TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Isaiah 6:9–13. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
God takes Isaiah at his word, and here sends him on a strange errand - to foretel the ruin of his people and even to ripen them for that ruin - to preach that which, by their abuse of it, would be to them a savour of death unto death. And this was to be a type and figure of the state of the Jewish church in the days of the Messiah, when they should obstinately reject the gospel, and should thereupon be rejected of God. These verses are quoted in part, or referred to, six times, in the New Testament, which intimates that in gospel time these spiritual judgments would be most frequently inflicted; and though they make the least noise, and come not with observation, yet they are of all judgments the most dreadful. Isaiah is here given to understand these four things: -
1.That the generality of the people to whom he was sent would turn a deaf ear to his preaching, and wilfully shut their eyes against all the discoveries of the mind and will of God which he had to make to them (Isa 6:9): "Go, and tell this people, this foolish wretched people, tell them their own, tell them how stupid and sottish they are." Isaiah must preach to them, and they will hear him indeed, but that is all; they will not heed him; they will no understand him; they will not take any pains, nor use that application of mind which is necessary to the understanding of him; they are prejudiced against that which is the true intent and meaning of what he says, and therefore they will not understand him, or pretend they do not. They see indeed (for the vision is made plain on tables, so that he who runs may read it); but they perceive not their own concern in it; it is to them as a tale that is told. Note, There are many who hear the sound of God's word, but do not feel the power of it.
2.That, forasmuch as they would not be made better by his ministry, they should be made worse by it; those that were wilfully blind should be judicially blinded (Isa 6:10): "They will not understand or perceive thee, and therefore thou shalt be instrumental to make their heart fat, senseless, and sensual, and so to make their ears yet more heavy, and to shut their eyes the closer; so that, at length, their recovery and repentance will become utterly impossible; they shall no more see with their eyes the danger they are in, the ruin they are upon the brink of, nor the way of escape from it; they shall no more hear with their ears the warnings and instructions that are given them, nor understand with their heart the things that belong to their peace, so as to be converted from the error of their ways, and thus be healed." Note,
(1.)The conversion of sinners is the healing of them.
(2.)A right understanding is necessary to conversion.
(3.)God sometimes, in a way of righteous judgment, gives men up to blindness of mind and strong delusions, because they would not receive the truth in the love of it, Th2 2:10-12. He that is filthy let him be filthy still.
(4.)Even the word of God oftentimes proves a means of hardening sinners. The evangelical prophet himself makes the heart of this people fat, not only as he foretels it, passing this sentence upon them in God's name, and seals them under it, but as his preaching had a tendency to it, rocking some asleep in security (to whom it was a lovely song), and making others more outrageous, to whom it was such a reproach that they were not able to bear it. Some looked upon the word as a privilege, and their convictions were smothered by it (Jer 7:4); others looked upon it as a provocation, and their corruptions were exasperated by it.
3.That the consequence of this would be their utter ruin, Isa 6:11, Isa 6:12. The prophet had nothing to object against the justice of this sentence, nor does he refuse to go upon such an errand, but asks, "Lord, how long?" (an abrupt question): "Shall it always be thus? Must I and other prophets always labour in vain among them, and will things never be better?" Or, (as should seem by the answer) "Lord, what will it come to at last? What will be in the end hereof?" In answer to this he is told that it should issue in the final destruction of the Jewish church and nation. "When the word of God, especially the word of the gospel, had been thus abused by them, they shall be unchurched, and consequently undone. Their cities shall be uninhabited, and their country houses too; the land shall be untilled, desolate with desolation (as it is in the margin), the people who should replenish the houses and cultivate the ground being all cut off by sword, famine, or pestilence, and those who escape with their lives being removed far away into captivity, so that there shall be a great and general forsaking in the midst of the land; that populous country shall become desert, and that glory of all lands shall be abandoned." Note, Spiritual judgments often bring temporal judgments along with them upon persons and places. This was in part fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, when the land, being left desolate, enjoyed her sabbaths seventy years; but, the foregoing predictions being so expressly applied in the New Testament to the Jews in our Saviour's time, doubtless this points at the final destruction of that people by the Romans, in which it had a complete accomplishment, and the effects of it that people and that land remain under to this day.
