Isaiah 11
PATthis text of the Mcssias: TJtere shall come « king out from the sons of Jesse, and Christ shall arise from his sons’ sons. It is usual for the prophets to take occasion from some great temporal deliverance, to foretell the blessings of the gospel. for theih with the beasts of the field, (Hos. ii. 18. compared with Lev. xxvi. 6. John v. 23. Ezek. xxxiv. 25. see likewise the note upon xxxv. 9.)
Isaiah 11:2
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. The Mcssias, being the great Prophet foretold b Moses, (Deut. xviii. 15.) is described as more plentifully endued with the gifts of God’s Spirit, than any other prophet ever was. (See Psal. xlv. 7. Isa. xlii. 1. lxi. 1. John iii. 34. Acts x. 38.) The gift of sanctification is peculiarly attributed to the Holy Ghost. And since the union of the Logos, or Word, with the human nature of Christ, is ascribed by the sacred writers to the operation of the Holy Ghost, all the extraordinary graces consequent to that union, may upon that account be justly attributed to the same principle. The spirit of ivisdom and understanding.] The former may be understood of Divine things, the latter of natural. The spirit of counsel and of might.] Of counsel to form good designs, and of might, or courage, to execute them. The word geburall, which our translation renders might, signifies courage. (Compare xxviii. G.) This word is often translated Avvafus by the Septuagint, to the same sense; in which sense it is likewise used by St. Paul, 2 Tim. i. 7. where he saith, God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, or rather of courage. Mr. White is pleased to say, in his argument to this chapter, that this part of the character does not belong to the meek, humble, and peaceful Jesus. But surely Christ’s bearing witness to the truth of his mission, and laying down his life in the confirmation of what he had preached, were as great instances of constancy and courage, as his sufferings themselves were of meekness and patience. Accordingly he is called the faithful witness or martyr by St. John, (Rev. i. 5.) and St. Paul speaks of the good confession which he witnessed before Pontius Pilate, as a pattern to his followers,* of adhering constantly to the truth, even to death, (1 Tim. vi. 13.) Tlie spirit of knowledge, and of the fear’ of the Lord.] The knowledge of the lawor will of God, and a disposition to obey it: the fear of God may not improperly be ascribed to Christ, who in all things gave God the glory, and professed that he had received all things from him; (see Mutt. xi. 2G.) and was himself the most perfect pattern of an entire submission and resignation to the will of God; and therefore is said by St. Paul to have been in that he feared, or upon tho account of his piety, (Ileb. v. 7.) The Septuagint reckon up here seven gifts of the Spirit, answerable to tho seven Spirits of God, mentioned Zech. iii. i). Rev. i. 4.
Isaiah 11:3
ire shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. In things pertaining unto godliness: he shall lay hold of all opportunities of advancing God’s honour, and promoting true piety: this exactly answers that character our Saviour gives of himself; that he made it his meat and drink to do the will of him that sent him, and to finish his work, (John iv. 34.) And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears.] He will not judge according to outward appearance, but will judge righteous judgment, as our Saviour speaks, John vii. 24.
Isaiah 11:4
But with righteousness ihall he judge the poor, and reprove tvith equity for the meek of the earth. It is a great sign of the impartial administration of justice, when the poor are equally regarded with the rich, and protected from the oppressions of the great ones. Accordingly this is a constant character of Christ’s kingdom (sec Psal. lxxii. 2. 12. Isa. xxvi. G. with the note there): as tlic blessings of the gospel are peculiarly promised to the poor, (Matt. v. 3. James ii. 5.) that is, to those who have the true spirit of poverty, which consists in a contempt of this world, and an humble submission to the dispensations of Providence. And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and tvith the breath of his lips shall lie stay the wicked.] A rod is an emblem of power. (Sec note onix. 4.) So the power of Christ in his kingdom is often compared to a rod, (Psal. ex. 2.) and to a rod of iron, (Psal. ii. 9.) because it will, in the end, break to pieces all its adversaries. (See Dan. ii. 44. Rev. ii. 27.) This rod is said here to proceed out of the mouth of Christ, as it signifies the word of God, containing his threatenings and judgments denounced against sinners. This same word is said by St. Paul to be sharper than any two-edged sword, (Heb. iv. 12.) because it will utterly consume and destroy those that continue disobedient, in allusion to the words here: this sword is described as proceeding out of the mouth of Christ, (Rev. i. 16.) because it is like a sentence of condemnation pronounced upon tho rebellious by him as the Judge of the world. (See John xii. 48.) The latter part of this verse will eminently be fulfilled iu the destruction of antichrist, to whom St. Paul applies it, 2Thess; ii.,8. (Compare Rev. xix. 21.) Who is byway of eminence called the wicked one, the man of sin, and 6 avri- KeifievoQ, the adversary to God’s truth and people, 2 Thess. ii. 3,4.8. The earth here signifies the ungodly, who arc elsewhere called the world. (See John vii. 7. xii. 32. xv. 18. xvii.
