The Seven Women Seeking the Bridegroom: Isaiah 4:1 as Transition Point in a Redemption Allegory

by Jared Marcum

Overview

Abstract: Nephi laboriously copied many of the words of Isaiah in hopes that his readers would rejoice in Christ. While Isaiah 4:1 (2 Nephi 14:1) is generally not viewed as Messianic, there may be an allegorical interpretation that would place this verse among Isaiah's other Messianic writings. A pre-Nicene patristic writer, Victorinus of Poetovio, interpreted the seven women of Isaiah 4:1 as representing the seven churches of the Apocalypse and the one man as Christ. Victorinus's Christ-centered interpretation of Isaiah 4:1 has received very little attention in modern scholarship. This paper uses textual analysis to determine if a Christ-centered allegorical interpretation may be considered a strong reading of the verse and the surrounding text (Isaiah 3–4). The results of this analysis show that Isaiah 4:1 may symbolize Zion's turning point in a doctrinally rich allegory of Zion's sin, sorrow, repentance, and redemption through Jesus Christ.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940185960714
Publisher:	Interpreter Foundation
Publication date:	05/31/2024
Series:	Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship , #61
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	445,100
File size:	314 KB

About the Author

Jared Marcum has a bachelor’s degree in History and an M.Ed. and Ph.D. in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences. He is an associate professor of Religious Education at BYU–Hawai‘i. He teaches courses on various topics including the Book of Mormon, Church History, and the Doctrine and Covenants. During his time at BYU–Hawai‘i, he has directed the university’s online programs and the Center for Learning and Teaching. Before BYU–Hawai‘i, Jared taught seminary in Utah for eight years. He and his wife Stephanie have four children and have one grandchild. They currently reside in Hau‘ula, Hawai‘i.