PART ONE (Summary Analysis)

          The oracles Isaiah are about the coming Messianic king, and they also deal the judgment of God as it concerns Israel and her neighbors.  As it concerns the first idea, the oracles talk about the coming of the Immanuel, the future king in the restored line of David, who will rule with justice and mercy.  But they are also about the destruction of the Davidic dynasty, and the Lord's promise to restore it and thus to bring redemption to the people through the action of this future Davidic king.  So throughout these oracles judgment is spoken of, but it is interspersed with promises of the coming restoration, and this promise of restoration reaches its apex in chapter eleven of Isaiah.  The Lord will create a world of harmony and peace where no one will be harmed, and where a right relationship with Him will be possible.

          The fact that the prophecies of Isaiah move back and forth between the judgment of God, in which He punishes Israel for all her failings and sins; and His constant assurance of a coming redemption, where after His anger has been satisfied, He will finally restore His chosen people, probably reflect the various stages of the collection and redaction of these materials.  But regardless of that, in its final form these opening chapters of the book of Isaiah speak of the destruction of the Davidic dynasty, while also indicating that the Lord Himself will restore the dynasty, and in the process He will fulfill all His promises.  Thus one can say that ultimately, the judgment of God is tempered by His promise of restoration and redemption through the coming of the Messianic king.

PART TWO (Structural Analysis)

          In looking at the present placement and structure of this oracle (Isaiah 11:1-9), it appears that the closing verses of chapter ten of Isaiah are an introduction to chapter eleven, and so they form a single unit together with it.  Whether or not they always were connected in this way is an open question, but in the final form of the text this appears to be the case.  As G. C. I. Wong wrote in his article on this problem, ". . . it seems likely to me that x 33-34 forms the conclusion to Isaiah x 28-34 and that Isaiah xi 1 begins a new unit that deliberately picks up the imagery of x 33f." [1]  If God punishes and destroys Judah and Jerusalem through the Assyrians, then the stump from which the new shoot grows will be the fallen tree of Judah.  But if verses 33 and 34 of chapter ten refer to the Assyrians, it would seem to identify the stump, that is, the tree that is cut down, with the Assyrians, and that cannot be the case, for how can the shoot of Jesse come from what remains of the Assyrians? [2]

          Putting that question behind us, this oracle can be divided into two main parts; the first part (verses 1-5) concerns the Messianic king and his relationship with the Lord, while the second part focuses on the effects that come forth as a consequence of the just government of the future Davidic king.  The portion of the chapter that deals with the Messianic king himself describes the attributes he will possess as king; but it should be noted that these attributes, which really are his, are only his because they are gifts that God has given to him.  Thus, they are not things intrinsic to him; instead, they are perfections added on to his nature by the Spirit of the Lord that rests upon him.

          The second part of the oracle concerns the nature of the messianic kingdom itself, and so it is meant to show what effect the rule of the future king will have on the world.  There are various parallels in the verses between predator and prey, and these are used in order to show that the enmity existing between all the various types of living beings will be done away with in the Messianic age.  The ideas conveyed in this section may not necessarily be literal in nature; instead, they may only be a figurative way of describing the harmony and blissful peace that will come in the Messianic kingdom.

          As far as verse ten of chapter eleven is concerned, it functions as a bridge between the two major divisions of the chapter.  The first oracle begins at verse 33 of chapter ten, either in its original form or as it came to be in its final form, and concludes in verse nine of chapter eleven.  Verse ten of chapter eleven serves as a bridge between the two oracles, with the second oracle beginning in verse eleven.  The first major division of the chapter deals with the Messianic king and the impact of his rule upon the earth, while the second part beginning in verse eleven ". . . describes [YHWH]'s acts for the redemption of Israel.  [And thus] considerable suspicion is cast on v. 10 by the fact that its opening words are exactly the same as those of v. 11.  It serves as a link between vv. 1-9 and 11-16." [3]  Also, it appears as if verse ten assumes the existence of a worldwide Diaspora, and if that is correct, it means the text is probably a gloss that ". . . comes from the period of the exile, or more probably, from the post-exilic period." [4]

PART THREE (Exegesis of Isaiah 11:1-9)

          [Isaiah 11:1-9]  As indicated above, this pericope concerns the coming Messianic age, that is, the time of the Davidic king who will rule with equity and justice.  It begins by describing the king and the qualities of leadership he will possess.  It also concerns his relationship to the Lord and the fact that it is the Lord who is the source of the king's strength and wisdom.  The second part of this pericope describes the idyllic nature of the future Messianic kingdom.  It is a kingdom in which no one will be harmed, and in which all creatures will live in peace and harmony.

