1And there shall come forthH3318 a rodH2415 out of the stemH1503 of JesseH3448, and a BranchH5342 shall growH6509 out of his rootsH8328: 2And the spiritH7307 of the LORDH3068 shall restH5117 upon him, the spiritH7307 of wisdomH2451 and understandingH998, the spiritH7307 of counselH6098 and mightH1369, the spiritH7307 of knowledgeH1847 and of the fearH3374 of the LORDH3068; 3And shall make him of quick understandingH7306 in the fearH3374 of the LORDH3068: and he shall not judgeH8199 after the sightH4758 of his eyesH5869, neither reproveH3198 after the hearingH4926 of his earsH241: 4But with righteousnessH6664 shall he judgeH8199 the poorH1800, and reproveH3198 with equityH4334 for the meekH6035 of the earthH776: and he shall smiteH5221 the earthH776 with the rodH7626 of his mouthH6310, and with the breathH7307 of his lipsH8193 shall he slayH4191 the wickedH7563. 5And righteousnessH6664 shall be the girdleH232 of his loinsH4975, and faithfulnessH530 the girdleH232 of his reinsH2504. 6The wolfH2061 also shall dwellH1481 with the lambH3532, and the leopardH5246 shall lie downH7257 with the kidH1423; and the calfH5695 and the young lionH3715 and the fatlingH4806 togetherH3162; and a littleH6996 childH5288 shall leadH5090 them. 7And the cowH6510 and the bearH1677 shall feedH7462 ; their young onesH3206 shall lie downH7257 togetherH3162: and the lionH738 shall eatH398 strawH8401 like the oxH1241. 8And the sucking childH3243 shall playH8173 on the holeH2352 of the aspH6620, and the weaned childH1580 shall putH1911 his handH3027 on the cockatrice'H6848 denH3975. 9They shall not hurtH7489 nor destroyH7843 in all my holyH6944 mountainH2022: for the earthH776 shall be fullH4390 of the knowledgeH1844 of the LORDH3068, as the watersH4325 coverH3680 the seaH3220. 10And in that dayH3117 there shall be a rootH8328 of JesseH3448, which shall standH5975 for an ensignH5251 of the peopleH5971; to it shall the GentilesH1471 seekH1875 : and his restH4496 shall be gloriousH3519. 11And it shall come to pass in that dayH3117, that the LordH136 shall setH3254 his handH3027 againH3254 the second timeH8145 to recoverH7069 the remnantH7605 of his peopleH5971, which shall be leftH7604, from AssyriaH804, and from EgyptH4714, and from PathrosH6624, and from CushH3568, and from ElamH5867, and from ShinarH8152, and from HamathH2574, and from the islandsH339 of the seaH3220. 12And he shall set upH5375 an ensignH5251 for the nationsH1471, and shall assembleH622 the outcastsH1760 of IsraelH3478, and gather togetherH6908 the dispersedH5310 of JudahH3063 from the fourH702 cornersH3671 of the earthH776. 13The envyH7068 also of EphraimH669 shall departH5493, and the adversariesH6887 of JudahH3063 shall be cut offH3772 : EphraimH669 shall not envyH7065 JudahH3063, and JudahH3063 shall not vexH6887 EphraimH669. 14But they shall flyH5774 upon the shouldersH3802 of the PhilistinesH6430 toward the westH3220; they shall spoilH962 themH1121 of the eastH6924 togetherH3162: they shall layH4916 their handH3027 upon EdomH123 and MoabH4124; and the childrenH1121 of AmmonH5983 shall obeyH4928 them. 15And the LORDH3068 shall utterly destroyH2763 the tongueH3956 of the EgyptianH4714 seaH3220; and with his mightyH5868 windH7307 shall he shakeH5130 his handH3027 over the riverH5104, and shall smiteH5221 it in the sevenH7651 streamsH5158, and make men go overH1869 dryshodH5275. 16And there shall be an highwayH4546 for the remnantH7605 of his peopleH5971, whichH834 shall be leftH7604, from AssyriaH804; like as it was to IsraelH3478 in the dayH3117 that he came upH5927 out of the landH776 of EgyptH4714.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 (Isa. 11:1-16)
rod--When the proud "boughs" of "Lebanon" (
Isa 10:33-
Isa 10:34, the Assyrians) are lopped, and the vast "forests cut down" amidst all this rage, a seemingly humble rod shall come out of Jesse (Messiah), who shall retrieve the injuries done by the Assyrian "rod" to Israel (
Isa 10:5-
Isa 10:6,
Isa 10:18-
Isa 10:19).
stem--literally, "the stump" of a tree cut close by the roots: happily expressing the depressed state of the royal house of David, owing to the hostile storm (
Isa 10:18-
Isa 10:19), when Messiah should arise from it, to raise it to more than its pristine glory.