4.That yet a remnant should be reserved to be the monuments of mercy, Isa 6:13. There was a remnant reserved in the last destruction of the Jewish nation (Rom 11:5, At this present time there is a remnant); for so it was written here: But in it shall be a tenth, a certain number, but a very small number in comparison with the multitude that shall perish in their unbelief. It is that which, under the law, was God's proportion; they shall be consecrated to God as the tithes were, and shall be for his service and honour. Concerning this tithe, this saved remnant, we are here told,
(1.)That they shall return (Isa 6:13; Isa 10:21), shall return from sin to God and duty, shall return out of captivity to their own land. God will turn them, and they shall be turned.
(2.)That they shall be eaten, that is, shall be accepted of God as the tithe was, which was meat in God's house, Mal 3:10. The saving of this remnant shall be meat to the faith and hope of those that wish well to God's kingdom.
(3.)That they shall be like a timber-tree in winter, which has life, though it has no leaves: As a teil-tree and as an oak, whose substance is in them even when they cast their leaves, so this remnant, though they may be stripped of their outward prosperity and share with others in common calamities, shall yet recover themselves, as a tree in the spring, and flourish again; though they fall, they shall not be utterly cast down. There is hope of a tree, though it be cut down, that it will sprout again, Job 14:7.
(4.)That this distinguished remnant shall be the stay and support of the public interests. The holy seed in the soul is the substance of the man; a principle of grace reigning in the heart will keep life there; he that is born of God has his seed remaining in him, Jo1 3:9. So the holy seed in the land is the substance of the land, keeps it from being quite dissolved, and bears up the pillars of it, Psa 75:3. See Isa 1:9. Some read the foregoing clause with this, thus: As the support at Shallecheth is in the elms and the oaks, so the holy seed is the substance thereof; as the trees that grow on either side of the causeway (the raised way, or terrace-walk, that leads from the king's palace to the temple, Kg1 10:5, at the gate of Shallecheth, Ch1 26:16) support the causeway by keeping up the earth, which would otherwise be crumbling away, so the small residue of religious, serious, praying people, are the support of the state, and help to keep things together and save them from going to decay. Some make the holy seed to be Christ. The Jewish nation was therefore saved from utter ruin because out of it, as concerning the flesh, Christ was to come, Rom 9:5. Destroy it not, for that blessing is in it (Isa 65:8); and when that blessing had come, it was soon destroyed. Now the consideration of this is designed for the support of the prophet in his work. Though far the greater part should perish in their unbelief, yet to some his word should be a savour of life unto life. Ministers do not wholly lose their labour if they be but instrumental to save one poor soul.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
(Verse 11-13.) And I said, how long, Lord? And he answered, until the cities are desolate and without inhabitant, and the houses are without people, and the land is left empty. And the Lord will remove men far away, and what was abandoned in the midst of the land will be multiplied. And even in it there will be a tenth, and it will be turned again to destruction, like a terebinth tree, and like an oak tree that sheds its leaves, the holy seed will be the stump that remains in it. The Lord said: Go, and tell this people, Hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive. For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them (Deut. XXXII). The prophet responds, anxiously questioning about his people: How long, Lord, will this message endure, that they hear but do not understand; and see but do not perceive? To whom the Lord responded, for so long will not hear, and will not see, and will have a blind heart, until the cities of Judea are completely destroyed by Vespasian and Titus fighting, to the extent that not even the original name remains, and if there are any houses left; they will be without inhabitants, and the land will be reduced to a wilderness; and either by fleeing or by captivity, the Jewish people will be dispersed throughout the entire world: and the Jewish people will multiply not in Judea, as before, but in all the nations. But when I say that it will multiply, the misery of the remaining people will be so great that compared to the previous multitude, hardly a tenth part will remain. And even in the land itself there will be desolation (for this place can be understood in two ways: that hardly a tenth part will remain in the whole world, and that hardly a small part of the people will be reserved in Judea). Again, the remaining people will be for plundering, when after nearly fifty years Adrian will come and completely plunder the land of Judea, to such an extent that it will be compared to a terebinth and an oak tree that has lost its acorns. Finally, after the ultimate devastation, even the laws of the state were suspended, and the Jews were prohibited from entering the land from which they had been expelled. But if anyone believes in Christ, and the fulfillment of what we have read above: 'Unless the Lord of hosts had left us offspring, we would have become like Sodom and become like Gomorrah' (Isaiah 1:9); as the Apostle also says (Romans 9), the remnant will be saved; this holy offspring will be, and from the seed of the apostles all the churches will sprout forth. What we have said, the holy seed will be that which remains in her, or next to the eagle, the holy seed will be its offspring; it is not found in the Seventy Interpreters, but added by Origen from the Hebrew and Theodotion's edition; in the copies of the Church, it is stated that after the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, then all Israel will be saved; and this word of the Lord will also be fulfilled, saying: 'I will kill, and I will make alive; I will wound, and I will heal' (Deuteronomy 32:39).
