Isaiah Chapter 9
9:1-5. The dimness of Israel's rejection was especially prevalent in the northern tribal areas of Zebulun and
Naphtali, which would suffer greatly under the Assyrian invasion. Galilee is named and identified with the nations
(goyim, Gentiles). To those in the darkness of the north, God promises to send a great light, which is quoted in
Matthew 4:15-16 as being fulfilled in Jesus' ministry in Galilee. The prophet sees these events as though they were
already happening. Thus he predicts the future with certainty, as though it had already come to pass.
9:6, 7. The Gift-Child in this passage is the same divine Child as Immanuel. Again, using the prophetic perfect, the
prophet sees Him as though He were already born. Wonderful, Counselor (peleyo ets) is actually one term in
Hebrew. A wonder is indicative of a miracle. Counselor is often used in parallel with king (cf. Mic. 4:9). Thus
miraculous counsel is given by this God-like King. The mighty God (El Gibor) is the strongest of these titles. In
Isaiah, El is always used of God and never refers to man. Gibor means "Hero." Together they describe One who is
indeed God Himself. Everlasting Father (abi ad) literally means Father of Eternity. He alone is the source of eternal
life. Prince of Peace (Sar Shalom) indicates that the might God will be benevolent ruler bringing eternal peace on
earth through the establishment of His kingdom. Thus the obscure figure of Immanuel is now brought to clear light:
He is Himself God incarnate!
9:8-12. The prophet warns Ephraim (northern Israel) that she cannot rebuild with the bricks that are fallen down.
This refers to the invasion of Israel by Tiglath- pileser in 732 B.C. All hope of rebuilding the northern kingdom will
finally be lost. His hand is stretched out still means that God's hand of judgement is still stretched out in anger to
punish Israel.
9:13-21. The people turneth not unto him means they refused to repent and turn back to the Lord. To "turn" means
to repent (Heb. shub) with a change of mind that results in a change of direction. Branch and rush means "palm
branch and bulrush." The leaders are specifically condemned for misleading the people. Isaiah's words here are
reminiscent of his message in chapter 3.
Isaiah Chapter 10
10:1-4. A prophetic Woe is pronounced against those administrators who pervert justice. These government
officials have abused their power and are now called to God's bar of justice.
10:5-19. Like an offended father dealing with a disobedient son, God used the Assyrian as a rod of... anger to
discipline Israel. Howbeit he meaneth not so indicates that the Assyrians did not intend to cooperate with God, but
in the Providence of God they cooperated unwittingly. The cities listed in verse 9 are on a direct line from Nineveh
(capital of Assyria) to Jerusalem (capital of Judah). Note that Samaria is already listed as fallen. The prophet's
intention is to make it clear that Assyria will not conquer Israel by her own power but by God's permission.
10:20-34. The remnant of Israel are those who have come to trust in the Lord. The remnant shall return is
reminiscent of the prophet's son, Shear-jashub. The slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb occurred centuries
earlier in the days of Gideon (Judg. 7:15). It symbolizes the overwhelming power of divine intervention in human
affairs.
Isaiah Chapter 11
11:1. The millennial reign of Christ is described in 11:1-12:6. The time of the Messiah's coming was undoubtedly a
puzzle in Old Testament times. In this section the prophet indicates that His coming is yet in the distant future.
Isaiah predicts that the "tree" of the line of David will be cut down and that a shoot must grow out of the stock of
Jesse before it will flourish again. He predicts that a rod (choter, "shoot" or "sprout") will come forth from the stem
(geza, "root" or"stump") of Jesse (David's father and the forefather of the Davidic line). Branch (netser) is used in
parallel with rod.
11:2-5. The Branch is personalized in verse 2 as the Messiah Himself. The spirit of the Lord refers to sevenfold
Spirit of God (cf. Rev. 4:5) described here in relation to His seven attributes. The words for counsel and might are
the same as used in 9:6 to describe the divine Child. Because the Spirit of God is upon Him, the Messiah will not
judge after the sight of his eyes, for He will have true spiritual vision and judge the poor with righteousness. He will
rule the earth with the rod [shebet, scepter] of his mouth, the power of His spoken word, by which He will slay the
wicked with His breath (cf. Rev. 19:15).
11:6-9. Peace and harmony will characterize the Messiah's kingdom. Ravenous predatory animals- wolf, leopard,
lion, and bear- are set in deliberate contrast to the more defenseless lamb, kid, calf, cow, and ox. That the lion shall
eat straw implies a change of diet. Even the asp and the cockatrice (snakes) will be harmless to a small child. Isaiah
sees the Messiah ruling the world in righteousness and a peace that extends even to the animal kingdom. During
this time the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord. Thus the prophet sees beyond the restoration of
Judah to a time when the Messiah will rule the entire world.
