Isaiah11
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit.
2And the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah.
3And his delight shall be in the fear of Jehovah; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears;
4but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
5And righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist, and faithfulness the girdle of his loins.
6And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
7And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
9They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.
10And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, that standeth for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall the nations seek; and his resting-place shall be glorious.
11And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, that shall remain, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
12And he will set up an ensign for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
13The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and they that vex Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
14And they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines on the west; together shall they despoil the children of the east: they shall put forth their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
15And Jehovah will utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his scorching wind will he wave his hand over the River, and will smite it into seven streams, and cause men to march over dryshod.
16And there shall be a highway for the remnant of his people, that shall remain, from Assyria; like as there was for Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Isaiah 11.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The peaceful character of Christ's kingdom and subjects. (1-9). The conversion of the Gentiles and Jews. (10-16).
vv1-9
The Messiah is called a Rod, and a Branch. The words signify a small, tender product; a shoot, such as is easily broken off. He comes forth out of the stem of Jesse; when the royal family was cut down and almost levelled with the ground, it would sprout again. The house of David was brought very low at the time of Christ's birth. The Messiah thus gave early notice that his kingdom was not of this world. But the Holy Spirit, in all his gifts and graces, shall rest and abide upon him; he shall have the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him, Col. 1:19; 2:9. Many consider that seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are here mentioned. And the doctrine of the influences of the Holy Spirit is here clearly taught. The Messiah would be just and righteous in all his government. His threatening shall be executed by the working of his Spirit according to his word. There shall be great peace and quiet under his government. The gospel changes the nature, and makes those who trampled on the meek of the earth, meek like them, and kind to them. But it shall be more fully shown in the latter days. Also Christ, the great Shepherd, shall take care of his flock, that the nature of troubles, and of death itself, shall be so changed, that they shall not do any real hurt. God's people shall be delivered, not only from evil, but from the fear of it. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? The better we know the God of love, the more shall we be changed into the same likeness, and the better disposed to all who have any likeness to him. This knowledge shall extend as the sea, so far shall it spread. And this blessed power there have been witnesses in every age of Christianity, though its most glorious time, here foretold, is not yet arrived. Meanwhile let us aim that our example and endeavours may help to promote the honour of Christ and his kingdom of peace.
vv10-16
When the gospel should be publicly preached, the Gentiles would seek Christ Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, and find rest of soul. When God's time is come for the deliverance of his people, mountains of opposition shall become plains before him. God can soon turn gloomy days into glorious ones. And while we expect the Lord to gather his ancient people, and bring them home to his church, also to bring in the fulness of the Gentiles, when all will be united in holy love, let us tread the highway of holiness he has made for his redeemed. Let us wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life, looking to him to prepare our way through death, that river which separates this world from the eternal world.
Key Words
יָצָא: to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.
חֹטֵר: a twig
מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
גֶּזַע: the trunk or stump of atree (as felled or as planted)
יִשַׁי: Jishai, David's father
נֵצֶר: a shoot; figuratively, a descendant
שֶׁרֶשׁ: a root (literally or figuratively)
פָּרָה: to bear fruit (literally or figuratively)
רוּחַ: wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)
נוּחַ: to rest, i.e. settle down; used in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, intransitive, transitive and causative (to dwell, stay, let fall, place, let alone, withdraw, give comfort, etc.)
Cross References
Isaiah 11Explicitly quotes Isaiah 11:10 (the Root of Jesse rising to reign over the Gentiles) in the NT.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Jesus directly identifies Himself as the 'Root and the Offspring of David' echoing the Isaianic branch.
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The Messiah grows up as a tender plant/root out of dry ground, reflecting David's depressed line.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallels the promise of raising up a righteous 'Branch' unto David to execute judgment and justice.
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Historical fulfillment of the Spirit resting upon the Messiah, whom God anointed with the Holy Ghost.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The Lord shall consume the wicked with the 'spirit of his mouth' and brightness of his coming.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword to smite nations, fulfilling the 'rod of his mouth'.
Supported by JFB
Echoes the Messianic attire of righteousness and truth as girdles for spiritual warfare.
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Repeats the precise prophetic imagery of the wolf and the lamb feeding together in peace.
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Echoes the verbal formula that the earth will be filled with the glory/knowledge of God.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Prophesies the end of division between Israel/Ephraim and Judah, making them one nation again.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The historical parting of the Red Sea serves as the archetype for drying up the streams.
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Jesus is designated as 'the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David'.
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Refers to the coming Messiah under the explicit title of 'my servant the BRANCH'.
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In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge spoken of in verse 2.
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Contrasts human judgment based on outward appearance with the Lord's perfect heart-searching wisdom.
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God promises to make a covenant with the beasts of the field to ensure safety.
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Drying up of the great river Euphrates to prepare the way for the kings of the East.
Supported by Matthew Henry