Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 11 is the SHOOT-FROM-JESSE Messianic prophecy — the seven-fold Spirit (vv. 1–3), the just-judgment of the Messianic-king (vv. 3–5), and the peaceable-kingdom (vv. 6–9: 'wolf shall dwell with the lamb'). Verse 10 is cited at Romans 15:12 — the fourth and-final text in Paul's Gentile-inclusion catena. The seven-fold spirit (vv. 2) provides the foundation for the Christian-tradition of 'seven gifts of the Spirit.'
Notable Variants
11:1 SHOOT-FROM-JESSE Messianic-imagery; 11:2 SEVEN-FOLD SPIRIT (LXX adds 'piety' = seven gifts); 11:6–9 PEACEABLE-KINGDOM imagery; 11:10 → Romans 15:12 verbatim-LXX Gentile-inclusion citation.
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 11 = LXX Isaiah 11. 16 verses. THE MESSIANIC-PROPHECY chapter.
A shoot will come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
'There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit' tracks MT. SHOOT-FROM-STUMP. The 'stump' (gez'a) is the Davidic-line-cut-down — yet a SHOOT (choter) and BRANCH (netzer) emerge. The Hebrew NETZER may be the source of NAZARENE — Matthew 2:23 ('he shall be called a Nazarene') possibly draws on this verse's-vocabulary. Romans 15:12 cites v. 10 explicitly.
The Spirit of the LORD will rest upon him — the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
Masoretic (WLC)
וְנָחָה עָלָיו רוּחַ יְהוָה רוּחַ חָכְמָה וּבִינָה רוּחַ עֵצָה וּגְבוּרָה רוּחַ דַּעַת וְיִרְאַת יְהוָה
And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD
Septuagint (LXX)
καὶ ἀναπαύσεται ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ πνεῦμα σοφίας καὶ συνέσεως πνεῦμα βουλῆς καὶ ἰσχύος πνεῦμα γνώσεως καὶ εὐσεβείας
And the Spirit of God shall rest upon him: the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and piety
SEVEN-FOLD SPIRIT — CHRISTIAN TRADITION OF 'SEVEN GIFTS.' The MT-Hebrew lists six attributes paired with the umbrella-Spirit-of-the-LORD = seven total. The LXX's-distinctive substitution of EUSEBEIA ('piety, godliness') for-the-second-'fear-of-the-LORD' (instead-of repeating it) became the basis-for-the-Latin-tradition's seven-gifts-of-the-Holy-Spirit (sapientia/wisdom, intellectus/understanding, consilium/counsel, fortitudo/might, scientia/knowledge, pietas/piety, timor Domini/fear-of-the-Lord).
Christian-confirmation rites traditionally-list these seven-gifts. Revelation 1:4, 3:1, 4:5, 5:6 ('seven spirits of God') extend the seven-fold-Spirit tradition. The seven-fold Spirit-rests-on-the-Messianic-shoot, identifying-Christ as the supreme-Spirit-bearer.
ANOINTING-THEOLOGY. The Spirit-rests-on-the-shoot anticipates Jesus' baptism (Matt 3:16, 'the Spirit of God descended like a dove') and Acts 10:38 ('how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power').
His delight will be in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what his eyes see, nor decide by what his ears hear,
'And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear' tracks MT. NOT-JUDGE-BY-EYES-AND-EARS — the Messianic-king's-judgment transcends-superficial-evidence. John 7:24 ('judge with right judgment, not by appearances') Christologically extends.
but with righteousness he will judge the poor, and with equity he will decide for the humble of the land. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
'But with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked' tracks MT. ROD-OF-HIS-MOUTH / BREATH-OF-HIS-LIPS — Messianic-king-judges-by-word. 2 Thess 2:8 ('the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth,' tō pneumati tou stomatos autou) directly-cites-this verse for-the-Antichrist's-overthrow. Revelation 1:16, 19:15, 19:21 ('sharp two-edged sword from his mouth') extend.
Righteousness will be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the sash around his hips.
'Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins' tracks MT. RIGHTEOUSNESS-AS-BELT. Ephesians 6:14 ('having fastened on the belt of truth … the breastplate of righteousness') extends to-Christian-armor.
The wolf will dwell with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the young goat, the calf and the lion cub and the fattened animal together — and a little child will lead them.
'The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them' tracks MT. WOLF-AND-LAMB. THE PEACEABLE-KINGDOM. Edward Hicks' 19th-century painting tradition. Eden-restored / new-creation imagery. Christologically-fulfilled in-eschatological-creation (Romans 8:19–22, Revelation 21–22).
