---
title: "Clarke"
description: "The land of Zebulun — Zebulun, Naphtali, Manasseh, that is, the country of Galilee all round the sea of Gennesareth, were the parts that principally suffe"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/isaiah/9"
---

***The land of Zebulun*** — Zebulun, Naphtali, Manasseh, that is, the country of Galilee all round the sea of Gennesareth, were the parts that principally suffered in the first Assyrian invasion under Tiglath-pileser; see [2 Kings 15:29](../../../kjv/2-kings/15/29); [1 Chronicles 5:26](../../../kjv/1-chronicles/5/26). And they were the first that enjoyed the blessings of Christ's preaching the Gospel, and exhibiting his miraculous works among them. See *Mede's* Works, p. 101, and 457. This, which makes the *twenty-third* verse of chap. viii. in the Hebrew, is the *first* verse in chap. ix. in our authorized version. Bishop *Lowth* follows the division in the Hebrew.

Verse [Isaiah 9:3](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/3). ***And not increased the joy*** - "Thou hast increased their joy"] *Eleven* MSS. of *Kennicott's* and *six* of *De Rossi's, two* ancient, read לו *lo, it*, according to the Masoretical correction, instead of לא *lo, not*. To the same purpose the *Targum* and *Syriac*.
***The joy in harvest*** — כשמחת בקציר *kesimchath bakkatsir*. For *bakkatsir one* MS. of *Kennicott's* and *one* of *De* *Rossi's* have קציר *katsir*, and another הקציר *hakkatsir*, "the harvest;" one of which seems to be the true, reading, as the noun preceding is *in regimine*.

Verse [Isaiah 9:5](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/5). ***Every battle of the warrior*** - "The greaves of the armed warrior"] שאון שאון *seon soen*. This word, occurring only in this place, is of very doubtful signification. *Schindler* fairly tells us that we may guess at it by the context. The Jews have explained it, by guess I believe, as signifying *battle, conflict*: the *Vulgate* renders it *violenta praedatio*. But it seems as if something was rather meant which was capable of becoming fuel for the fire, together with the garments mentioned in the same sentence. In *Syriac* the word, as a noun, signifies a *shoe*, or a *sandal*, as a learned friend suggested to me some years ago. See [Luke 15:22](../../../kjv/luke/15/22); [Acts 12:8](../../../kjv/acts/12/8). I take it, therefore, to mean that part of the armour which covered the legs and feet, and I would render the two words in Latin by *caliga caligati*. The burning of heaps of armour, gathered from the field of battle, as an offering made to the god supposed to be the giver of victory, was a custom that prevailed among some heathen nations; and the Romans used it as an emblem of peace, which perfectly well suits with the design of the prophet in this place. A medal struck by *Vespasian* on finishing his wars both at home and abroad represents the goddess Peace holding an olive branch in one hand, and, with a lighted torch in the other, setting fire to a heap of armour. *Virgil* mentions the custom: -
Ezekiel, [Ezekiel 39:8-10](../../../kjv/ezekiel/39/8-10), in his bold manner has carried this image to a degree of amplification which I think hardly any other of the Hebrew poets would have attempted. He describes the burning of the arms of the enemy, in consequence of the complete victory to be obtained by the Israelites over Gog and Magog: -
"Behold, it is come to pass, and it is done,
Saith the Lord JEHOVAH.
This is the day of which I spoke:
And the inhabitants of the cities of Israel shall go forth.
And shall set on fire the armour, and the shield,
And the buckler, and the bow, and the arrows,
And the clubs and the lances;
And they shall set them on fire for seven years.
And they shall not bear wood from the field;
Neither shall they hew from the forest:
For of the armour shall they make their fires;
And they shall spoil their spoilers,
And they shall plunder their plunderers."

*R. D. Kimchi*, on this verse says this refers simply to the destruction of the Assyrians. Other battles are fought man against man, and spear against spear; and the garments are rolled in blood through the wounds given and received: but this was with burning, for the angel of the Lord smote them by night, and there was neither sword nor violent commotion, nor blood; they were food for the fire, for the angel of the Lord consumed them.

