Isaiah 11

Isaiah 11 is the eleventh chapter of the Book of Isaiah in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book contains prophesies attributed to the prophet Isaiah. This chapter can be divided into two main parts, verses 1–9 and verses 11–16, with verse 10 as a connecting statement between them.Template:Sfn The New International Version entitles the chapter "The Branch from Jesse".

Text

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), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).Template:Sfn

Some fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls (2nd century BC or later):Template:Sfn

• 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 the Codex Vaticanus (B; $𝔊$^B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: $𝔊$^S; 4th century), Codex Alexandrinus (A; $𝔊$^A; 5th century) and Codex Marchalianus (Q; $𝔊$^Q; 6th century).Template:Sfn

Parashot

The parashah sections listed here are based on the Aleppo Codex. 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}]

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

This part deals with the unbroken continuity between the house of David with the coming messianic king, although the Davidic dynasty was 'cut off to only a stump' because of its pride and corruption.Template:Sfn

Verse 1

Template:Poem quote Cross reference: Isaiah 11:10

• "Rod" (Template:Lang Template:Strong-number; also in Template:Bibleverse: or "branch" (Template:Lang tsemach) in Isaiah 4:2 (a twig, a shoot); these words "are messianic terms."
• "Jesse": the father of king David (Template:Bibleverse).Template:Sfn 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).Template:Sfn
• "Branch" - (Template:Lang Template:Strong-number). A twig, branch, sprout or shoot; a word of "messianic terms." The word occurs four times in the Hebrew Bible including this verse.Template:Efn There is another word rendered "branch" (Template:Lang tsemach) in Jeremiah 23:5; Jeremiah 33:15, although it means substantially the same thing. The word "branch" is also used in rendering several other Hebrew words, but here the word is synonymous with that which is rendered "rod" in the previous part of the verse - a shoot, or twig, from the root of a decayed tree. The word "netser" or "netzer" is the name of the city of Nazareth, which perhaps was so called because of the trees, plants, and grass which grew there. Jesus Christ's dwelling in this city fulfilled a prophecy, that he should be called a "Nazarene"; or an inhabitant of Netzer (Matthew 2:23). The Jews speak of one Ben Netzer, who they say was a robber, took cities, and reigned over them, and became the head of robbers; and make him to be the little horn in Template:Bibleverse, which some implied that he was Jesus; at the same time it tacitly acknowledges that Jesus of Nazareth is the "Netzer" this prophecy speaks of, but in a negative way, that he should be as "a root out of a dry ground" (Isaiah 53:2) or as "a rod and branch out of a dry root".
• "Roots": from a decayed tree where a shoot starts up. The Septuagint renders this, 'And a flower (ἄνθος anthos) shall arise from the root'. Chaldee version states 'And a king shall proceed from the sons of Jesse, and the Messiah from his sons' sons shall arise', showing conclusively that the ancient Jews referred this to the Messiah. In the Book of Revelation it is applied to Jesus Christ (Revelation 22:16).

Verses 3–4

• "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: Template:Lang, wa-Template:Strong-number bə-Template:Strong-number Template:Strong-number.

Verse 6

"A world in perplexity" by Arthur Grosvenor Daniells (1918).

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 and Maimonides when the Israelites will dwell safely among "the wicked of the nations of the world" (comparable to "the wild beasts of the field").

• "A little child": Bohlius interprets this with Jesus Christ (cf. 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

Verse 9

The message in this verse is echoed in chapter 65.Template:Sfn

Template:AnchorIsrael is reclaimed and reunited (11:10–16)

Verse 10

• Cross reference: (a) Isaiah 11:1
  (b) Isaiah 2:3; Isaiah 43:6; Isaiah 49:22; Isaiah 60:3; Isaiah 66:12
• Cited by Apostle Paul in Romans 15:12
• "Root of Jesse": a sprout, shoot, or scion of the family of Jesse (cf. Isaiah 5:1). This particular "root" (Hebrew: Template:Lang, shoresh) is still alive when the tree is dead, that it can send up a shoot or sprout; it is thus applied to him who should come out of the ancient and decayed family of Jesse (cf. Isaiah 53:2). In Revelation 5:5, the Messiah is called "the root of David," and in Revelation 22:16, "the root and the offspring of David".

Verses 11–16

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.Template:Sfn

See also

• Related Bible parts: Isaiah 4, Isaiah 6, Isaiah 9, Isaiah 53, Jeremiah 23, Zechariah 3, Zechariah 6, Matthew 2, Romans 5, Romans 15, Revelation 5, Revelation 22

General and cited references

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External links

Jewish

• Isaiah 11: Hebrew with Parallel English

Christian

• Isaiah 11 English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate Template:Webarchive