11:10. The Messiah is again referred to as a root [shoresh] of Jesse as in verse 1. He is clearly Jewish, for He will
stand for an ensign of the people (amim, a tern applied to the Jewish people). Yet Isaiah goes on to say that this is
a banner the Gentiles seek. Thus Isaiah is predicting a time when salvation will come to the Gentiles as well as to
the Jews.
11:11-16. The prophet foresees a time when the hostile enemies of Israel will be at peace with her during the
millennial kingdom. Assyria to the north and Egypt to the south are especially in view, as are Pathros in Upper
Egypt, Cush (Ethiopia), Elam (the Persian Gulf), Shinar (Babylon), and Hamath on the Orontes River in Syria.
Isaiah Chapter 12
12:1-6. This chapter is a song of triumphant praise and serves as a dramatic climax and doxology to the Immanuel
prophecy (7:1-12:6). I will praise thee is an imperfect verb expressing continual action. Behold, God is my salvation
literally means, "My salvation is God Himself!" The Lord JEHOVAH is our strength, song, and salvation. The
expression is similar to the song of deliverance sung by the people of Israel when they crossed the Red Sea (Ex.
15:12). John 4:14 is reminiscent of the water out of the wells of salvation. Excellent things are majestic things.
These great things are to be preached to the whole world and sung and shouted aloud, for great us the Holy One
of Israel. With beautiful imagery, Isaiah closes this section of prophecy with a triumphal doxology of praise.
Isaiah Chapter 13
13:1-5. This section of Isaiah's prophecy concerns the message of God's judgement against Israel's neighbors.
The prophet's message of judgement begins with the word burden (masa), which may also be rendered "oracle."
The fact that Isaiah did see these events indicates that he saw them in a vision as though they were actually
happening. The prophet's first message was delivered against Babylon, the very nation that would eventually carry
Judah into captivity. Sanctified ones and mighty ones are the armies of Medo-Persia, which God will raise up
against Babylon to fulfill His purpose.
13:6-18. Isaiah's reference to the day of the LORD is both immediate and eschatological. The destruction that he
has immediately in view is the fall of Babylon in 539 B.C. But he also saw the ultimate fall of "Babylon" in the last
days (cf. Rev. 14:18). The Medes are named in advance in verse 17 (as is Cyrus in chs. 44, 45) since they rose to
power before the Persians.
13:19-22. Isaiah closes this chapter by predicting that Babylon will be destroyed and will never be rebuilt. Instead it
will remain desolate and shall never be inhabited. The reference to wild beasts should be taken literally and not
interpreted as demons. Owls, satyrs, and dragons are better rendered ostriches, wild goats, and jackals.
Isaiah Chapter 14
14:1-11 This section is a song of triumph over Babylon. The nation that will one day end Judah into captivity will
herself be severely judged by God. In spite of this displeasure with Israel, there is coming a time when he will have
mercy on Jacob and will choose Israel. This refers to Israel’s future restoration in her own land. Hell (she ol) is the
Old Testament name for the abode of the dad, a fiery place of judgment for the unrighteous. In the proverb used
here the king of Babylon is viewed as being welcomed into hell by the kings of the nations (Gentiles), who are
astonished that he has become weak as we.
14:12-23 Lucifer most certainly refers to Satan. Now we see the real power behind the Gentile monarchs. Thus
Isaiah uses that fall of Satan, which is an assumed fact, to illustrate the fall of the Babylonian king. The name
Lucifer is actually Latin designation for the morning star (lit., “Light-bearer”). The Hebrew (helel) means the “bright
one.” As the morning star speedily disappears before the rising sun, so Satan, the angel of light, will be banished to
outer darkness by the coming of the Son of God.
Isaiah Chapter 15
15:1-9. The burden of Moab is aimed at Israel's enemies in the eastern Trans-Jordan. The prophet reminds his
readers of the fall of Ar, the capital of Moab, and Kir, their chief fortress. Bajith, Dibon, Medeba, Heshbon, and so
on, form a list of Moabite cities that will be overrun by the coming Assyrian invasion. Zoar was the city to which Lot
fled after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Nimrim was the Moabite oasis near the Dead Sea.
Isaiah Chapter 16
16:1-5. Moab's only hope is in making peace with Judah. Send ye the lamb means they must pay tribute to the
Davidic dynasty. Sela refers to Petra, the capital of Edom, which was carved out of the rocks and served as a
natural hiding place. Let mine outcasts dwell with thee seems to refer to Israel's fleeing to Petra during the last days
to escape the invasion from the north (predicted in Ezek. 38, 39). The reference to one sitting on the throne in the
tabernacle of David would seem to place this passage in a millennial context.
Isaiah Chapter 17
17:1-14. The burden of Damascus refers to the capital city of Syria. This chapter is contemporaneous with chapter
7and predicts the downfall of the coalition between Syria and Ephraim. Tiglath-pileser of Assyria destroyed
Damascus in 732 B.C., fulfillment of this prophecy. Jacob shall be made thin refers to the famine that followed the
devastation and deportation of the northern tribes by Sargon of Assyria in 722 B.C.
