The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  8:21, 22 This is a dismal picture of those who were frustrated, desperate, and angry even to the point of cursing God, all because they refused to accept the truthfulness of what Isaiah had predicted regarding the nation’s future hardships.

  Isaiah 9

  9:1 Zebulun…Naphtali…Galilee. Zebulun and Naphtali on the northern border in NE Galilee W of the Jordan River were the first to suffer from the invasion by the Assyrian king (2 Kin. 15:29), marking the beginning of dark days for Israel. more heavily oppressed her. A better translation is “will glorify her.” “At first” the days were to be full of gloom, but “afterward” God would transform that gloom into honor. The NT applies this prophecy of Galilee’s honor to the time of Jesus Christ’s first advent (Matt. 4:12–16). Matthew 4:15, 16 quotes Is. 9:1, 2 directly. Ultimately, its fulfillment will come at His second advent when the area is freed from the yoke of foreign invaders.

  9:2 a great light…light. The coming of the Messiah is synonymous with the coming of light to remove the darkness of captivity (42:16; 49:6; 58:8; 60:1, 19, 20).

  9:3 multiplied the nation. Once again the Lord confirmed His covenant with Abraham to multiply his physical descendants as the sands of the seashore (Gen. 22:17).

  9:4 broken the yoke. Eventually the Lord will free national Israel from bondage to Assyria, Babylon, and every other foreign power that has oppressed her.

  9:5 burning and fuel of fire. The world will no longer need the accessories of warfare because a time of universal peace will follow the return of Christ.

  9:6 Child…Son. These terms elaborate further on Immanuel, the child to be born to the virgin (7:14). The virgin’s child will also be the royal Son of David, with rights to the Davidic throne (9:7; cf. Matt. 1:21; Luke 1:31–33; 2:7, 11). government. In fulfillment of this verse and Ps. 2:9, the Son will rule the nations of the world (Rev. 2:27; 19:15). Wonderful, Counselor. The remaining 3 titles consist of two words each, so the intention was probably that each pair of words indicate one title: “Wonderful Counselor.” In contrast to Ahaz, this King will implement supernatural wisdom in discharging His office (cf. 2 Sam. 16:23; 1 Kin. 3:28). Mighty God. As a powerful warrior, the Messiah will accomplish the military exploits mentioned in (cf. 10:21; Deut. 10:17; Neh. 9:32). Everlasting Father. The Messiah will be a Father to His people eternally. As Davidic King, He will compassionately care for and discipline them (40:11; 63:16; 64:8; Pss. 68:5, 6; 103:13; Prov. 3:12). Prince of Peace. The government of Immanuel will procure and perpetuate peace among the nations of the world (2:4; 11:6–9; Mic. 4:3).

  9:7 throne of David. The virgin’s Son will be the rightful heir to David’s throne and will inherit the promises of the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:12–16; cf. Ps. 89:1–37; Matt. 1:1).

  9:8—10:4 This poem tells of great warning calamities sent by the Lord that have gone unheeded by Israel. The same refrain recurs 4 times (9:12, 17, 21; 10:4), dividing it into 4 strophes.

  9:9 pride and arrogance. Israel’s downfall was her feeling of self-sufficiency whereby she thought she could handle any eventuality (v. 10).

  9:11 adversaries of Rezin. The Syrian king’s enemies were the Assyrians.

  9:12 His hand is stretched out still. The outstretched hand will punish (cf. 5:25) beyond what the people had already experienced.

  9:16 leaders…those who are led. The aggravated wickedness of Israel extended to all classes, even the fatherless and widows (v. 17) who often were the objects of special mercy (1:17).

  9:19 No man…his brother. God’s wrath allowed wickedness to cause the society to self-destruct. A senseless mutual exploitation resulted in anarchy and confusion (v. 20).

  9:21 Manasseh…Ephraim…Judah. Descendants of Joseph’s two sons (Manasseh and Ephraim) had engaged in civil war with one another before (see Judg. 12:4) and unite only in their opposition to Judah.

  Isaiah 10

  10:1, 2 unrighteous decrees…rob the needy. The prophet returned to assign reasons for God’s wrath again: 1) inequities in administering the laws, and 2) harsh treatment of those in need.

  10:2 widows…fatherless. See 1:17.

  10:3 day of punishment. The Assyrians were the first to invade, then Babylon and other foreign powers followed.

  10:5 rod of My anger. God used Assyria as His instrument of judgment against Israel and Judah. He did the same with Babylon against Judah later on (Hab. 1:6).

  10:6 an ungodly nation. “My people” (v. 2), the people of Israel and Judah.

  10:7 he does not mean so. Assyria did not realize that she was the Lord’s instrument, but thought her conquests were the result of her own power.