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Summary
Isaiah 6:13 delivers a profound message of both devastating judgment and enduring hope, concluding the prophet's commissioning vision. Following a stark prophecy of national desolation and spiritual hardening, this verse introduces a divine promise: despite the land being laid waste and its people exiled, a small, preserved remnant—"a tenth"—will survive the consuming fire of judgment. This enduring core is likened to the resilient stump of a felled terebinth or oak, from which new life can spring, identifying this preserved group as the "holy seed" that will ensure the nation's future and the continuation of God's covenant purposes.
Context
Literary Context
Isaiah 6:13 serves as the climactic and concluding statement of Isaiah's profound inaugural vision and commissioning. The preceding verses, specifically Isaiah 6:9-12, outline a chilling divine mandate for Isaiah: to preach a message that will paradoxically harden the hearts of the people, rendering them spiritually blind and deaf to God's truth. This spiritual insensitivity is prophesied to lead directly to the utter desolation of the land and the widespread exile of its inhabitants, a severe consequence of their persistent rebellion against Yahweh. Verse 13 then introduces a crucial, though grim, caveat to this sweeping destruction, offering a glimmer of hope in the form of a preserved remnant, thereby establishing a foundational theme of the "remnant" that recurs throughout the entire book of Isaiah, particularly in prophecies concerning future restoration.
Historical & Cultural Context
The historical setting for Isaiah's prophetic ministry is the tumultuous 8th century BCE, a period dominated by the relentless expansion and military might of the Neo-Assyrian Empire into the Near East. Both Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and Judah (the Southern Kingdom) faced immense political and military pressure, often responding by engaging in idolatry and forming unreliable foreign alliances rather than placing their trust solely in Yahweh. The "desolation" and "exile" prophesied in this chapter would find concrete historical fulfillment in the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE and, later, the Babylonian exile of the Southern Kingdom of Judah beginning in 586 BCE. The vivid imagery of the "teil tree" (terebinth) and "oak" is deeply rooted in the cultural and natural landscape of Judea; these long-lived, deep-rooted trees were prominent, often serving as significant landmarks or even sites of worship (both legitimate and illicit). Their remarkable ability to sprout new growth from a seemingly dead stump after being cut down was a widely understood natural phenomenon, making them potent and relatable symbols of resilience, enduring life, and the potential for renewal even after catastrophic events.
Key Themes
This concluding verse of Isaiah's commissioning powerfully encapsulates several major theological and narrative themes central to his prophecy and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it starkly underscores the theme of Divine Judgment, illustrating God's righteous wrath against sin, idolatry, and covenant unfaithfulness, which inevitably leads to severe consequences for His covenant people. Secondly, it introduces and profoundly develops Remnant Theology, a foundational concept in the prophetic books, demonstrating God's unwavering faithfulness in preserving a small, righteous core even amidst widespread apostasy and national destruction. This remnant is not merely a statistical survival but a spiritually distinct and consecrated group. Thirdly, the vivid imagery of the tree stump highlights Divine Preservation and Restoration, signifying God's sovereign ability to bring new life and fulfill His promises even from what appears to be utter ruin. This theme anticipates future national and spiritual restoration, echoing promises found in passages like Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36. Finally, the explicit mention of the "holy seed" points directly to the burgeoning Messianic Hope, as this divinely preserved lineage ultimately leads to the coming of the Messiah, who embodies the true Israel and brings about ultimate redemption, a theme further developed in prophecies such as Isaiah 7:14 and Isaiah 9:6-7.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This verb (H1197) is a primitive root meaning "to kindle" or "to consume (by fire or by eating)." It can also mean "to be(come) brutish." In this context, it primarily conveys the idea of consumption, specifically by judgment, implying a destructive purging. This highlights the severity of the divine judgment that will "eat up" or consume the unfaithful, leaving only a remnant.
