Isaiah 11:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.

NIV: The infant will play near the cobra's den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper's nest.

NASB: The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.

CSB: An infant will play beside the cobra's pit, and a toddler will put his hand into a snake's den.

NLT: The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra. Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm.

KJV: And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

NKJV: The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.

Isaiah is telling his audience about the nature of the world during the rule of a mysterious future king of Israel. This King will, in fact, be ruler over all the earth at some point (Isaiah 11:4). In this ruler's kingdom, both predator and prey animals will lie down together and eat together without bloodshed or death. They will live at peace together (Isaiah 11:6–7).

Now the prophet adds that a nursing child and weaned child will play near deadly snakes. The nursing child, of course, would be quite young, just a baby. The weaned child would be a little older. In either case, the idea of such a thing is enough to make any parent nervous. Our instinct would be to run to that child's rescue because we know the snake's instinct would be to strike with deadly force.

Christian commentators suggest two possible ways to read Isaiah's meaning in this verse and the previous verses (Isaiah 11:6–7). One is that the nature of animals will be changed completely in the Messiah's kingdom. Another is that Isaiah is using animals to represent the relationships between nations and peoples on the earth.

At the very end of history, in the new heaven and new earth, there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:1–5). Creation, including the animal kingdom, has existed in frustration and futility. This is because of human sin, and the world longs to be freed from the bondage to corruption (Romans 8:19–21).

Is that the moment Isaiah pictures here? Or does he mean to show that under the Messiah's government, before the new heaven and earth, conflict will cease between nations and people-groups? Even the most innocent peoples will be safe from predatory nations because the Messiah will not allow any wickedness to exist on the earth.

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).