1Nevertheless the dimnessH4155 shall not be such as was in her vexationH4164, whenH6256 at the firstH7223 he lightly afflictedH7043 the landH776 of ZebulunH2074 and the landH776 of NaphtaliH5321, and afterwardH314 did more grievously afflictH3513 her by the wayH1870 of the seaH3220, beyondH5676 JordanH3383, in GalileeH1551 of the nationsH1471. 2The peopleH5971 that walkedH1980 in darknessH2822 have seenH7200 a greatH1419 lightH216: they that dwellH3427 in the landH776 of the shadow of deathH6757, upon them hath the lightH216 shinedH5050 . 3Thou hast multipliedH7235 the nationH1471, and not increasedH1431 the joyH8057: they joyH8055 beforeH6440 thee according to the joyH8057 in harvestH7105, and as men rejoiceH1523 when they divideH2505 the spoilH7998. 4For thou hast brokenH2865 the yokeH5923 of his burdenH5448, and the staffH4294 of his shoulderH7926, the rodH7626 of his oppressorH5065, as in the dayH3117 of MidianH4080. 5For every battleH5430 of the warriorH5431 is with confused noiseH7494, and garmentsH8071 rolledH1556 in bloodH1818; but this shall be with burningH8316 and fuelH3980 of fireH784. 6For unto us a childH3206 is bornH3205, unto us a sonH1121 is givenH5414 : and the governmentH4951 shall be upon his shoulderH7926: and his nameH8034 shall be calledH7121 WonderfulH6382, CounsellorH3289, The mightyH1368 GodH410, The everlastingH5703 FatherH1, The PrinceH8269 of PeaceH7965. 7Of the increaseH4766 of his governmentH4951 and peaceH7965 there shall be no endH7093, upon the throneH3678 of DavidH1732, and upon his kingdomH4467, to orderH3559 it, and to establishH5582 it with judgmentH4941 and with justiceH6666 from henceforth even forH5704 everH5769. The zealH7068 of the LORDH3068 of hostsH6635 will performH6213 this. 8The LordH136 sentH7971 a wordH1697 into JacobH3290, and it hath lightedH5307 upon IsraelH3478. 9And all the peopleH5971 shall knowH3045, even EphraimH669 and the inhabitantH3427 of SamariaH8111, that sayH559 in the prideH1346 and stoutnessH1433 of heartH3824, 10The bricksH3843 are fallen downH5307, but we will buildH1129 with hewn stonesH1496: the sycomoresH8256 are cut downH1438, but we will changeH2498 them into cedarsH730. 11Therefore the LORDH3068 shall set upH7682 the adversariesH6862 of RezinH7526 against him, and joinH5526 his enemiesH341 togetherH5526 ; 12The SyriansH758 beforeH6924, and the PhilistinesH6430 behindH268; and they shall devourH398 IsraelH3478 with open mouthH6310. For all this his angerH639 is not turned awayH7725, but his handH3027 is stretched out stillH5186 . 13For the peopleH5971 turnethH7725 not unto him that smitethH5221 them, neither do they seekH1875 the LORDH3068 of hostsH6635. 14Therefore the LORDH3068 will cut offH3772 from IsraelH3478 headH7218 and tailH2180, branchH3712 and rushH100, in oneH259 dayH3117. 15The ancientH2205 and honourableH6440 H5375, heH1931 is the headH7218; and the prophetH5030 that teachethH3384 liesH8267, he is the tailH2180. 16For the leadersH833 of this peopleH5971 cause them to errH8582 ; and they that are ledH833 of them are destroyedH1104 . 17Therefore the LordH136 shall have no joyH8055 in their young menH970, neither shall have mercyH7355 on their fatherlessH3490 and widowsH490: for every one is an hypocriteH2611 and an evildoerH7489, and every mouthH6310 speakethH1696 follyH5039. For all this his angerH639 is not turned awayH7725, but his handH3027 is stretched out stillH5186 . 18For wickednessH7564 burnethH1197 as the fireH784: it shall devourH398 the briersH8068 and thornsH7898, and shall kindleH3341 in the thicketsH5442 of the forestH3293, and they shall mount upH55 like the lifting upH1348 of smokeH6227. 19Through the wrathH5678 of the LORDH3068 of hostsH6635 is the landH776 darkenedH6272, and the peopleH5971 shall be as the fuelH3980 of the fireH784: no manH376 shall spareH2550 his brotherH251. 20And he shall snatchH1504 on the right handH3225, and be hungryH7457; and he shall eatH398 on the left handH8040, and they shall not be satisfiedH7646 : they shall eatH398 every manH376 the fleshH1320 of his own armH2220: 21ManassehH4519, EphraimH669; and EphraimH669, ManassehH4519: and they togetherH3162 shall be against JudahH3063. For all this his angerH639 is not turned awayH7725, but his handH3027 is stretched out stillH5186 .