Isaiah Chapter 18
18:1-7. The prophet now pronounces Woe (doom) on the land of Ethiopia (Cush), which rose to such power that it
overran all of Egypt in 715 B.C. The Ethiopian dynasty of this period (Egypt's twenty-fifth) was headed by Shabaku
(716-701 B.C.) and Shebitko (701-690 B.C.). Sennacheirb of Assyria finally crushed the Ethiopian-Egyptian forced
at El Tekeh in 701 B.C.
Isaiah Chapter 19
19:1-10. The burden of Egypt is a message of both judgement and hope for Egypt. Isaiah then pictures the coming
Egyptian civil war of the seventh century B.C. The Egyptians fell to Esar-haddon of Assyria in 671 B.C. Idols,
charmers, familiar spirits, wizards refer to various aspects of Egyptian religion, which was dominated by the occult.
The cruel lord and fierce king are reference to the Assyrian overlords who were to dominate Egypt for nearly 20
years.
19:11-17. Isaiah predicts the failure of Egyptian wisdom, the pride of Egyptian culture. Princes of Zoan refers to the
capital of Tanis. Noph is Memphis, located at the apex of the Delta. Egypt will fall into utter confusion because the
Lord has mingled a perverse spirit among the Egyptians to cause them to err in their discernment. Judah shall be a
terror unto Egypt because Egypt is so weakened that even little Judah frightens her.
19:18-25. The city of destruction comes from a deliberate alteration of the name Heliopolis, "City of the Sun." The
prophet Isaiah sees a day when Egypt will be converted to the knowledge of the Lord. The prediction of an altar to
the LORD in Egypt was technically fulfilled during the reign of Ptolemy VI by a priest named Onias. However, the
savior, and a great one who brings universal blessing, must refer to Christ Himself ruling over Egypt during the
millennial kingdom. The highway running from Egypt to Assyria through Israel pictures a time of international peace
when Egypt and Assyria will become my people.
Isaiah Chapter 20
20:1-6. This prophecy is dated in the year of the Assyrian invasion of the Philistine coast in 711 B.C. Tartan is an
Akkadian military title (cf. 2 Kin. 18:17). He was sent by Sargon to subdue the Philistine city of Ashdod. God then
instructs Isaiah to become a living illustration of His coming judgement by walking naked and barefoot like a captive
by Assyria, which was known not only for stripping its captives naked, but in some cases peeling their skin off while
they were still alive!
Isaiah Chapter 21
21:1-10. The desert of the sea is unclear but seems to refer to Media and Persia, which lay beyond the desert and
the Persian Gulf. Therefore Elam and Media are pictured as going up against Babylon. Thus, in this vision, Isaiah
sees the Medo-Persian invasion of Babylon. The reference to the night of my pleasure may well refer to
Belshazzar's banquet in Daniel 5, for on that night self-sufficient Babylon fell (539 B.C.) Babylon is fallen, is fallen is
repeated twice for emphasis. The same exclamation is used in Revelation 14:8 to refer to the fall of symbolic
"Babylon."
21:11, 12. Dumah refers to Edom, which was south of Moab. Seir is another name for the same area where the
descendants of Esau settled. Here Edom is pictured as hiding in Seir wondering whether it is safe to come out.
Isaiah is called a watchman and warns them of impending judgement unless they return. (shub, repent).
21:13-17. The burden upon Arabia refers to the various Arabian tribes of the desert beyond Edom. Dedanim refers
to Dedan, a region in Arabia. Tema was an oasis where Nabonidus spent much of his time while his son Belshazzar
ruled over Babylon. Kedar is a tribe of Ishmaelite descent. The prophet predicts that these desert tribes will be no
match for the coming Assyrian invasion.
Isaiah Chapter 22
22:1-14. The valley of vision refers to Jerusalem, located on the hills surrounded by dominating mountain ranges.
The gathering storm of judgement will dump its greatest torrents on Jerusalem herself. The coming Babylonian
invasion will cause the people to go up to the housetops to observe the siege of the city. Kir and Elam are pictured
as mercenaries of Babylon. The choicest valleys, which had known the blessing of prosperity, will then be full of
chariots of the invading army. The prophet calls for weeping, mourning, and sackcloth (repentance), but instead
the people have developed the attitude of eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die.
22:15-25. Shebna is referred to as the treasurer and apparently was the leader of the pro-Egyptian faction in
Jerusalem. Thinking his position was secure, he had already ordered a large sepulcher (tomb) to be raised in his
memory. Instead, Isaiah predicts that he will soon be demoted and will eventually die a pauper in a foreign country.
Shebna was replaced by Eliakim during the reign of Hezekiah, as indicated in 2 Kings 18:18. The key of the house
of David refers to the responsibility of protecting the Davidic line.