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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 9:8-21

Here are terrible threatenings, which are directed primarily against Israel, the kingdom of the ten tribes, Ephraim and Samaria, the ruin of which is here foretold, with all the woeful confusions that were the prefaces to that ruin, all which came to pass within a few years after; but they look further, to all the enemies of the throne and kingdom of Christ the Son of David, and read the doom of all the nations that forget God, and will not have Christ to reign over them. Observe, I. The... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 9:15

The ancient and honourable, he is the head ,.... The elder in office, not in age; and who, on account of his office, dignity, and riches, is honoured by men, is of a venerable countenance himself, and is reverenced when seen and looked upon by others, and received by persons with pleasure and cheerfulness; as the phrase used signifies. The Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, "who admire", or "have" men's "persons in admiration"; which is the character Jude gives of false teachers, ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 9:16

For the leaders of this people cause them to err ,.... Or, "who bless this people", as the Septuagint and Arabic versions; and so the Targum, "who praise this people;' that call them blessed, pronounce them happy, see Malachi 3:15 and promise them happiness, both in this world and that to come, though guilty of notorious sins, and live a vicious course of life; and so harden them in their iniquities, and cause them to wander more and more from the way of truth and righteousness; and... read more

John Gill

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 9:17

The Lord "Jehovah" - For אדני Adonai , a great number of MSS. read יהוה Yehovah . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:8-21

THE PROPHET RETURNS TO THREATS AND WARNINGS , ADDRESSED CHIEFLY TO THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL . The remainder of this chapter, together with the first four verses of the next, seems to have formed originally a distinct and separate prophecy. The passage is a poem in four stanzas, with the same refrain at the end of each: "For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." A somewhat early date has been assigned to the prophecy, as; for... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 9:8-21

Persistent impenitence brings repeated chastisements. One would naturally expect that so weak a creature as man, when chastised by the Divine anger, would readily and at once " humble himself under the almighty hand of God," accept the chastisement as deserved, and entreat for mercy and forgiveness. But, weak as he is, man is unwilling to acknowledge his weakness, and, faulty as he is, dislikes nothing so much as acknowledging his faults. God's judgments he will net allow to be judgments,... 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

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