Verse [Isaiah 9:6](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/6). **The government shall*****be upon his shoulder*** — That is, the ensign of government; the sceptre, the sword, the key, or the like, which was borne upon or hung from the shoulder. [Isaiah 22:22](../../../kjv/isaiah/22/22).
***And his name shall be called*** — אל גבור *El gibbor*, the prevailing or conquering God.
***The everlasting Father*** - "The Father of the everlasting age"] Or אבי עד *Abi ad*, the Father of eternity. The *Septuagint* have μεγαλης βουλης Αγγελος, "the Messenger of the Great Counsel." But instead of אבי עד *Abi ad*, a MS. of *De Rossi* has אבעזר *Abezer*, the *helping Father*; evidently the corruption of some Jew, who did not like such an evidence in favour of the Christian Messiah.
***Prince of Peace*** — שר שלום *sar shalom*, the Prince of prosperity, the Giver of all blessings.
A MS. of the *thirteenth* century in *Kennicott's* collection has a remarkable addition here. "He shall be a *stumbling-block*, המכשלה; the government is on his shoulder." This reading is nowhere else acknowledged, as far as I know.

Verse [Isaiah 9:7](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/7). ***Of the increase*** — In the common *Hebrew* Bibles, and in many MSS., this word is written with the *close* or final למרבה ם. But in *twelve* of *Kennicott's* MSS., and *twelve* of *De Rossi's*, it is written with the open mem; but here it is supposed to contain mysteries, viz., that Jerusalem shall be *shut up, closed*, and *confined*, till the days of the Messiah.
This is an illustrious prophecy of the *incarnation* of Christ, with an enumeration of those *characters* in which he stands most nearly related to mankind as their Saviour; and of others by which his infinite *majesty* and *Godhead* are shown. He shall appear as a *child, born of a woman*, born as a Jew, *under the law*, but not in the way of ordinary generation. He is a *Son given*-the human nature, in which the fulness of the Godhead was to dwell, being produced by the creative energy of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin. See [Matthew 1:20-21](../../../kjv/matthew/1/20-21); [Matthew 1:23](../../../kjv/matthew/1/23); [Matthew 1:25](../../../kjv/matthew/1/25), and [Luke 1:35](../../../kjv/luke/1/35), and [Isaiah 7:14](../../../kjv/isaiah/7/14), and the notes on those passages. As being God *manifested in the* *flesh*, he was *wonderful* in his conception, birth, preaching, miracles, sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension; *wonderful* in his person, and *wonderful* in his working. He is the *Counsellor* that expounds the law; shows its origin, nature, and claims; instructs, pleads for the guilty; and ever appears in the presence of God for men. He is the *mighty God*; God essentially and *efficiently prevailing* against his enemies, and destroying ours. He is the *Father of eternity*; the Origin of all being, and the Cause of the existence, and particularly the Father, of the spirits of all flesh. The *Prince of peace*-not only the *Author* of peace, and the Dispenser of peace, but also he that *rules* by *peace*, whose rule tends always to *perfection*, and produces *prosperity*. *Of the increase of his government*-this Prince has a *government*, for he has all power both in heaven and in earth: and his government *increases*, and is daily more and more *extended*, and will continue till all things are put under his feet. His kingdom is *ordered*-every act of government regulated according to wisdom and goodness; is established so securely as not to be overthrown; and administered in *judgment* and *justice*, so as to manifest his wisdom, righteousness, goodness, and truth. Reader, *such* is that Jesus who came into the world to save sinners! Trust in HIM!
[Isaiah 9:8-4](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/8-4). This whole passage reduced to its proper and entire form, and healed of the dislocation which it suffers by the absurd division of the chapters, makes a distinct prophecy, and a just poem, remarkable for the regularity of its disposition and the elegance of its plan. It has no relation to the preceding or following prophecy; though the parts, violently torn asunder, have been, on the one side and the other, patched on to them. Those relate principally to the kingdom of Judah; this is addressed exclusively to the kingdom of Israel. The subject of it is a denunciation of vengeance awaiting their crimes. It is divided into *four* parts, each threatening the particular punishment of some grievous offence-of their pride, of their perseverance in their vices, of their impiety, and of their injustice. To which is added a general denunciation of a farther reserve of Divine wrath, contained in a distich, before used by the prophet on a like occasion, [Isaiah 5:25](../../../kjv/isaiah/5/25), and here repeated after each part. This makes the intercalary verse of the poem; or, as we call it, the burden of the song.
"Post hoc comma (cap. ix. 4) interponitur spatium unius lineae, in Cod. 2 et 3: idemque observatur in 245. in quo nullum est spatium ad finem capitis ix." *Kennicott*, Var. Lect.
"After this clause ([Isaiah 9:4](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/4)) is interposed the space of one line in Cod. 2 and 3. The same is likewise observed in Cod. 245, in which no space exists at the end of chap. ix."

