PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see introduction)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

BACKGROUND STUDY

A. This literary unit (chapters 7-12) is often called "Immanuel's Book" because the constant theme is the marvelous child of the new age that will be born to deliver and restore the people of God.

B. The setting of this passage is the historical events involved in the Syro-Ephraimate war about 735-733 b.c. and the invasion of Syria and Palestine by Assyria under Tiglath-Pileser III (also called Pul, cf. II Kgs. 15:19).

1. chapters 7-10:4 are dated around 735 b.c. (days of Tiglath-Pileser III, 745-729 b.c.)

2. chapters 10:5-34 are dated around 701 b.c. (days of Sennacherib, 705-681 b.c.)

3. chapters 11:1-12:26 foreshadows the Messianic Age.

C. This entire section deals with children as symbols of historical events

1. Isaiah's first child (Shear-Jashub), 7:3

2. the child as a sign to Ahaz, 7:14-16

3. Isaiah's second child (Maher-shalal-hash-baz), 8:1,3

4. The Messiah as a child, 7:14; 9:6-7, 11:1-5

5. The children of the new age, 11:6-9

D. Read the following parallel historical accounts

1. chapter 7-10:4 read II Kings 16 and II Chronicles 28

2. chapter 10:5-34 read II Kings 18:17-20:11 and II Chronicles 32:9-24

E. There is a contrast between the lack of faith shown by King Ahaz and the faith shown by his son, King Hezekiah (cf. 37:14-20,30). Remember that the main character in Scripture is God! He wants to be with His people (i.e., Immanuel) but their faith/trust is crucial!

WORD PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED)TEXT: 7:1-2
¹Now it came about in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not conquer it. ²When it was reported to the house of David, saying, "The Arameans have camped in Ephraim," his heart and the hearts of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake with the wind.

7:1 "in the days of Ahaz" Ahaz reigned from 735-715 b.c. The setting of this chapter is the invasion of Judah by both Syria and Israel because Judah would not participate in their military coalition against Assyria.

▣ "Pekah" He was the usurper of the throne (i.e., dates of his reign, Bright, 737-732; Young, 736-730; NIV Study Bible, 752-732) of the Northern Ten Tribes. See Chart of "Kings of the Divided Monarchy" in Appendix Four, #3.

7:2 "it was reported to the house of David" This refers to a report given to the entire royal family or the report was made public at court.

NASB"has camped in"
NKJV"are deployed in"
NRSV"had allied it with"
TEV"were already in"
NJB"has halted in"
LXX"has conspired with"
Peshitta"is confederate with"
REB"had made an alliance with"

The verb (BDB 628, KB 679, Qal perfect) means "rest." In this context it means establish a permanent camp in the midst of. This implies Syria was the stronger, dominate one of the political alliance.

Notice this same verb is used in v. 19 to describe a large invading army.

▣ "his heart and the hearts of his people" This could refer to the royal family or the inhabitants of Jerusalem who had heard the report.

▣ "shook as the trees of the forest shake with the wind" There is a repetition of the verb "totter," or "stagger" (BDB 631, KB 681, Qal imperative and Qal infinitive construct). Usually intensity is expressed by an imperfect verb and an infinitive absolute, but here it is the repetition of the verb and infinitive in a similar form.

Judah and her leadership were afraid. They did not have a trusting confidence in YHWH's presence or promises!

NASB (UPDATED)TEXT: 7:3-9
³Then the Lord said to Isaiah, "Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the fuller's field, ⁴and say to him, 'Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah.
⁵Because Aram, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has planned evil against you, saying, ⁶"Let us go up against Judah and terrorize it, and make for ourselves a breach in its walls and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it," ⁷thus says the Lord God: "It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass. ⁸For the head of Aram is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin (now within another 65 years Ephraim will be shattered, so that it is no longer a people), ⁹and the head of Ephraim is Samaria and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you will not believe, you surely shall not last."'"

7:3 "Isaiah" His name is a combination of two nouns, "salvation" and "YHWH." To assert the understood or implied meaning, a verb must be assumed, "YHWH is salvation," "YHWH brings salvation," etc.

▣ "Shear-jashub" This is Isaiah's first son. His name means "a remnant shall return" of chapter 10:20-23. The very fact that Isaiah is told to take his son to meet the king shows that his name had relevance to the subject of the meeting. It could refer to

1. only a small part of the invading army will survive to return home

2. only a small part of faithless Judah will survive. Isaiah uses the concept of "a faithful remnant" often. See Special Topic at 1:9.

▣ "at the end of the conduit of the upper pool" This relates to the Gihon spring which supplies Jerusalem with water during sieges. This spring was also used in the coronation of the kings of Judah. Ahaz was checking the preparations for a siege. He was checking his resources!

7:4-9 This is YHWH's message to Ahaz through Isaiah. The first part addresses Ahaz.

1. take care, BDB 1036, KB 1581, Niphal imperative

2. be calm, BDB 1052, KB 1641, Hiphil imperative

3. have no fear, BDB 431, KB 432, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

4. do not be fainthearted, BDB 939, KB 1236, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense

The cause of Ahaz's fear was the invasion plans of Syria and Israel (v. 5).

YHWH characterizes the thoughts of the Syro-Ephraimite coalition (v. 6).

1. let us go up against Judah, BDB 748, KB 828, Qal imperfect used in a cohortative sense

2. cause it a sickening dread (NASB margin), BDB 880, KB 1089, Hiphil imperfect used in a cohortative sense

3. make for ourselves a breach in its walls, BDB 131, KB 149, Hiphil imperfect used in a cohortative sense

4. set up the son of Tabeel as king, BDB 573, KB 590, Hiphil imperfect used in a cohortative sense

YHWH describes His plans in v. 7.

1. it shall not stand, BDB 877, KB 1086, Qal imperfect

2. nor shall it come to pass, BDB 224, KB 243, Qal imperfect

YHWH is in control of history, not human armies, whether Syria/Israel or Assyria. However, there is a requirement on behalf of Judah's leadership-they must believe/trust YHWH's word (v. 9)!

1. believe, BDB 52, KB 63, Hiphil imperfect, plural (royal court and leadership, cf. vv. 13,14)

2. shall not last (lit. "be confirmed"), BDB 52, KB 63, Niphal imperfect, plural

This same play on the meaning of ןמא is found in II Chr. 20:20. This same verb is used in II Sam. 7:16 in relation to the permanence of the Davidic kingship. In a covenant relationship YHWH chooses not to act if His covenant partners refuse to believe/trust in Him (cf. 30:15). See Special Topic on "Believe" at 22:25.

▣ "these two stubs of smoldering firebrands" The two invaders are depicted as soon-to-be "has-beens." Syria (i.e., Damascus) fell to the Assyrians in 732 b.c. and Israel (i.e., Samaria) fell in 722 b.c. The number (65 years) found in v. 8 is difficult to reconcile with our current historical information about this period of history.

7:6

NASB"make. . .a breach in its walls"
NKJV"make a gap in its walls"
NRSV"conquer it"
NJB"destroy it"
Peshitta"make a breach in it"
REB"break her spirit"

This verb (BDB 131, KB 149, Hiphil imperfect used in a cohortative sense) basically means "to break open" or "to break through"(cf. II Kgs. 3:26).

▣ The name "Tabeel" (BDB 370) is an Assyrian name. There are two known uses: (1) a tribe of people in Gilead or (2) the name of a king of Tyre (To-ba-il, LXX Tabeel, also known by Ethba'al); however, the MT adds vowels to the name and changes it to "Tabeal," which in Hebrew means "good-for-nothing." The changing of names was common in the OT to show the author's view of the character of the person. However, in context this refers to an unknown Assyrian supporter within Judah.

7:7 "thus says the Lord God, 'It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass'" This is one of several verses in this context that teaches God's control and sovereignty over all nations and all history (cf. vv. 17, 18 & 20). Also note 8:10 and 28:18.

7:8 "(now within another 65 years)" This time element is difficult to understand. It may relate to Esarhaddon completing the deportation and resettlement of the land of Israel (cf. II Kings 17:24; Ezra 4:2). This could be a good example of (1) the ambiguity of predictive prophecy in the OT; (2) a later scribe updating the text of Isaiah with an editorial comment; or (3) both.

