Isaiah 11:7

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Isaiah 11:7 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Isaiah 11:7 — American Standard Version

Context — Isaiah 11

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
7And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the cow and the bear shall feed, &c.] That is, together, in one church state, at one table, or in one pasture, upon the wholesome food of the Gospel, the salutary doctrines of Christ; who though before of different dispositions, the one tame and gentle, useful and profitable, dispensing the milk of the divine word, and gracious experience; the other cruel and voracious, barbarous and inhuman, worrying the lambs and sheep of Christ; but now of the same nature, and having no ill will to one another, and being without fear of each other: their young ones shall lie down together; those like the calf and the young bear, shall lie in the green pastures of Gospel ordinances, and do no injury,…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“feed--namely, "together"; taken from the second clause. straw--no longer flesh and blood.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“And the cow and the bear shall feed - That is, together. Animals that by nature do not dwell together, where by nature the one would be the prey of the other, shall dwell together - animage of safety and peace. And the lion shall eat straw like the ox - A representation of the change that will take place under the reign of the Messiah in the natural disposition of men, and in the aspect of society; as great as if the lion were to lose his natural appetite for blood, and to live on the usual food of the ox. This cannot be taken literally, for such an interpretation would suppose a change in the physical organization of the lion - of his appetites, his teeth, his digestive organs - a change…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Feed - Together, without any danger or fear. Straw - The grass of the earth, as they did at first, and shall not devour other living creatures. Isaiah 11:9”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification