Isaiah Chapter 11

“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, &c.] By which is meant, not Hezekiah, as R. Mosesf208 the priest, and others, since he was now born, and must be at least ten or twelve years of age; but the Messiah, as both the text and context show, and as is owned by many Jewish writersf209, ancient and modern: and he is called a “rod”, either because of his unpromising appearance, arising “out of the stem of Jesse”; from him, in the line of David, when that family was like a tree cut down, and its stump only left in the ground, which was the case when Jesus was born of it: Jesse’s family was at first…”

“(Isa. 11:1-16) rod--When the proud "boughs" of "Lebanon" (Isa 10:33-34, the Assyrians) are lopped, and the vast "forests cut down" amidst all this rage, a seemingly humble rod shall come out of Jesse (Messiah), who shall retrieve the injuries done by the Assyrian "rod" to Israel (Isa 10:5-6, Isa 10:18-19). stem--literally, "the stump" of a tree cut close by the roots: happily expressing the depressed state of the royal house of David, owing to the hostile storm (Isa 10:18-19), when Messiah should arise from it, to raise it to more than its pristine glory. Luk 2:7 proves this (Isa 53:2; compare Job 14:7-8; see on…”

“And there shall come forth a rod - In the previous chapter, the prophet had represented the Assyrian monarch and his army under the image of a dense and flourishing forest, with all its glory and grandeur. In opposition to this, he describes the illustrious personage who is the subject of this chapter, under the image of a slender twig or shoot, sprouting up from the root of a decayed and fallen tree. Between the Assyrian, therefore, and the person who is the subject of this chapter, there is a most striking and beautiful contrast. The one was at first magnificent - like a vast spreading forest - yet should soon…”

“And - And having said that the Assyrian yoke should be destroyed because of the anointing, he now explains who that anointed person was. The stem - Or, stump: for the word signifies properly a trunk cut off from the root. By which he clearly implies, that the Messiah should be born of the royal house of David, at that time when it was in a most forlorn condition, like a tree cut down, and whereof nothing is left but a stump or root under ground. Of Jesse - He doth not say of David, but of Jesse, who was a private and mean person, to intimate, that at the time of Christ's birth the royal family should be reduced…”

“11:1-16 The kingdom of the Messiah, first introduced in 9:1-7, is now considered in more detail. Isaiah challenged the Israelites about why they would trust in any of the nations when God had far better plans in mind. 11:1 stump . . . shoot . . . new Branch . . . from the old root: This new growth refers to the continuity of David’s royal family line despite its virtual cessation during the Exile (see also 6:13; 39:7; Rev 22:16). The new growth from the old roots would not be like the former frail and unjust descendants of David (see Isa 4:2). Jesus, the Messiah, is the final fulfillment.”

“And there shall: The prophet having described the destruction of the Assyrian army under that of a mighty forest, here takes occasion to represent the Great Person, who makes the subject of this chapter, as a slender twig, shooting out of the trunk of an old tree; which tender twig, though weak in appearance, should become fruitful and prosper. Isa 53:2; Zac 6:12; Rev 5:5, Rev 22:16 of Jesse: Isa 11:10; Rut 4:17; Sa1 17:58; Mat 1:6-16; Luk 2:23-32; Act 13:22, Act 13:23; Rom 15:12 a Branch: Isa 4:2; Jer 23:5, Jer 33:15; Zac 3:8, Zac 6:12 Isaiah 11:2”

“This is the fate of the imperial power of the world. When the axe is laid to it, it falls without hope. But in Israel spring is returning. "And there cometh forth a twig out of the stump of Jesse, and a shoot from its roots bringeth forth fruit." The world-power resembles the cedar-forest of Lebanon; the house of David, on the other hand, because of its apostasy, is like the stump of a felled tree (geza‛, truncus, from gâza‛, truncare), like a root without stem, branches, or crown. The world-kingdom, at the height of its power, presents the most striking contrast to Israel and the house of David in the uttermost…”