The NIV expresses Isaiah's word play as "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all."

7:9 "If you will not believe" See Special Topic: Believe, Trust, Faith, and Faithfulness in the OT at 22:25.

NASB (UPDATED)TEXT: 7:10-17
¹⁰Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, ¹¹"Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven." ¹²But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!" ¹³Then he said, "Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? ¹⁴Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. ¹⁵He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. ¹⁶For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken. ¹⁷The Lord will bring on you, on your people, and on your father's house such days as have never come since the day that Ephraim separated from Judah, the king of Assyria."

7:11 There are two ways to understand the Hebrew text of v. 11.

1. two uses of the verb "ask" (BDB 981, KB 1371, Qal imperative), cf. NKJV, Peshitta

2. one use of the verb (שׁאלה) and one used of the word Sheol (שׁאלה BDB 982), cf. NASB, Vulgate, TEV, NJB, REB (LXX has "depth")

The UBS Preliminary Report on the Hebrew Text has given two "asks" (imperatives) a "B" rating (i.e., some doubt). Both fit the immediate context. Here again the exact wording is unsure, but the meaning of the verse is clear. This is true of the vast majority of these kinds of textual problems. Remember, the central idea of the stanza (or paragraph), not the details, is the key to a proper understanding of God's revelation to us. The desire to know more, more than others, is not from God!

Amazingly, God is willing to help His fainthearted servant believe in His word. He gives signs to His covenant people (cf. 37:30; 38:7,8; 55:13). This kind of physical confirmation is not available or promised to all believers (cf. Matt. 12:38-39; 16:1,4; Mark 8:11-12; 13:4; Luke 11:16,29; John 2:18; 4:48; 6:30; I Cor. 1:22). Signs and/or miracles can often be satanic tricks (cf. Matt. 7:21-22; 24:24; Mark 13:22)!

▣ "from the Lord your God" It is interesting to note the play between "your God" vs. "My God." However, many OT persons of faith use the term "your God" in conversations with others. It is an idiom with no theological intent.

▣ "make it as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven" The Prophet is asserting that Ahaz can ask for any sign on the earth, under the earth, or in the sky above to verify God's truthfulness. God is willing to clearly reveal His will to Ahaz.

For a discussion of Sheol see Special Topic: Where Are the Dead? at 5:14.

7:12 "But Ahaz said, 'I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord'" This sounds like a worthy statement because God's people are told not to "test" (BDB 650, KB 702) God (cf. Exod. 17:2,7; Num. 14:22; Deut. 6:16; Ps. 78:18,41,56; 95:9; 106:14). However, the motive of this king is that he has already made up his mind to consult with Assyria, not with God, for help. It was not respect for God. God Himself gave the Davidic king this opportunity to confirm his trust in His word, protection, and provision, but he would not!

7:13 "Listen now" This verb (BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal imperative, plural) is used so often in Isaiah, but only here in "Immanuel's book" (i.e., chapters 7-12). God wants to be heard and obeyed!

▣ "house of David" In this context this phrase, which could be corporate, is referring to Ahaz as a representative of Davidic kingship (cf. II Samuel 7).

▣ "Is it too slight a thing" This is a Hebrew idiom (BDB 589, cf. Num. 16:13; Josh. 22:17; Ezek. 16:20; 34:18). The people were treating God and His revealed will (the Mosaic law) as a small thing, an unimportant thing.

▣ "try the patience" This verb (BDB 521, KB 512) is used twice.

1. once referring to humans (Hiphil infinitive construct)

2. once referring to God (Hiphil imperfect)

Ahaz has not performed his duties as YHWH's representative (cf.. II Sam. 7) among the people well!

7:14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign" This sign (BDB 16) must initially apply to Ahaz's day (esp. vv. 15-16)!

▣ "virgin" The Hebrew term here is almah (BDB 761). This term is used for a young woman of marriageable age (cf. Gen. 43:24; Exod. 2:8; Pro. 30:19). It designates a woman who is sexually mature. There is another Hebrew term for virgin, bethulah (BDB 143), which is used by Isaiah in 23:4, 12; 37:22; 47:1; 62:5. The Septuagint translates this verse with the Greek term "virgin." These terms are semantically overlapping and all of the young girls in Israeli culture were considered to be virgins. However, I do not believe in two virgin births, but one. There was a normal conception in Ahaz's day as a sign and a ("the," MT) virgin conception in Jesus' day (cf. Matt. 1:18-23; Luke 1:26-38). This is a multi-fulfillment prophecy!

I think the reason that the NT does not emphasize this more (only appears in the two birth narratives [i.e., Matt. 1:23; Luke 1:31,34] and never in a sermon in Acts or an Epistle by any Apostle) is because of the possible misunderstanding of Greco-Roman religion where the cohabitation of gods and humans, resulting in offspring, was common.

To try to base a doctrine of sin as transmitted through male sperm and, therefore, show the reason for a virgin birth is, in my opinion, folly! In reality it is similar to the barren wives of the Patriarchs having children only at God's instigation. God is in control of the Messiah! An even greater truth is revealed in the NT where the Messiah is presented clearly as incarnated Deity (i.e., John 1:1; 5:18; 10:33; 14:9-11; Phil. 2:6)! Thus the need for a virgin birth!

NASB"will be with child and bear a son"
NKJV, Peshitta"shall conceive and bear a son"
NRSV"is with child and shall bear a son"
TEV"who is pregnant will have a son"
NJB, REB"is with child and will give birth to a son"
LXX"shall be with child and bear a son"

The adjective (BDB 248) usually denotes someone who is already pregnant, but there is some ambiguity, as is obvious from the versions.

This must refer to some lady in Isaiah's day; whether it was the king's wife (i.e., birth of Hezekiah), the prophet's wife, or a young woman at court is uncertain, but Hezekiah (Ahaz's son) fits the Davidic context best.

▣ "Immanuel" This name (BDB 769) means "God with us" (cf. 8:8,10). In Isaiah's day many children were named with names involving Deity. The name of the child is the sign, not his unique birth! These people were not expecting a supernatural, virgin born, incarnate Deity, supernatural child! This is not an OT truth, but a NT progressive revelation truth!

7:15-16 These verses are parallels (three repeated verbals). This parallelism is characteristic of Hebrew literary style (both in a literary unit, and on a paragraph and verse level).

7:15 "He will eat curds and honey" There are two theories as to the meaning of the phrase: this means either he will come at a time of great abundance (i.e., Exod. 3:8), or just the opposite, that he will come at a time of great scarcity (cf. vv. 21-22).

▣ "at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good" This seems to refer to

1. the "age of accountability" (i.e., the results of religious training)

2. that he will be a young child who knows what is forbidden or appropriate. In later Jewish life this would normally be around thirteen years of age(i.e., Bar-Mitzvah). However, 8:4 implies much earlier!

7:16 "the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken" This refers to the defeat and exile of Syria (cf. Amos 1:3-5) and Israel (cf. 17:3) by Assyria. The capital of Israel, Samaria, fell to Assyria in 722 b.c. after an extended siege. The vast majority of these tribes never returned to Canaan, but were absorbed by the populations where they were exiled (i.e., Media).

7:17 "The Lord will bring on you" This is a good example that every historical crisis in the nation of Israel was controlled by YHWH for His purposes.

NASB (UPDATED)TEXT: 7:18-19
¹⁸In that day the Lord will whistle for the fly that is in the remotest part of the rivers of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. ¹⁹They will all come and settle on the steep ravines, on the ledges of the cliffs, on all the thorn bushes and on all the watering places.

7:18 "In that day" "That day" is the day of the Lord's fulfillment of His promises (cf. vv. 18,20,21, 23). It can refer to a near future time (fall of Syria and Israel, cf. v. 16) or an end-time, eschatological setting (i.e., Messianic age, age of the true one virgin birth).

▣ "whistle" See note at 5:26.

