Isaiah 9

For to Us a Child Is Born

1 ^[a] But there will be no ¹gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he ²brought into contempt the land of ³Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he ⁴has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.^[b]

2 ^[c]5The people ⁶who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of ⁷deep darkness, on them has light shined.

3 ⁸You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with ⁹joy at the harvest, as they ¹⁰are glad ¹¹when they divide the spoil.

4 ¹²For the yoke of his burden, ¹³and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as ¹⁴on the day of Midian.

5 ¹⁵For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.

6 ¹⁶For to us a child is born, to us ¹⁷a son is given; ¹⁸and the government shall be ¹⁹upon^[d] his shoulder, and his name shall be called^[e] Wonderful ²⁰Counselor, ²¹Mighty God, ²²Everlasting ²³Father, Prince of ²⁴Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and of peace ²⁵there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it ²⁶with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. ²⁷The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Judgment on Arrogance and Oppression

8 The Lord has sent a word against Jacob, and it will fall on Israel;

9 and all the people will know, ²⁸Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance of heart:

10 "The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place."

11 But the LORD raises the adversaries of Rezin against him, and stirs up his enemies.

12 ²⁹The Syrians on the east and ³⁰the Philistines on the west devour Israel with open mouth. ³¹For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

13 The people ³²did not turn to him who struck them, nor inquire of the LORD of hosts.

14 So the LORD cut off from Israel ³³head and tail, palm branch and reed in one day--

15 ³⁴the elder and honored man is the head, and ³⁵the prophet who teaches lies is the tail;

16 for those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.

17 Therefore the Lord does not ³⁶rejoice over their young men, and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is ³⁷godless and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks ³⁸folly.^{[f] 39}For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

18 For wickedness burns like ⁴⁰a fire; it consumes briers and thorns; it kindles the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke.

19 Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts the land is scorched, and ⁴¹the people are like fuel for the fire; ⁴²no one spares another.

20 ⁴³They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry, and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied; ⁴⁴each devours the flesh of his own arm,

21 Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh; together they are ⁴⁵against Judah. ⁴⁶For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah 9 Commentary

Chapter 9

The Son that should be born, and his kingdom. (1-7) The judgments to come upon Israel, and on the enemies of the kingdom of Christ. (8-21)

Verses 1-7 The Syrians and Assyrians first ravaged the countries here mentioned, and that region was first favoured by the preaching of Christ. Those that want the gospel, walk in darkness, and in the utmost danger. But when the gospel comes to any place, to any soul, light comes. Let us earnestly pray that it may shine into our hearts, and make us wise unto salvation. The gospel brings joy with it. Those who would have joy, must expect to go through hard work, as the husbandman, before he has the joy of harvest; and hard conflict, as the soldier, before he divides the spoil. The Jews were delivered from the yoke of many oppressors; this was a shadow of the believer's deliverance from the yoke of Satan. The cleansing the souls of believers from the power and pollution of sin, would be by the influence of the Holy Spirit, as purifying fire. These great things for the church, shall be done by the Messiah, Emmanuel. The Child is born; it was certain; and the church, before Christ came in the flesh, benefitted by his undertaking. It is a prophecy of him and of his kingdom, which those that waited for the Consolation of Israel read with pleasure. This Child was born for the benefit of us men, of us sinners, of all believers, from the beginning to the end of the world. Justly is he called Wonderful, for he is both God and man. His love is the wonder of angels and glorified saints. He is the Counsellor, for he knew the counsels of God from eternity; and he gives counsel to men, in which he consults our welfare. He is the Wonderful Counsellor; none teaches like him. He is God, the mighty One. Such is the work of the Mediator, that no less power than that of the mighty God could bring it to pass. He is God, one with the Father. As the Prince of Peace, he reconciles us to God; he is the Giver of peace in the heart and conscience; and when his kingdom is fully established, men shall learn war no more. The government shall be upon him; he shall bear the burden of it. Glorious things are spoken of Christ's government. There is no end to the increase of its peace, for the happiness of its subjects shall last for ever. The exact agreement of this prophecy with the doctrine of the New Testament, shows that Jewish prophets and Christian teachers had the same view of the person and salvation of the Messiah. To what earthly king or kingdom can these words apply? Give then, O Lord, to thy people to know thee by every endearing name, and in every glorious character. Give increase of grace in every heart of thy redeemed upon earth.

