Isaiah 9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 9:17

Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men ,.... Take no delight and pleasure in them; but, on the contrary, detest and abhor them, and so destroy them, being depraved and corrupted by the bad instructions and examples of their parents: neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows ; who are objects of pity and compassion; yet these being wicked, as well as the fathers of the one, and the husbands of the other, shall be no more spared than they have been; so that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 9:18

For wickedness burneth as the fire ,.... That is, the punishment of their sins, as the Targum interprets it; the wrath of God for sin, which is poured out like fire, and consumes as that does; unless wicked men are meant, who are consumed with the fire of divine vengeance; the sense is the same: it shall devour the briers and thorns ; sinners and ungodly, so the Targum paraphrases it; and Aben Ezra observes, they are the wicked; who are compared to briers and thorns, for their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 9:19

Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts is the land darkened ,.... Brought into great distress and affliction; sore judgments and calamities being upon it; for not darkness in a natural, but in a figurative sense, is intended, see Isaiah 8:22 the allusion is to the ascending of the smoke before mentioned, through fire being kindled in the thickets of the forest, which filled the air with darkness; as smoke arising in great quantity does. This sense of the word, which is only to be met with... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 9:20

And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry ,.... Either with his hand, and rob and plunder all within his reach; or, with his teeth, as cannibals, or beasts of prey, catch at, tear, and rend in pieces, whatever comes in their way; and yet hungry after more, and unsatisfied, as follows: and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied ; ravage and spoil on every side, and yet not content. The Targum is, "he shall spoil on the south, and be hungry; and he... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 9:21

Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh ,.... That is, "Manasseh" shall eat or devour "Ephraim"; and "Ephraim" shall eat or devour "Manasseh"; as the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions render it; which is to be understood of their quarrels, contentions, and wars among themselves, whereby they bit, devoured, and consumed each other, though they were brethren; which explains and confirms what is before said, of no man sparing his brother, and everyone eating the flesh of his own arm. The... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 9

This chapter contains an illustrious prophecy of the Messiah. He is represented under the glorious figure of the sun, or light, rising on a benighted world, and diffusing joy and gladness wherever he sheds his beams, Isaiah 9:1-3 . His conquests are astonishing and miraculous, as in the day of Midian; and the peace which they procure is to be permanent, as denoted by the burning of all the implements of war, Isaiah 9:4 , Isaiah 9:5 . The person and character of this great Deliverer are... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 9:1

Dimness "Accumulated darkness" - Either מנדחה menuddechah , fem. to agree with אפלה aphelah ; or המנדח אפל aphel hammenuddach , alluding perhaps to the palpable Egyptian darkness, Exodus 10:21 . The land of Zebulun - Zebulun, Naphtali, Manasseh, that is, the country of Galilee all round the sea of Gennesareth, were the parts that principally suffered in the first Assyrian invasion under Tiglath-pileser; see 2 Kings 15:29 ; 1 Chronicles 5:26 . And they were the first... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 9:3

And not increased the joy "Thou hast increased their joy" - Eleven MSS. of Kennicott's and six of De Ross's, two ancient, read לו lo , it, according to the Masoretical correction, instead of לא lo , not. To the same purpose the Targum and Syriac. The joy in harvest - בקציר כשמחת kesimchath bakkatsir . For בקציר bakkatsir one MS. of Kennicott's and one of De Rossi's have קציר katsir , and another הקציר hakkatsir , "the harvest;" one of which seems to be the true,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 9:5

Every battle of the warrior "The greaves of the armed warrior" - שאון שאון seon soen . This word, occurring only in this place, is oaf very doubtful signification. Schindler fairly tells us that we may guess at it by the context. The Jews have explained it, by guess I believe, as signifying battle, conflict: the Vulgate renders it violenta praedatio . But it seems as if something was rather meant which was capable of becoming fuel for the fire, together with the garments mentioned in... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 9:6

The government shall be upon his shoulder - That is, the ensign of government; the scepter, the sword, the key, or the like, which was borne upon or hung from the shoulder. See note on Isaiah 22:22 . And his name shall be called - גבור אל El gibbor , the prevailing or conquering God. The everlasting Father "The Father of the everlasting age" - Or עד אבי Abi ad , the Father of eternity. The Septuagint have μεγαλης βουλης Αγγελος , "the Messenger of the Great Counsel." But... read more

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