          [Isaiah 11:1]  This verse describes the rise of a future Davidic king who will sprout from the geza, that is, the stump or trunk of David's father Jesse.  This root word, geza, can imply the idea of a tree that has been cut or felled, and that is why that this verse connects to the verses (cf., Isaiah 10:33-34) that come just before it.  As G. C. I. Wong said, "The transition between the last verses of Isaiah x (vv. 33-34) and xi 1 is much more natural if the felled forest of x 33-34 refers to the house of Judah rather than to the fallen might of Assyria." [5]  Professor Wong goes on to propose the same question brought up earlier, "How could the new Davidic king sprout forth from the fallen tree of Assyria?" [6]  If this interpretation is correct, it then becomes clear that this verse is referring to a restoration of the Davidic king, after the destruction of Judah by the Assyrians.  It speaks of the rise of the new king from the stump of Jesse that remains after the destruction of the dynasty.  Thus, this verse is a sign of hope to Israel, and it tells the nation that God will restore what has been lost.

          To be fair to those scholars who do not connect the concluding verses of Isaiah 10 to Isaiah 11, I will mention what Joseph Jensen has to say on the subject.  He holds that the verse itself does not require the destruction of the Davidic monarchy, as he says:  "David's line, which was of importance because of the messianic expectations connected with it . . . , did not come to an end with the destruction of the monarchy in 687 but continued with King Jeroiachem in exile, and in Sheshbazzar, Zerubbabel and their descendants, after the exile." [7]  So, if the verse is not talking about the destruction of the Davidic line of kings, what does Jensen hold that the verse is referring to?  In his opinion the verse refers to ". . . the moral bankruptcy of the historical kings as Isaiah saw them, and the resultant need to look for hope in one who would spring from the pure sources of the dynasty rather than in these kings or their descendants." [8]  This is a valid position, but I still see the destruction of the Davidic monarchy indicated in the text and I continue to hold that the verses at the end of the tenth chapter of Isaiah should be connected to the beginning of chapter eleven.

          [Isaiah 11:2]  "And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him." [9]  The Spirit of the Lord is necessary for the consecration of a king, because a king requires wisdom in order to rule the people properly, and true wisdom is only found in communion with God.  To receive the gift of the Spirit involves the reception of a specific power to act on the part of the recipient; in other words, he gains a strength that he lacked before and this strength is a ". . . definite and particular kind of exertion and direction of the powers and faculties of [his] being. [10]  The Spirit is the ruwach of God. [11]  This word means breath or wind, and it signifies the life giving power of God.  So what Isaiah is saying in the opening of this verse is that the future king will possess a fullness of the Lord's Spirit and life, and so he is contrasting this future reality to the time in which he lives. [12]  Since the fullness of the Lord's Spirit will rest upon the future king, it follows that the wisdom he possesses is to be understood as an energetic participation in the wisdom of God, and includes his being in a right relationship with God.

          The various words used to describe the affect on the future king of this fullness of Spirit are all related to the wisdom literature of the time.  The second part of the verse breaks down this gift of the Spirit into three sections each involving two terms.  The first section uses the words wisdom and understanding.  The word for wisdom in this part of the verse comes from the Hebrew root chokmah and it has nuances of meaning that include:  skill in war, good administration in government, and prudence; but in this context the emphasis would no doubt be on administration. [13]  As it concerns the gift of understanding, the Hebrew root biynah is used, and it concerns the object of knowledge, that is, the ability to properly discern the nature of a thing. [14]  This word can also touch on various areas of human life, both in the ethical and religious spheres.  In the second section the words counsel and might are used.  The spirit of counsel the king receives will ". . . render him independent of the sort of counselors who led Ahaz and Hezekiah into bad policies and insure that he will formulate right plans." [15]  The word might refers to the strength or valor of the Messianic king.  The words in the last section, knowledge and fear of the Lord, refer to the knowledge of God that includes obedience to Him, and the reverence that is His due.

