Isaiah 11:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

NIV: The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD--

NASB: The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

CSB: The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him -- a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

NLT: And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him — the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

KJV: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

NKJV: The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

Isaiah described the destruction of the Assyrian Empire. Before that, he predicted the near-total destruction of Israel and Judah. Now, he is describing the Messiah: the King who will rise from the seemingly dead stump of Jesse to become Israel's perfect, godly leader (Isaiah 11:1).

This future king would be unlike any other rulers. The Lord's Spirit would rest on Him to provide great wisdom, strength, and knowledge. In this way, the Messiah Isaiah describes would be like King David (1 Samuel 16:13). Only the description of the Spirit's power in and through this future leader goes far beyond what was seen in King David.

The Spirit of the Lord is also known as the Holy Spirit. He is the third member of the Trinity, God in Spirit form. In the Old Testament, He sometimes came to rest on specific people to empower them to do what the Lord had called them to do. The prophet Isaiah says the Spirit of the Lord will rest on this future descendant of Jesse.

Here, the Lord's Spirit is described as the Spirit of wisdom and understanding. This means that this leader will rule with these qualities. He will also be empowered by the Spirit of counsel and might. These attributes are describing the ability to make strategic decisions and act on them with strength. Finally, He will lead with the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Messiah, fulfilled all these prophecies. And He will continue to do so when He returns to rule over the earth. Empowered by the Spirit, He taught, led, and even sacrificed His life. He did all these things with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, but also with great power. As the Son of God, He did, and does, everything with the perfect fear of the Lord that even the best of Israel's kings never achieved.

Isaiah 11:1–16 once more returns to a description of a glorious kingdom to come. This passage was written when Israel's earthly kingdom hung by a thread. That future kingdom will be lead by a descendant of Jesse, David's father. He will rule the earth in the Spirit of the Lord, and restore righteousness, justice, and peace to the earth. All will live in harmony. All the non-Jewish nations will gather under the banner of the Messiah. The Lord will reassemble His Israelite people to their land from the four corners of the earth.

Isaiah describes a future leader who will be raised up from line of Jesse and King David. The leader will be a man and yet more than just a man. He will be powered by the Spirit of the Lord to lead with wisdom, might, and knowledge. He will restore justice and bring peace to the world, ending all conflict. The non-Jewish nations of the earth will come to Him. He will reassemble the scattered Israelites. The reunited nation will have final victory over their enemies under His rule.

Isaiah 11 follows the previous chapter's promise of the Lord's defeat of the Assyrian Empire. Along with the promise that a descendant of King David will one day rule Israel and the world. He will rule in the power of the Spirit of the Lord with wisdom, justice, and righteousness. Conflict will cease, even among the animals. All the non-Jewish nations will gather to the Messiah. The Lord will reassemble His Israelite people to the land from the four corners of the world. Reunited as one nation, they will defeat their enemies and live under the rule of the Lord. Chapter 12 continues this description.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).