Isaiah 11:5
And righteoumess shall be the girdle of his loins 9 and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. A girdle was a mark of honour; (sec xxii. 21.) and was used’both for strength and expedition. (See v. 27. Psal. lxv. G. Luke xii. 35.) The expression implies here, that a strict regard to truth, integrity, and justice, will be the honour and stability of Christ’s kingdom. (Compare Ephes. vi. 14.) On the contrary, antichrist is described as coming tvith all deccivableness of unrighteousness, or all the arts of unrighteous deceit, (2 Thess. ii. 9.) And, without question, nothing hath tended more to the corrupting the truth of the gospel, or weakening the power of it, than the giving encouragement to pious frauds and forgeries. Ver. G — 8. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, &c] These metaphorical expressions note, that every thing shall contribute towards a firm and lasting peace, both inward and outward occasions of disturbances being removed: the great and powerful, that use to oppress their inferiors, being disposed to come to terms of accommodation. This may be meant by the wolf and the lamb’s dwelling together, and the like expressions that follow. (Compare Ecclus. xiii.17— 19.) But they. farther imply that God will protect his people against all persecution and outward violence, which is elsewhere expressed by his making a covenant
Isaiah 11:9
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain. See note on ii. 2. For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord.] These words are a proof that the expressions used in the foregoing verses are metaphorical, and denote that the great change in the outward face of things, under the flou-.risbing state of Christ’s kingdom, shall be chiefly owing to the increase df their knowledge in the duties of religion, which, when it is made the governing principle of men’s lives, does tame the roughest tempers, and subdue the most boisterous passions; from whence it follows, that such a state of outward peace and tranquillity is not to be expected, but upon greater advancements of holiness than are at present to be seen among the generality of- Christians. Some remarkable instances of this kind appeared in that regeneration or renovation of mind and manners of several converts in the primitive church, upon their baptism: for the truth of which facts St. Cyprian and Lactantius appeal to their own and other men’s experience who lived in the same times; the former in his Epistle ad Donatum, the latter in his Divine Institutions, lib. iii. cap. 25. the same thing having been before attested by St. Paul, 1 Cor. vi. 11. * As the waters cover, the sea.] i. e. The channel of the sea: the means of grace and Divine knowledge are often compared to large streams or rivers of water. (See xii. 3. xliv. 4. lv. 1. John vii. 38, 39.) -Ver. 10. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse.] The Hebrew word shoresh signifies both a root and a branch growing out of a root: compare the first verse of this chapter with liii. 3. where it is said of Christ, that he shall grow tip as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: w r herc the sense directs us to explain it rather of a branch, called a tender plant just before, since a root does not properly grow out of but in the ground: in the same sense Christ is called the root and offspring of David, (Rev. xxii. 16.) which words are an allusion to this very place: so the Latin word stirps signifies both the stock and the branches springing out of it. Which shall stand for an ensign of the peopled] See the same metaphor, xlix. 22. Ixii. 10. The design of setting up a standard is to assemble people together. Thus the first preachers of the gospel, as so many heralds, sent abroad into the several parts of the world, gathered a numerous assembly of the gentiles into the church: hither the gentiles are said to seek, or repair, in allusion to the custom among the Jews of repairing to their temple at the solemn festivals* (Compare Deut. xii. 5. and see note on lx. 7.) And his rest shall be glorious.] The ark is.styled Go<Ts resting place, (Psal. exxxii. 8. 13. 1 Chron. xxviii. 2.) By thesame analogy the church is here called Christ’s rest,, which is said to be glorious and flourishing, in allusion to the Schechinah, or cloud of glory, the symbol of God’s presence, which covered the tabernacle, (Exod. xl. 34.) and afterward filled the temple, (1 Kings viii.JO.) and then settled itself over the chcrubims: (see the note on xxxvii. 1G.) The words import, that in the times here spoken of, the church shall be in such a glorious settled state, as shall be visible in the eyes of the world; not in a mean persecuted condition, or forced to remove from place to place to avoid the fury of its persecutors, as the church is described flying into the wilderness in the Revelation.
