Page "Book of Isaiah" Paragraph 41

Isaiah 44: 6 contains the first clear statement of monotheism: " I am the first and I am the last ; besides me there is no god ".

In Isaiah 44: 09 – 20 this is developed into a satire on the making and worship of idols, mocking the foolishness of the carpenter who worships the idol that he himself has carved.

While Yahweh had shown his superiority to other gods before, in Second Isaiah he becomes the sole God of the world.

This model of monotheism became the defining characteristic of post-Exilic Judaism, and became the basis for Christianity and Islam.