▣ "Egypt" God's people were still caught in the power struggle between the empires of the Fertile Crescent and the Nile River. Egypt is referred to in Hosea 7:11; 8:13; 9:3, 6; 11:5, 11; 12:1.

7:19 "on the ledges of the cliffs, on all the thorn bushes and on all the watering places" This is a series of metaphors to describe the large invading army that will occupy even the remotest regions of the Promised Land.

NASB (UPDATED)TEXT: 7:20
²⁰In that day the Lord will shave with a razor, hired from regions beyond the Euphrates (that is, with the king of Assyria), the head and the hair of the legs; and it will also remove the beard.

7:20 "In that day the Lord will shave with a razor" This seems to refer to Ahaz's sending tribute to hire Assyria to help her out, II Kings 16:7-9. The head and the beard being shaved was a sign of shame and mourning (cf. II Sam. 10:4-5; I Chr. 19:4; Jer. 48:37).

The phrase "the hair of the legs" seems to relate to the pubic hair of the young men (cf. 6:2; Jdgs. 3:24; I Sam. 24:3), which would denote shame.

The Hebrew term "feet" (BDB 919) in several places can refer to

1. male genitalia, Exod. 4:25; Judg. 3:24; Ruth 3:4,7; I Sam. 24:3

2. female genitalia, Deut. 28:57; Ezek. 16:25

3. even angelic creatures, Seraphim, Isa. 6:2; Cherubim, Ezek. 1:23

In Isaiah 36:12 urine is called "water of feet" (NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 1048).

NASB (UPDATED)TEXT: 7:21-22
²¹Now in that day a man may keep alive a heifer and a pair of sheep; ²²and because of the abundance of the milk produced he will eat curds, for everyone that is left within the land will eat curds and honey.

7:21 There is much discussion of whether this refers to prosperity or scarcity just like v. 15.

NASB (UPDATED)TEXT: 7:23-25
²³And it will come about in that day, that every place where there used to be a thousand vines, valued at a thousand shekels of silver, will become briars and thorns. ²⁴People will come there with bows and arrows because all the land will be briars and thorns. ²⁵As for all the hills which used to be cultivated with the hoe, you will not go there for fear of briars and thorns; but they will become a place for pasturing oxen and for sheep to trample.

7:24-25 This refers to the large number of wild beasts that will occupy the Promised Land because of the absence of people (both of which relate to the covenant curses of Deuteronomy 28).

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. Were the Jewish people expecting the Messiah to be God incarnate?

2. Is Isaiah 7:14 predicting a virgin birth in Ahaz's day?

3. Why are the names of children so significant in these chapters?

Copyright © 2012 Bible Lessons International

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see introduction)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A.Chapter 9 is in strong contrast, but linked to chapter 8:19-22 by word plays (i.e., darkness, gloom vs. light).

B.  Notice the play on the words

1. darkness (BDB 365), 5:20; 8:22; 9:2; 29:18; 42:7; 45:3,7,19; 47:5; 49:9; 58:10; 59:9; 60:2

2. gloom (BDB 734), 8:22; 9:1

3. thick darkness (BDB 66), 8:22; 58:10; 59:9

4. He will make glorious (BDB 457, KB 455, Hiphil perfect), 9:1

5. "a great light" (BDB 21, adjective, 152), 9:2 (twice)

6. "deep darkness" (BDB 853), 9:2; Job often; Ps. 23:4; 44:19; 107:10,14; Jer.2:6; 13:16; Amos 5:8

7. light will shine on them (BDB 618, KB 667, Qal perfect), 9:2

These are powerful metaphors of judgment and restoration. God is light (cf. I John 1:5,7; 2:8,9,10; Rev. 21:22-25)!

C. This chapter contains many perfect verbs which denote completed action. It can refer to a past event or a future certainty. The purposeful ambiguity fits the multiple fulfillment prophecies. This was a current crisis and a future crisis; a current prophetic focus and a future prophetic focus (i.e., 7:14).

D. It is common in prophetic literature for the strophes to swing from

1. judgment to hope

2. darkness to light

God's word has benefits and consequences. Be careful of just focusing on one!

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED)TEXT: 9:1-7
¹But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.
²The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.
³You shall multiply the nation,
You shall increase their gladness;
They will be glad in Your presence
As with the gladness of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
⁴For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,
The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.
⁵For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult,
And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
⁶For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.

9:1 "no more gloom" The MT has twenty three verses in chapter 8, but the LXX makes v. 23 chapter 9 verse 1.

The term "gloom" (BDB 734) appears in 8:22 and 8:23 (9:1) only. It links these contexts together. It is hard to know where prophecies start and stop. Be careful of letting modern chapter, verse, capitalization, and paragraphing cause you to miss related themes. An editor (or Isaiah himself or one of his disciples) complied his sermons, oracles, and poems into an anthology. Often the only connections are word plays, historical setting, or eschatological contexts.

The term "no" can be understood (1) in a negative sense (if so, this verse concludes the previous context) or (2) if one adds "more" (NASB), then it is positive and starts the next context.

▣ "for her who was in anguish" The pronoun "her" probably refers to "land" (BDB 75, ץרא). Because two of the northern tribes of Israel are mentioned specifically, this must refer to (1) the northern tribes or (2) the covenant people as a whole.

9:1,3 "He. . .He. . .You. . .You" The translators of the NASB capitalize these pronouns because they see them as referring to God's activity.

▣ "the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali" There is a strong contrast between 8:19-22 and 9:1ff. Apparently, these northern two tribal allocations had suffered greatly in 732 b.c. under Tiglath-Pileser III (i.e., Pul, cf. II Kings 15:29). No one thought that anything good could come out of this region. This sets the stage for the fulfillment in Jesus' day of His Galilean ministry ("but later He shall make it glorious," cf. Matt. 4:12-17).

Because of the desert between Mesopotamia and Canaan, the armies had to follow the Euphrates River to its source and then drop down the coastal plain. That means they invaded from the north. Zebulun and Naphtali (along with the city of Dan) would be the first to suffer.

▣ "Galilee of the Gentiles" This literally means "circle of the nations" (BDB 165 II construct BDB 156). Assyria resettled many conquered people in this area. The term for Gentiles here is the normal term for the nations, goy (BDB 156, cf. 9:3). Sometimes it is used of Israel herself (cf. Gen. 12:2; 18:18; Exod. 19:6; Isa. 1:4).

In Jesus' day this refers to (1) Galilean Jewry or (2) the Gentiles, which shows the universal nature of the coming ministry of the Messiah, which fits Isaiah's emphasis on the inclusion of the nations.

9:2 "Will see a great light" Light is metaphorical for YHWH's presence (cf. Deut. 33:2; Hab. 3:3; Rev. 21:22-24). Here, light (BDB 21) is metaphorical of the gospel (cf. Isa. 42:6; 49:6; 51:4; 60:1,3). No one expected the Messiah to minister to the "not-so-kosher" Galileans. This verse is a surprising prophecy of the specific area of Jesus' ministry! No one expected "Galilee of the Gentiles" to become the initial out-bursting of "good news"!

9:3 "You shall multiply the nation" This (verb, BDB 915, KB 1176, Hiphil perfect) may refer to YHWH's original promise to the Patriarchs to increase Abraham's seed.

1. stars of the sky (cf. Gen. 15:5; 26:4; Deut. 10:22; 28:62)

2. sand of the seashore (cf. Gen. 22:17; 32:12)

3. dust of the earth (cf. Gen. 13:16; 28:14; Num. 23:10)

▣ "You shall increase their gladness" The Hebrew MT (Kethiv) has the word "not" (BDB 518), but NASB translates it as "their." The MT editors suggested in the margin (Qere) it be changed to "him" (they do this fourteen other places also). The LXX also has "him."

The noun "gladness" (BDB 970) appears twice in the verse (also possibly in v. 17), as does the related verb "rejoice" (BDB 162, KB 189, Qal imperfect). The verb form of "gladness" (BDB 970, KB 1333, Qal perfect) occurs in the verse. Obviously Isaiah is emphasizing this concept!

They are glad because of YHWH's presence. The covenant God is with His people (i.e., Immanuel). Their gladness is described in two metaphorical expressions.