The cow and the bear will graze together; their young will lie down side by side. The lion will eat straw like the ox.
'The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox' tracks MT.
The nursing child will play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will reach his hand into the viper's den.
'The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den' tracks MT. CHILD-AND-COBRA — fearless. The Genesis-3:15 serpent-and-seed enmity Christologically-resolved in-the-peaceable-kingdom.
They will not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
'They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea' tracks MT. EARTH-FULL-OF-KNOWLEDGE-OF-LORD. Habakkuk 2:14's 'the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD' parallels. The eschatological-universal-divine-knowledge.
On that day, the root of Jesse will stand as a signal to the peoples. The nations will seek him, and his resting place will be glory.
Masoretic (WLC)
וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא שֹׁרֶשׁ יִשַׁי אֲשֶׁר עֹמֵד לְנֵס עַמִּים אֵלָיו גּוֹיִם יִדְרֹשׁוּ וְהָיְתָה מְנֻחָתוֹ כָּבוֹד
In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples — of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious
Septuagint (LXX)
καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἡ ῥίζα τοῦ Ιεσσαι καὶ ὁ ἀνιστάμενος ἄρχειν ἐθνῶν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν καὶ ἔσται ἡ ἀνάπαυσις αὐτοῦ τιμή
In that day there shall be the root of Jesse, even he who arises to rule the nations; in him shall the Gentiles hope, and his rest shall be honor
ROMANS 15:12 CITATION — GENTILE-INCLUSION CATENA FINAL TEXT. Paul cites this verse VERBATIM-FROM-LXX at Romans 15:12, the FOURTH and-final-text in his Gentile-inclusion catena (15:9–12): 'And again Isaiah says: THE ROOT OF JESSE WILL COME, EVEN HE WHO ARISES TO RULE THE GENTILES; IN HIM WILL THE GENTILES HOPE (estai hē rhiza tou Iessai, kai ho anistamenos archein ethnōn; ep' autō ethnē elpiousin).' Paul's text-matches-the-LXX exactly.
GENTILES-HOPE-IN-MESSIAH. The LXX's-rendering 'in him will the Gentiles hope' (where MT has 'of him will the nations inquire') gives the Christological-payoff: Gentiles-as-hopers-in-Christ. The verse anchors-Paul's-argument that-Gentile-inclusion is-prophetically-promised, not-a-Pauline-innovation.
ROOT-OF-JESSE / ROOT-OF-DAVID. Revelation 5:5 ('the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered'), 22:16 ('I am the root and the descendant of David') Christologically-extends. Christ as both-the-source AND descendant of-David.
On that day, the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant of his people — those who remain from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.
'In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea' tracks MT. SECOND-RECOVERY of-the-remnant — eschatological-gathering. Acts 15:16 (James-citing Amos 9:11) parallels.
He will raise a signal for the nations and gather the outcasts of Israel, and assemble the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
'He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth' tracks MT. FROM-THE-FOUR-CORNERS gathering. Matt 24:31 (angels gathering elect from-four-winds) extends.
The jealousy of Ephraim will depart, and those hostile to Judah will be cut off. Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, and Judah will not harass Ephraim.
'The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, and those who harass Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not harass Ephraim' tracks MT. END-OF-CIVIL-DIVISION. Ezekiel 37:15–22 (two-sticks-becoming-one) parallels.
They will swoop down on the Philistine slope to the west; together they will plunder the people of the east. They will stretch out their hand against Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will submit to them.
'But they shall swoop down on the shoulder of the Philistines in the west, and together they shall plunder the people of the east. They shall put out their hand against Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites shall obey them' tracks MT.
The LORD will dry up the tongue of the Sea of Egypt, and wave his hand over the Euphrates with a scorching wind. He will split it into seven channels and make people cross on foot.
'And the LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt, and will wave his hand over the River with his scorching breath, and strike it into seven channels, and he will lead people across in sandals' tracks MT. ANTI-TYPE-OF-EXODUS — second-Exodus-imagery.
There will be a highway for the remnant of his people, for those who remain from Assyria, just as there was for Israel on the day they came up out of the land of Egypt.
'And there will be a highway from Assyria for the remnant that remains of his people, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt' tracks MT. HIGHWAY-FROM-ASSYRIA — return-from-exile imagery. Isaiah 35:8, 40:3's 'highway-of-the-LORD' extends. Mark 1:3 (John-the-Baptist's-citation) Christologically-fulfills.