          [Isaiah 11:3]  The next verse describes the response to God by the Messianic king.  In it the future king is described as finding his delight in the fear of the Lord.  In other words, by the power of the Spirit he receives from God, the future king will ". . . bring a genuine devotion, a real delight, to his worship and service."  But this devotion to the Lord is not the king's own doing, it is the Spirit's action in the him; as John D. W. Watts says, these acts of the king ". . . are not royal achievements.  They are facets of [YHWH]'s evident presence in Jerusalem,” and so whenever the ". . . king rules by the spirit of [YHWH], in the fear of [YHWH], and with the intent of spreading the knowledge of [YHWH], the ethos of Davidic kingship is at work." [16]  This view of things fits with Jensen's idea about the moral bankruptcy of the kings mentioned above.  God punishes the Davidic dynasty for it moral failings, and then promises to restore the dynasty and give it moral strength and direction.

          The fact that God will be the source of the future king's moral outlook means that he will judge justly.  Thus he will not judge simply by appearances, and that is what is meant in the portion of the verse that reads, "He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear." [17]  Instead, he will judge by discerning the true nature of the thing in question, and he can do this because the Spirit of the Lord rests upon him.

          [Isaiah 11:4]  In the last verse it was emphasized that the Messianic king will not judge by what he sees, while in this verse the description of how he will judge is given.  It begins by explaining how the future king will judge the poor with righteousness.  The root form for word righteousness in this text is tsedeq, which means rightness; in other words, he will judge them fairly and he will administer justice to all men without regard for their station in life.  This idea is reinforced by the next part of the verse, which speaks of his decisions as being made with equity. [18]  The term for equity is miyshor, which means "a level place," and which includes within it the concept of uprightness in government.  So this entire passage proclaims the goodness and justice of the future Messianic king. [19]  The verse concludes with the king's destruction of the wicked.

          [Isaiah 11:5]  The righteousness spoken of in verse four is connected to the concept of faithfulness in this verse.  The term for faithfulness in this text is closely related to the divine mercy, and so it relates the steadfastness of God. [20]  Those who possess it will be firm and steady, and so they shall not waiver from their course.  Thus the Messianic king will be clothed with the righteousness and faithfulness of the Lord.  The concepts of righteousness and faithfulness came to be associated in a particularly strong way with the king, so Isaiah is reflecting this attitude in this oracle.  As Gerhard von Rad points out, one of the focal points for righteousness ". . . came to be occupied by the king and the monarchy:  this again is not surprising, for as head of the people the king was regarded as the guarantor and protector of everything in the land making for faithfulness in community relations. [21]  In other words, if you have a king upon whom the Spirit of the Lord rests, it follows that you will have an ideal community, an ideal nation, which lives in peace and harmony.

          [Isaiah 11:6]  This verse shifts its point of reference from the future king, to the society that he will govern.  It portrays a harmony among all living things by relating predator to prey in a peaceful association.  The reign of the Messianic king alters the world in a fundamental way, and John N. Oswalt highlights this in his article, when he says that, ". . . the normally rapacious animals are depicted as co-habiting peaceably with their previous prey (vv. 6-8).  Whether this was ever intended literally is almost impossible to say.  . . . It seems more likely that Isaiah is simply utilizing a favorite device of his — the extended figure — to make a point about the nature of the Messiah's rule among humans." [22]  Oswalt goes on to state that the text does not require a literal change on the part of the animals referenced in the oracle, but that a change of heart is required, a type of change "where the experiential knowledge of God reigns supreme." [23]

          The phrase that indicates that the leopard shall lie down with the kid comes from the Hebrew rabats, which means to stretch oneself out, and so it conveys the idea of rest, but it also means that the leopard shall lie down with the other animals as a member of the flock. [24]  The term fatling is often connected with the concept of sacrifice and in this case perhaps it is meant to convey the idea that the lion and the calf will be friends." [25]

          [Isaiah 11:7]  Verses seven and eight continue to deal with the new relationships existing between living things in the Messianic kingdom.  It presents the idea that the cow and the bear will feed together, and also the idea that the lion will eat straw like the ox, [26] and both of these images are intended to show that the future Messianic kingdom is a place of harmony, and that the rightness of the rule of this king will lead to the ". . . elimination of very kind of violence (and [thus] we are reminded of the essential connection between justice and peace)." [27]