Isaiah 11:11
The Lord shall set his hand the second time to recover the remnant of his people. This chapter contains a general prophecy of the advancement Christ’s kingdom should make in the world. But, as this advancement is made by different steps and degrees, so the several parts of this pro,- phecy may be supposed to point at different ages or periods of time. (See note on ii. 2.) And I take this part of the chapter from the tenth yerse onward, to foretell those glorious times of the church which shall be ushered in by the restoration of the Jewish nation; when they shall embrace ihe gospel, and be restored to their own country from the several dispersions where they are scattered: this remarkable scene of providence is plainly foretold by most of the prophets of the Old Testament, and by St. Paul in the New. (See Deut. xxx. 3 — 5. xxxii. 43. Isa. xxvii. 12, 13. xlv. 17, &c. xlix. 6, &c. liv. lix. 20. lx.— Ixii. Ixv. lxvi. Jer. xxiii. 8. xxx. 8—10. xxxi.3G. 40. 1. 4. Ezek. xi. 17, &c. xx. 34. &c. xxxiv. 13. xxxvi. 24, &c. xxxvii. 21. Hos. i. 11. iii. 5. Joel iii. 1, &c. Amosix. 14, 15. Obad. ver. 17, &c. Micah vii. 14, 15. Zech. viii. 7. 13. x. G, &c. xii. 10. xiv. 8, &c. Rom. xi. 25, 26. 2 Cor. iii. 1G.) The Lord shall set his hand a second time, &c.] The words imply that this shall be as great a deliverance as that out of Egypt. (Compare Psal. Ixviii. 23. Micah vii. 15.) From Assyria and from Egypt.] See note on ver. 16. And from Pathros.] A country in Egypt. (See Jer. xliv. 1. Ezek. xxix. 14.) And from Cush.] See note on xviii. 1* And from Elam.] i. e. Persia. * • And from Shinar.] i. e. Babylon. (See Gen. xi. 2.) And from Hamath.] See note on x. 9. And from the islands of the sea.] The Jews call all those places islands that lie upon the sea-coast, especially the countries upon the Mediterranean Sea, the coast whereof they were best acquainted with. Thus the posterity of Japheth is said to have peopled the islands of the gentiles; (Gen. x. 5.) that is, the sea-coasts of Asia and Greece. (See Mr. Mode, book i. discourse 49.) So that the expression of the text may very well comprehend even the European nations, and confutes that cavil of Mr. White’s, in his argument of this chapter, against understanding this part of the chapter of the restoration of the Jews in the latter times, because there is no mention made of England, Holland, Germany, &c. where their number is greatest. And it is observable, that generally where the prophet Isaiah foretells the calling of the gentiles, he makes particular mention of the islands: (see xii. 1. xlii. 10. 12. xlix. 1. Ii. 5. lx. 9.) which many interpreters have •looked upon as a plain intimation, that the Christian religion should take deepest root in those parts of the world, which were separated from the Jews by the sea, and peopled by the posterity of Japheth, who settled themselves in the island of the gentiles. So that the islands, in the prophetic style, seem particularly to denote the western parts of the world, or the European nations: the west being often called the sea in the Scripture language. In like manner, some explain the isles afar off, mentioned lxvi. 19. of the western parts of the world, and suppose them, with the