Isaiah 11:1-16 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:… We should connect the opening of the eleventh chapter with the close of the tenth in order to feel the full force of the contrast. There we read: "And He shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty One." Then comes the prophecy that "there shall come forth a rod," etc. The cedar of Lebanon was the symbol of Assyrian power. It was a poor symbol. Looked at botanically, it very vividly represented the passing pomp of a pagan empire. It is of the pine genus, and sends out no suckers, and when it is cut down it is gone. The oak is the symbol of Israel's power, and though it be cut down it grows again — "there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots" — out of the very lowest stump that is left in the ground. (J. Parker, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:WEB: A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit. |
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