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 CONTINUATION OF THE PROPHECY IN THE EIGHTH CHAPTER. (
Isa 9:1-
Isa 9:7)
Nevertheless, &c.--rather, "For darkness shall not (continually) be on it (that is, the land) on which there is (now) distress" [HENGSTENBERG and MAURER]. The "for" refers, not to the words immediately preceding, but to the consolations in
Isa 8:9-
Isa 8:10,
Isa 8:17-
Isa 8:18. Do not despair, for, &c.
when at the first, &c.--rather, "as the former time has brought contempt on the land of Zebulun and Naphtali (namely, the deportation of their inhabitants under Tiglath-pileser,
2Kgs 15:29, a little before the giving of this prophecy); so shall the after-coming time bring honor to the way of the sea (the district around the lake of Galilee), the land beyond (but HENGSTENBERG, "by the side of") Jordan (Perea, east of Jordan, belonging to Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh), the circle (but HENGSTENBERG, "Galilee") (that is, region) of the "Gentiles" [MAURER, HENGSTENBERG, &c.]. Galil in Hebrew is a "circle," "circuit," and from it came the name Galilee. North of Naphtali, inhabited by a mixed race of Jews and Gentiles of the bordering Phśnician race (
Judg 1:30;
1Kgs 9:11). Besides the recent deportation by Tiglath-pileser, it had been sorely smitten by Ben-hadad of Syria, two hundred years before (
1Kgs 15:20). It was after the Assyrian deportation colonized with heathens, by Esar-haddon (
2Kgs 17:24). Hence arose the contempt for it on the part of the southern Jews of purer blood (
John 1:46;
John 7:52). The same region which was so darkened once, shall be among the first to receive Messiah's light (
Matt 4:13,
Matt 4:15-
Matt 4:16). It was in despised Galilee that He first and most publicly exercised His ministry; from it were most of His apostles. Foretold in
Deut 33:18-
Deut 33:19;
Acts 2:7;
Ps 68:27-
Ps 68:28, Jerusalem, the theocratic capital, might readily have known Messiah; to compensate less favored Galilee, He ministered mostly there; Galilee's very debasement made it feel its need of a Saviour, a feeling not known to the self-righteous Jews (
Matt 9:13). It was appropriate, too, that He who was both "the Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the Glory of His people Israel," should minister chiefly on the border land of Israel, near the Gentiles.
2 the people--the whole nation, Judah and Israel.
shadow of death--the darkest misery of captivity.
