11 11:1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 11:2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 11:3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4 11:4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 11:5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
6 11:6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
and a little child shall lead them.
7 11:7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 11:8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
9 11:9 They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
10 11:10In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
11 11:11In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush,1 from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.
12 11:12 He will raise a signal for the nations
and will assemble the banished of Israel,
and gather the dispersed of Judah
from the four corners of the earth.
13 11:13 The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart,
and those who harass Judah shall be cut off;
Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah,
and Judah shall not harass Ephraim.
14 11:14 But they shall swoop down on the shoulder of the Philistines in the west,
and together they shall plunder the people of the east.
They shall put out their hand against Edom and Moab,
and the Ammonites shall obey them.
15 11:15 And the Lord will utterly destroy2
the tongue of the Sea of Egypt,
and will wave his hand over the River3
with his scorching breath,4
and strike it into seven channels,
and he will lead people across in sandals.
16 11:16 And there will be a highway from Assyria
for the remnant that remains of his people,
as there was for Israel
when they came up from the land of Egypt.
12 12:1 You5 will say in that day:
“ I will give thanks to you, O Lord,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.
2 12:2 “ Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God6 is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.”
3 12:3With joy you7 will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 12:4And you will say in that day:
“ Give thanks to the Lord,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 12:5 “ Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known8 in all the earth.
6 12:6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your9 midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
Things look bad for Judah and the house of David, with the Assyrians shaking their mailed fist. Yet what the prophet speaks of here is not just the rescue of the city from an imminent invader but a day in which not only God’s people but the whole earth will be filled with his glory. In this way the problems and perplexities described in chapters 1–10 will finally be solved: the ultimate solution will be no temporary fix but the establishment of the eternal kingdom of Immanuel.
The king who is to come will fulfill all God’s promises to the house of David; he will not simply give glimpses of better things, as undoubtedly happens in the reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah. The unimpressive beginning like the mustard seed (Matt. 13:31–32) will culminate in a universal kingdom of justice and peace. Here Isaiah spells out the nature of Immanuel’s reign.
The two poems constituting this section are very closely connected. Isaiah 11 speaks of the King, his character, and the nature of his rule in a way that, while drawing on the circumstances of the time, offers a vision of the world to come. Isaiah 12 responds to this vision in a song of praise both recalling the exodus and looking to the future. The prose insertion (11:10–11) relates to how God will recall the remnant wherever they may be in the world.
Response
When we read passages like this, we must remember that this is not a nostalgic longing for a mythical golden age or a vague hope for the future. This is a prophecy of what the Lord will do. It is given not to encourage idle dreaming but to offer incentive to press on and live the life of faith in anticipation of the glories to come. The rich and splendid poetry draws on all the resources of language to help us participate imaginatively and see even now glimpses of what is to come.
Thus, while the ultimate fulfillment is future to us, as it was to the prophet, this does not mean there are no glimpses of the kingdom even now. Wherever someone is converted, wherever churches grow, wherever faith is shown in times of great pressure, the kingdom is already visible just as it was in old Judah, when Hezekiah saw the Lord destroy his enemies (chs. 36–37). This was not yet the coming of the kingdom in its fullness, but it was a powerful sign of what God would yet do.
A passage like this also shows the consistency and unchanging nature of God’s purposes. Isaiah does so by drawing on the great twin truths of creation and salvation. God, who created heaven and earth, will not only restore creation but make it more glorious while removing its curse. The God who led his people out of Egypt will lead all his people to a greater exodus and more complete freedom. This is a gospel worth proclaiming and a song worth singing.Isaiah 11:1–12:6
Overview ofIsaiah 13–27
Isaiah 13–27
Isaiah is continually moving between his particular situation in Jerusalem in the eighth century BC and the wider world, both historically and geographically. This new section follows on from the declaration of the worldwide rule of the Davidic king throughout history and the day of Yahweh, which will establish the eternal kingdom. Since the passage considered here introduces the next major section of the book, the overview will look at this major section as a whole as well as introduce 13:1–14:27. This section is sometimes called the “oracles against the nations”; similar passages occur in other prophets (e.g., Jeremiah 46–51; Ezekiel 25–32; Amos 1–2; more briefly, Zephaniah 2). The theme here is God’s relationship with the nations, and there are two main parts.