Derived from H4678, this noun refers to "something stationary," specifically a "monumental stone" or, as used here, the "stock of a tree" or "stump." It signifies the enduring, foundational part that remains after the main part has been removed or destroyed. In the metaphor, it represents the vital, living root system or base from which new growth can emerge, symbolizing the preserved core of Israel.
This term (H6944) denotes "a sacred place or thing," or abstractly, "sanctity." It implies being "consecrated," "dedicated," or "set apart" for God's purposes. When applied to "seed," it signifies that the remnant is not merely a surviving population, but a group divinely chosen, purified, and consecrated by God, distinct from the unfaithful majority, and essential for the continuation of His covenant plan.
Verse Breakdown
"But yet in it [shall be] a tenth,"
This opening clause introduces a crucial counterpoint to the preceding prophecy of widespread desolation. Despite the severe judgment and the vast majority being consumed, a very small, numerically significant portion—a "tenth"—will remain. This "tenth" represents the divinely preserved remnant, emphasizing that God's judgment, while thorough and severe, is not an act of absolute annihilation but a purging that leaves a faithful core.
"and [it] shall return, and shall be eaten:"
This phrase has been a subject of scholarly debate due to its apparent paradox. The verb "shall return" (H7725, shûwb) can mean to turn back, return, or be restored, potentially referring to the remnant returning from exile. However, the subsequent phrase "and shall be eaten" (H1197, bâʻar) suggests further consumption or judgment. This might imply a cyclical pattern of judgment and partial restoration, or that even the returning remnant will undergo further refinement and purification through hardship, ensuring that only the truly "holy seed" emerges. It underscores the depth of the purification required.
"as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance [is] in them, when they cast [their leaves:"
This introduces a powerful Simile and Metaphor. The "teil tree" (likely a terebinth) and the "oak" are robust, long-lived trees common in the Judean landscape. The imagery of them "casting their leaves" refers to their apparent dormancy or 'death' in winter, or when they are felled. Critically, their "substance" (H4678, matstsebeth), meaning their stump or root stock, remains alive and vital underground. This vividly illustrates the concept of resilience and the inherent potential for new growth to emerge from a seemingly dead or destroyed base, even after the visible part of the tree is gone.
"so] the holy seed [shall be] the substance thereof."
This culminating clause directly applies the tree metaphor to the future of Israel. The "substance" (the enduring stump) represents the divinely preserved core of the nation. This core is explicitly identified as the "holy seed" (H6944 qôdesh and H2233 zeraʻ), a consecrated, divinely chosen, and preserved remnant. This "holy seed" is the true, faithful Israel, set apart by God, from whom future restoration, spiritual renewal, and ultimately the Messiah will spring forth, ensuring the continuity of God's covenant purposes.
Literary Devices
Isaiah 6:13 is rich in literary devices that amplify its profound and complex message of judgment and hope. The primary and most striking device is a powerful Simile and Metaphor, comparing the future of Israel to a "teil tree" and an "oak." Just as these resilient trees, when felled or when they cast their leaves in winter, retain their vital "substance" or stump from which new growth can emerge, so too will a core of Israel survive the devastating judgment. This imagery effectively conveys themes of resilience, enduring life, and the promise of regeneration even from apparent ruin. The phrase "the holy seed" functions as a potent Symbolism, representing not merely a biological lineage but a faithful, consecrated, and spiritually distinct remnant of Israel, divinely preserved for God's redemptive purposes. Furthermore, the verse employs stark Contrast, juxtaposing the severity of divine judgment and desolation ("shall be eaten") with the unwavering promise of preservation and future life ("the holy seed shall be the substance thereof"). This contrast powerfully highlights God's sovereign power to both execute righteous judgment and faithfully redeem, ensuring His covenant promises endure even through the crucible of purification and suffering.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Isaiah 6:13 is a foundational text for understanding the intricate balance of God's justice and mercy, His faithfulness amidst human rebellion, and the crucial theological concept of the remnant. It demonstrates that even when the vast majority of a people turn away from Him, God, in His sovereign faithfulness, preserves a core of faithful individuals through whom His covenant promises will continue. This remnant is not merely a statistical survival but a divinely chosen and consecrated group, the "holy seed," set apart for God's redemptive purposes. This profound truth assures believers across all generations that God's plans are immutable and will ultimately prevail, even when circumstances appear bleak, the visible church seems diminished, or society spirals into apostasy. It points to a God who purifies rather than annihilates, ensuring the continuity of His people and the eventual fulfillment of His redemptive promises for humanity.
