Isaiah 11:14

“But they shall flee upon the shoulders of the Philistines towards the west, &c.] That is, Ephraim and Judah, who shall not only agree among themselves, but cheerfully join together against the common enemy: “they shall flee with the shoulder”, as some render the words; with joint consent, as the phrase is used in (<280609>Hosea 6:9) (<360309>Zephaniah 3:9) and so the Targum, “and they shall be joined together in one shoulder, to smite the Philistines;” the Septuagint version is, “they shall flee in the ships of strangers”; and so Abarbinel interprets it of the ships of the Philistines, Genoese, and Venetians, that shall bring the Israelites from the west to the east, and carry them in ships…”

“With united forces they shall subdue their foes (Amo 9:12). fly--as a bird of prey (Hab 1:8). upon the shoulders--This expresses an attack made unexpectedly on one from behind. The image is the more apt, as the Hebrew for "shoulders" in Num 34:11 is used also of a maritime coast ("side of the sea": Hebrew, "shoulder of the sea," Margin). They shall make a sudden victorious descent upon their borders southwest of Judea. them of the east--Hebrew, "children of the East," the Arabs, who, always hostile, are not to be reduced under regular government, but are only to be despoiled (Jer 49:28-29). lay . . . hand upon--take possession of (Dan 11:42). Edom--south of Judah, from the Dead Sea to the…”

“But they shall fly - The design of this verse is, to show the rapid and certain spiritual conquests which would result from the conversion of the scattered Jewish people. The Jews understood this literally, as referring to the conquests over their enemies. But if the exposition which has been given of this chapter thus far is correct, the passage is to be interpreted as a figurative description of the triumph of the people of God under the Messiah. The “time” to which it refers, is that which shall succeed the conversion of the scattered Jews. The “effect” of the gospel is represented under an image which, to Jews, would be most striking - that of conquest over the neighboring nations with…”

“Fly - It is a metaphor from birds and beasts of prey. Spoil - They shall subdue them, which is to be understood of the spiritual victory which the Messiah shall obtain by his apostles and ministers over all nations. Isaiah 11:15”

“11:14 Philistia to the west: The Philistines were Israel’s historic enemy. • The nations to the east included the Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites. All foes would be vanquished.”

“the Philistines: Oba 1:19; Zep 2:5; Zac 9:5-7 toward: Isa 59:19, Isa 66:19, Isa 66:20; Mat 8:11 spoil: Isa 33:1; Jer 49:28; Ezek. 38:1-39:29 them of the east: Heb. the children of the east, they shall lay, etc. Heb. Edom and Moab shall be the laying on of their hand; the children of Ammon their obedience. Isa 25:10, Isa 34:5, Isa 34:6, Isa 60:14; Num 24:17; Dan 11:41; Joe 3:19; Amo 9:12; Oba 1:18 Isaiah 11:15”

“A fourth question has reference to the relation between this Israel of the future and the surrounding nations, such as the warlike Philistines, the predatory nomad tribes of the East, the unbrotherly Edomites, the boasting Moabites, and the cruel Ammonites. Will they not disturb and weaken the new Israel, as they did the old? "And they fly upon the shoulder of the Philistines seawards; unitedly they plunder the sons of the East: they seize upon Edom and Moab, and the sons of Ammon are subject to them." Câthēph (shoulder) was the peculiar name of the coast-land of Philistia which sloped off towards the sea ( Jos 15:11); but here it is used with an implied allusion to this, to signify the…”