(1) Chapters 13–23: specific and historically identifiable nations. Here we can discern two subdivisions of five oracles, with more specific prophecies first, followed by more cryptic titles.
(a) The first five oracles concern nations near and far: Babylon and Assyria (13:1–14:27), Philistia (14:28–32), Moab (15:1–16:14), Damascus/Cush (17:1–18:7), and Egypt (19:1–20:6).
(b) The second cycle again begins with Babylon (the Desert by the Sea; 21:1–10) before moving to Edom (21:11–12), Arabia (21:13–17), Jerusalem (the Valley of Vision; 22:1–25), and Tyre and Sidon (23:1–18).
(2) Chapters 24–27: more eschatological and apocalyptic visions involving the whole world.
In the whole biblical canon, a worldwide perspective is a key recurring theme. God’s concern for the nations, including their geographical spread, is spelled out in Genesis 10, often called the table of nations. The call of Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3) includes the promise that in him all the families of earth will be blessed. The history of God’s people is continually linked with the great powers of the Tigris/Euphrates and the Nile Valleys, as well as with smaller surrounding states. Wisdom literature has an international flavor (e.g., 1 Kings 4:29–34). All the prophets are aware of international issues. This continues in the NT, in the spreading of the worldwide gospel (Matt. 28:19; Acts 1:8). The ultimate result of God’s concern for the nations is the “great multitude that no one could number, from every nation” (Rev. 7:9). This means not that all the nations will be saved but that the gospel is for all the world.
Although these oracles are addressed to nations of the time, we are not to suppose that the prophet tours foreign capitals preaching them. Rather, like the whole Bible, they are addressed primarily to the covenant community in order to warn it of the dangers of pride and unbelief that mark the nations of the world. This also culminates in Revelation 18:4–5, in which God’s people are warned not to be like Babylon in order to avoid sharing Babylon’s judgment.
God’s purpose is for all of the nations to come to Zion (Isa. 2:2–5) and the whole earth to be filled with his glory (6:3). This remains true in our day, and we must have the conviction that the eternal God is working out his purposes among the present nations and that his covenant people have the same calling to take that message to the ends of the earth. It is against this background that the denunciatory passages must be seen; God wishes everyone “to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4), but that will not occur if they continue to reject him.Isaiah 13–27
Isaiah 13:1–14:27
Probably Nubia
Hebrew devote to destruction
That is, the Euphrates
Or wind
The Hebrew for you is singular in verse 1
Hebrew for Yah, the Lord
The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 3, 4
Or this is made known
The Hebrew for your in verse 6 is singular, referring to the inhabitant of Zion
11:1 The Hebrew text begins with “and” (Hb. waw), establishing a close connection between this verse and 10:33–34. The towering Assyrian trees will be cut down, but the tiny stump of the house of Jesse will grow and flourish to fill the whole earth. The descendant of David arises from the remnant but also comes to it. Both his human ancestry and his divine origin are emphasized.
At this moment the house of David, represented by Ahaz, looks to be in terminal decline, a stump indeed. The tension is real—David’s house will face both disaster and glory. Yet that stump has life in it; in the winter of exile, it will not be destroyed but will defy all appearances. A royal house will come from a humble carpenter and his wife.
11:2 That life will be the Spirit of the Lord, powerfully active at the dawning of creation (Gen. 1:2) and later coming upon people for specific tasks, such as the craftsmanship of Bezalel in building the tabernacle (Ex. 31:3). Nothing merely human will bring about this kingdom. The Spirit will give to this king all that has been lacking in the godless reign of Ahaz and his officials. “Wisdom and understanding” are kingly qualities (Deut. 1:13; 1 Kings 3:9) and will be manifested abundantly in the “Wonderful Counselor” (Isa. 9:6), whose power will be exercised wisely. “Knowledge” is far more than knowing about someone; it refers to a committed relationship (Gen. 4:1). The “fear of the Lord” is what characterized David’s kingship (2 Sam. 23:2–3). Only the one in whom the Spirit dwells in all his fullness can be the true King.
