Isaiah's messianic descriptions are fuller than many in the Gospels, and his prophecy is quoted in the New Testament more than any other Old Testament book except Psalms. Volume 1 of this commentary covers the first thirty-nine chapters of Isaiah, which record the prophet's ministry against the background of the ever-present threat posed by the mighty Assyrian Empire, culminating with God's deliverance of the southern kingdom of Judah in the time of Hezekiah. The section concludes with a warning of the Babylonian exile, thus providing a link with the later chapters, in which the prophet's vision will be drawn forward to a time when Yahweh will again intervene to deliver his people and ultimately to the coming of Christ. - Back cover.