Verses 8-21 Those are ripening apace for ruin, whose hearts are unhumbled under humbling providences. For that which God designs, in smiting us, is, to turn us to himself; and if this point be not gained by lesser judgments, greater may be expected. The leaders of the people misled them. We have reason to be afraid of those that speak well of us, when we do ill. Wickedness was universal, all were infected with it. They shall be in trouble, and see no way out; and when men's ways displease the Lord, he makes even their friends to be at war with them. God would take away those they thought to have help from. Their rulers were the head. Their false prophets were the tail and the rush, the most despicable. In these civil contests, men preyed on near relations who were as their own flesh. The people turn not to Him who smites them, therefore he continues to smite: for when God judges, he will overcome; and the proudest, stoutest sinner shall either bend or break.

Cross References

• 1. [Isaiah 8:22]
• 2. [2 Kings 15:29; 2 Chronicles 16:4]
• 3. Cited Matthew 4:15, 16
• 4. Isaiah 26:15
• 5. [See ver. 1 above]
• 6. [Luke 1:79; Ephesians 5:8, 14]
• 7. See Job 3:5
• 8. Isaiah 26:15
• 9. Psalms 4:7; [John 4:36]
• 10. Psalms 119:162; [1 Samuel 30:16]
• 11. [Judges 5:30]
• 12. Isaiah 10:27; Isaiah 14:25; Nahum 1:13; [Matthew 11:29]
• 13. Isaiah 10:5, 24; Isaiah 14:5
• 14. Isaiah 10:26; Psalms 83:9; See Judges 7:19-25; Judges 8:10-21
• 15. Ezekiel 39:9
• 16. Luke 2:11; [John 3:16]
• 17. Isaiah 7:14
• 18. [Matthew 28:18; 1 Corinthians 15:25]
• 19. Isaiah 22:22
• 20. [Isaiah 28:29]
• 21. Isaiah 10:21; Deuteronomy 10:17; Nehemiah 9:32; Jeremiah 32:18; [Psalms 45:3]
• 22. Psalms 72:17
• 23. Isaiah 63:16; [John 14:18]
• 24. Psalms 72:7; [Ephesians 2:14]; See Isaiah 11:6-9
• 25. Psalms 89:4; Luke 1:32, 33
• 26. Jeremiah 23:5
• 27. Isaiah 37:32; 2 Kings 19:31; [Zechariah 1:14]
• 28. Isaiah 7:2, 5, 8, 9, 17
• 29. [2 Kings 16:6]
• 30. [2 Chronicles 28:18]
• 31. ver. 17, 21; Isaiah 5:25; Isaiah 10:4
• 32. [Isaiah 1:5; Hosea 7:10]
• 33. Isaiah 19:15; Deuteronomy 28:13
• 34. Isaiah 3:2, 3
• 35. [Isaiah 28:7; Micah 3:5]
• 36. Psalms 147:10, 11
• 37. Isaiah 10:6
• 38. Genesis 34:7
• 39. [See ver. 12 above]
• 40. Psalms 83:14; [James 3:5]
• 41. Isaiah 24:6
• 42. [Micah 7:2]
• 43. Isaiah 8:21
• 44. Isaiah 49:26; See Deuteronomy 28:53-57
• 45. [Isaiah 11:13]; See 2 Chronicles 28:6-9
• 46. See ver. 12

Footnotes

• [a]. Ch 8:23 in Hebrew
• [b]. Or of the Gentiles
• [c]. Ch 9:1 in Hebrew
• [d]. Or is upon
• [e]. Or is called
• [f]. Or speaks disgraceful things

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 9

This chapter contains a prophecy, partly of comfort to the church and people of God, against the calamities predicted in the preceding chapter Isa 8:1-22; and partly of punishment, to be inflicted upon the ungodly Israelites by their enemies. The comfort promised arises from the appearance of Christ, the great light, in some certain places of the land mentioned, said before to be afflicted, Isa 9:1,2 which would occasion a joy among them; illustrated by some similes, by the joy in harvest, and at the dividing of spoils, Isa 9:3 the cause of which is a deliverance from a burdensome yoke of tyranny and bondage, wrought in like manner as that by Gideon formerly; different from all other salvations, which are usually obtained with noise and blood, Isa 9:4,5 the author of which is the Messiah; who is described by his birth as man, and by his divine sonship as God; or by his person, having two natures united in him; and by the government devolved on him; and by his several names, which express the greatness and glory of his person and office; and by the increase and administration of his government, Isa 9:6,7 then follows a denunciation of judgment on Israel, Isa 9:8 the instruments of which are pointed at, Isa 9:11,12, and the persons described that should suffer, high and low, rich and poor, young and old, Isa 9:14,15,17 the reasons of it, their making light of former corrections, Isa 9:9,10 their impenitence and hardness under chastenings, Isa 9:13 their going astray by means of their leaders; and their hypocrisy and wickedness, Isa 9:16-18 all which would occasion the wrath of God to burn against them, and consume them, Isa 9:18,19 yea, through hunger and want of provisions, should destroy one another, Isa 9:20,21.