Isaiah 11

Isaiah 11 is the eleventh

The original text was written in Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 16 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets (916), Aleppo Codex (10th century), Codex Leningradensis (1008).^[2]

Some fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls (2nd century BC or later):^[3]

• 1QIsa^a: complete
• 4QIsa^a (4Q55): extant verses 12-15
• 4QIsa^b (4Q56): extant verses 7-9
• 4QIsa^c (4Q57): extant verses 4-11
• 4QIsa^l (4Q65): extant verses 14-15

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^S; 4th century), Codex Alexandrinus (A; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^A; 5th century) and Codex Marchalianus (Q; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^Q; 6th century).^[4]

Parashot

The parashah sections listed here are based on the Aleppo Codex.^[5] Isaiah 11 is a part of the Prophecies about Judah and Israel (Isaiah 1–12). {P}: open parashah; {S}: closed parashah.

{S} 11:1-9 {S} 11:10 {P} 11:11-16 [12:1-6 {S}]

The righteous reign of the Branch (11:1–9)

This part deals with the unbroken continuity between the house of

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse,

and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:[7]

Cross reference: Isaiah 11:10

• "Rod" (חטר khoṭır; also in
  Isaiah 4:2 (a twig, a shoot); these words "are messianic terms."^[8]
• "Jesse": the father of king David (1 Samuel 16:1–20).^[9] The naming assures the continuity of the messianic line, but serves as a reminder of David's humble beginnings and divine election rather than on royal pretension and human pride (2 Samuel 7).^[6]
• "Branch" - (נצר nêtser). A twig, branch, sprout or shoot; a word of "messianic terms."
  Isaiah 53:2) or as "a rod and branch out of a dry root".^[15]
• "Roots": from a decayed tree where a shoot starts up. The Septuagint renders this, 'And a flower (ἄνθος anthos) shall arise from the root'.
  Revelation 22:16).^[10]

³ And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

or decide disputes by what his ears hear,

⁴ but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.[16]

• "And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord" (English Standard Version): or "and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord" (King James Version), translated from Hebrew: והריחו ביראת יהוה, wa-hă-rî-khōw bə-yir-’aṯ Yah-weh.^[17]

Verse 6

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,

The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,

The calf and the young lion and the fatling together;

And a little child shall lead them.^[18]

• Cross reference:
  Isaiah 65:25^[19]

This verse and subsequent verses until verse 9 describe the peace of the Messiah's kingdom, which is also described in the Targum: "in the days of the Messiah of Israel, peace shall be multiplied in the earth" and referred to the times of the Messiah in various Jewish literature, such as in Tzeror Hammor^[20] and Maimonides^[21] when the Israelites will dwell safely among 'the wicked of the nations of the world' (comparable to 'the wild beasts of the field').^[15]

• "A little child": Bohlius interprets this with
  Isaiah 9:6) in particular observes, that they are not to be understood literally, as if the custom and order of things in the world would cease, or that things would be renewed as at the creation, but in a parabolical and enigmatical sense; and interprets them of^[15]

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.[23]

The message in this verse is echoed in chapter 65.^[6]

Israel is reclaimed and reunited (11:10–16)

Verse 10

^(a)"And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,

Who shall stand as a banner to the people;

^(b)For the Gentiles shall seek Him,

And His resting place shall be glorious."^[24]

• Cross reference: (a)
  Isaiah 66:12
• Cited by
  Romans 15:12
• "Root of Jesse": a sprout, shoot, or scion of the family of
  Revelation 22:16, 'the root and the offspring of David'.^[10]

This part contains an eschatological prophecy (starting with "in that day") about the restoration of Israel's remnant who were scattered to the ends of the earth.[25]

See also

Notes