“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:”
Root. Juda shall not be exterminated, like the Assyrians. (Calmet) — Christ shall spring from the blessed Virgin [Mary], (Worthington) for the salvation of mankind. The Jews agree, that this prediction regards the Messias; though some, with Grotius, would explain it literally of Ezechias. They do not reflect that he was now ten years old, and that the prophet speaks of an event which should still take place after he had been a long while upon the throne. If we were to look for any figure of the Messias, to whom this might be applicable, it would be Zorobabel, Zacharias iii. 8. But how disproportionate would be the promises to the execution? Some passages may indeed relate to the return of the captives, (ver. 11.) as the people must have a more immediate object, to insure the accomplishment of the more elevated predictions concerning the Messias: but these also refer ultimately to the propagation of the gospel, which the prophet had also in view. (Calmet)
“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;”
Him. In the form of a dove, John i. 32. (Haydock) — “The whole fountain of the Holy Ghost descending.” (Ev. Nazar.) (St. Jerome) — Christ was filled with his seven gifts, and of his fullness his servants receive. (Worthington) — Yet all virtues are the gifts of the holy Spirit, and the number seven is not specified in Hebrew, as the same word (Calmet) yirath, is rendered godliness, which (ver. 3.) means, the fear of the Lord. (Haydock) — God enables us to penetrate the difficulties of Scripture, and to act with prudence, &c. (Menochius)
“And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: quick: Heb. scent or, smell”
Filled. Hebrew, “breath or smell.” So St. Paul says, (2 Corinthians ii. 15.) we are the good odour of Christ. (Calmet) — Protestants, “he shall make him of quick understanding (marginal note, smell) in the fear,” &c. (Haydock) — Ears. Which are often deceived. (Menochius)
“But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. reprove: or, argue”
Wicked. Antichrist, (2 Thessalonians ii. 8.) and all impiety, by means of the apostles.
“And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.”
Reins. He shall possess these virtues, performing his promises with the strictest fidelity. (Calmet)
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.”
Wolf. Some explain this of the Millennium. (apud St. Jerome) (Lactantius vii. 24.) — But the more intelligent understand, that the fiercest nations shall embrace the gospel, and kings obey the pastors of the Church. (Calmet) — Lead. Or “drive,” as the word is used by Festus. (Haydock)
“And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. cockatrice: or, adders”
Basilisk. Psalm ix. 13. The apostles subdued kings and philosophers, without any human advantages.
“They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
Kill. The most inveterate pagans, being once converted, entirely alter their manners, Osee ii. 18.
“And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. glorious: Heb. glory”
Ensign. The cross is the standard of Christians. — Sepulchre. Hebrew, Septuagint, &c., “rest.” St. Jerome give the true sense. The holy places have been greatly reverenced, and Christian princes strove for a long time to recover them. (Calmet) — They are respected even by the Turks. Christ’s death was ignominious, but his monument was full of glory. Thus the saints begin to shine, where the glory of the wicked ends. (Worthington)
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.”
Time. After the deliverance from Sennacherib, they shall return from captivity. Ezechias recalled some few, 2 Paralipomenon xxix. 9. — Remnant. Some embraced the gospel, Romans ii. 2., and Acts ii. 41., &c. — Phetros, in Egypt. — Of the Mediterranean sea, and all places to which the Jews went by water.
“The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.”
Away. Under Ezechias the Israelites began to join with Juda. But they did it more cordially after their return from Babylon.
“But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. them of: Heb. the children of they shall lay: Heb. Edom and Moab shall be the laying on of their hand shall obey: Heb. their obedience”
Shoulders. Or confines, Ezechiel xxv. 9. Ezechias and the Machabees attacked the Philistines. (Calmet) — Septuagint, “and they shall fly on the ships of the strangers; they shall plunder the sea together, and those on the east, and Idumea.” (Haydock) — East. Ammonites, &c., often defeated by the Machabees, and probably by Ezechias.
“And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. dryshod: Heb. in shoes”
Tongue. Gulf of the Mediterranean, near Pelusium, or the seven mouths of the river Nile. The country was ravaged by Sennacherib, Cambyses, Alex.[Alexander the Great?], and Epiphanes, chap. xix. 4., &c. The Jewish captives shall return thence, chap. l. 3., and Zacharias x. 10.
“And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.”
Assyrians. They shall march without impediment. (Calmet)