God, His Servant, and the Nations in Isaiah 42:1-9: Biblical Theological Reflections after Brevard S. Childs and Hans Hubner

Frederik Poulsen investigates the role of the Old Testament in biblical theology. Analyzing the works of Brevard Childs and Hans Hubner, he addresses main issues regarding the different versions of the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible and the Greek Septuagint) and the significance of the New Testament’s use of the Old. The author explores the interpretative implications of these issues by focusing extensively on Isaiah 42:1-9. The Hebrew version as such is ambiguous regarding the servant figure being portrayed, his identity, and his task. The Septuagint renders several key terms and statements differently and the reception of the passage in the New Testament reveals a manifold of diverse interpretations. Common to all versions is the servant’s role as a mediator between God and the nations. Frederik Poulsen shows that this central task is constantly being reapplied to new servant figures.