1. the harvest

2. dividing spoil

9:4-5 Because YHWH is present (v. 3), He fights on their behalf (i.e., Holy War).

1. break the yoke of their burden (i.e., release from foreign domination, cf. Jer. 28:2; Ezek. 34:27)

2. break the staff on their shoulders

3. break the rod of their oppressor (staff and rod are symbols of foreign kings and their control, cf. 10:27)

The same verb, "break," is to be applied to all three, BDB 369, KB 365, Hiphil perfect, cf. 7:8; 8:9 (thrice).

As a God-empowered representative (i.e., Gideon) defeated the Midianites, so now God's chosen instrument, Babylon, will destroy the Assyrian domination of Canaan. God is in control of world history and is particularly conscious of Canaan because of the seed of Abraham (i.e., the coming Messiah).

▣ "as at the battle of Midian" See 10:26 and Judges 6-8.

9:5 The covenant people's enemies will be defeated and their clothing (i.e., shoes and cloaks) used for fuel for the fire. This is metaphorical of a complete and total victory. Several texts speak of the destruction of the military weaponry of the foreign armies because His people's trust and security must be in Him and His covenant promises, not their captured military weaponry (cf. Ps. 46:9; 76:3; Hos. 2:18).

The Divine Warrior of the conquest is again fighting for His people. Verse 4 is the perfect example!

9:6-7 The NKJV marks these two verses off as a separate paragraph.

Verse 6 describes the special child, Immanuel.

1. government will rest on His shoulders; the special child, the hope of a righteous Davidic seed (cf. II Sam. 7) returns into view

2. His name (the character of His God)

a. Wonderful Counselor, this denotes a divine plan, cf. 14:26,27; 19:17

b. Mighty God, cf. 10:21

c. Eternal Father

d. Prince of Peace, Mic. 5:5

The first name could be two separate titles, but the other three are two word combinations. The fivefold names may reflect current practice in Egypt, where the new Pharaoh was given five new throne names at his coronation.

There are four compound titles. These are probably the child's new names when coronated king. The term Immanuel in 7:14 and 8:8-10, as well as the term "Mighty God" in 9:6, does not automatically imply Deity, but reflects the ideal king. The names reflect God's character which hopefully characterized the Davidic King. It must be remembered that these titles deal with (1) the area of administration, (2) military power, (3) pastoral care, and (4) the quality of the reign. The Deity of the Messiah is also implied, though not specifically, in Dan. 7:14; Jer. 32:18. It must be remembered that the Jews were not expecting the Messiah to be the physical incarnation of YHWH because of Israel's unique emphasis on monotheism! The Deity of Jesus and the personality of the Spirit are real problems for monotheism (i.e., Exod. 8:10; 9:14; Deut. 4:35,39; Isa. 40:18,25; 46:5). Only "Progressive Revelation" teaches this truth (cf. John 1:1-14; Phil. 2:6; Heb. 1:2-3). If the NT is true then OT monotheism must be nuanced (i.e., one divine essence with three eternal personal manifestations). The hyperbolic OT language has become literal! But the literal fulfillment of OT prophecies about geographical and national Israel have been universalized to include "the nations." See Special Topic at 1:3. Genesis 3:15 is realized and summarized in John 3:16; 4:42; I Tim. 2:4; Titus 2:11; II Pet. 3:9; I John 2:1; 4:14).

Verse 7 describes His reign. 

1. eternal and universal government (cf. Mic. 5:4)

2. eternal and universal peace (cf. Mic. 5:5a)

3. reigns on Davidic throne (cf. 16:5; II Samuel 7)

4. establishes justice and righteousness forever (these two nouns often used together, cf. 32:16; 33:5; 59:14)

5. the zeal of YHWH is the guarantee of its reality

Verse 7 certainly sounds like an eternal reign (cf. Dan. 2:44; 4:3,34; 6:26; 7:13-14,27; Ezek. 37:25; Mic. 4:7; 5:4; II Pet. 1:11), not a limited millennial reign (see my notes in the Revelation Commentary, "Crucial Introduction" and Introduction to chapter 20 at www.freebiblecommentary.org ). This promise is the essence of the concept of a new age of the Spirit! The total and complete reversal of the Fall. The reinstatement of God' ideal (i.e., the fellowship of the Garden of Eden).

NASB (UPDATED)TEXT: 9:8-12
⁸The Lord sends a message against Jacob,
And it falls on Israel.
⁹And all the people know it,
That is, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,
Asserting in pride and in arrogance of heart:
¹⁰"The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with smooth stones;
The sycamores have been cut down,
But we will replace them with cedars."
¹¹Therefore the Lord raises against them adversaries from Rezin
And spurs their enemies on,
¹²The Arameans on the east and the Philistines on the west;
And they devour Israel with gaping jaws.
In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away
And His hand is still stretched out.

9:8-12 God has sent a clear message to the Northern Tribes. They have heard it and understood it (cf. v. 9a), yet their response is unacceptable.

1. They assert in pride (BDB 144) and arrogance (BDB 152)

a. they will rebuild after God's judgment, even better, v. 10

b. they will replant after God's judgment, even better, v. 10

2. YHWH raises (BDB 960, KB 1305, Piel imperfect) and stirs up (BDB 1127, Pilpel imperfect, only here and possibly 19:2)

a. Syria

b. Philistines

3. Yet still YHWH is agitated (cf. vv. 12,17,21)

a. His anger does not turn away

b. His hand is still stretched out

9:8-9 "Israel. . .Ephraim. . .Samaria" These three names designate the Northern Ten Tribes after the split in 922 b.c.

NASB (UPDATED)TEXT: 9:13-17
¹³Yet the people do not turn back to Him who struck them,
Nor do they seek the Lord of hosts.
¹⁴So the Lord cuts off head and tail from Israel,
Both palm branch and bulrush in a single day.
¹⁵The head is the elder and honorable man,
And the prophet who teaches falsehood is the tail.
¹⁶For those who guide this people are leading them astray;
And those who are guided by them are brought to confusion.
¹⁷Therefore the Lord does not take pleasure in their young men,
Nor does He have pity on their orphans or their widows;
For every one of them is godless and an evildoer,
And every mouth is speaking foolishness.
In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away
And His hand is still stretched out.

9:13-17 The reason for YHWH's continued anger is the lack of Israel's response.

1. They do not turn back (i.e., repent, lit. "turn," BDB 996, KB 1427, Qal perfect)

2. They do not seek (BDB 205, KB 233, Qal perfect) the Lord of hosts

Therefore, they are completely (head ["the elders"] and tail [prophets] cut off) destroyed! They are leading the people astray (BDB 1073, KB 1766, Hiphil participle) so they will be confused (lit. "shallowed up," BDB 118, KB 134, Pual participle). Jesus refers to this kind of leader in Matt. 15:14; 23:16,24. When your light has become darkness, how great is the darkness! He has no pity on (NRSV, MT, "rejoice over")

1. young men (v. 17)

2. orphans (v. 17)

3. widows (v. 17)

Usually YHWH defends these (i.e., Deut. 10:18), but here they are judged along with the rest of the rebellious people of God!

Because they are all

1. godless (BDB 338)

2. evil doers (BDB 949, KB 1269, Hiphil participle)

3. speaking foolishness (BDB 615)

Verses 8-12 are unified by the recurrent phrase ("His hand is still stretched out") at 12c,d; 17e,f; and 21c,d. Also notice the context probably runs through 10:4, where the phrase is repeated again. Be careful of relying too much on chapter and verse divisions. They are not original, not inspired!

9:16

NASB"brought to confusion"
NKJV"are destroyed"
NRSV"were left in confusion"
TEV"totally confused them"
NJB"are swallowed up"
LXX"devour them"
Peshitta"to sink low"
REB"are engulfed"

The Hebrew root (BDB 118, KB 134) basically means "to swallow down," "to swallow up" (cf. 25:7,8; 28:4; 49:19), but there are possibly other roots

1. to announce (KB 135 II, cf. Pro. 19:28)

2. to confuse (KB 135 III, cf. 3:12; 19:3; 28:7) with too much wine (NASB)

"Confused" fits the parallelism best! Remember, context, context, context determines meaning, not a lexicon!

