Isaiah of the Bible educated?

Answer 1

Answer: Little is known about the person Isaiah who wrote the book that bears his name, certainly nothing directly about his education. However we may infer from the style and quality of his work that he was educated. He was not only able to write well but also in two different genre, changing from prophetic writing into historical and being equally at home in both, while conveying God's message. Isaiah is also credited in 2 Chronicles 26:22 with writing a biography of the life of King Uzziah. In 2 Chronicles 32:32 he is credited with writing about King Hezekiah. Both of these works unfortunately have been lost.

That he is likely to have been educated is further supported by suggestions of some scholars based on 2 Kings 19:2 where King Hezekiah sent his highest officers to see Isaiah -suggestive of his having an important rank in Jerusalem -again suggesting the necessity of education. Even liberal scholars (who due to various presuppositions deny that Isaiah wrote the chapters 40 through 66) acknowledge the quality of this latter part of the book that bears the name.

ADDITIONALLY:

The fact that he's credited for writing the books that he did [cited above]... points to an education in reading and writing. The Bible also tells us that:

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of WISDOM. Knowledge of the Holy One results in Understanding." (Prov.9:10 NLT New Living Translation)

Learning the Word of God, like Saul [Paul] growing up at the feet of Gamaliel [a successful and popular Jewish lawyer - Acts 5:34], WAS Isaiah's education: "...I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. At his feet I learned to follow our Jewish laws and customs very carefully. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just as all of you are today." (Acts 22:3 NLT)

And Halley's Bible Handbook tells us: "...Rabbinic tradition has it that Isaiah's father Amoz (not Amos the prophet), was a brother of King Amaziah. This would make Isaiah first cousin to King Uzziah, and grandson of King Joash, and thus of royal blood, a man of the palace. His Literary Work... He is quoted in the New Testament more than any other prophet. What a mind he had! In some of his rhapsodies he reaches heights unequaled even by Shakespeare, Milton or Homer...". (Halley's Bible Handbook, with the King James Version: Classic Edition: ISAIAH; The Man Isaiah, p 285)

In this regard... Isaiah would have been exposed to the education that members of a royal family would receive; like Moses had being reared in Pharaoh's palace as one of his sons, with access to Pharaoh's educators and the scrolls of the Egyptian empire's libraries.