3 multiplied . . . nation--primarily, the rapid increase of Israelites after the return from Babylon; more fully and exhaustively the rapid spread of Christianity at first.
not increased the joy--By a slight change in the Hebrew, its (joy) is substituted by some for not, because "not increased the joy" seems opposite to what immediately follows, "the joy," &c. HENGSTENBERG, retains not thus: "Whose joy thou hadst not increased," (that is, hadst diminished). Others, "Hast thou not increased the joy?" The very difficulty of the reading, not, makes it less likely to be an interpolation. HORSLEY best explains it: The prophet sees in vision a shifting scene, comprehending at one glance the history of the Christian Church to remotest times--a land dark and thinly peopled--lit up by a sudden light--filled with new inhabitants--then struggling with difficulties, and again delivered by the utter and final overthrow of their enemies. The influx of Gentile converts (represented here by "Galilee of the Gentiles") soon was to be followed by the growth of corruption, and the final rise of Antichrist, who is to be destroyed, while God's people is delivered, as in the case of Gideon's victory over Midian, not by man's prowess, but by the special interposition of God.
before thee--a phrase taken from sacrificial feasts; the tithe of harvest was eaten before God (
Deut 12:7;
Deut 14:26).
as men rejoice . . . divide . . . spoil--referring to the judgments on the enemies of the Lord and His people, which usually accompany revelations of His grace.
4 The occasion of the "joy," the deliverance not only of Ahaz and Judah from the Assyrian tribute (
2Kgs 16:8), and of Israel's ten tribes from the oppressor (
2Kgs 15:19), but of the Jewish Christian Church from its last great enemy.
hast--the past time for the future, in prophetic vision; it expresses the certainty of the event.
yoke of his burden--the yoke with which he was burdened.
staff of . . . shoulder--the staff which strikes his shoulder [MAURER]; or the wood, like a yoke, on the neck of slaves, the badge of servitude [ROSENMULLER].
day of Midian-- (
Judg 7:8-
Judg 7:22). As Gideon with a handful of men conquered the hosts of Midian, so Messiah the "child" (
Isa 9:6) shall prove to be the "Prince of peace," and the small Israel under Him shall overcome the mighty hosts of Antichrist (compare
Mic 5:2-
Mic 5:5), containing the same contrast, and alluding also to "the Assyrian," the then enemy of the Church, as here in Isaiah, the type of the last great enemy. For further analogies between Gideon's victory and the Gospel, compare
2Cor 4:7, with
Judg 7:22. As the "dividing of the spoil" (
Isa 9:3) was followed by that which was "not joy," the making of the idolatrous ephod (
Judg 8:24-
Judg 8:27), so the gospel victory was soon followed by apostasy at the first, and shall be so again after the millennial overthrow of Antichrist (
Rev 20:3,
Rev 20:7-
Rev 20:9), previous to Satan's last doom (
Rev 20:10).
5 every battle, &c.--rather, "every greave of (the warrior who is) armed with greaves in the din of battle, and the martial garment (or cloak, called by the Latins sagum) rolled in blood, shall be for burning, (and) fuel for fire" [MAURER]. All warlike accoutrements shall be destroyed, as no longer required in the new era of peace (
Isa 2:4;
Isa 11:6-
Isa 11:7;
Ps 46:9;
Ezek 39:9;
Mic 5:5,
Mic 5:10;
Zech 9:9-
Zech 9:10). Compare
Mal 4:1, as to the previous burning up of the wicked.
6 For--the ground of these great expectations,
unto us--for the benefit of the Jews first, and then the Gentiles (compare "unto you,"
Luke 2:11).
son . . . given-- (
Ps 2:7). God's gratuitous gift, on which man had no claim (
John 3:16;
Rom 6:23).
government . . . upon . . . shoulder--The ensign of office used to be worn on the shoulder, in token of sustaining the government (
Isa 22:22). Here the government on Messiah's shoulder is in marked antithesis to the "yoke and staff" of the oppressor on Israel's "shoulder" (
Isa 9:4). He shall receive the kingdom of the earth from the Father, to vindicate it from the misrule of those to whom it was entrusted to hold it for and under the Most High, but who sought to hold it in defiance of His right; the Father asserts His right by the Son, the "Heir of all things," who will hold it for Him (
Dan 7:13-
Dan 7:14).
name . . . called--His essential characteristics shall be.