9:17 "nor does He have pity on their orphans or their widows" This is the ultimate symbol of God's turning away. It is exactly the opposite of God's promises in Deuteronomy.

NASB (UPDATED)TEXT: 9:18-21
¹⁸For wickedness burns like a fire;
It consumes briars and thorns;
It even sets the thickets of the forest aflame
And they roll upward in a column of smoke.
¹⁹By the fury of the Lord of hosts the land is burned up,
And the people are like fuel for the fire;
No man spares his brother.
²⁰They slice off what is on the right hand but still are hungry,
And they eat what is on the left hand but they are not satisfied;
Each of them eats the flesh of his own arm.
²¹Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh,
And together they are against Judah.
In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away
And His hand is still stretched out.

9:18-21 These verses describe the judgment of God on the Northern Tribes. The judgment is characterized as a fire that consumes the land. See SPECIAL TOPIC: FIRE at 1:31. Even the people are fuel for the fire!

The evil of the people is described as

1. no man spares his brother

2. steal but are still hungry

3. eat but are not satisfied (even their own bodies, cf. Jer. 19:9; the Targums translate it as "fellow" and thereby JPSOA "his own kindred")

God's covenant people are against each other!

9:18 "wickedness burns like a fire" It is interesting that fire can be positive or negative.

1. here, negative (wickedness)

2. 62:1, positive (salvation)

Context, context, context determines meaning. Be careful of a preset definition of biblical words!

Copyright © 2012 Bible Lessons International

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see introduction)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

BACKGROUND STUDY

A. Chapter 11 is in sharp contrast to chapter 10, vv. 33-34, which describes the fall of Assyria (cf. 10:15-19).

B. As Assyria is cut down as a great forest, so the Messiah will rise from the stump of Jesse. Isaiah often uses imagery from trees.

C. Isaiah 11 reflects the promises to David's descendants found in II Samuel 7.

D. This ideal eschatological period is also described in 2:2-4; 9:1-7. Chapter 11, v. 10 could go with 1-9 or 11:16 depending on how one views the scope of the Messianic reign (i.e., the Promised Land restored or the whole earth).

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED)TEXT: 11:1-5
 ¹Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
²The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
³And He will delight in the fear of the Lord,
And He will not judge by what His eyes see,
Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;
⁴But with righteousness He will judge the poor,
And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth;
And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
⁵Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins,
And faithfulness the belt about His waist.

11:1 "a shoot" This rare word found only here in the OT, ("twig," "branch," or "shoot" translated "rod" in Pro. 14:3, BDB 310, KB 307) obviously refers to a supernatural Davidic descendant (cf. 6:13; II Samuel 7; Rev. 22:16) out of a seemingly dead stump (i.e., exiled Judah) will come a new king! This imagery (but different Hebrew word) is seen again in the Suffering Servant Song of Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (i.e., v. 2).

The Jewish Study Bible (p. 807) adds an interesting comment on "stump."

"If the translation 'stump' is correct, then the passage may presume that the Davidic dynasty will (or has) come to an end; this reading would deviate significantly from Isaiah's notion that Davidic kings will reign eternally (cf. II Sam. 7:8-16; Ps. 89:20-37). But the Hebrew 'geza' refers not only to a stump of a tree that has been cut down but also to the trunk of a living tree."

I cannot confirm this meaning for "shoot" unless it is 40:24.

▣ "from the stem of Jesse" Jesse was King David's father. This future descendant is mentioned in v. 10; 9:7; 16:5.

The OT gives the lineage of the Special Coming One, the Anointed One.

1. from the tribe of Judah, Gen. 49:8-12, esp. v. 10 and Rev. 5:5

2. from the family of Jesse, II Samuel 7

The special child of the new age has now been identified as a special ruler. His character will characterize the new age (cf. Jer. 23:5).

▣ "a branch from his roots" The noun "branch," "sprout," or "shoot" (BDB 666, cf. 14:19; 60:21; Dan. 11:7) is parallel to "branch" or "sprout" (BDB 855, cf. 4:2; 61:11). New growth will come! See Special Topic at 4:2.

▣ "will bear fruit" The MT has the verb "bear fruit" (פרה, BDB 826, KB 963, Qal imperfect, Dead Sea Scrolls, NASB), but most ancient and modern versions assume a similar verb, פרח (BDB 827).

1. NKJV, NRSV, Peshitta, "shall grow out"

2. NJB, "will grow"

3. LXX, Targums, "shall come up"

4. REB, "will spring from"

5. JPSOA, "shall sprout"

The second option fits the parallelism best!

11:2 "the Spirit" Many have tried to relate this passage to the seven-fold spirits of Rev. 1:4. This seems doubtful to me. The MT lists six characteristics, but the LXX adds a seventh, "piety," in place of "fear" in v. 2, but then adds "fear" from v. 3. However, this does relate to the titles of Isa. 9:6 and describes the king fully equipped by God in insight, administration, and piety. The Spirit of the Lord abides on him as He did on David (cf. I Sam. 16:13).

The personality of the "Spirit" is not fully revealed in the OT. In the OT the Spirit is YHWH's personal influence to accomplish His purposes, much like the "Angel of the Lord." It is not until the NT that His full personality and Deity are revealed. See Special Topic: The Trinity at 6:8. See SPECIAL TOPIC: THE PERSONHOOD OF THE SPIRIT at 32:15-20.

The other problem with the word (BDB 924) is that it can refer to human characteristics or divine action.

▣ "will rest on him" The verb (BDB 628, KB 679) is a Qal perfect denoting a settled condition. It will abide and remain. This same truth is stated in different ways in 42:1; 59:21; 61:1; Matt. 3:16; Luke 4:18.

▣ "the spirit of. . ." Basically there are three groups of gifts.

1. intellectual

a. wisdom, BDB 315 (opposite of 10:13)

b. understanding, BDB 108 (see first pair in Deut. 4:6)

2. effective administration (cf. 9:6-7)

a. counsel, BDB 420

b. strength, BDB 150

(Reign of peace through military power, cf. II Kgs. 18:20)

3. personal piety

a. knowledge of the Lord, BDB 395

b. fear of the Lord, BDB 432 (cf. v. 3)

This same type of description is found in 2:2-4; 9:6-7; 42:1-4. It will be a time of justice, righteousness. and peace.

11:3 "will delight" This is literally "breathe in" (BDB 926, KB 1195, Hiphil infinitive construct). This is used in the sense of the pleasing smell of the sacrifice or incense rising to God (i.e., Gen. 8:21).

▣ "in the fear of the Lord" This term "fear" (BDB 432) denotes a respect for the awesomeness of God. It was meant to keep the covenant people from sinning (cf. Exod. 20:20; Deut. 4:10; 6:24). King David feared YHWH (cf. II Sam. 23:3). This Messiah, the new David, perfectly reflects this reverence as the ideal example of a "true Israelite." Note how it forms the introduction to Proverbs (cf. 1:7; also note 2:5; 14:26,27)!

▣ "He will not judge by what His eyes see" Because of the gifts of the Spirit this special Davidic ruler will be able to discern truth and not be tricked by false testimony. He will be the perfect righteous judge. The kings of Israel functioned as the last resort for justice.

11:4 Does it surprise you that poverty and oppression will continue into the new age? This is the kind of literalism that causes confusion. This verse's purpose is the character of the Ruler, not a description of a millennial society! It was meant to show that He will bring conformity to the ideals of God's revealed covenant. He will reflect YHWH's character Himself and project this onto human relationships!

▣ "righteousness" See Special Topic at 1:4.

▣ "with the rod of his mouth" This sounds very similar to the phrase used in Rev. 1:16; 2:16, which speaks of the power of the spoken word (cf. Genesis 1; John 1) in the phrase "sword of my mouth." The last two lines of poetry speak of the ruler's effective power (cf. v. 2c).

11:5 Clothing is a metaphor used to describe the qualities of the coming righteous Davidic ruler. Later Paul will use this to describe the believer's provisions for spiritual conflict (cf. Eph. 6:14).

