Isaiah 9:2-7

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 9:1-7

The first words of this chapter plainly refer to the close of the foregoing chapter, where every thing looked black and melancholy: Behold, trouble, and darkness, and dimness?very bad, yet not so bad but that to the upright there shall arise light in the darkness (Ps. 112:4) and at evening time it shall be light, Zech. 14:7. Nevertheless it shall not be such dimness (either not such for kind or not such for degree) as sometimes there has been. Note, In the worst of times God's people have a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 9:2

The people that walked in darkness ,.... Meaning not the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem, in the times of Hezekiah, when Sennacherib besieged them, as Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it; and much less the people of Israel in Egypt, as the Targum paraphrases it; but the inhabitants of Galilee in the times of Christ; see Matthew 4:16 , John 1:48 and is a true character of all the people of God before conversion, who are in a state of darkness, under the power of sin, shut up in unbelief;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 9:3

Thou hast multiplied the nation ,.... With light, knowledge, honour, and glory, even Galilee of the nations before mentioned, the land of darkness, and of the shadow of death, where the people dwelt; on whom Christ, the light, shone in the ministration of his Gospel to them; whereby the number of believers in Christ were multiplied; and indeed, as he conversed, preached, and wrought his miracles most here, he had here the greatest number of disciples and followers; here were the five hundred... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 9:4

For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden ,.... Of Galilee, of the nation multiplied, of the spiritual inhabitants of it, whose joy was increased; and this is one reason of it, because they were delivered by the Lord from the burdensome yoke of the ceremonial law, which was broken off and abolished by Christ; and from the tyranny of Satan, the god of this world, out of whose hands they were ransomed and delivered; and from the dominion of sin, under the power of which they had been in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 9:5

For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise ,.... With the sound of the trumpet and as now with beating of drums, and the huzzas and shoutings of the soldiers, the stamping and neighing of horses, the rushing of chariots, and rumbling of wheels, and the clashing of swords, spears, and shields, and these sometimes striking one against another F11 Vid. Lydium de re militari, l. 4. c. 3. p. 159. : and garments rolled in blood ; of them that were slain in battle: but ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 9:6

For unto us a child is born ,.... This is a reason of all that is said in the context; of the great light that shone upon and was seen by those that sat in darkness, and in the land of the shadow of death; of the great joy among the people; of the breaking off of the yoke, rod, and staff of the oppressor; and of the burning of garments rolled in blood, so putting an end to war, and establishing peace; all which is owing to the child here said to be born, by whom we are to understand the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 9:7

Of the increase of his government ,.... That is, of the Prince of peace, on whose shoulders it is; which, from small beginnings, will rise to a very great pitch and height of glory; this is signified by the stone cut out of the mountain without hands; that smote the image, became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth, Daniel 2:34 and by the parable of the mustard seed, the least of all seeds, and yet, when grown up, becomes a great tree, in which the birds of the air build their... 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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