Isaiah 9
9
1The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
Upon those who lived in a land of gloom
a light has shone.#Mt 4:15–16.
2You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing;
They rejoice before you as people rejoice at harvest,
as they exult when dividing the spoils.
3For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
The rod of their taskmaster,
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.#Day of Midian: when God used the judge Gideon to deliver these northern territories from Midianite oppression (Jgs 6–7). #Is 10:26; Jgs 7:22–25.
4For every boot that tramped in battle,
every cloak rolled in blood,
will be burned as fuel for fire.#Ps 46:10.
5For a child#A child: perhaps to be identified with the Emmanuel of 7:14 and 8:8; cf. 11:1–2, 9. This verse may reflect a coronation rather than a birth. Upon his shoulder: the reference may be to a particular act in the ritual in which a symbol of the king’s authority was placed on his shoulder (cf. 2 Kgs 11:12; Is 22:22). is born to us, a son is given to us;
upon his shoulder dominion rests.
They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,#Is 10:21.
Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.
6His dominion is vast
and forever peaceful,
Upon David’s throne, and over his kingdom,
which he confirms and sustains
By judgment and justice,
both now and forever.#Jer 23:5; Lk 1:32–33.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this!
Judgment on the Northern Kingdom#9:7–20 + 5:25–30] These verses describe a series of judgments God sent against the Northern Kingdom of Israel because of its sins. Despite the judgments, however, Israel continued to rebel, and God’s anger remained unabated, as the recurring refrain emphasizes (9:11, 16, 20). The refrain ties Is 9:7–20 together as a unit, but 9:20 is far too abrupt to be the original conclusion to the oracle. With its series of past judgments and repeated refrain, the oracle resembles Am 4:6–12; by analogy with that model one expects a conclusion in which the prophet turns from the narration of past judgments to the announcement of a future judgment. Is 5:25–30 fits the pattern found in 9:7–20 and provides a suitable and possibly original conclusion for the whole oracle.
7The Lord has sent a word against Jacob,
and it falls upon Israel;
8And all the people know it—
Ephraim and those who dwell in Samaria—
those who say in arrogance and pride of heart,
9“Bricks have fallen,
but we will rebuild with cut stone;
Sycamores have been felled,
but we will replace them with cedars.”#Mal 1:4.
10So the Lord raises up their foes against them
and stirs up their enemies to action—
11Aram#Aram: the Syrian kingdom, with its capital at Damascus. from the east and the Philistines from the west—
they devour Israel with open mouth.
For all this, his wrath is not turned back,
and his hand is still outstretched!
12The people do not turn back to the one who struck them,
nor do they seek the Lord of hosts.
13So the Lord cuts off from Israel head and tail,
palm branch and reed in one day.#Is 19:15; Dt 28:13, 44.
14(The elder and the noble are the head,
the prophet who teaches falsehood is the tail.)#Is 28:7.
15Those who lead this people lead them astray,
and those who are led are swallowed up.#Is 3:12.
16That is why the Lord does not spare their young men,
and their orphans and widows he does not pity;
For they are totally impious and wicked,
and every mouth speaks folly.
For all this, his wrath is not turned back,
his hand is still outstretched!
17For wickedness burns like fire,
devouring brier and thorn;
It kindles the forest thickets,
which go up in columns of smoke.#Is 5:24; 33:11–12.
18At the wrath of the Lord of hosts the land quakes,
and the people are like fuel for fire;
no one spares his brother.#Is 3:5.
19They hack on the right, but remain hungry;
they devour on the left, but are not filled.
Each devours the flesh of the neighbor;
20Manasseh devours Ephraim,#Manasseh…Ephraim: two of the leading tribes of the Northern Kingdom. The reference is to the civil wars that marked the final decades of the Northern Kingdom (2 Kgs 15:10, 14–16, 25; cf. Hos 7:3–7). and Ephraim Manasseh,
together they turn on Judah.
For all this, his wrath is not turned back,
his hand is still outstretched!
Currently Selected:
Isaiah 9: NABRE
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Isaiah 9
9
1But there shall be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time he has made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.
The light has shined on those who lived in the land of the shadow of death.
3You have multiplied the nation.
You have increased their joy.
They rejoice before you according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the plunder. 4For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as in the day of Midian. 5For all the armor of the armed man in the noisy battle, and the garments rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. 6For a child is born to us. A son is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.
8The Lord sent a word into Jacob,
and it falls on Israel.
9All the people will know,
including Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance of heart,
10“The bricks have fallen,
but we will build with cut stone.
The sycamore fig trees have been cut down,
but we will put cedars in their place.”
11Therefore Yahweh will set up on high against him the adversaries of Rezin,
and will stir up his enemies,
12The Syrians in front,
and the Philistines behind;
and they will devour Israel with open mouth.
For all this, his anger is not turned away,
but his hand is stretched out still.
13Yet the people have not turned to him who struck them,
neither have they sought Yahweh of Armies.
14Therefore Yahweh will cut off from Israel head and tail,
palm branch and reed, in one day.
15The elder and the honorable man is the head,
and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail.
16For those who lead this people lead them astray;
and those who are led by them are destroyed.
17Therefore the Lord will not rejoice over their young men,
neither will he have compassion on their fatherless and widows;
for everyone is profane and an evildoer,
and every mouth speaks folly.
For all this his anger is not turned away,
but his hand is stretched out still.
18For wickedness burns like a fire.
It devours the briers and thorns;
yes, it kindles in the thickets of the forest,
and they roll upward in a column of smoke.
19Through Yahweh of Armies’ wrath, the land is burned up;
and the people are the fuel for the fire.
No one spares his brother.
20One will devour on the right hand, and be hungry;
and he will eat on the left hand, and they will not be satisfied.
Everyone will eat the flesh of his own arm:
21Manasseh eating Ephraim and Ephraim eating Manasseh, and they together will be against Judah.
For all this his anger is not turned away,
but his hand is stretched out still.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
PUBLIC DOMAIN (not copyrighted)