‏ Isaiah 11:1-9

CHAPTER 11

Is 11:1-16.

From the local and temporary national deliverance the prophet passes by the law of suggestion in an easy transition to the end of all prophecy--the everlasting deliverance under Messiah's reign, not merely His first coming, but chiefly His second coming. The language and illustrations are still drawn from the temporary national subject, with which he began, but the glories described pertain to Messiah's reign. Hezekiah cannot, as some think, be the subject; for he was already come, whereas the "stem of Jesse" was yet future ("shall come") (compare Mi 4:11, &c.; 5:1, 2; Jr 23:5, 6; 33:15, 16; Ro 15:12).

1. rod--When the proud "boughs" of "Lebanon" (Is 10:33, 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 (Is 10:5, 6, 18, 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 (Is 10:18, 19), when Messiah should arise from it, to raise it to more than its pristine glory. Lu 2:7 proves this (Is 53:2; compare Job 14:7, 8; see on Is 8:6).

Branch--Scion. He is nevertheless also the "root" (Is 11:10; Re 5:5; 22:16. "Root and offspring" combines both, Zec 3:8; 6:12).

2. Spirit of the Lord--Jehovah. The Spirit by which the prophets spake: for Messiah was to be a Prophet (Is 61:1; De 18:15, 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" (Re 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 (Joh 1:16; 3:34; Col 1:19).

rest--permanently; not merely come upon Him (Nu 11:25, 26).

wisdom--(1Co 1:30; Ep 1:17; Col 2:3).

understanding--coupled with "wisdom," being its fruit. Discernment and discrimination (Mt 22:18; Joh 2:25).

counsel ... might--the faculty of forming counsels, and that of executing them (Is 28:29). Counsellor (Is 9:6).

knowledge--of the deep things of God (Mt 11:27). The knowledge of Him gives us true knowledge (Ep 1:17).

fear of the Lord--reverential, obedient fear. The first step towards true "knowledge" (Job 28:28; Psa 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 (Mt 12:20; Ac 10:1-48; 16:14) [Horsley]. But Maurer, "He shall delight in the fear of God." The Hebrew means "to delight in the odors" of anything (Ex 30:38; Am 5:21); "smell," that is, "delight in."

after ... sight--according to mere external appearances (Joh 7:24; 8:15; Jas 2:1; 1Sa 16:7). Herein Messiah is represented a just Judge and Ruler (De 1:16, 17).

reprove--"decide," as the parallelism shows.

after ... ears--by mere plausible hearsays, but by the true merits of each case (Joh 6:64; Re 2:23).

4. judge--see that impartial justice is done them. "Judge" may mean here "rule," as in Psa 67:4.

reprove--or, "argue"; "decide." But Lowth, "work conviction in."

earth--Compare with Mt 5:5, and Re 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 (Mt 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 (Psa 2:9-12; Lu 18:8; Re 2:27).

rod of ... mouth--condemning sentences which proceed from His mouth against the wicked (Re 1:16; 2:16; 19:15, 21).

breath of ... lips--his judicial decisions (Is 30:28; Job 15:30; Re 19:20; 20:9-12). He as the Word of God (Re 19:13-15) 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" (Nu 17:2-10).

5. righteousness ... girdle--(Re 1:13; 19:11). The antitypical High Priest (Ex 28:4). The girdle secures firmly the rest of the garments (1Pe 1:13). So "truth" gives firm consistency to the whole character (Ep 5:14). In Is 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" (Is 65:25; Eze 34:25; Ho 2:18). These may be figures for men of corresponding animal-like characters (Eze 22:27; 38:13; Jr 5:6; 13:23; Mt 7:15; Lu 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 Ge 2:19, 20, with Psa 8:6-8, 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 (Ro 8:19-22).

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 (Jr 3:17).

sea--As the waters find their way into every cavern of its depths, so Christianity shall pervade every recess of the earth (Ha 2:14). As Is 11:1-5 describe the personal qualities of Messiah, and Is 11:6-9 the regenerating effects of His coming on creation, so Is 11:10-16 the results of it in the restoration of His people, the Jews, and the conversion through them of the Gentiles.