Luke 2:7 proves this (
Isa 53:2; compare
Job 14:7-
Job 14:8; see on
Isa 8:6).
Branch--Scion. He is nevertheless also the "root" (
Isa 11:10;
Rev 5:5;
Rev 22:16. "Root and offspring" combines both,
Zech 3:8;
Zech 6:12).
2 Spirit of the Lord--JEHOVAH. The Spirit by which the prophets spake: for Messiah was to be a Prophet (
Isa 61:1;
Deut 18:15,
Deut 18:18). Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are specified, to imply that the perfection of them was to be in Him. Compare "the seven Spirits" (
Rev 1:4), that is, the Holy Ghost in His perfect fulness: seven being the sacred number. The prophets had only a portion out of the "fulness" in the Son of God (
John 1:16;
John 3:34;
Col 1:19).
rest--permanently; not merely come upon Him (
Num 11:25-
Num 11:26).
wisdom-- (
1Cor 1:30;
Eph 1:17;
Col 2:3).
understanding--coupled with "wisdom," being its fruit. Discernment and discrimination (
Matt 22:18;
John 2:25).
counsel . . . might--the faculty of forming counsels, and that of executing them (
Isa 28:29). Counsellor (
Isa 9:6).
knowledge--of the deep things of God (
Matt 11:27). The knowledge of Him gives us true knowledge (
Eph 1:17).
fear of the Lord--reverential, obedient fear. The first step towards true "knowledge" (
Job 28:28;
Ps 111:10).
3 make him of quick understanding--literally, "quick-scented in the fear of Jehovah"; endowed with a singular sagacity in discerning the genuine principle of religious fear of God, when it lies dormant in the yet unawakened sinner (
Matt 12:20; Acts 10:1-48;
Acts 16:14) [HORSLEY]. But MAURER, "He shall delight in the fear of God." The Hebrew means "to delight in the odors" of anything (
Exod 30:38;
Amos 5:21); "smell," that is, "delight in."
after . . . sight--according to mere external appearances (
John 7:24;
John 8:15;
Jas 2:1;
1Sam 16:7). Herein Messiah is represented a just Judge and Ruler (
Deut 1:16-
Deut 1:17).
reprove--"decide," as the parallelism shows.
after . . . ears--by mere plausible hearsays, but by the true merits of each case (
John 6:64;
Rev 2:23).
4 judge--see that impartial justice is done them. "Judge" may mean here "rule," as in
Ps 67:4.
reprove--or, "argue"; "decide." But LOWTH, "work conviction in."
earth--Compare with
Matt 5:5, and
Rev 11:15.
earth--its ungodly inhabitants, answering to "the wicked" in the parallel, and in antithesis to the "poor" and "meek," namely, in spirit, the humble pious (
Matt 5:3). It is at the same time implied that "the earth" will be extraordinarily wicked when He shall come to judge and reign. His reign shall therefore be ushered in with judgments on the apostates (
Ps 2:9-
Ps 2:12;
Luke 18:8;
Rev 2:27).
rod of . . . mouth--condemning sentences which proceed from His mouth against the wicked (
Rev 1:16;
Rev 2:16;
Rev 19:15,
Rev 19:21).
breath of . . . lips--his judicial decisions (
Isa 30:28;
Job 15:30;
Rev 19:20;
Rev 20:9-
Rev 20:12). He as the Word of God (
Rev 19:13-
Rev 19:15) comes to strike that blow which shall decide His claim to the kingdom, previously usurped by Satan, and "the beast" to whom Satan delegates his power. It will be a day of judgment to the Gentile dispensation, as the first coming was to the Jews. Compare a type of the "rod" (
Num 17:2-
Num 17:10).
5 righteousness . . . girdle-- (
Rev 1:13;
Rev 19:11). The antitypical High Priest (
Exod 28:4). The girdle secures firmly the rest of the garments (
1Pet 1:13). So "truth" gives firm consistency to the whole character (
Eph 5:14). In
Isa 59:17, "righteousness" is His breastplate.