11:3–5 The prophet now turns to how the King will rule and will delight in the fear of the Lord. “Delight” is used elsewhere of God’s smelling a sweet odor from sacrifices (Gen. 8:21) and suggests a total commitment and enthusiastic endorsement. He will have integrity that looks beyond outward appearances to the heart of the matter. The vulnerable and the poor will be protected from and given justice against their oppressors. Indeed, the oppressors will be struck “with the rod of his mouth,” for it is the King’s word that holds power (Rev. 19:15). The Spirit will carry out his will.
The metaphor of clothing is a recurring theme in the Bible, from Genesis 3:21, where Adam and Eve are first given clothes to cover their nakedness, to Revelation 19:7–8, where the bride of the Lamb is given white robes to wear. The clothes here express inner qualities and purpose. The belt symbolizes readiness and action. “Righteousness” suggests that when the King judges, he will do so with complete fairness; “faithfulness” suggests he will be true to himself and others. Paul echoes this image in his picture of the armor of God (Eph. 6:14–17).
11:6–9 Predators and prey will now live happily together; indeed, the very concepts of killer and prey are absent. The original command to humans to rule over the earth (Gen. 1:28), never revoked, and indeed reaffirmed after the flood (Gen. 9:1), is now to be realized but without cruelty and exploitation. Such is the safety and harmony of the new creation that a small child is perfectly safe and that harmony between humans and the rest of the created order is secure.
Are these literal pictures of what is to happen? Plainly, descriptions of the world to come must be given in terms of this world and thus cannot tell the full story. Nevertheless, since these are God’s pictures, they are not merely a flowery way of saying that everything will get better. Isaiah will give us other glimpses of the new creation, culminating in 65:17–25, but some points can be made here. The new creation will be not a disembodied existence in a shadowland but physical, solid and glorious. Just as the resurrection body of Jesus is no ghost, so in the world to come resurrection bodies will live in a beautiful and tangible world. This world in many respects will be like the present one but without evil, sin, or the curse; it will realize to its full potential what God made it to be.
There is a hint of this in Mark’s brief account of the temptation in the wilderness (Mark 1:13–14), as Jesus is “with the wild animals.” Some have taken this to mean that these animals are an additional hazard, but perhaps a totally different point is being made. There are many parallels between this story (fuller accounts are given in Matt. 4:1–11 and Luke 4:1–13) and the fall (Genesis 3). Because of these parallels, it seems that these beasts, faced with perfect holiness, are deprived of their ferocity in Jesus’ presence as the new creation is anticipated in the last Adam’s defeat of the Tempter. A similar motif emerges later as the winds and the sea obey him (Mark 4:35–41).
Isaiah 11:9 summarizes and explains verses 6–8. This kingdom will be brought about not by human effort but by the activity of Yahweh. Also—and this is characteristic of Isaiah—the local and the universal are combined. The “holy mountain” (cf. 2:2) emphasizes locality; the earth, universality. So it will be in the new creation: each creature will have a prepared place as well as the whole earth to explore and enjoy. The boundless ocean suggests the expanse of the earth as filled with his glory (6:3); what is presently grasped by faith will then become a visible and tangible reality.
11:10 “In that day” is parallel to verse 1. This time we see a “root” rather than a “shoot” because the emphasis is on the gathering of the nations that will be drawn to the true Davidic King. This King both comes from David and is the one from whom David comes. The work will be completed when the King returns, but it is anticipated in John 12:32 (“I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself”) and further on the day of Pentecost when people from all over the world hear about the wonderful acts of God (Acts 2:8–11). Paul specifically quotes this Isaiah passage (Rom. 15:12) and sees it being fulfilled as Gentiles come to believe in the true Davidic King.
