Reading Isa 8:4 inside Isa 7:10-17: An Attempt to Understand Justin Martyr’s Isaiah Exegesis

In Justin’s quotation of the Immanuel prophecy, Isa 8:4 was compiled inside Isa 7:10-17 so that Jesus was given both names Immanuel and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. In this article the writer show that early Jewish reception history enables us to see similarities to Justin’s exegesis. Parallels come from rabbinical writings which in their present forms are late, but traditions must be older because they are related to the interpretation that Hezekiah is Immanuel and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. The Jewish way to identify Immanuel and Hezekiah is presented also in Justin’s work and is detected already in 2 Chr 32:7-8.