Isaiah 33:6

6 God keeps your days stable and secure - salvation, wisdom, and knowledge in surplus, and best of all, Zion's treasure, Fear-of-God.

Isaiah 33:6 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 33:6

And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy
times
Some take these words to be directed to Hezekiah; but rather they are an apostrophe to the Messiah, and respect the later times of Christ, when many shall run to and fro, and the knowledge of him shall be increased, and the earth shall be covered with it, as the waters cover the sea; and which, as it will make these times comfortable and pleasant, so firm, durable, and lasting: or else they are the words of believers in those times, addressed to Zion the church, before spoken of, observing the great increase of spiritual wisdom and knowledge after the destruction of antichrist; by means of which there would be settled times of peace, joy, and comfort to the church: [and] strength of salvation;
or "salvations" F24; or strong and lasting salvations; eternal salvation by Jesus Christ, and complete salvation from antichrist, and from every other enemy; which, together with spiritual wisdom, and experimental knowledge of Christ, and his Gospel, will be the stability of those happy times, which will make the spiritual reign of Christ. The whole may be rendered, according to the accents F25, and "he" (that is, the Lord, before spoken of) "shall be the stability of thy times; the strength of salvations shall be wisdom and knowledge": the fear of the Lord [is] his treasure;
either Hezekiah's, as some, who esteemed the fear of the Lord above all his treasure; and was more zealous in settling and establishing the true worship of God than in amassing treasures to himself: or rather the Lord's treasure, from which he receives a tribute of honour, of more value than the greatest treasure: or, best of all, the church's treasure, and every true believer's; this being the beginning of wisdom, or true grace, the best of riches, and which secures the saints' final perseverance to glory, the better and more enduring substance.


FOOTNOTES:

F24 (tewvy Nox) "fortitudo salutum", Pagninus, Montanus; "rebur ominis, [vel] multiplicis salutis", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
F25 Vid. Reinbeck de Accent. Heb. p. 405.

Isaiah 33:6 In-Context

4 Your people, for a change, got in on the loot, picking the field clean of the enemy spoils.
5 God is supremely esteemed. His center holds. Zion brims over with all that is just and right.
6 God keeps your days stable and secure - salvation, wisdom, and knowledge in surplus, and best of all, Zion's treasure, Fear-of-God.
7 But look! Listen! Tough men weep openly. Peacemaking diplomats are in bitter tears.
8 The roads are empty - not a soul out on the streets. The peace treaty is broken, its conditions violated, its signers reviled.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.