Reflection and Application
Isaiah 6:13 offers a profoundly sobering yet ultimately hopeful message for believers today. It serves as a stark reminder that God's unwavering holiness demands judgment for sin, and that persistent spiritual hardening and national decline can indeed lead to severe and devastating consequences. However, it also powerfully assures us that God, in His sovereign grace, always preserves a faithful remnant, a "holy seed," even in the darkest and most desperate times. This truth should inspire both profound humility and unwavering hope within us. We are called to diligently examine our own hearts and the spiritual health of our communities, ensuring we are not among those whose hearts are hardened by sin or indifference, but rather striving to be part of the "holy seed"—those set apart for God's divine purposes, living lives characterized by faithful obedience, unwavering trust, and genuine worship. In times of widespread apostasy, moral decay, societal upheaval, or intense persecution, this verse provides immense comfort and spiritual fortitude, affirming that God's eternal kingdom will ultimately prevail through His preserved people, and that new life and spiritual vitality can miraculously spring forth even from apparent desolation and ruin.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of "a tenth" in Isaiah 6:13?
The "tenth" (Hebrew: ʻăsîyrîy) in Isaiah 6:13 signifies a very small, surviving portion of the population. It primarily emphasizes the extreme severity of the impending judgment and desolation that will befall Israel, implying that the vast majority will be destroyed or exiled due to their unfaithfulness. However, it simultaneously highlights God's sovereign faithfulness and His unwavering commitment to His covenant promises, ensuring that a remnant, though numerically small, will be preserved. This concept of a preserved remnant is a recurring and vital theme in prophetic literature, underscoring that God's redemptive plans for His people will not be utterly thwarted by their sin, but will continue through a faithful few.
How does the "teil tree" and "oak" metaphor work in this verse?
The "teil tree" (likely a terebinth) and "oak" were common, long-lived, and deep-rooted trees in the ancient Israelite landscape. The metaphor in Isaiah 6:13 refers to their remarkable ability to sprout new growth from their stump or root system even after the main trunk has been cut down or after they appear dormant or 'dead' in winter when they "cast their leaves." This imagery powerfully symbolizes resilience, enduring life, and the potential for new life and regeneration to emerge from a seemingly dead or destroyed base. Just as the tree's vital "substance" (stump or root stock) remains, so too will a core of Israel, the "holy seed," endure the judgment and provide the foundational source for future restoration and spiritual renewal.
Who is the "holy seed" mentioned at the end of the verse?
The "holy seed" (Hebrew: zera qodesh) refers to the righteous, consecrated remnant of Israel. This is not merely a biological lineage but a spiritually distinct group, chosen and preserved by God, who remain faithful to Him amidst widespread apostasy and judgment. They are designated "holy" because they are set apart by God for His divine purposes and purified through the crucible of judgment. This "holy seed" represents the enduring, faithful core of the nation from which God will bring about future renewal and ultimately fulfill His covenant promises, pointing forward to the ultimate fulfillment in the Messiah and His true spiritual people, the Church.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Isaiah 6:13 finds its most profound and ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The "holy seed" ultimately points to Christ Himself, who is the true Israel, the perfectly faithful remnant of God's people. While the verse speaks of a physical remnant of Israel, the New Testament profoundly reveals that the true "seed" of Abraham, through whom all nations would be blessed, is Christ alone Galatians 3:16. He is the "stump of Jesse" from whom a righteous Branch would miraculously grow Isaiah 11:1, signifying the new life and hope emerging from Israel's apparent desolation and spiritual death. The devastating judgment prophesied in Isaiah 6, which consumed the unfaithful, was ultimately borne by Christ on the cross, where He became the "eaten" sacrifice for the sins of the world John 1:29, allowing the "holy seed" of believers—those who are "in Christ"—to be spiritually preserved and made righteous. Through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, Christ inaugurated the new covenant and established His Church, which is now the spiritual "holy seed"—a people set apart by God, grafted into the true vine John 15:1-5, and serving as the enduring substance of God's kingdom, from whom new life continually springs forth, fulfilling God's magnificent redemptive plan for all humanity Ephesians 2:19-22.