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Isaiah 11
Our plain-language guide next to the Bible text. Each row lines up one section with the verses it explains.
Section 1: A Shoot From a StumpVerse 1
"Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit" (11:1).
Picture a tree cut down, with only a stump left. It looks dead. Then a tiny green shoot pushes up.
This is a comparison. David's royal family would be cut down. But God would raise up a new King from it.
1Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
Section 2: The Spirit Will Rest on HimVerses 2 to 3
"The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him" (11:2).
Isaiah describes the Spirit's gifts: wisdom and understanding, counsel and strength, knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
The "fear of the LORD" means deep respect and trust in God. This King will delight in it.
He won't judge by what he sees or hears on the surface. He will see the truth.
2The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD. 3And He will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what His eyes see, and He will not decide by what His ears hear,
Section 3: Fair to the PoorVerses 4 to 5
"But with righteousness He will judge the poor, and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth" (11:4).
Equity means fairness. The weakest people will finally get a fair hearing.
His words will be strong enough to stop the wicked. Righteousness and faithfulness will be like the belt he wears.
4but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of His lips. 5Righteousness will be the belt around His hips, and faithfulness the sash around His waist.
Section 4: The Wolf and the LambVerses 6 to 9
Then Isaiah paints a picture of peace.
"The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat" (11:6).
"And a little child will lead them" (11:6).
The cow and the bear will eat together. The lion will eat straw like an ox. A baby will play safely by a snake's hole.
"They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is full of water" (11:9).
6The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat; the calf and young lion and fatling will be together, and a little child will lead them. 7The cow will graze with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8The infant will play by the cobra’s den, and the toddler will reach into the viper’s nest. 9They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is full of water.
Section 5: A Banner for the NationsVerse 10
"On that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples" (11:10).
A banner is a flag on a pole that people can see from far away and gather around.
People from every nation will come looking for him.
10On that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him, and His place of rest will be glorious.
Between sectionsVerses 11 to 16
This part isn't covered by the guide.
11On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; He will collect the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth. 13Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, and the adversaries of Judah will be cut off. Ephraim will no longer envy Judah, nor will Judah harass Ephraim. 14They will swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines to the west; together they will plunder the sons of the east. They will lay their hands on Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them. 15The LORD will devote to destruction the gulf of the Sea of Egypt; with a scorching wind He will sweep His hand over the Euphrates. He will split it into seven streams for men to cross with dry sandals. 16There will be a highway for the remnant of His people who remain from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt.
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