Wonderful--(See on
Isa 8:18;
Judg 13:18, Margin;
1Tim 3:16).
Counsellor-- (
Ps 16:7;
Rom 11:33-
Rom 11:34;
1Cor 1:24;
Col 2:3).
mighty God-- (
Isa 10:21;
Ps 24:8;
Titus 2:13) HORSLEY translates: "God the mighty man." "Unto us . . . God" is equivalent to "Immanuel" (
Isa 7:14).
everlasting Father--This marks Him as "Wonderful," that He is "a child," yet the "everlasting Father" (
John 10:30;
John 14:9). Earthly kings leave their people after a short reign; He will reign over and bless them for ever [HENGSTENBERG].
Prince of Peace--(See on
Isa 9:5;
Gen 49:10; Shiloh, "The Tranquillizer"). Finally (
Hos 2:18). Even already He is "our peace" (
Luke 2:14;
Eph 2:14).
7 Of . . . increase . . . no end--His princely rule shall perpetually increase and be unlimited (
Dan 2:44).
throne of David-- (
1Kgs 8:25;
Ps 2:6;
Ps 132:11;
Jer 3:17-
Jer 3:18 Ezek 34:23-
Ezek 34:26;
Ezek 37:16,
Ezek 37:22;
Luke 1:32-
Luke 1:33;
Acts 2:30).
judgment . . . justice--It is not a kingdom of mere might, and triumph of force over enemies, but of righteousness (
Isa 42:21;
Ps 45:6-
Ps 45:7), attainable only in and by Messiah.
zeal, &c.--including not only Christ's hidden spiritual victory over Satan at the first coming, but the open one accompanied with "judgments" on Antichrist and every enemy at the second coming (
Isa 59:17;
Ps 9:6-
Ps 9:8).
Delivered a little later than the previous one. The ninth and tenth chapters ought to have been so divided. The present division into chapters was made by Cardinal Hugo, in A.D. 1250; and into verses, by Robert Stephens, the famous printer of Paris, in 1551. After the Assyrian invasion of Syria, that of Ephraim shall follow (
2Kgs 16:9);
Isa 9:8-
Isa 9:11,
Isa 9:17-
Isa 9:20, foretell the intestine discords in Israel after Hoshea had slain Pekah (A.D. 739), that is, just after the Assyrian invasions, when for seven years it was stripped of magistrates and torn into factions. There are four strophes, each setting forth Ephraim's crime and consequent punishment, and ending with the formula, "For all this His anger is not turned away," &c. (
Isa 9:12,
Isa 9:17,
Isa 9:21, and
Isa 10:4).
8 PROPHECY AS TO THE TEN TRIBES. (Isa. 9:8-10:4)
Heading of the prophecy; (
Isa 9:8-
Isa 9:12), the first strophe.
unto Jacob--against the ten tribes [LOWTH].
lighted upon--fallen from heaven by divine revelation (
Dan 4:31).
9 know--to their cost: experimentally (
Hos 9:7).
Samaria--the capital of Ephraim (compare as to phrase,
Isa 1:1).
10 bricks--in the East generally sun-dried, and therefore soon dissolved by rain. Granting, say the Ephraimites to the prophet's threat, that our affairs are in a ruinous state, we will restore them to more than their former magnificence. Self-confident unwillingness to see the judgments of God (
Isa 26:11).
hewn stones-- (
1Kgs 5:17).
sycamores--growing abundantly on the low lands of Judea, and though useful for building on account of their antiseptic property (which induced the Egyptians to use them for the cases of their mummies), not very valuable. The cedar, on the other hand, was odorous, free from knots, durable, and precious (
1Kgs 10:27). "We will replace cottages with palaces."