6 wolf . . . lamb--Each animal is coupled with that one which is its natural prey. A fit state of things under the "Prince of Peace" (
Isa 65:25;
Ezek 34:25;
Hos 2:18). These may be figures for men of corresponding animal-like characters (
Ezek 22:27;
Ezek 38:13;
Jer 5:6;
Jer 13:23;
Matt 7:15;
Luke 10:3). Still a literal change in the relations of animals to man and each other, restoring the state in Eden, is a more likely interpretation. Compare
Gen 2:19-
Gen 2:20, with
Ps 8:6-
Ps 8:8, which describes the restoration to man, in the person of "the Son of man," of the lost dominion over the animal kingdom of which he had been designed to be the merciful vicegerent under God, for the good of his animal subjects (
Rom 8:19-
Rom 8:22).
7 feed--namely, "together"; taken from the second clause.
straw--no longer flesh and blood.
8 play--literally, "delight" himself in sport.
cockatrice--a fabulous serpent supposed to be hatched from the egg of a cock. The Hebrew means a kind of adder, more venomous than the asp; BOCHART supposes the basilisk to be meant, which was thought to poison even with its breath.
9 my holy mountain--Zion, that is, Jerusalem. The seat of government and of Messiah's throne is put for the whole earth (
Jer 3:17).
sea--As the waters find their way into every cavern of its depths, so Christianity shall pervade every recess of the earth (
Hab 2:14). As
Isa 11:1-
Isa 11:5 describe the personal qualities of Messiah, and
Isa 11:6-
Isa 11:9 the regenerating effects of His coming on creation, so
Isa 11:10-
Isa 11:16 the results of it in the restoration of His people, the Jews, and the conversion through them of the Gentiles.
10 root--rather, "shoot from the root" (compare Note, see on
Isa 11:1;
Isa 53:2;
Rev 5:5;
Rev 22:16).
stand--permanently and prominently, as a banner lifted up to be the rallying point of an army or people (
Isa 5:26;
John 12:32).
the people--peoples, answering to "the Gentiles" in the parallel member.
to it . . . seek--diligently (
Job 8:5). They shall give in their allegiance to the Divine King (
Isa 2:2;
Isa 60:5;
Zech 2:11). HORSLEY translates, "Of Him shall the Gentiles inquire"; namely, in a religious sense, resort as to an oracle for consultation in difficulties" (
Zech 14:16). Compare
Rom 15:12, which quotes this passage, "In Him shall the Gentiles trust."
rest--resting-place (
Isa 60:13;
Ps 132:8,
Ps 132:14;
Ezek 43:7). The sanctuary in the temple of Jerusalem was "the resting-place of the ark and of Jehovah." So the glorious Church which is to be is described under the image of an oracle to which all nations shall resort, and which shall be filled with the visible glory of God.
11 set . . . hand--take in hand the work. Therefore the coming restoration of the Jews is to be distinct from that after the Babylonish captivity, and yet to resemble it. The first restoration was literal, therefore so shall the second be; the latter, however, it is implied here, shall be much more universal than the former (
Isa 43:5-
Isa 43:7;
Isa 49:12,
Isa 49:17-
Isa 49:18;
Ezek 37:21;
Hos 3:5;
Amos 9:14-
Amos 9:15;
Mic 4:6-
Mic 4:7;
Zeph 3:19-
Zeph 3:20;
Zech 10:10;
Jer 23:8). As to the "remnant" destined by God to survive the judgments on the nation, compare
Jer 46:28.
Pathros--one of the three divisions of Egypt, Upper Egypt.
Cush--either Ethiopia, south of Egypt, now Abyssinia, or the southern parts of Arabia, along the Red Sea.
Elam--Persia, especially the southern part of it now called Susiana.
Shinar--Babylonian Mesopotamia, the plain between the Euphrates and the Tigris: in it Babel was begun (
Gen 10:10). In the Assyrian inscriptions RAWLINSON distinguishes three periods: (1) The Chaldean; from 2300 B.C. to 1500, in which falls Chedorlaomer (Gen. 14:1-17), called in the cuneiform characters Kudur of Hur, or Ur of the Chaldees, and described as the conqueror of Syria. The seat of the first Chaldean empire was in the south, towards the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates. (2) The Assyrian, down to 625 B.C. (3) The Babylonian, from 625 to 538 B.C., when Babylon was taken by the Persian Cyrus.
islands of . . . sea--the far western regions beyond the sea [JEROME].