  10:9 Calno…Damascus. These cities and territories all capitulated to the Assyrian invaders.

  10:10, 11 Shall I not do also. Proud Assyria warned Jerusalem that she would overcome that city just as she had been the instrument used by God against other nations.

  10:12 punish…the king of Assyria. The Lord expressed His intention of punishing proud Assyria after He had finished using that nation to punish Jerusalem.

  10:13, 14 The prophet proved the Assyrian king’s pride by reiterating his boast (cf. vv. 8–11).

  10:15 ax…saw…rod…staff. Nothing more than an instrument of the Lord (vv. 5, 24), Assyria had no power or wisdom of her own.

  10:16–19 burning…burning…fire…flame…burn…consume. When He had finished using Assyria as His instrument, the Lord terminated the kingdom’s existence (see v. 12).

  Is. 10:16

  God’s Judgment on the Nations

  Ammon

  Amos: 1:13-15 Judgment

  Jeremiah: 49:1-6 Judgment; Restoration

  Ezekiel: 25:1-7 Judgment

  Babylon

  Isaiah: 13:1-14:23 Judgment

  Jeremiah: 50, 51 Judgment

  Habakkuk: 2:6-17 Judgment

  Damascus

  Amos: 1:3-5 Judgment

  Isaiah: 17:1-3 Judgment; Remnant

  Jeremiah: 49:23-27 Judgment

  Edom

  Obadiah: Judgment

  Amos: 1:11, 12 Judgment

  Isaiah: 21:11, 12 Judgment

  Jeremiah: 49:7-22 Judgment

  Ezekiel: 25:12-14 Judgment

  Egypt

  Isaiah: 19 Judgment; Restoration

  Jeremiah: 46:1-26 Judgment

  Ezekiel: 29-32 Judgment

  Moab

  Amos: 2:1-3 Judgment

  Isaiah: 15, 16 Judgment; Remnant

  Jeremiah: 48 Judgment; Restoration

  Ezekiel: 25:8-11 Judgment

  Philistia

  Amos: 1:6-8 Judgment

  Isaiah: 14:29-32 Judgment

  Jeremiah: 47 Judgment; Remnant

  Ezekiel: 25:15-17 Judgment

  Tyre

  Amos: 1:9, 10 Judgment

  Isaiah: 23 Judgment; Restoration

  Ezekiel: 26-28 Judgment

  10:20 the remnant of Israel. Cf. 1:9. A small nucleus of God’s people, preserved by His sovereign grace, form this righteous remnant in the midst of national apostasy. There were always the obedient few who preserved, obeyed, and passed on God’s law. There will always be a remnant because God will never forsake the Abrahamic Covenant (cf. Mic. 2:12, 13; Rom. 9:27; 11:5).

  10:22 sand of the sea. Cf. Gen. 22:17.

  10:23 a determined end. They must face the wrath of God. See Paul’s use of this verse in Rom. 9:28.

  10:25 the indignation. The indignation covers the entire period of Israel’s exile (26:20; Dan. 11:36). Here is the promise that it will end with the return of the Messiah (11:1–16).

  10:26 Midian…Egypt. Isaiah selected two examples from the past to illustrate the Lord’s future deliverance of Israel: Gideon’s victory over the Midianites (Judg. 7:25) and the slaughter of the Egyptians who pursued the Israelites through the Red Sea (Ex. 14:16, 26, 27).

  10:27 burden…yoke. The removal of this yoke speaks of the future freeing of Israel from compulsion to render service to foreign oppressors.

  10:28–32 Isaiah visualized the Assyrian ar
my approaching Jerusalem from the N. The place names grew closer to Jerusalem as his vision progressed.

  10:33 lop off…hewn down…humbled. Though the Assyrian army reached the walls of Jerusalem, the sovereign Lord, the Lord of hosts, intervened and sent them away in defeat. Later Isaiah recorded the literal fulfillment of this prophecy (37:24, 36–38; cf. 2 Kin. 19:35–37; 2 Chr. 32:21).

  10:34 Lebanon. The OT equates Assyria to Lebanon (Ezek. 31:3; cf. 2:13; 37:24).

  Isaiah 11

  11:1 stem…roots. With the Babylonian captivity of 586 B.C., the Davidic dynasty appeared as decimated as the Assyrian army. A major difference between the two was the life remaining in the stump and roots of the Davidic line. That life was to manifest itself in new growth in the form of the Rod and Branch. Jesse. Jesse was David’s father through whose line the messianic king was to come (Ruth 4:22; 1 Sam. 16:1, 12, 13). Branch. This is a title for the Messiah (see 4:2).

