Isaiah 11:5

5 And rightfulness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faith shall be the girding of his reins. (And justice shall be the belt about his loins, and faith shall be his girdle.)

Isaiah 11:5 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 11:5

And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins
He shall be adorned with it, strengthened by it, and ready at all times to perform it; he loved righteousness, and did acts of righteousness throughout the whole course of his life; and, by his active and passive obedience, wrought out an everlasting righteousness for his people; he is a King that reigns in righteousness, righteousness is the sceptre of his kingdom; all his administrations of government are righteous; just and true are all his ways:

and faithfulness the girdle of his reins;
he was faithful to God, that appointed him as King and Head of the church; faithful as a Prophet, in declaring his mind and will; and is a faithful High Priest, as well as a merciful one. The Targum, interprets this of righteous and faithful men, thus,

``and the righteous shall be round about him, and they that work (the work) of faith shall draw nigh unto him;''

but it is said of a single person, of the Messiah only, to whom it properly belongs.

Isaiah 11:5 In-Context

3 and the spirit of the dread of the Lord shall fill him. He shall deem not by the sight of eyes, neither he shall reprove, either convict, by the hearing of ears; (and the spirit of the fear of the Lord shall fill him/and the spirit of reverence for the Lord shall fill him. He shall not judge by the sight of his eyes, nor shall he rebuke, or convict, by the hearing of his ears;)
4 but he shall deem in rightfulness poor men, and he shall reprove in equity, for the mild men of [the] earth. And he shall smite the land with the rod of his mouth, and with the spirit of his lips he shall slay the wicked man. (but he shall judge the poor with justice, and he shall rebuke the meek, or the humble, of the earth with equity, or with fairness. And he shall strike the land with the rod of his mouth, and he shall kill the wicked with the spirit of his lips.)
5 And rightfulness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faith shall be the girding of his reins. (And justice shall be the belt about his loins, and faith shall be his girdle.)
6 A wolf shall dwell with a lamb, and a leopard shall rest with a kid; a calf, and a lion, and a sheep shall dwell together, and a little child shall drive them. (A wolf shall live with a lamb, and a leopard shall rest with a goat kid; a calf, and a lion, and a sheep shall all live together, and a little child shall drive, or shall direct, them.)
7 A calf and a bear shall be pastured together; the whelps of them shall rest (together), and a lion as an ox shall eat straw (and a lion shall eat straw like an ox).
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.