The book of Isaiah uses both prose and poetry to engage readers in a drama of great emotion and intensity. Although the circumstances under which this book took its present form remain in scholarly dispute, this commentary highlights its larger purpose-to provide the people of Judah and Jerusalem with hope for the future and the will to re-embrace their ancestral religious traditions.Leslie Hoppe assumes the composite character of the books and approaches the work as a whole with its own literary and theological integrity. Unlike many other contemporary commentaries on the book of Isaiah, the divisions of the book used here focus on its literary shape rather than the history of its composition. With this approach, we recognize that the book of Isaiah is an expression of faith in the Holy One of Israel and in the future of Jerusalem, both of which have decisively shaped the faith of Jewish and Christian believers over the centuries.Leslie J. Hoppe, OFM, is an adjunct professor at Catholic Theological Union after serving on its faculty for twenty-four years, and serves as the provincial minister of the Assumption Province Franciscans. He has written several books on biblical studies and archaeology, including The Holy City: Jerusalem in the Theology of the Old Testament (Liturgical Press, 2000). He is a former editor of The Bible Today and currently serves on its editorial board.

For millions of believers, Jerusalem is one of the world's holiest cities. Pilgrims from three major religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, each of which is heir to Old Testament theological tradition - flock to Jerusalem where many of their most sacred memories are centered. This study of ancient Israel's sacred literature on the topic of Jerusalem is not a speculative exercise. It is a subject of immediate relevance to both the religious and political realities of present-day Jerusalem.The Scriptures inspired by ancient Israel's priests, prophets, and sages provide the foundation for the status of Jerusalem in today's three monotheistic religions. In The Holy City, Father Hoppe explores how the various theological traditions in the Hebrew Bible, apocrypha, and selected pseudepigrapha present Jerusalem. In closing he discusses how early Judaism dealt with the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70.Chapters are Jerusalem, the Holy City," "Zion, the City of God: Jerusalem in the Book of Psalms," "A Place for God's Name: Jerusalem in the Deuteronomic Tradition," "Ariel: Jerusalem in Isaiah," "Zion Under Judgment: Jerusalem in Pre-Exilic and Exilic Prophecy," "A Vision of Restoration: Jerusalem in Second Isaiah," "Zion Rebuilt: Jerusalem in the Post-Exilic Period," "The New Jerusalem," and "The Liberated City: The Defense of Jerusalem."

Through a masterful mix of poetry and prose, the book of Isaiah gives prophetic witness to the complex story of God’s judgment against ancient Israel and the enduring promise of divine redemption. Both unsettling and inspiring, Isaiah continues to enrich readers with its powerful condemnation of corruption and an uncompromising call for social justice. Part One of our study covers Isaiah 1–39, including many of the prophet’s most memorable passages. Commentary, study and reflection questions, prayers, and access to online lectures are included. 6 lessons.

Following the oracles of destruction that dominate the earlier portion of the book of Isaiah, Part Two of our study covers Isaiah 40–66, emphasizing the majesty of God and the divine plan for Israel’s restoration. Leslie Hoppe’s commentary continues to explore the history, theology, and poetry of this essential prophetic work, making a case that Isaiah is not so much about divine retribution as it is about liberation and a return to God’s loving embrace. Commentary, study and reflection questions, prayers, and access to online lectures are included. 6 lessons.

2025 Catholic Media Association Honorable Mention, Scripture — Academic StudiesThe book of Zechariah is one of the more obscure books of the Bible. In this commentary on the life of the prophet Zechariah, Leslie J. Hoppe, OFM, explores the Bible through a feminist lens to help contemporary readers appreciate the work of the sixth century prophet and the editors who collected his words and developed his thought regarding the future of the Jewish people. Hoppe further examines the prophet who spoke to people who were recovering from the total collapse of the religious, political, and social institutions that gave meaning to their communal and individual lives. This commentary also offers insight into Zechariah’s belief that the reconstruction of the Jerusalem temple and the reconstitution of its priesthood would open the way for the renewal of Jewish life through a communal life based on ancestral religious traditions.