Verse [Isaiah 9:8](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/8). ***Lord***- "JEHOVAH"] For אדני *Adonai, thirty* MSS. of *Kennicott's*, and many of *De Rossi's*, and *three* editions, read יהוה *Yehovah*.

Verse [Isaiah 9:9](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/9). ***Pride and stoutness of heart*** - "Carry themselves haughtily"] וידעו *veyadeu*, "and they shall know;" so ours and the Versions in general. But what is it that they shall know? The verb stands destitute of its object; and the sense is imperfect. The *Chaldee* is the only one, as far as I can find, that expresses it otherwise. He renders the verb in this place by ואתרברבו *veithrabrabu*, "they exalt themselves, or carry themselves haughtily; the same word by which he renders גבהו *gabehu*, [Isaiah 3:16](../../../kjv/isaiah/3/16). He seems, therefore, in this place to have read ויגבהו *vaiyigbehu*, which agrees perfectly well with what follows, and clears up the difficulty. Archbishop *Secker* conjectured וידברו *vayedabberu*, referring it to לאמר *lemor*, in the next verse, which shows that he was not satisfied with the present reading. *Houbigant* reads וירעו *vaiyereu, et pravi facti* *sunt*, they are become wicked, which is found in a MS.; but I prefer the reading of the *Chaldee*, which suits much better with the context.
*Houbigant* approves of this reading; but it is utterly unsupported by any evidence from antiquity: it is a mere mistake of ר *resh* for ד *daleth*; and I am surprised that it should be favoured by *Houbigant*.

Verse [Isaiah 9:10](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/10). ***The bricks*** — "The eastern bricks," says Sir *John* *Chardin*, (see *Harmer's* Observ. I., p. 176,) "are only clay well moistened with water, and mixed with straw, and dried in the sun." So that their walls are commonly no better than our mud walls; see *Maundrell*, p. 124. That straw was a necessary part in the composition of this sort of bricks, to make the parts of the clay adhere together, appears from [Exodus 5:7-19](../../../kjv/exodus/5/7-19). These bricks are properly opposed to hewn stone, so greatly superior in beauty and durableness. The sycamores, which, as *Jerome* on the place says, are timber of little worth, with equal propriety are opposed to the cedars. "As the grain and texture of the sycamore is remarkably coarse and spongy, it could therefore stand in no competition at all (as it is observed, [Isaiah 9:10](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/10)) with the cedar, for beauty and ornament." - *Shaw*, Supplement to Travels, p. 96. We meet with the same opposition of cedars to sycamores, [1 Kings 10:27](../../../kjv/1-kings/10/27), where Solomon is said to have made silver as the stones, and cedars as the sycamores in the vale for abundance. By this *mashal*, or figurative and sententious speech, they boast that they shall easily be able to repair their present losses, suffered perhaps by the first Assyrian invasion under Tiglath-pileser; and to bring their affairs to a more flourishing condition than ever.
Some of the bricks mentioned above lie before me. They were brought from the site of ancient Babylon. The *straw* is *visible,* *kneaded with the clay*; they are very hard, and evidently were *dried in the sun*; for they are very easily *dissolved* in *water*.

