The Old Testament scholarBrevard Childs divides this chapter into two main parts, verses 1–9 and verses 11–16, with verse 10 acting as a connecting statement between them.[2] TheNew International Version entitles the chapter "The Branch fromJesse".
This section deals with the unbroken continuity between the house ofDavid and the coming messianic king, although the Davidic dynasty was "cut off to only a stump" because of its pride and corruption.[6]
The naming of Jesse 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" - (נצרnêtser). A twig, branch, sprout or shoot; a word of "messianic terms".[9] The word occurs four times in the Hebrew Bible including this verse.[a] There is another word rendered "branch" (צמח tsemach) inJeremiah 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.[10] The word "netser" or "netzer" is the name of the city ofNazareth,[11] 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;[12] and make him to be the little horn inDaniel 7:8,[13] which some implied that he was Jesus;[14] 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".[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'.[10] 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.[10] In theBook of Revelation it is applied toJesus Christ (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]
"A world in perplexity" by Arthur Grosvenor Daniells (1918).
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]
This verse and subsequent verses until verse 9 describe the peace of the Messiah's kingdom, which is also described in theTargum: "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 withJesus Christ[22] (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.[15]
(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]
"Root of Jesse": a sprout, shoot, or scion of the family ofJesse (cf.Isaiah 5:1).[10] This particular "root" (Hebrew:שׁרשׁ,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).[10] InRevelation 5:5, the Messiah is called "the root of David," and inRevelation 22:16, "the root and the offspring of David".[10]
This section contains aneschatological prophecy (starting with "in that day") about the restoration of Israel's remnant who were scattered to the ends of the earth.[25]
^The other three areIsaiah 60:21 : 'They shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting;'Isaiah 14:19: 'But thou art cast out of thy grave as an abominable branch' (KJV);Daniel 11:7: 'But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate.'
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