          [Isaiah 11:8]  Verse eight has affinities with verse six, because both verses speak of the child and his peaceful and friendly relations with animals that are basically dangerous.  This verse in particular may have connotations of the restoration of the condition of existence prior to the description of the fall in the book of Genesis.  This idea is illustrated by the fact that the child will play by the holes of poisonous snakes, and so the author may be alluding to the removal of the ". . . perpetual enmity between man and serpents, which resulted from the loss of the original conditions of Eden." [28]  Clearly these verses are meant to affirm the harmony that will exist between all living things in the future Davidic kingdom.

          [Isaiah 11:9]  The final verse is the capstone of this part of the oracle, and it reiterates the idea that there will be universal peace and harmony in the Messianic kingdom.  This will happen because the whole earth will become God's holy mountain, that is, the whole world will become His sanctuary.  It becomes His sanctuary because, as Professor Watts explains, the ". . . knowledge of [YHWH] imparted by the Spirit has made it possible for all the world to be as God's own sanctuary with no need for separations and barriers.  The knowledge of [YHWH] implies such a relationship and commitment to [YHWH] and his ways that fellowship with him is possible and easy and that the fulfillment of his pleasure is presumed in all." [29]

PART FOUR (Theological Analysis)

          This chapter of Isaiah is rich in theological significance.  The revelation of the Messiah, the one who will rule with wisdom, justice, and mercy, came to its fullest expression in the mystery of Christ in the New Testament.  But to fully understand the nature of the revelation of God in Christ, one must understand the Old Testament tradition as it developed over time.  The oracle found in chapter eleven of Isaiah is one of the most important, because it speaks about the nature of the Messianic king and the kingdom he will rule.  But we must not retreat into a complete spiritualizing of this oracle, thus emptying it of its literal meaning in order to simply highlight its spiritual meaning in the light of the Paschal Mystery.  We must remember that there can be multiple layers of meaning and revelation within a text.  So this chapter applies to those living in the time in which it was written, that is, it has a literal meaning, but we must also remember that this literal meaning does not negate the spiritual insights that come from our faith in Christ.  Thus, this oracle is fulfilled in different ways at different times.

          Ultimately, this text shows that God will create a just and equitable world in which those who live as He desires will be rewarded; and conversely, those who live in opposition to Him will be punished.  The idea of two ways of living, the way of life and the way of death, gains greater clarity as time goes on.  But it is present even in this oracle, and by implication, the idea of the vindication of the righteous, either in this life or in some future Messianic kingdom, is proclaimed.  Although it is true to say that for those who read the prophecy of Isaiah in the time in which it was given, probably had no real understanding of the idea of an eschatological fulfillment of these promises, it does not follow from this, that there is no eschatological meaning.  But if we keep the pedagogical nature of divine revelation in mind, we will avoid falling into anachronistic readings of texts of the literal sense, while remembering that scripture is multivalent and thus rich in meanings, and some of the ideas found in the texts may only become apparent with the passage of time.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Works Cited and Consulted:

Andrew H. Bartelt.  The Book around Immanuel: Style and Structure in Isaiah 2-12.  (Winona Lake, IN:  Eisenbrauns, 1996).

Francis Brown.  The New Brown-Driver-Briggs-Gesenius Hebrew and English Lexicon.  (Peabody, MA:  Hendrickson Publishers, 1979).

E. W. Bullinger.  Figures of Speech Used in the Bible.  (Grand Rapids, MI:  Baker Book House, 1994).

Walther Eichrodt.  Theology of the Old Testament.  (Philadelphia, PA:  The Westminster Press, 1967).

Reginald C. Fuller (editor).  A New Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture.  (Nashville, TN:  Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1984).

Joseph Jensen, O.S.B.  "Isaiah 1-39."  Old Testament Message.  Carroll Stuhlmueller and Martin McNamara (editors). (Wilmington, DE:  Michael Glazer, Inc., 1984).

Otto Kaiser.  "Isaiah 1-12."  The Old Testament Library.  Peter Ackroyd (editor).  (Philadelphia, PA:  The Westminster Press, 1976).

