ISAIAH CHAPTER 11 Christ, a Branch out of the root of Jesse, endued with the Spirit of the Lord, should set up a kingdom by the preaching of his word, ISAIAH 19:1. The members of his church should live in peace and unity, ISAIAH 19:6; and be victorious over their enemies; and to him should the Genti... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD; the Holy Ghost, wherewith he was anointed, ACTS 10:38, and by whom his mother was overshadowed, LUKE 1:35. SHALL REST UPON HIM; not only come upon him at certain times, as he did upon the prophets now and then at his pleasure, but shall have its constant and settled abode in... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL MAKE HIM OF QUICK UNDERSTANDING, Heb. _he shall make him smell_, i.e. perceive, as that word is used, JUD 16 9 JOB 39 25; understand or judge, as it is explained in the next clause. Or, _his smelling shall be. Smelling_ is put for judging, because the sense of smelling, where it is quick and g... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDGE THE POOR; defend and deliver them, as _judging_ is oft used, as DEUTERONOMY 32:36 JEREMIAH 5:28, JEREMIAH 22:16, &c. Or, JUDGE FOR THE POOR; the prefix _lamed_ being understood out of the next clause, as is usual in the Hebrew language. He mentions the poor, partly to signify the justice of th... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL BE THE GIRDLE OF HIS LOINS; it shall adorn him, and be the glory of his government, as a girdle was used for ornament, ISAIAH 3:24, and as an ensign of power, JOB 12:18; and it shall constantly cleave to him, in all his administrations, _as a girdle cleaveth to a man's loins_, which is the pro... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WOLF ALSO SHALL DWELL WITH THE LAMB, & c.; the creatures shall be restored to that state of innocency in which they were before the fall of man. But this is not to be understood literally, which is a gross and vain conceit of some Jews; but spiritually and metaphorically, as is evident. And the... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL FEED TOGETHER, as it follows, without any danger or fear. THE LION SHALL EAT STRAW, the grass and fruits of the earth, as they did at first, GENESIS 1:29,30, and shall not devour other living creatures, as now they do.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ASP; a most fierce and poisonous serpent, DEUTERONOMY 32:33 JOB 20:14,16, which also will not be charmed by any art of man, PSALMS 58:5. THE COCKATRICE; a serpent of more than ordinary cunning and cruelty, PROVERBS 23:32. The meaning is, They shall not fear to be either deceived or destroyed by... [ Continue Reading ]
IN MY HOLY MOUNTAIN; in Zion, in my church. Wherever the gospel comes and prevails, it will have this effect. THE EARTH; metonymically put for the inhabitants of the earth; and as before it was used for the greater part, ISAIAH 11:4, so here it is used for the better part of the world. OF THE KNOWLE... [ Continue Reading ]
A ROOT; a branch growing upon the root; of which see on ISAIAH 11:1. SHALL STAND FOR AN ENSIGN; shall grow up into a great and high tree, shall become a visible and eminent ensign. Of the people; which not only the Jews, but all nations may discern, and to which they may and shall resort. TO IT SHAL... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SECOND TIME: the first time, to which this word second relates, seems to be, either, 1. The deliverance out of Egypt, as most both Jewish and Christian interpreters understand it; and then this second deliverance must be that out of Babylon. Or, 2. The deliverance out of Babylon; and then this... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE NATIONS; all nations, Jews and Gentiles, who shall then embrace the true faith and the Messiah, as was said, ISAIAH 11:10. THE OUTCASTS; that were driven and banished out of their own land into foreign parts, as the word implies. OF ISRAEL; strictly so called, or of the ten tribes, as is man... [ Continue Reading ]
OF EPHRAIM, i.e. of the ten tribes, frequently called by the name of Ephraim, as hath been already and frequently observed, between whom and Judah there were great emulations and contentions. _Shall depart_; of enemies they shall be made friends, and of wolves lambs, as was said before on ISAIAH 11:... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL FLY UPON THE SHOULDERS; either it is a metaphor from birds and beasts of prey, which commonly fasten upon the shoulders of cattle; or from wrestlers, who endeavour to catch hold of their adversaries shoulders, that they may throw them down. Or, _shoulder_ is put for a _side_, as NUMBERS 34:11... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL UTTERLY DESTROY; shall not only divide it, as of old, but will quite dry it up, that it may be a highway, as it is explained in the next verse. THE TONGUE OF THE EGYPTIAN SEA; the Red Sea, which may well be called _the Egyptian sea_, both because it borders upon Egypt, and because the Egyptian... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM ASSYRIA; as there was another highway from Egypt in the former verse. So the sense is, that all impediments shall be removed, and a way made for the return of God's Israel from all parts of the world. He mentions Assyria, because thither the ten tribes were carried, 2 KINGS 17:23; whose case se... [ Continue Reading ]