Isaiah 11:14

14 But Israel and Judah will attack the Philistines on the west. Together they will take the riches from the people of the east. They will conquer Edom and Moab, and the people of Ammon will be under their control.

Isaiah 11:14 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 11:14

But they shall flee upon the shoulders of the Philistines
towards the west
That is, Ephraim and Judah, who shall not only agree among themselves, but cheerfully join together against the common enemy: "they shall flee with the shoulder", as some render the words; with joint consent, as the phrase is used in ( Hosea 6:9 ) ( Zephaniah 3:9 ) and so the Targum,

``and they shall be joined together in one shoulder, to smite the Philistines;''
the Septuagint version is, "they shall flee in the ships of strangers"; and so Abarbinel interprets it of the ships of the Philistines, Genoese, and Venetians, that shall bring the Israelites from the west to the east, and carry them in ships by sea. The Philistines were the sworn enemies of the Israelites, and lay to the west of the land of Israel, and when the Gospel was sent into all the world, it began to be preached in the parts of Palestine, whereby many were converted, and embraced it, as foretold they should, ( Psalms 87:4 ) and flying upon their shoulders, as it denotes the conquest of them, and their subjection to the Gospel, so the swiftness of the apostles in carrying it to them, when they had a commission to do it, who were all of them Jews, of one tribe or another; and these may also design the enemies of the people of God now, the antichristian states, some of which will fall off from Popery, receive the Gospel, hate the whore, eat her flesh, and burn her with fire; which will be brought about by the preaching of the Gospel by its ministers, who will fly in the midst of heaven, and upon the shoulders of the Romish antichrist, and proclaim the fall of Babylon, and call upon, the Lord's people to come out of it, ( Revelation 14:6-8 ) ( 17:16 ) ( 18:4 ) : they shall spoil them of the east together;
the Syrians and Arabians, who lay east of Judea; perhaps the Turks are meant, and the destruction of the Ottoman empire, whereby way will be made for the kings and kingdoms of the east to know, receive, and profess the Gospel of Christ, ( Revelation 16:12 ) they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab;
or "there shall be a sending out of their hand"; that is, they shall stretch out their hand, and lay hold on these people, and bring them into subjection to them; which is to be understood of the sending out of the Gospel, by the hands of the ministers of it, into those countries where the Moabites and Edomites formerly dwelt; and thereby bringing them into subjection to Christ and his churches: and the children of Ammon shall obey them;
that have the rule in the house of God, submitting to the laws and ordinances of Christ.

Isaiah 11:14 In-Context

12 God will raise a banner as a sign for all nations, and he will gather the people of Israel who were forced from their country. from all parts of the earth.
13 At that time Israel will not be jealous anymore, and Judah will have no more enemies. Israel will not be jealous of Judah, and Judah will not hate Israel.
14 But Israel and Judah will attack the Philistines on the west. Together they will take the riches from the people of the east. They will conquer Edom and Moab, and the people of Ammon will be under their control.
15 The Lord will dry up the Red Sea of Egypt. and dry it up with a scorching wind. He will divide it into seven small rivers so that people can walk across them with their sandals on.
16 So God's people who are left alive will have a way to leave Assyria, just like the time the Israelites came out of Egypt.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.