Isaiah XXI: A palimpsest

One of the most obscure passages in the book of Isaiah, chapter 21 contains oracles concerning foreign nations. The author deals in depth with the textual and linguistic problems presented by the text; he also considers the historical background of the prophecy, the literary forms concerned and the traditions of interpretation in ancient medieval and modern times. In studying these traditions, Mr Macintosh makes extensive use of medieval Jewish commentators whose work is not generally available in English.