Ludwig Koehler.  Old Testament Theology.  A. S. Todd (translator).  (London:  Lutterworth Press, 1953).

Frederick L. Moriarty.  "The Emmanuel Prophecies."  Catholic Biblical Quarterly 19, April (1957):  pages 226-233.

John N. Oswalt.  "God's Determination to Redeem His People."  Review and Expositor 88, Spring (1991):  pages 153-165.

Gerhard von Rad.  Old Testament Theology.  (San Francisco, CA:  Harper San Francisco, 1962).

The Interpreter's Bible.  (Nashville, TN:  Abingdon Press, 1984). 12 Volumes.

John D. W. Watts.  "Isaiah 1-33."  Word Biblical Commentary.  David A. Hubbard (editor).  (Waco, TX:  Word Books Publisher, 1985).  Volume 24.

G. C. I. Wong.  "Deliverance or Destruction? Isaiah X 33-34 in the Final Form of Isaiah X-XI."  Vetus Testamentum 53, Issue 4 (2003):  pages 544-552.

Bibles:

Holy Bible:  New International Version.  (Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1990).

Ignatius Bible:  Revised Standard Version.  (San Francisco, CA:  Ignatius Press, 1966).

The Open Bible Edition:  New American Standard Bible.  (Nashville, TN:  Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1978).

Oxford Study Edition:  The New English Bible.  (New York:  Oxford University Press, 1976).

The Messianic Age:  Exegesis Paper on Isaiah 11:1-9

by Steven Todd Kaster

Franciscan University of Steubenville

Principles of Biblical Studies I

Instructor:  Dr. Minto

26 November 2003

_____________________________________

End Notes:

  [1]  G. C. I. Wong, "Deliverance or Destruction?  Isaiah X 33-34 in the Final Form of Isaiah X-XI," Vetus Testamentum 53, Issue 4 (2003), page 550.

  [2]  See Wong, page 550.

  [3]  Otto Kaiser, "Isaiah 1-12," in The Old Testament Library, Peter Ackroyd, editor, (Philadelphia, PA:  The Westminster Press, 1976), page 155.

  [4]  Kaiser, page 155.

  [5]  Wong, page 550.

  [6]  Wong, page 550.

  [7]  Joseph Jensen, O.S.B., "Isaiah 1-39," in Old Testament Message, Carroll Stuhlmueller and Martin McNamara, editors, (Wilmington, DE:  Michael Glazer, Inc., 1984), page 131.

  [8]  Jensen, page 131.

  [9]  Isaiah 11:2

[10]  Ludwig Koehler, Old Testament Theology, A. S. Todd, translator, (London:  Lutterworth Press, 1953), p. 140.

[11]  See Francis Brown, The New Brown-Driver-Briggs-Gesenius Hebrew and English Lexicon, (Peabody, MA:  Hendrickson Publishers, 1979), page 924.

[12]  See Walther Eichrodt, Theology of the Old Testament, (Philadelphia, PA:  The Westminster Press, 1967), volume 2, pages 52-53.

[13]  See Brown, page 315.

[14]  See Brown, page 108.

[15]  Jensen, page 132.

[16]  John D. W. Watts, "Isaiah 1-33," in Word Biblical Commentary, David A. Hubbard, editor, (Waco, TX:  Word Books Publisher, 1985), volume 24, page 174.

[17]  Isaiah 11:3

[18]  See Brown, page 842.

[19]  See Brown, page 449.

[20]  See Brown, page 53.

[21]  Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology, (San Francisco, CA:  Harper San Francisco, 1962), volume 1, page 375.

[22]  John N. Oswalt, "God's Determination to Redeem His People," Review and Expositor 88, Spring (1991):  page 159.

[23]  See Oswalt, pages 159-160.

[24]  See Brown, page 918; see also The Interpreter's Bible, (Nashville, TN:  Abingdon Press, 1984), volume 5, page 249.

[25]  See The Interpreter's Bible, volume 5, page 249.

[26]  Isaiah 11:7.

[27]  Jensen, page 133.

[28]  The Interpreter's Bible, volume 5, page 250; see also Kaiser, page 160.

[29]  Watts, page 173.

Copyright © 2003 - Steven Todd Kaster