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Isa 11:1-16.

From the local and temporary national deliverance the prophet passes by the law of suggestion in an easy transition to the end of all prophecy--the everlasting deliverance under Messiah's reign, not merely His first coming, but chiefly His second coming. The language and illustrations are still drawn from the temporary national subject, with which he began, but the glories described pertain to Messiah's reign. Hezekiah cannot, as some think, be the subject; for he was already come, whereas the "stem of Jesse" was yet future ("shall come") (compare

Mic 4:11, &c.; 5:1, 2; Jer 23:5, 6; 33:15, 16; Ro 15:12).

1. rod--When the proud "boughs" of "Lebanon"

(Isa 10:33, 34,

the Assyrians) are lopped, and the vast "forests cut down" amidst all this rage, a seemingly humble rod shall come out of Jesse (Messiah), who shall retrieve the injuries done by the Assyrian "rod" to Israel

(Isa 10:5, 6, 18, 19).

stem--literally, "the stump" of a tree cut close by the roots: happily expressing the depressed state of the royal house of David, owing to the hostile storm

(Isa 10:18, 19),

when Messiah should arise from it, to raise it to more than its pristine glory.

Lu 2:7

proves this

(Isa 53:2;

compare

Job 14:7, 8;

see on

Isa 8:6).

Branch--Scion. He is nevertheless also the "root"

(Isa 11:10; Re 5:5; 22:16.

"Root and offspring" combines both,

Zec 3:8; 6:12).

2. Spirit of the Lord--JEHOVAH. The Spirit by which the prophets spake: for Messiah was to be a Prophet

(Isa 61:1; De 18:15, 18).

Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are specified, to imply that the perfection of them was to be in Him. Compare "the seven Spirits"

(Re 1:4),

that is, the Holy Ghost in His perfect fulness: seven being the sacred number. The prophets had only a portion out of the "fulness" in the Son of God

(Joh 1:16; 3:34; Col 1:19).

rest--permanently; not merely come upon Him

(Nu 11:25, 26).

wisdom--

(1Co 1:30; Eph 1:17; Col 2:3).

understanding--coupled with "wisdom," being its fruit. Discernment and discrimination

(Mt 22:18; Joh 2:25).

counsel . . . might--the faculty of forming counsels, and that of executing them

(Isa 28:29).

Counsellor

(Isa 9:6).

knowledge--of the deep things of God

(Mt 11:27).

The knowledge of Him gives us true knowledge

(Eph 1:17).

fear of the Lord--reverential, obedient fear. The first step towards true "knowledge"

(Job 28:28; Ps 111:10).

3. make him of quick understanding--literally, "quick-scented in the fear of Jehovah"; endowed with a singular sagacity in discerning the genuine principle of religious fear of God, when it lies dormant in the yet unawakened sinner

(Mt 12:20; Ac 10:1-48; 16:14)

[HORSLEY]. But MAURER, "He shall delight in the fear of God." The Hebrew means "to delight in the odors" of anything

(Ex 30:38; Am 5:21);

"smell," that is, "delight in."

after . . . sight--according to mere external appearances

(Joh 7:24; 8:15; Jas 2:1; 1Sa 16:7).

Herein Messiah is represented a just Judge and Ruler

(De 1:16, 17).

reprove--"decide," as the parallelism shows.

after . . . ears--by mere plausible hearsays, but by the true merits of each case

(Joh 6:64; Re 2:23).

4. judge--see that impartial justice is done them. "Judge" may mean here "rule," as in

Ps 67:4.

reprove--or, "argue"; "decide." But LOWTH, "work conviction in."

earth--Compare with

Mt 5:5, and Re 11:15.

earth--its ungodly inhabitants, answering to "the wicked" in the parallel, and in antithesis to the "poor" and "meek," namely, in spirit, the humble pious

(Mt 5:3).

It is at the same time implied that "the earth" will be extraordinarily wicked when He shall come to judge and reign. His reign shall therefore be ushered in with judgments on the apostates

(Ps 2:9-12; Lu 18:8; Re 2:27).

rod of . . . mouth--condemning sentences which proceed from His mouth against the wicked

(Re 1:16; 2:16; 19:15, 21).

breath of . . . lips--his judicial decisions

(Isa 30:28; Job 15:30; Re 19:20; 20:9-12).

He as the Word of God

(Re 19:13-15)

comes to strike that blow which shall decide His claim to the kingdom, previously usurped by Satan, and "the beast" to whom Satan delegates his power. It will be a day of judgment to the Gentile dispensation, as the first coming was to the Jews. Compare a type of the "rod"

(Nu 17:2-10).

5. righteousness . . . girdle--

(Re 1:13; 19:11).

The antitypical High Priest

(Ex 28:4).

The girdle secures firmly the rest of the garments

(1Pe 1:13).

So "truth" gives firm consistency to the whole character

(Eph 5:14).

In

Isa 59:17,

"righteousness" is His breastplate.

6. wolf . . . lamb--Each animal is coupled with that one which is its natural prey. A fit state of things under the "Prince of Peace"

(Isa 65:25; Eze 34:25; Ho 2:18).

These may be figures for men of corresponding animal-like characters

(Eze 22:27; 38:13; Jer 5:6; 13:23; Mt 7:15; Lu 10:3).

Still a literal change in the relations of animals to man and each other, restoring the state in Eden, is a more likely interpretation. Compare

Ge 2:19, 20, with Ps 8:6-8,

which describes the restoration to man, in the person of "the Son of man," of the lost dominion over the animal kingdom of which he had been designed to be the merciful vicegerent under God, for the good of his animal subjects

(Ro 8:19-22).

7. feed--namely, "together"; taken from the second clause.

straw--no longer flesh and blood.

8. play--literally, "delight" himself in sport.

cockatrice--a fabulous serpent supposed to be hatched from the egg of a cock. The Hebrew means a kind of adder, more venomous than the asp; BOCHART supposes the basilisk to be meant, which was thought to poison even with its breath.