11 adversaries of Rezin--the Assyrians, who shall first attack Damascus, shall next advance "against him" (Ephraim). This is the punishment of Ephraim's pride in making light (
Isa 9:10) of the judgment already inflicted by God through Tiglath-pileser (
2Kgs 15:29). A second Assyrian invasion (see on
Isa 7:1) shall follow. The reading "princes" for "adversaries" in uncalled for.
join--rather, "arm"; cover with armor [MAURER].
his--Rezin's.
12 Syrians--Though now allies of Ephraim, after Rezin's death they shall join the Assyrians against Ephraim. "Together," in
Isa 9:11, refers to this. Conquering nations often enlist in their armies the subject races (
Isa 22:6; compare
2Kgs 16:9;
Jer 35:11), [ABEN EZRA, GESENIUS]. HORSLEY less probably takes "Syrians before," as the Syrians to the east, that is, not Rezin's subjects, but the Assyrians: "Aram" being the common name of Syrians and Assyrians.
Philistines--of Palestine.
behind--from the west: in marking the points of the compass, Orientalists face the east, which is before them: the west is behind. The right hand is the south: the left, the north.
devour--as a ravenous beast (
Isa 1:20;
Jer 10:25;
Jer 30:16;
Num 14:9).
For all this, &c.--The burden of each strophe.
13 Second strophe.
turneth not--the design of God's chastisements; not fulfilled in their case; a new cause for punishment (
Jer 2:20;
Jer 5:3).
14 head and tail--proverbial for the highest and lowest (
Deut 28:13,
Deut 28:44).
branch and rush--another image for the same thought (
Isa 19:15). The branch is elevated on the top of the tree: the rush is coarse and low.
15 ancient--the older.
honourable--the man of rank.
prophet . . . lies, . . . tail--There were many such in Samaria (
1Kgs 22:6,
1Kgs 22:22-23; compare as to "tail,"
Rev 9:19).
16 leaders, &c.--(See
Isa 3:12, Margin, and see on
Isa 3:12.)
17 no joy--the parallelism, "neither . . . mercy," shows that this means, He shall have no such delight in their youthful warriors, however much they be the nation's delight and reliance, as to save them from the enemy's sword (
Isa 31:8; compare
Jer 18:21).
fatherless, &c.--not even the usual objects of His pity (
Ps 10:14,
Ps 10:18;
Ps 68:5;
Jer 49:11;
Hos 14:3) shall be spared.
hypocrite--rather, a libertine, polluted [HORSLEY].
folly--wickedness (
Ps 14:1).
still--Notwithstanding all these judgments, more remain.
18 Third strophe.
burneth--maketh consumption, not only spreading rapidly, but also consuming like fire: sin is its own punishment.
briers . . . thorns--emblem of the wicked; especially those of low rank (
Isa 27:4;
2Sam 23:6).
forest--from the humble shrubbery the flame spreads to the vast forest; it reaches the high, as well as the low.
mount up like . . . smoke--rather. "They (the thickets of the forest) shall lift themselves proudly aloft [the Hebrew is from a Syriac root, a cock, expressing stateliness of motion, from his strutting gait, HORSLEY], in (in passing into) volumes of ascending smoke" [MAURER].
19 darkened--namely, with smoke (
Isa 9:18). The Septuagint and Chaldee render it, "is burnt up," so MAURER, from an Arabic root meaning "suffocating heat."
no man . . . spare . . . brother--intestine discord snapping asunder the dearest ties of nature.
20 hungry--not literally. Image from unappeasable hunger, to picture internal factions, reckless of the most tender ties (
Isa 9:19), and insatiably spreading misery and death on every side (
Jer 19:9).
eat--not literally, but destroy (
Ps 27:2;
Job 19:22).
flesh of . . . arm--those nearest akin: their former support (helper) (
Isa 32:2) [MAURER].
21 Manasseh, Ephraim--the two sons of Joseph. So closely united as to form between them but one tribe; but now about to be rent into factions, thirsting for each other's blood. Disunited in all things else, but united "together against their brother Judah" (
2Kgs 15:10,
2Kgs 15:30).