Isaiah 11:4

The special objects of his care are the defenceless and down-trodden classes (cf. ch. Isaiah 1:23; Isaiah 10:2). Observe that the sporadic outbreak of injustice and violence does not appear to be excluded from Isaiah's conception of the Messianic age; only, the transgressors are at once discovered and destroyed.

the meek of the earth Possibly "the oppressed in the land." Two words (-ânîand -ânâv) are often confounded in the Hebr. Text; the former means simply to be in abject circumstances, the latter includes the religious virtue of resignation to an adverse lot (Rahlfs, -Anî und -Anaw in den Psalmen).

he shall smite the earth The word for "earth" ("ereç) is probably written wrongly for -ârîç"oppressor." It is not permissible, with Del. &c., to explain "earth" in the N.T. sense of "the (ungodly) world," or "Wicked," in the next clause, of the Antichrist (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:8).

with the rod of his mouth … with the breath of his lips Cf. Revelation 1:6. The Messiah's sentence has a self-fulfilling energy (cf. Hosea 6:5; Acts 5:1-10). This reveals the operation of the "spirit of might," as Isaiah 11:3 represents the effect of the "spirit of wisdom."