The book of Isaiah uses both prose and poetry to engage readers in a drama of great emotion and intensity. Although the circumstances under which this book took its present form remain in scholarly dispute, this commentary highlights its larger purpose-to provide the people of Judah and Jerusalem with hope for the future and the will to re-embrace their ancestral religious traditions.Leslie Hoppe assumes the composite character of the books and approaches the work as a whole with its own literary and theological integrity. Unlike many other contemporary commentaries on the book of Isaiah, the divisions of the book used here focus on its literary shape rather than the history of its composition. With this approach, we recognize that the book of Isaiah is an expression of faith in the Holy One of Israel and in the future of Jerusalem, both of which have decisively shaped the faith of Jewish and Christian believers over the centuries.Leslie J. Hoppe, OFM, is an adjunct professor at Catholic Theological Union after serving on its faculty for twenty-four years, and serves as the provincial minister of the Assumption Province Franciscans. He has written several books on biblical studies and archaeology, including The Holy City: Jerusalem in the Theology of the Old Testament (Liturgical Press, 2000). He is a former editor of The Bible Today and currently serves on its editorial board.

For millions of believers, Jerusalem is one of the world's holiest cities. Pilgrims from three major religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, each of which is heir to Old Testament theological tradition - flock to Jerusalem where many of their most sacred memories are centered. This study of ancient Israel's sacred literature on the topic of Jerusalem is not a speculative exercise. It is a subject of immediate relevance to both the religious and political realities of present-day Jerusalem.The Scriptures inspired by ancient Israel's priests, prophets, and sages provide the foundation for the status of Jerusalem in today's three monotheistic religions. In The Holy City, Father Hoppe explores how the various theological traditions in the Hebrew Bible, apocrypha, and selected pseudepigrapha present Jerusalem. In closing he discusses how early Judaism dealt with the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70.Chapters are Jerusalem, the Holy City," "Zion, the City of God: Jerusalem in the Book of Psalms," "A Place for God's Name: Jerusalem in the Deuteronomic Tradition," "Ariel: Jerusalem in Isaiah," "Zion Under Judgment: Jerusalem in Pre-Exilic and Exilic Prophecy," "A Vision of Restoration: Jerusalem in Second Isaiah," "Zion Rebuilt: Jerusalem in the Post-Exilic Period," "The New Jerusalem," and "The Liberated City: The Defense of Jerusalem."

Through a masterful mix of poetry and prose, the book of Isaiah gives prophetic witness to the complex story of God’s judgment against ancient Israel and the enduring promise of divine redemption. Both unsettling and inspiring, Isaiah continues to enrich readers with its powerful condemnation of corruption and an uncompromising call for social justice. Part One of our study covers Isaiah 1–39, including many of the prophet’s most memorable passages. Commentary, study and reflection questions, prayers, and access to online lectures are included. 6 lessons.

Following the oracles of destruction that dominate the earlier portion of the book of Isaiah, Part Two of our study covers Isaiah 40–66, emphasizing the majesty of God and the divine plan for Israel’s restoration. Leslie Hoppe’s commentary continues to explore the history, theology, and poetry of this essential prophetic work, making a case that Isaiah is not so much about divine retribution as it is about liberation and a return to God’s loving embrace. Commentary, study and reflection questions, prayers, and access to online lectures are included. 6 lessons.

2025 Catholic Media Association Honorable Mention, Scripture — Academic StudiesThe book of Zechariah is one of the more obscure books of the Bible. In this commentary on the life of the prophet Zechariah, Leslie J. Hoppe, OFM, explores the Bible through a feminist lens to help contemporary readers appreciate the work of the sixth century prophet and the editors who collected his words and developed his thought regarding the future of the Jewish people. Hoppe further examines the prophet who spoke to people who were recovering from the total collapse of the religious, political, and social institutions that gave meaning to their communal and individual lives. This commentary also offers insight into Zechariah’s belief that the reconstruction of the Jerusalem temple and the reconstitution of its priesthood would open the way for the renewal of Jewish life through a communal life based on ancestral religious traditions.