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Isaiah11

Isaiah 11 prophesies the coming of a righteous ruler, a "Branch" from Jesse, upon whom the Spirit of the Lord will rest. He will judge with perfect wisdom and equity, establishing a kingdom of peace where even predatory animals live harmoniously with the meek. This ruler will also serve as an ensign for the Gentiles, and the Lord will gather the dispersed remnant of Israel and Judah from across the earth, uniting them and making a way for their return.
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The Righteous Ruler from Jesse's Line

1
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: ​
2
And 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; ​
3
And 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:
4
But 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. ​
5
And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

Peace in the Messianic Kingdom

6
The 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. ​
7
And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8
And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.
9
They 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.

The Restoration and Reunion of Israel

10
And 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. ​
11
And 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. ​
12
And 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.
13
The 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. ​
14
But 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.
15
And 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. ​
16
And 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.

Study Notes for Isaiah 11

Verse 1

This verse introduces the Messiah not from the reigning (but wicked) house of Ahaz, but from the humble 'stem of Jesse,' signifying that the Davidic monarchy has been reduced to a mere stump. The 'Branch' (Heb. *netzer*) refers to the promised descendant who will restore the kingdom.

Verse 2

The Spirit of the Lord is described using six specific attributes, often understood as the sevenfold Spirit (Spirit of the LORD plus six others). This fullness signifies the Messiah’s perfect qualification for divine rule, wisdom, and judgment.

Verse 4

The Messiah judges with absolute righteousness, defending the marginalized. The 'rod of his mouth' and the 'breath of his lips' indicate that his judgment is executed by his authoritative word alone, demonstrating divine power.

Verse 6

This passage uses striking imagery of predatory and prey animals coexisting to symbolize the radical reversal of the curse imposed at the Fall (Genesis 3). This transformation signifies the establishment of perfect harmony and safety under the Messiah’s rule.

Verse 10

The 'root of Jesse' serves as an *ensign* (a military banner or signal) for all nations, indicating the universal scope of the Messiah’s reign. The Gentiles will seek him, demonstrating that the Messianic kingdom is open to all peoples.

Verse 11

The phrase 'the second time' looks forward to a gathering of the Jewish people from global exile that is greater than the return from Babylon. This event will encompass all known centers of the Diaspora, demonstrating God's faithfulness to His covenant promises.

Verse 13

This verse prophesies the reunification of the historically divided kingdoms of Israel (Ephraim) and Judah. Under the Messiah, the political and social strife that separated the northern and southern tribes will finally cease.

Verse 15

God promises to remove geographical obstacles, symbolized by the destruction of the 'tongue of the Egyptian sea' (likely the Gulf of Suez or Red Sea inlet) and the smiting of the River Euphrates. This miraculous act recalls the power displayed during the original Exodus.

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