  11:2 The Spirit of the LORD. As the Spirit of the Lord came upon David when he was anointed king (1 Sam 16:13; Ps. 51:11), so He will rest upon David’s descendant, Christ, who will rule the world. Spirit…the LORD…Him. This verse refers to the 3 persons of the Holy Trinity (see 6:3). wisdom and understanding…counsel and might…knowledge and…fear of the LORD. These are Spirit-imparted qualifications that will enable the Messiah to rule justly and effectively. Compare the 7-fold Spirit in Rev. 1:4.

  11:3 the sight of His eyes…the hearing of His ears. These are ordinary avenues for a king to obtain information needed to govern, but the future King will have supernatural perception beyond these usual sources.

  11:4 poor…meek. The Messiah will reverse Israel’s earlier dealings with the underprivileged (3:14, 15; 10:2). rod of His mouth. The Branch’s rule over the nations will be forceful. The NT uses equivalent terminology to describe the Warrior-King at His triumphant return to earth (Rev. 19:15; cf. 49:2; Ps. 2:9). breath of His lips. This is another figure for the Messiah’s means of inflicting physical harm. Paul draws upon this to tell of the destruction of the man of lawlessness at Christ’s second advent (2 Thess. 2:8).

  11:5 belt…belt. The belt, which gathered the loose garments together, is figurative for the Messiah’s readiness for conflict. Righteousness and faithfulness are His preparation. Cf. Eph. 6:14.

  11:6–9 Conditions of peace will prevail to the extent that all enmity among men, among animals—rapacious or otherwise—and between men and animals will disappear. Such will characterize the future millennial kingdom in which the Prince of Peace (9:6) will reign.

  11:9 full of the knowledge of the LORD. Everyone will know the Lord when He returns to fulfill His New Covenant with Israel (Jer. 31:34).

  11:10 in that day. The time of universal peace will come in the future reign of the Lord. Gentiles shall seek Him. The Root of Jesse will also attract non-Jews who inhabit the future kingdom (49:6; 52:10; 60:3; 66:18). Paul saw God’s ministry to Gentiles during the church age as an additional implication of this verse (Rom. 15:12).

  11:11 second time. The first return of Israel to her Land was from Egyptian captivity (Ex. 14:26–29). The second will be from her worldwide dispersion (51:9–11; see note on 10:20).

  11:12 four corners of the earth. This figurative expression depicts the whole world (Rev. 20:8). The faithful remnant of Israel will return from a worldwide dispersion to their Land.

  11:13 Ephraim…Judah. These were the two major divisions of Israel after the schism under Jeroboam (1 Kin. 12:16–20). Ephraim was the name representing the northern 10 tribes, and Judah the southern two. When the Messiah returns, they will reunite in a lasting peace.

  11:14 west…East. In that day Israel will be free from all foreign oppression and will be the dominant political force.

  11:15 the River. Just as He dried up the Red Sea in the deliverance from Egypt, the Lord will in the future dry up the Euphrates in connection with the final deliverance of His people. See note on Rev. 16:12.

  11:16 highway. Isaiah has much to say about a way for the remnant returning to Jerusalem (35:8, 9; 42:16; 43:19; 48:21; 49:11; 57:14; 62:10).

  Isaiah 12

  12:1–6 Two brief songs of praise (vv. 1–3, 4–6) which redeemed Israel will sing at the outset of the millennial kingdom. They are the earthly counterpart to the heavenly doxology in Rev. 19:6, 7.

  12:1 Your anger is turned away. For the future remnant who will recognize the substitutionary death of Christ for their sins, Christ bore God’s anger in their place. Otherwise, that anger against them would remain.

  12:2 God is my salvation. God will deliver the faithful of Israel from both their political opponents and the spiritual consequences of their sins. YAH, the LORD. Rendered “the LORD JEHOVAH” in the original KJV, the doubling of the personal name of God serves to emphasize His role as the covenant-keeping One. my strength and song…my salvation. Moses and the Israelites sang a similar song to celebrate their deliverance from the Egyptians (Ex. 15:2; cf. Ps. 118:14).

  12:3 water…wells. Isaiah’s readers doubtless thought of how God satisfied the physical thirst of their ancestors in the Wilderness of Sin (Ex. 17:1–7). The same provision will apply for their descendants when the Messiah comes to deliver the nation (41:17, 18; cf. 30:25; 35:6, 7; 43:19; Ps. 107:35). The NT amplifies this provision to include the supply of spiritual water for the thirsty soul (John 4:10, 14; 7:37; Rev. 7:16, 17; 21:6; 22:17).

  12:4, 5 among the peoples…in all the earth. Following the future Day of the Lord, Israel will testify to the rest of the world about His greatness and majesty. This was His purpose for His earthly people from the beginning.

  12:6 O inhabitant of Zion. The Heb. of this verse personifies Zion as a woman by commanding her to “cry out and shout” in celebration of the Lord’s greatness.