NASB (UPDATED)TEXT: 11:6-9
⁶And the wolf will dwell with the lamb,
And the leopard will lie down with the young goat,
And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little boy will lead them.
⁷Also the cow and the bear will graze,
Their young will lie down together,
And the lion will eat straw like the ox.
⁸The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra,
And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den.
⁹They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.

11:6-9 This is a picture of the Messianic era, described in terms of Genesis 1 and used in Revelation 22. Nature has been affected by mankind's sin, Genesis 3. It will also be affected by the Messiah's salvation (cf. Rom. 8:19-25). Notice the emphasis again on the small child of the new age.

The fellowship between humans and animals reflects the Garden of Eden. Humans have so much in common with the animals that occupy the surface of this planet. They were also created for fellowship with God (cf. Job 38:39; 40:34) and us! The Bible starts with God, humans, and animals in a garden setting (Genesis 1-2) and it concludes with God, humans, and with these passages in Isaiah, animals (cf. Isa. 65:15; Hosea 2:18; Revelation 21-22). I personally do not think our pets will be in heaven, but I do think animals will be a part of eternity! They add a wonderful richness to life. They only became food and coverings after the Fall!

Another point about the inherent ambiguity involved in texts associated with the eschaton is the age of the persons mentioned. Little children (v. 6) and infants (v. 7) implies that physical birth continues. This assumes an earthly setting totally analogous to current life (cf. Matt. 24:38; Luke 17:27). However, Jesus asserts that there will be no sexual activity in the new age (cf. Matt. 22:29-30). Will humans in the eschaton be all different ages? Will they grow old? These are questions that have caused commentators to postulate a limited earthly period of restored righteousness (i.e., a millennium) and a future idealized state. Some have even postulated a split between a group in heaven and a group on earth. I prefer a single, visible Second Coming and an immediate idealized fellowship with God. If this is true, much of the OT and NT has to be viewed as accommodation related to the spiritual Kingdom of God. Please see my commentaries on Revelation, Daniel, Zechariah online free at www.freebiblecommentary.org.

This new day of universal peace is described in idealistic, area-wide, inclusivistic terms. When is this new age to manifest itself?

1. return from exile under Zerubbabel and Joshua (i.e., Ezra and Nehemiah)

2. the Maccabean period (interbiblical)

3. the inauguration of the Kingdom of God in Jesus' lifetime (Gospels)

4. a millennial period (Rev. 20:1-10 only)

5. an eternal kingdom (cf. Dan. 7:14)

Each is viewed as a new opportunity, but with problems (#1-4). This is where different systematic (denominational) theologies take the ambiguous references and turn them into a "theological grid" through which to view all Scripture. The promises are sure! But the time frame and specifics are not.

One central question which deals with this issue is "how literal is the restoration of an earthly garden (i.e., Eden) to be taken (Genesis 1-3 and Revelation 21-22)"? Is (1) this planet the focus; (2) the kosmos the focus; or (3) a spiritual realm beyond time-space, possibly another dimension of reality (cf. John 4:21-24; 18:36)?

11:6

NASB, NKJV,
NRSV"and the fatling"
REV, REB"will feed together"
NJB"fat-stock beast"

The LXX and Peshitta add "ox" and also add the verb "feed together." The MT has "fatling," but no verb. With an emendation "and the fatling" (ומריא) can be changed to "will be fed" (ימרו). The UBS Hebrew Text Project gives the verb a "C" rating (considerable doubt). With the parallelism of the first two and fourth lines of poetry having verbs, one would expect the third line to have one also. The Dead Sea Scroll of Isaiah and the Septuagint have the verb "fed."

The fatling would have sacrificial connotations (cf. 1:11; Amos 5:22).

11:9 "My holy mountain" This does not refer to Jerusalem or Sinai, but to the entire earth as the parallel phrase in v. 9b shows. Also notice that the attributes of the Messiah have now been effectively communicated to all humans (cf. Gen. 1:26-27; 3:15). He is the ideal covenant man!

NASB (UPDATED)TEXT: 11:10
¹⁰Then in that day
The nations will resort to the root of Jesse,
Who will stand as a signal for the peoples;
And His resting place will be glorious.

11:10 Verses like 4, 9, and 10 can be understood in one of two ways.

1. YHWH will restore His people to Canaan and the world will acknowledge them.

2. The emphasis of a worldwide reign of a Davidic seed fulfills the promise of Gen. 3:15 for the restoration of the image and likeness of God in all humanity, which was damaged by the Fall.

Are these Isaiah texts ultimately about Israel only or about the world? Are they literal, symbolic, or multiple fulfillment? Here is where one's overall view of Scripture begins to organize (for better or worse) texts. I have biases like everyone else! I have tried to list mine in the Special Topic: Bob's Evangelical Biases. You can read this at 1:3. It is difficult to be faithful to texts and context and all texts at the same time! No one does it well!

NASB (UPDATED)TEXT: 11:11-16
¹¹Then it will happen on that day that the Lord
Will again recover the second time with His hand
The remnant of His people, who will remain,
From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath,
And from the islands of the sea.
¹²And He will lift up a standard for the nations
And assemble the banished ones of Israel,
And will gather the dispersed of Judah
From the four corners of the earth.
¹³Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart,
And those who harass Judah will be cut off;
Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah,
And Judah will not harass Ephraim.
¹⁴They will swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines on the west;
Together they will plunder the sons of the east;
They will possess Edom and Moab,
And the sons of Ammon will be subject to them.
¹⁵And the Lord will utterly destroy
The tongue of the Sea of Egypt;
And He will wave His hand over the River
With His scorching wind;
And He will strike it into seven streams
And make men walk over dry-shod.
¹⁶And there will be a highway from Assyria
For the remnant of His people who will be left,
Just as there was for Israel
In the day that they came up out of the land of Egypt.

11:11 This verse speaks of a climactic visitation by God (cf. 2:2,11,12,20; 3:7,18; 4:1,2; 7:17,18,20; 9:14; 10:3,17,20,27). Here it is a day of restoration! The covenant people (i.e., in this case the Northern Ten Tribes), scattered across the ANE, will return home (a symbol of returning to faith in YHWH).

However, the rest of the literary unit (chapters 7-12) has a universal element (cf. 2:2-4; 9:1-7)!

▣ "with His hand" This is an anthropomorphic idiom for divine activity within history. In Genesis 1 God speaks and things occur, but here He moves His hand (cf. v. 15; 1:25; 5:25; 8:11; 9:12,17,21; 10:4, etc.).

11:12 "the four corners of the earth" Four is the symbolic number for the whole earth.

SPECIAL TOPIC: SYMBOLIC NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE

11:13 "Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah,

And Judah will not harass Ephraim" Notice in the new era unity will be the keynote, not the division that has characterized the people of God in the past.

11:14 This verse is surprising! Is Isaiah prophesying a vindictive united Israel or is she to be the channel of revelation for "the nations" to come to YHWH in peace (cf. 2:2-4)?

▣ "sons of the east" This phrase can refer to several different people groups, depending on the context (cf. Gen. 29:1; Jdgs. 6:3,33; 7:12; 8:10; I Kgs. 4:30; Job 1:3; Isa. 11:14; Jer. 49:28; Ezek. 25:4,10).

11:15 The covenant people's traditional enemies will be utterly defeated.

NASB, NKJV,
NRSV"will utterly destroy"
TEV, NJB"will dry up"
LXX"make desolate"
Peshitta"will utterly dry up"
REB"will divide"

The NASB follows the MT (והחרים, BDB 355, KB 353, Hiphil perfect), which the UBS Hebrew Text Project gives a "B" rating (some doubt). The other reading is ( והחריב, BDB 351, KB 349). The NEB and REB assume a proposed root (חרם, KB 354 II, Hiphil perfect), which means "split" or "divide" (cf. Exod. 14:16). This is an allusion to a new exodus (cf. v. 11)!

11:16 "a highway" See full note at 19:23.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. Are the titles of the child used in chapters 9 and 11 an assertion of his Deity?

2. Explain the historical background of chapters 7 through 10:4 and 10:4 through 34.

3. Will nature be a part of heaven?

Copyright © 2012 Bible Lessons International

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see introduction)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. Chapter 13 marks a new division in the book of Isaiah that extends through 21:17 and also 23:1-8. This section of Isaiah deals with judgment of surrounding nations. It is a genre in and of itself. It is very similar to Jeremiah 46-51; Ezekiel 25-32; Amos 1-2; Obadiah, Nahum, and Zephaniah 2.

B. YHWH addresses the surrounding nations, both large and small, through His prophet; messages they will never hear or respond to. This demonstrates His universal sovereignty (cf. 2:1-4; 9:7; 11:9)! He is King of the earth; Lord of creation (cf. LXX Deut. 32:8)!

C. The nations addressed are

1. Babylon (or Assyria using Babylonian throne name "King of Babylon"), 13:1-14:23

2. Assyria, 14:24-27

3. Philistia, 14:28-32

4. Moab, 15:1-16:14

5. Syria, 17:1-3

6. Israel, 17:4-14

7. Ethiopia (Cush), 18:1-7; 20:1-6

8. Egypt, 19:1-25; 20:1-6

9. Babylon, 21:1-10

10. Edom, 21:11-12

11. Arabia, 21:13-17

12. Jerusalem, 22:1-25

13. Tyre, 23:1-18

You will notice that Assyria seems to break into the context in 14:24-27. It is surprising that

1. Babylon is addressed first when the problem in Isaiah's day was Assyria.

2. Babylon is addressed again in 21:1-10.

3. Assyria is abruptly mentioned only briefly in 14:24-27 with no new heading (i.e., "oracle").

One way to contextually deal with these problems is to view all of 13:1-14:27 as directed toward Assyria. Assyria completely subjected and conquered Babylon in 689 b.c. and her kings took the title of "king of Babylon" (cf. 14:4). If this is right then it is not Neo-Babylon (i.e., Nebuchadnezzar), but earlier Babylon (Merodach-baladan) that fell to Assyria in 729 b.c. and the capital city of Babylon sacked and destroyed in 689 b.c. The NASB Study Bible (p. 976) notes that there is no new "oracle" heading at 14:24, which implies one literary unit from 13:1-14:32.

The one problem with this approach is that "the Medes," who destroyed Neo-Babylon in 539 b.c., are mentioned in v. 17. However, with the weakening of Assyria in 660, Media and Babylon combined to rebel against the declining empire under Ashurbanipal (IVP Bible Background Commentary, p. 601). The capital of Assyria fell to a combined army of Media and Babylon in 612 b.c.

D. This is a good place to show how the poetic sections switch from first person (prophet speaking for God) to the third person (the prophet speaking about God).

1. Verses 1-3, first person

2. Verses 4-10, third person

3. Verses 11-16, first person

4. Verses 17-18, first person

5. Verses 19-22, third person

But, vv. 13 and 19 show how hard it is to follow this structure. In reality the prophet moves freely back and forth to reveal the message "poetically" (word plays, line beat, rare words, change of person).

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED)TEXT: 13:1-16
¹The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.
²Lift up a standard on the bare hill,
Raise your voice to them,
Wave the hand that they may enter the doors of the nobles.
³I have commanded My consecrated ones,
I have even called My mighty warriors,
My proudly exulting ones,
To execute My anger.
⁴A sound of tumult on the mountains,
Like that of many people!
A sound of the uproar of kingdoms,
Of nations gathered together!
The Lord of hosts is mustering the army for battle.
⁵They are coming from a far country,
From the farthest horizons,
The Lord and His instruments of indignation,
To destroy the whole land.
⁶Wail, for the day of the Lord is near!
It will come as destruction from the Almighty.
⁷Therefore all hands will fall limp,
And every man's heart will melt.
⁸They will be terrified,
Pains and anguish will take hold of them;
They will writhe like a woman in labor,
They will look at one another in astonishment,
Their faces aflame.
⁹Behold, the day of the Lord is coming,
Cruel, with fury and burning anger,
To make the land a desolation;
And He will exterminate its sinners from it.
¹⁰For the stars of heaven and their constellations
Will not flash forth their light;
The sun will be dark when it rises
And the moon will not shed its light.
¹¹Thus I will punish the world for its evil
And the wicked for their iniquity;
I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud
And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless.
¹²I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold
And mankind than the gold of Ophir.
¹³Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,
And the earth will be shaken from its place
At the fury of the Lord of hosts
In the day of His burning anger.
¹⁴And it will be that like a hunted gazelle,
Or like sheep with none to gather them,
They will each turn to his own people,
And each one flee to his own land.
¹⁵Anyone who is found will be thrust through,
And anyone who is captured will fall by the sword.
¹⁶Their little ones also will be dashed to pieces
Before their eyes;
Their houses will be plundered
And their wives ravished.

13:1

NASB, NRSV,
REB"oracle"
NKJV"burden
TEV"a message"
NJB"proclamation"
LXX"a vision"
Peshitta"the prophecy"

This term (BDB 672, KB 639) can mean "burden" or "load." It (BDB 672 III) is used eleven times in this section (chapters 13-23) of Isaiah to describe oracles of future doom on the nations surrounding Israel. The term may simply denote

1. a voice lifted to proclaim a message

2. a message carried by someone to a recipient 

3. a heaviness associated with a judgment oracle.

▣ "Babylon" This was an empire of the Fertile Crescent that affected the people of God. This first major world power of the Fertile Crescent to affect Israel was Assyria, then Neo-Babylon, then Medo-Persia. Babylon is used in the Bible as a symbol of oppression and cruelty (cf. I Pet. 5:13; Rev. 14:8; 16:19; 17:5). The downfall of Babylon is revealed in 13:1-14:23 (old Babylon) and 21:1-10 (new Babylon). See note in Contextual Insights, C, second paragraph.

▣ "which Isaiah son of Amoz saw" The immediate contemporary enemy of Israel and Judah in Isaiah's day was Assyria. But as a prophet of God he was shown ("saw," BDB 302, KB 301, Qal perfect, cf. 1:1; 2:1; 13:1; Amos 1:1; Mic. 1:1; Hab. 1:1) the future demise of old Babylon, Assyria, Neo-Babylon, and the rise of Cyrus the Great (cf. v. 17; 44:28-45:1). Those who deny predictive prophecy exhibit a bias that affects all their interpretations! See Contextual Insights, C, second paragraph.

Predictive prophecy is the main evidence of a unique supernaturally-inspired Bible. See sermons "The Trustworthiness of the Old Testament" and "The Trustworthiness of the New Testament" online at www.freebiblecommentary.org in the "Video Sermons" section under Lakeside Baptist church.

13:2 This describes the gathering of a mighty army (cf. v. 9). From v. 17 we learn that it is the army of (1) Assyria or (2) Medo-Persia under Cyrus II gathered by God to defeat either "old" or "new" Babylon (cf. 44:28; 45:1).

▣ "Lift up a standard on a bare hill" This describes how ancient armies communicated.

1. banners, flags in easily visible places, cf. 5:26; 31:9; Jer. 51:12

2. shouts (whistle, cf. 5:26)

3. hand movements, cf. 10:32; 19:16

There is a series of imperatives denoting YHWH's will.

1. lift up, BDB 669, KB 724, Qal imperative

2. raise, BDB 926, KB 1202, Hiphil imperative

3. wave, BDB 631, KB 682, Hiphil imperative, cf. 10:32; 11:15; 19:16

4. enter, BDB 97, KB 112, Qal imperfect, but used in a jussive sense (NEB changes vowels and has "draw your swords, you nobles") 

13:3 "I have commanded my consecrated ones" God is in control of history! These Median warriors are not consecrated in a moral or religious sense. For the most part they are unknowing servants of God "set apart" ("consecrated ones," BDB 872, KB 1073, Pual participle) to do His bidding. This same concept can be seen in Cyrus being called "my shepherd" in 44:28; "my anointed" in 45:1.

