Isaiah 11:7-16

7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.

9 ¹They shall not hurt or destroy in all ²my holy mountain; ³for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

10 In that day ⁴the root of ⁵Jesse, who shall stand as ⁶a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

11 ⁷In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, ⁸from Assyria, ⁹from Egypt, from ¹⁰Pathros, from ¹¹Cush, ^[a] from ¹²Elam, from ¹³Shinar, from ¹⁴Hamath, and from ¹⁵the coastlands of the sea.

12 He will raise ¹⁶a signal for the nations and will assemble ¹⁷the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

13 ¹⁸The 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.

14 ¹⁹But they shall swoop down on the shoulder of the Philistines in the west, and together they shall plunder ²⁰the people of the east. They shall put out their hand ²¹against ²²Edom and ²³Moab, and ²⁴the Ammonites shall obey them.

15 And the Lord will utterly destroy^{[b] 25}the tongue of the Sea of Egypt, and will wave his hand over ²⁶the River with his scorching breath, ^[c] and strike it into seven channels, and he will lead people across in sandals.

16 And there will be ²⁷a highway from Assyria for the remnant that remains of his people, ²⁸as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt.

Isaiah 11:7-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 11

This chapter is a prophecy of the Messiah, and gives an account of his descent, as man; of his qualifications for his office, as a Judge and King; of his performance of it; of the peaceableness of his kingdom; of the spread of it among the Gentiles, by the preaching of the Gospel; and of the last and general conversion of the Jews. His original and descent from David the son of Jesse, under the titles of a rod and branch, is described as mean and obscure, expressed by stem and roots, Isa 11:1 his gifts and qualifications for his work, in general and particular, Isa 11:2 the performance of it, both with respect to good men and bad men, in the fear of the Lord, with all equity, righteousness, and readiness, Isa 11:3-5 the peaceableness of his kingdom is figuratively expressed, by the agreement of savage and tame creatures, the former becoming the latter, and so losing their malignant and hurtful nature, through the efficacy of the Gospel, spreading the knowledge of Christ all over the world, Isa 11:6-9 particularly among the Gentiles, comparable to those savage creatures, who, upon the exhibition of Christ in the Gospel; should seek to him, and find rest in him, Isa 11:10 which will be followed or accompanied with a collection of the Jews out of all lands, and the conversion of them, which will be brought about by the power and grace of God, all impediments being by him removed out of the way; the consequences of which will be, peace among themselves, and obedience among the Gentiles, Isa 11:11-16.

Cross References

• 1. 11:9 [See ver. 6 above]
• 2. 11:9 Ps. 78:54
• 3. 11:9 Hab. 2:14
• 4. 11:10 Cited Rom. 15:12
• 5. 11:10 ver. 1
• 6. 11:10 ch. 49:22; [Ex. 17:15]
• 7. 11:11 ch. 10:20
• 8. 11:11 ch. 27:13; Mic. 7:12; Zech. 10:10
• 9. 11:11 ch. 27:13; Mic. 7:12; Zech. 10:10
• 10. 11:11 Jer. 44:1, 15; Ezek. 29:14; 30:14
• 11. 11:11 See Gen. 10:6-12
• 12. 11:11 Gen. 10:22; 14:1, 9; Jer. 25:25; See Jer. 49:34-39
• 13. 11:11 Gen. 11:2
• 14. 11:11 See ch. 10:9
• 15. 11:11 Esth. 10:1
• 16. 11:12 [See ver. 10 above]
• 17. 11:12 ch. 56:8; [Zech. 10:6]
• 18. 11:13 Ezek. 37:16, 17; [ch. 9:21; Zech. 11:14]
• 19. 11:14 [2 Sam. 8:1; 2 Kgs. 18:8]
• 20. 11:14 Judg. 6:3; See Jer. 49:28
• 21. 11:14 Ps. 60:8
• 22. 11:14 [2 Sam. 8:14]
• 23. 11:14 [2 Sam. 8:2]
• 24. 11:14 See 2 Sam. 12:26-31
• 25. 11:15 [Zech. 10:11]
• 26. 11:15 See ch. 7:20
• 27. 11:16 ch. 19:23; [ch. 35:8]
• 28. 11:16 Ex. 14:29

Footnotes

• [a] 11:11 Probably 'Nubia'
• [b] 11:15 Hebrew 'devote to destruction'
• [c] 11:15 Or 'wind'