  Isaiah 13

  13:1—23:18 These 11 chapters group together prophecies against foreign nations, much the same as those in Jer. 46–51 and Ezek. 25–32.

  13:1—14:27 The section 13:1—14:24 deals specifically with Babylon and vv. 25–27 with Assyria, though Babylon was not yet a world power at the time of this prophecy. Isaiah foresaw a time when Babylon would overthrow the current dominant nation Assyria and be an international force.

  13:1 burden. In the sense of his having heavy responsibility to deliver the message. It is used 15 other times in the OT in superscriptions like this (14:28; 15:1; 17:1; 19:1; 21:1, 11, 13; 22:1; 23:1; Lam. 2:14; Nah. 1:1; Hab. 1:1; Zech. 9:1; 12:1; Mal. 1:1). Babylon…Isaiah…saw. This chapter foretold the city’s destruction. Even during the Assyrian Empire the city of Babylon was formidable and stood at the head in the list of Israel’s enemies to be conquered.

  13:2 Lift up a banner. As in 5:26, the Lord summoned foreign armies to conquer Babylon in all her greatness.

  13:3 I have commanded…called. The Lord told of His gathering of armies to overcome Babylon. My anger. God’s anger had turned away from Israel (12:1) and toward this oppressive foreign power.

  13:4 The LORD of hosts musters the army. Lit. “the LORD of armies musters the army.” See note at 1:9. This anticipated the end-time coming of the Lord to crush the final Babylon and to dash His enemies in pieces and establish a kingdom over all nations (Rev. 19:11–16).

  13:5 From the end of heaven. The fall of Babylon to the Medes was merely a short-term glimpse of the ultimate fall of Babylon at the hands of the universal forces of God (Rev. 18:2).

  13:6 the day of the LORD is at hand. The prophecy looked beyond the more immediate conquest of the city by the Medes to a greater day of the Lord and anticipated the final destruction of Babylon by the personal intervention of the Messiah. See note on 2:12.

  13:7 heart will melt. Courage was to vanish (19:1; Ezek. 21:7; Nah. 2:10).

  13:8 in pain as a woman in childbirth. The comparison of labor pains is often a figure to describe human sufferings in the period just before the final deliverance of Israel (21:3; 26:17, 18; 66:7ff.; Jer. 4:31; 13:21; 22:23; Hos. 13:13; Mic. 4:10; 5:2, 3; Matt. 24:8; 1 Thess. 5:3). Usually, it was the s
uffering of Israel, but here it pictured the misery of Babylon.

  13:9 destroy its sinners. This occurs when Messiah returns in judgment of all living on earth. In this case the prophet moves forward to the Babylon which is the final evil world city to be destroyed with all its inhabitants (see Rev. 17, 18).

  13:10 stars…sun…moon. Scripture frequently associates cosmic upheavals with the period of tribulation just before Christ’s return (24:23; Ezek. 32:7, 8; Joel 2:10, 30, 31; Amos 8:9; Matt. 24:29; Mark 13:24, 25; Luke 21:25; Rev. 6:12–14).

  13:11 arrogance. The same sin of pride that led to Israel’s judgment (5:21; 9:9) will cause Babylon’s downfall (47:5, 7, 8; Rev. 18:7).

  13:12 more rare. Because of this visitation human mortality will be extremely high, but not complete. God will spare a faithful remnant.

  13:13 shake the heavens…earth will move. These upheavals are associated with the ones in v. 10 (Joel 2:10; Hag. 2:6; Rev. 6:12–14; cf. 2:19, 21; 24:1, 19, 20; 34:4; 51:6).

  13:14 gazelle…sheep. Humans are frightening to the shy gazelle, but indispensable to the helpless sheep. The Babylonians will find the Lord as their enemy and lose Him as their shepherd. All they can do is flee the land.

  13:15, 16 thrust through…captured…dashed to pieces… plundered…ravished. The prophet for the moment returned to the immediate future, when the Medes committed all those cruel atrocities in captured Babylon. For more brutal acts, see v. 18.

  13:17 Medes. This people from an area SW of the Caspian Sea, N of Persia, E of Assyria, and NE of Babylon later allied themselves with the Babylonians to conquer Assyria ca. 610 B.C. and later with the Persians to cause the fall of Babylon (539 B.C.).

  13:19–22 From the near future, Isaiah returned to the distant future. The ultimate fulfillment of these prophecies of Babylon’s desolation will come in conjunction with Babylon’s rebuilding and utter destruction when Christ returns (Rev. 14:8; 18:2). Obviously, Isaiah was unable to see the many centuries that separated Babylon’s fall to the Medes from the destruction of the final Babylon by God (see Rev. 17, 18).