The Jewish Study Bible footnotes from JPSOA sees "My consecrated ones" (i.e., "My purified one") as a reference to a sacrificial meal where the guests are told to prepare themselves (p. 809).

Another option is to see this poem as expressing "Holy War" terminology and if so, then these could refer to angels (cf. Josh. 5:13-15).

13:4 This describes the sounds of battle and victory!

13:5 YHWH is bringing large mercenary armies from the Fertile Crescent to punish His people in Canaan (cf. 5:26; 7:18).

NASB"farthest horizons"
NKJV, Peshitta"the end of heaven"
NRSV"the end of the heavens"
TEV"the ends of the earth"
NJB"from the far horizons"
LXX"from the utmost foundation of heaven"

The NRSV is the most literal. It denotes the place where the sun rises, therefore, to the east, the very direction of the homelands of the Mesopotamian powers.

13:6 "Wail" This term (BDB 410, KB 413, Hiphil imperative) refers to howling, wailing. Orientals are much more expressive of emotions in grieving than westerners. This term is used often in Isaiah (cf. 13:6; 14:31; 15:2, 3; 16:7 [twice]; 23:1, 6,14; 52:5; 65:14) and also in Jeremiah (cf. 4:8; 25:34; 47:2; 48:20, 31, 39; 49:3; 51:8).

▣ "for the day of the Lord is near" The creator God is a moral, ethical God. He approaches His creation and creatures in light of His character. Sometimes He approaches from affirmation and blessing, but other times (as here) He approaches from judgment (cf. Deuteronomy 27-29). All moral creatures must give an account both temporally and eschatologically (cf. Matt. 25:31-46; Rev. 20:11-15) to the One who gave them life!

▣ "the Almighty" This is the Hebrew title Shaddai. This was the patriarchal name for YHWH (cf. Exod. 6:3). See SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY at 1:1. There is a sound play (BDB 994) between "destruction" (דשכ, BDB 994) and "the Almighty" (ידשמ, BDB 994). Note the connection with Joel 1:15.

13:7-8 The approach of YHWH will cause certain fearful responses.

1. "wail," v. 6

2. "all hands will fall limp," v. 7, cf. Ezek. 7:17; 21:7

3. "every man's heart will melt," v. 7, cf. 19:1; Nah. 2:10

4. "they will be terrified," v. 8

5. "pain and anguish will take hold of them," v. 8

6. "writhe like a woman in labor," v. 8, cf. 21:3; 26:17; 66:7

7. "look at one another in astonishment," v. 8

8. "their faces aflame," v. 8

13:9 This verse describes the day of the Lord as it relates to sinners (cf. v. 10).

A wasted and unpopulated land is exactly opposite to God's will for His creation (cf. Genesis 1-2).

13:10 The approach of YHWH to His physical creation causes reactions in nature. These reactions are often referred to as apocalyptic, but in reality they are metaphorical in the OT prophets and only turn to apocalyptic in the inter-biblical period and NT.

1. stars and constellations cease to shine (the ancients thought these were life-controlling deities), v. 10

2. sun and moon grow dark, v. 10

3. the heavens tremble, v. 13

4. the earth will be shaken from its place, v. 13

The heavens, the abode of God, become dark and fearful (cf. Ezek. 32:7; Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15; Matt. 24:29; Rev. 6:12-13). But there is a new light coming (cf. 2:5; 9:2; 60:1-3, 19-20).

13:11 "the world" This (BDB 385) is a poetic synonym for ץרא (i.e., "land," "earth,"cf. 14:21; 24:4; 34:1). It is obviously a hyperbole (or maybe not, cf. 24:4; 34:1), but it does express the theological concept of YHWH the creator and controller of this planet!

Notice how humans are characterized.

1. evil

2. wicked for their iniquity

3. arrogance of the proud

4. haughtiness of the ruthless

These same attributes describe the covenant people in 2:9, 11, 17; 5:15! The deadly tentacles (i.e., self, sin) of the Fall are everywhere (also note Gen. 6:5, 11; 8:21)!

13:12 "Ophir" This refers geographically to southern Arabia. The allusion here is that living human beings will be very scarce on the day of judgment.

13:14-16 This is a vivid description of the horrors of invasion.

1. hunted like gazelles

2. sheep with no shepherd

3. flee to family and homeland

4. inhabitants thrust through

5. inhabitants fall by the sword

6. little ones dashed to pieces in sight of their parents, cf. v. 18; II Kgs. 8:12; 15:16; Hos. 13:16; Nah. 3:10

7. houses plundered

8. wives ravished (NASB), cf. Deut. 28:30

Judgment by invasion was a terrible experience. These warlike nations gave this treatment and received this treatment (cf. Ps. 137:8-9)! The worst of these violent armies was Assyria.

13:16 This footnote of the MT suggests that the verb "ravish" (BDB 993, KB 1415, Niphal imperfect, cf. Deut. 28:30; Jer. 3:2; Zech. 14:2) be read (Qere) as "be lain with" (BDB 1011, KB 1486, Niphal imperfect, cf. LXX; Leviticus 15,20; Deuteronomy 22,27; Mic. 7:5).

NASB (UPDATED)TEXT: 13:17-22
¹⁷Behold, I am going to stir up the Medes against them,
Who will not value silver or take pleasure in gold.
¹⁸And their bows will mow down the young men,
They will not even have compassion on the fruit of the womb,
Nor will their eye pity children.
¹⁹And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride,
Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
²⁰It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation;
Nor will the Arab pitch his tent there,
Nor will shepherds make their flocks lie down there.
²¹But desert creatures will lie down there,
And their houses will be full of owls;
Ostriches also will live there, and shaggy goats will frolic there.
²²Hyenas will howl in their fortified towers
And jackals in their luxurious palaces.
Her fateful time also will soon come
And her days will not be prolonged.

13:17 "the Medes" This is another major power of the Fertile Crescent north and east of Assyria. At first they were allied with "old" Babylon, but later they were incorporated with Persia under Cyrus II (cf. 44:28; 45:1; Jer. 51:11).

▣ "Who will not value silver or take pleasure in gold" This army will be so bent on revenge there will be no possibility of buying them off!

13:18 "the fruit of the womb" This refers to unborn children and their mothers or young childen.

▣ "eye" It is used here to represent the attitudes/actions of a person (cf. Deut. 7:16; 13:8; 19:13; Ezek. 7:4; 16:5; 20:17). Here to denote that the invaders will have no pity even on children. This line of poetry is parallel with the line above!

The Median warriors had no compassion or pity (cf. Jer. 6:23; 21:7; 50:42).

13:19 Babylon's cultural beauty and sophistication were renowned (i.e., Daniel 4 of Neo-Babylon), but it will all be lost and destroyed! However, if this refers to Babylon during the Assyrian period, it was totally destroyed in 689 b.c. by Sennacherib.

▣ "Chaldeans" This was the name of the tribe of southern Babylon and is often used as a synonym for later nations of Neo-Babylon (i.e., Nebuchadnezzar). For other connotations of the term see Dan. 1:24.

▣ "Sodom and Gomorrah" These were cities of great wickedness, which God destroyed by fire and brimstone (cf. Gen. 19:24-28; Deut. 29:23).

13:20-22 This is hyperbolic language (cf. Sumerian laments over Ur and visions of Nefertiti over the old Egyptian Kingdom). The city fell in Merodach-baladan's day to Assyria with total destruction. The city fell to the Medo-Persian army in 539 b.c. without widespread destruction.

The book that has really helped me, as a modern western person, to understand eastern prophetic and apocalyptic literature is D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks: Rethinking the Language of Biblical Prophecy and Apocalyptic.

13:20 The destruction was so complete that

1. it was uninhabited for generations

2. Arabs do not camp there

3. no flocks grazed there

4. building remains used only by wild animals (possibly demons, cf. vv. 21-22; 34:13-15; Rev. 18:2)

5. no longer a national entity

This fits "old" Babylon better than "new" Babylon. The Medes abandoned their alliance with Merodach-baladan and joined the Assyrians in destroying the capital city of Babylon in 689 b.c.

Copyright © 2012 Bible Lessons International