Verse [Isaiah 9:11](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/11). ***The adversaries of Rezin against him*** - "The princes of Retsin against him"] For צרי *tsarey, enemies, Houbigant*, by conjecture, reads שרי *sarey, princes*; which is confirmed by *thirty* of *Kennicott's* and *De Rossi's* MSS., (two ancient,) one of my own, ancient; and *nine* more have צ *tsaddi*, upon a rasure, and therefore had probably at first שרי *sarey*. The princes of Retsin, the late ally of Israel, that is, the Syrians, expressly named in the next verse, shall now be excited against Israel.
The *Septuagint* in this place give us another variation; for רצין *Retsin*, they read הר ציון *har tsiyon*, ορος σιων, *Mount* *Sion*, of which this may be the sense; but JEHOVAH shall set up the adversaries of Mount Sion against him, (i.e., against Israel,) and will *strengthen* his enemies together; the Syrians, the Philistines, who are called the adversaries of Mount Sion. See *Simonis* Lex. in voce סכך *sachach*.

Verse [Isaiah 9:12](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/12). ***With open mouth***- "On every side"] בכל פה *bechol peh*, in every corner, in every part of their country, pursuing them to the remotest extremities, and the most retired parts. So the *Chaldee* בכל אתר bechol athar, in every place.

Verse [Isaiah 9:14](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/14). ***In one day.*** — *Thirteen* MSS. of *Kennicott* and *De* *Rossi* read ביום *beyom*, in a day; and another has a rasure in the place of the letter ב *beth*.

Verse [Isaiah 9:17](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/17). ***The Lord***- "JEHOVAH"] For אדני *Adonai*, a great number of MSS. read יהוה *Yehovah*.

Verse [Isaiah 9:18](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/18). ***For wickedness*** — Wickedness rageth like a fire, destroying and laying waste the nation: but it shall be its own destruction, by bringing down the fire of God's wrath, which shall burn up the briers and the thorns; that is, the wicked themselves. Briers and thorns are an image frequently applied in Scripture, when set on fire, to the rage of the wicked; violent, yet impotent, and of no long continuance. "They are extinct as the fire of thorns," [Psalms 118:12](../../../kjv/psalms/118/12). To the wicked themselves, as useless and unprofitable, proper objects of God's wrath, to be burned up, or driven away by the wind. "As thorns cut up they shall be consumed in the fire," [Isaiah 33:12](../../../kjv/isaiah/33/12). Both these ideas seem to be joined in [Psalms 58:9](../../../kjv/psalms/58/9): -
"Before your pots shall feel the thorn,
As well the green as the dry, the tempest shall
bear them away."

The green and the dry is a proverbial expression, meaning all sorts of them, good and bad, great and small, &c. So Ezekiel: "Behold, I will kindle a fire, and it shall devour every green tree, and every dry tree," [Ezekiel 20:47](../../../kjv/ezekiel/20/47). *D'Herbelot* quotes a Persian poet describing a pestilence under the image of a conflagration: "This was a lightning that, falling upon a forest, consumed there the green wood with the dry." See *Harmer's* Observations, Vol. II., p. 187.

Verse [Isaiah 9:20](../../../kjv/isaiah/9/20). ***The flesh of his own arm*** - "The flesh of his neighbour"] "Του βραχιονος του αδελφου αυτου, the *Septuagint Alexand. Duplex* *versio, quarum altera legit* רעו reo, quae vox extat, [Jeremiah 6:21](../../../kjv/jeremiah/6/21). *Nam* רע rea, αδελφος, [Genesis 43:33](../../../kjv/genesis/43/33). *Recte ni fallor*." - SECKER. I add to this excellent remark, that the *Chaldee* manifestly reads רעו *reo, his neighbour*, not זרעו *zeroo, his arm*; for he renders it by קריביה *karibeyh, his* *neighbour*. And Jeremiah has the very same expression: ואיש בשר רעהו יאכלו *veish besar reehu yochelu*, "and every one shall eat the flesh of his neighbour," [Jeremiah 19:9](../../../kjv/jeremiah/19/9). This observation, I think, gives the true reading and sense of this place: and the context strongly confirms it by explaining the general idea by particular instances, in the following verse: "Every man shall devour the flesh of his neighbour;" that is, they shall harass and destroy one another. "Manasseh shall destroy Ephraim, and Ephraim, Manasseh;" which two tribes were most closely connected both in blood and situation as brothers and neighbours; "and both of them in the midst of their own dissensions shall agree in preying upon Judah." The common reading, "shall devour the flesh of his own *arm*," in connexion with what follows, seems to make either an inconsistency, or an anticlimax; whereas by this correction the following verse becomes an elegant illustration of the foregoing. - L.

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