Isaiah 9:8-16 NIV

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:9

Even Ephraim ; rather, especially Ephraim . The prophecy is no doubt mainly directed against the northern kingdom. That say in the pride and stoutness of heart ; rather, in the pride and stoutness of heart , wherein they say . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:10

The bricks are fallen down , etc.; i.e. we have suffered a moderate damage, but we will more than make up for it; all our losses we will replace with something better. Bricks were the ordinary material for the poorer class of houses in Palestine; stone was reserved for the dwellings of the rich and great ( Amos 5:11 ). Sycamore wood was the commonest sort of timber, cedar the scarcest and most precious, having to be imported from Phoenicia ( 1 Kings 5:6 ; 2 Chronicles 2:3 ; Ezra 3:7... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:11

Therefore the Lord shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him . "Against him" means "against Ephraim," or the kingdom of Israel. "The adversaries of Rezin" could only be the Assyrians; but these seem precluded by the next verse, which mentions only "Syrians" and Philistines." Hence many critics accept the variant reading of several manuscripts sarey for tsarey—which gives the sense of "the princes of Rezin" (so Lowth, Ewald, Houbigant, Weir, Cheyne). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:12

The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind ; or, the Syrians from the east , and the Philistines from the west . The Semitic races regarded the world as looking to the rising sun, and used for the east the preposition signifying "in front," for the west that signifying "behind." Syria seems to have been hostile to Samaria until the league was formed between Rezin and Pekah, and may have become hostile again after Pekah's death ( 2 Chronicles 28:23 ). We read of a Philistine... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:12

The Divine anger. "For all this his anger is not turned away." The reference of the previous verses is to the calamities which are surely overtaking Rezin of Syria, and Pekah of Israel, as judgments on them, signs of Divine indignation, for their schemes against Judah. Rezin was threatened by Assyria; Pekah was threatened both by his former ally, Israel, and on the other side by the Philistines. As yet, however, these judgments had not proved effectual in humbling Rezin and Pekah, or in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:13

The people . The people of Israel, as distinct from the people of Judah. The particular judgment announced in Isaiah 9:11 , Isaiah 9:12 is clearly to fall on them. Neither do they seek the Lord of hosts . Israel had set itself to seek after Baal from the time of Ahab ( 1 Kings 16:31 ). The reform of Jehu ( 2 Kings 10:28 ) had gone but skin-deep. Baal was still "sought to," rather than Jehovah, when the final judgment came ( 2 Kings 17:16 ; Hosea 2:13 ). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:14

Head and tail, branch and rush ; i.e. the whole nation, from the highest to the lowest. The "branch" intended is the "palm branch," at once lofty in position and the most glorious form of vegetable life ( Psalms 92:12 ; So Psalms 7:7 , Psalms 7:8 , etc.); the "rush" is the simple "sedge" that grows, not only low on the ground, but in the "mire" ( Job 8:11 ). The same expression occurs again in Isaiah 19:15 . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:14-17

Man in God's view. There are three classes among mankind in reference to whom we here learn the thought and feeling of God. We infer from what is stated in the text— I. HIS SPECIAL INTEREST IN THE YOUNG . Things had come to such a state, the natural order of things was so reversed, that "the Lord would have no joy in their young men" ( Isaiah 9:17 ). Hence we may fairly argue that the common and normal condition is that in which God has joy in the young. It is a... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:15

Some suppose this verse to be a gloss, or marginal note, which has crept into the text; but it is too pointed and sarcastic for a mere gloss. There is no reason to doubt its being Isaiah's. Having spoken of "the tail," he takes the opportunity of lashing the false prophet, who claimed to be among the "honorable," but was really the lowest of the low, worse than his dupes, the true "tail" (comp. Isaiah 28:7 ; Isaiah 29:10 ; Isaiah 30:10 ). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:16

The leaders of this people cause them to err (comp. Isaiah 3:12 ). Both the peoples were led into idolatry by their rulers, but Israel especially. Jeroboam, the first king, introduced the calf-worship, and his successors from first to last persisted in his sin. Ahab added the still grosset idolatry of Baal. Those who held high position under the kings were equally bad examples to the people (see above, Isaiah 1:2 :3). Are destroyed. First, morally corrupted and debased, then physically... read more

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:9

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:10

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:11

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:12

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:12

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:13

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:14

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:14-17

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:15

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:16

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