11:11–12 Again the vision is eschatological: “in that day” and “a second time” sees the gathering of the remnant as a new exodus, but this time with a worldwide scope. This return begins with the great powers of Assyria and Egypt, who cannot prevent this new exodus, and then moves south of Egypt to Pathros in the Nile Valley and Cush, or Ethiopia. Then it moves east of Assyria to Elam and Shinar (the old name for Babylon). Hamath is in the far north, while “coastlands” (or “islands”) look west, to the Mediterranean. These are the limits of geographical horizons in Isaiah’s time, but whatever the true horizon, the Lord will gather his people, Jew and Gentile, into the kingdom from every horizon.
The people of God will be reunited; this new exodus will involve both Israel and Judah. The worldwide nature of this restoration is underlined by the phrase “four corners of the earth.” This is to be fulfilled ultimately when the Son of Man returns in “power and great glory” and gathers his elect “from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matt. 24:30–31).
11:13 This gathering will be marked by the healing of divisions between Ephraim and Judah. This is first particularly relevant to the Syro-Ephraimite war (Isaiah 7) but finally to the people of God, with all divisions gone and true harmony reigning. The verse is balanced: both Ephraim and Judah share the blame of these divisions, which spring from both emotion (“jealousy”) and hostile activity (“harass”). But there will be genuine unity, not simply unification.
11:14 This verse seems incongruous with a peaceable kingdom, but we must remember that the defeat of implacable enemies is a necessary condition for the establishment of peace. God the warrior will not allow his peaceable kingdom to be destroyed. It was David who unified the kingdom and made it secure by his conquests, dealing with the Philistine menace (2 Samuel 5; 8), Edom (2 Sam. 8:12), Moab (2 Sam. 8:2–14), and Ammon (2 Samuel 10–12). The King will conquer many of his enemies by making them his friends, but those who continue to rebel will face judgment.
11:15–16 Now Isaiah returns to the theme of the exodus and the crossing of the sea, linking this with the “River” in its usual OT meaning of the Euphrates. God’s people will be rescued from ancient enemies and their modern counterparts. Wearing sandals suggests that the way is free from water and that the journey will be pleasant.
The reference to “his people,” and separately to Israel, suggests that the people who return will be the one united people of God, with Jew and Gentile participating together in this last great exodus.
12:1–2 Again “in that day” occurs, linking the song with the previous prophecies. Divine anger has been turned away; as a result, divine reassurance has come and thus the forgiven sinner can now join in the praise of the seraphim (Isa. 6:3). The exodus theme continues as 12:2 echoes the song of Moses (Ex. 15:2). The theme of faith is also prominent, in contrast again to the politicking of Ahaz (Isa. 7:9), who fears Assyria more than Yahweh and has chosen the way of unbelief and death.
12:3–4 The “you” in verses 1–2 has been singular, as each individual must make a personal choice of the way of faith, but now there is a change to plurals as the redeemed community rejoices together. Perhaps the water imagery here continues the exodus theme, where Yahweh, who brought his people out of Egypt, sustained them in the desert (Exodus 15; 17). The community encourages one another to give thanks and praise and to declare to all the message of that special relationship through which their God has revealed himself by the covenant name “Yahweh.”
12:5–6 This song overflows to the world. This is not an artificial working up of emotion but a response to who Yahweh is and what he has done. This is the spirit of the early Christians, who said, “We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). Zion here represents the united people of God, rejoicing in their salvation and the security that comes from Yahweh’s dwelling among them. In another echo of the great vision of Isaiah 6, this God is the “Holy One of Israel.” Sinful Israel, cleansed and renewed, is now a fit place for the holy God to live.
These chapters form a fitting conclusion to this first main part of the book. Judah and Jerusalem are sinful. Zion is arrogant and fallen. Foreign invasion threatens. Her leaders are corrupt and oppressive and lack vision, while the Davidic king, Ahaz, is a disgrace to the dynasty. Yet there is a way back to God and the forgiveness of sin (1:18) and cleansing that comes from the great vision of Yahweh (ch. 6). Repentance will be painful and exile real and terrible, but beyond that is the covenant love of God, who will preserve a remnant. One day from that remnant will come Immanuel, who will reign forever and whose kingdom will fill the earth.