12 In the first restoration Judah alone was restored, with perhaps some few of Israel (the ten tribes): in the future restoration both are expressly specified (
Ezek 37:16-
Ezek 37:19;
Jer 3:18). To Israel are ascribed the "outcasts" (masculine); to Judah the "dispersed" (feminine), as the former have been longer and more utterly castaways (though not finally) than the latter (
John 7:52). The masculine and feminine conjoined express the universality of the restoration.
from the four corners of the earth--Hebrew, "wings of the earth."
13 envy . . . of Ephraim . . . Judah--which began as early as the time (
Judg 8:1;
Judg 12:1, &c.). Joshua had sprung from, and resided among the Ephraimites (
Num 13:9;
Josh 19:50); the sanctuary was with them for a time (
Josh 18:1). The jealousy increased subsequently (
2Sam 2:8, &c.;
2Sam 19:41;
2Sam 20:2;
2Sam 3:10); and even before David's time (
1Sam 11:8;
1Sam 15:4), they had appropriated to themselves the national name Israel. It ended in disruption (
1Kgs 11:26, &c.; 1Ki. 12:1-33; compare
2Kgs 14:9; Psa. 78:56-71).
adversaries of Judah--rather, "the adversaries from Judah"; those of Judah hostile to the Ephraimites [MAURER]. The parallelism "the envy of Ephraim," namely, against Judah, requires this, as also what follows; namely, "Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim" (
Ezek 37:15,
Ezek 37:17,
Ezek 37:19).
14 With united forces they shall subdue their foes (
Amos 9:12).
fly--as a bird of prey (
Hab 1:8).
upon the shoulders--This expresses an attack made unexpectedly on one from behind. The image is the more apt, as the Hebrew for "shoulders" in
Num 34:11 is used also of a maritime coast ("side of the sea": Hebrew, "shoulder of the sea," Margin). They shall make a sudden victorious descent upon their borders southwest of Judea.
them of the east--Hebrew, "children of the East," the Arabs, who, always hostile, are not to be reduced under regular government, but are only to be despoiled (
Jer 49:28-
Jer 49:29).
lay . . . hand upon--take possession of (
Dan 11:42).
Edom--south of Judah, from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea; "Moab"--east of Jordan and the Dead Sea.
Ammon--east of Judea, north of Moab, between the Arnon and Jabbok.
15 There shall be a second exodus, destined to eclipse even the former one from Egypt in its wonders. So the prophecies elsewhere (
Ps 68:22;
Exod 14:22;
Zech 10:11). The same deliverance furnishes the imagery by which the return from Babylon is described (
Isa 48:20-
Isa 48:21).
destroy--literally, "devote," or "doom," that is, dry up; for what God dooms, perishes (
Ps 106:9 Nah 1:4).
tongue--the Bubastic branch of the Nile [VITRINGA]; but as the Nile was not the obstruction to the exodus, it is rather the west tongue or Heroöpolite fork of the Red Sea.
with . . . mighty wind--such as the "strong east wind" (
Exod 14:21), by which God made a way for Israel through the Red Sea. The Hebrew for "mighty" means terrible. MAURER translates, "With the terror of His anger"; that is, His terrible anger.
in the seven streams--rather, "shall smite it (divide it by smiting) into seven (many) streams, so as to be easily crossed" [LOWTH]. So Cyrus divided the river Gyndes, which retarded his march against Babylon, into three hundred sixty streams, so that even a woman could cross it [HERODOTUS, 1.189]. "The river" is the Euphrates, the obstruction to Israel's return "from Assyria" (
Isa 11:16), a type of all future impediments to the restoration of the Jews.
dry shod--Hebrew, "in shoes." Even in sandals they should be able to pass over the once mighty river without being wet (
Rev 16:12).
16 highway--a highway clear of obstructions (
Isa 19:23;
Isa 35:8).
like as . . . Israel . . . Egypt-- (
Isa 51:10-
Isa 51:11;
Isa 63:12-
Isa 63:13).
Just as Miriam, after the deliverance of the Red Sea (
Isa 11:16), celebrated it with an ode of praise (Exo. 15:1-19).