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The Prophets · Old Testament

Isaiah 11

Isaiah 11: the rod from the stem of Jesse and the gathered remnant

General context

A rod comes out of the stem of Jesse and a Branch grows from his roots. The spirit of the Lord rests on him, named as wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He does not judge by sight or hearing but judges the poor with righteousness and reproves with equity for the meek, smites the earth with the rod of his mouth and slays the wicked with the breath of his lips, girded with righteousness and faithfulness. Wolf and lamb, leopard and kid, calf and young lion dwell together with a little child leading them; cow and bear feed together, the lion eats straw, and a sucking child plays at the asp's hole. None hurt or destroy in all the holy mountain, because the earth is full of the knowledge of the Lord as waters cover the sea. In that day the root of Jesse stands as an ensign to which the Gentiles seek, and the Lord sets his hand a second time to recover his remnant from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath and the islands of the sea, assembling the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. Ephraim's envy departs and Judah's adversaries are cut off; together they fly on the shoulders of the Philistines, spoil the east, lay hands on Edom and Moab, and Ammon obeys them. The Lord destroys the tongue of the Egyptian sea, smites the river into seven streams so men cross dryshod, and makes a highway for the remnant from Assyria as there was for Israel coming up out of Egypt.

Cited passages: Isaiah 11:1, Isaiah 11:2, Isaiah 11:3, Isaiah 11:4, Isaiah 11:5, Isaiah 11:6, Isaiah 11:7, Isaiah 11:8, Isaiah 11:9, Isaiah 11:10, Isaiah 11:11, Isaiah 11:12, Isaiah 11:13, Isaiah 11:14, Isaiah 11:15, Isaiah 11:16

Isaiah 11 (KJV)

1And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

2And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;

3And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

4But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

5And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

6The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

7And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.

9They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

10And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

11And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

12And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

13The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.

14But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.

15And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.

16And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

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Historical context

The figure of the opening verses is described only as a rod from the stem of Jesse and a Branch from his roots, and later as the root of Jesse; the chapter does not name him, date him or tell any story about him, and this record does not identify him with any later person. Jesse is named without explanation here, though the throne of David appears in chapter nine. No setting marker, king or year is given. The list of lands in the eleventh verse, Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath and the islands of the sea, is the widest geography in the book so far, and the text calls this recovery the second time without saying what the first was, unless the sixteenth verse's comparison to the day Israel came up out of the land of Egypt is meant. Both kingdoms are named, Israel's outcasts and Judah's dispersed, and Ephraim and Judah are reconciled before they act against Philistines, Edom, Moab and Ammon. The animals of verses six to eight are stated as picture without explanation. Paul later cites the tenth verse: And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. That wording differs from the KJV text of Isaiah here.

Cited passages: Isaiah 11:1, Isaiah 11:10, Isaiah 9:7, Isaiah 11:11, Isaiah 11:16, Isaiah 11:12, Isaiah 11:13, Isaiah 11:14, Isaiah 11:6, Romans 15:12

Literary context

The chapter grows from a stump. After chapter ten ends with Lebanon's forest cut down and the high ones hewn, this chapter opens with a rod from a stem and a Branch from roots, so felling is answered by regrowth. The spirit is named in three pairs, and the ruler's judging is defined first by what he does not use, eyes and ears, then by what he does, righteousness and equity, with the rod of his mouth replacing the rod of Assyria. The animal peace is arranged in pairs of predator and prey, wolf and lamb, leopard and kid, lion and calf, cow and bear, and children are placed at the centre, one leading in the sixth verse and two playing at serpents' holes in the eighth. The reason is given as knowledge covering the earth like the sea. Ensign is the hinge word: the root of Jesse is an ensign to the Gentiles, and the Lord sets up an ensign for the nations to gather Israel and Judah; the word appeared in chapter five as the signal that summoned the destroying army. The chapter closes on water crossed dryshod and a highway, comparing the return to the exodus, and chapter twelve answers with a song. Both halves share the phrase in that day, which links the ruler to the gathering.

Cited passages: Isaiah 10:34, Isaiah 11:1, Isaiah 11:2, Isaiah 11:3, Isaiah 11:4, Isaiah 10:5, Isaiah 11:6, Isaiah 11:8, Isaiah 11:9, Isaiah 11:10, Isaiah 11:12, Isaiah 5:26, Isaiah 11:15, Isaiah 12:1

Key moments

  1. A rod from Jesse's stem (Isaiah 11:1). A rod and a Branch grow from the roots of Jesse.
  2. The spirit rests on him (Isaiah 11:2). Wisdom, counsel, knowledge and the fear of the Lord are named as the spirit resting on him.
  3. Judging the poor rightly (Isaiah 11:4). He judges the poor with righteousness and slays the wicked with the breath of his lips.
  4. Wolf and lamb together (Isaiah 11:6). Predators and prey lie down together and a little child leads them.
  5. Knowledge covers the earth (Isaiah 11:9). Nothing hurts in the holy mountain because knowledge of the Lord fills the earth.
  6. The root as an ensign (Isaiah 11:10). The root of Jesse stands as an ensign and the Gentiles seek it.
  7. A highway from Assyria (Isaiah 11:16). The remnant returns on a highway as Israel once came up out of Egypt.

For reflection

The ruler judges not after the sight of his eyes, yet the peace that follows is described entirely in things seen, wolf, lamb, child, asp. What does the chapter suggest judgment rests on, if not on what is seen and heard?

People in this chapter

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