Isaiah is describing the coming calamity as Assyria invades the northern kingdom and threatens the southern kingdom.
Isaiah 9:1-2, Galilee
Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
A future conqueror will humble the northern tribes Zebulun and Naphtali by overrunning them and carrying away much of the population. (This happens when Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria conquers the northern kingdom of Israel in 733-2 BC.) But in a future day God will no longer humble the people of Zebulun and Naphtali (both west of the Sea of Galilee) but in fact will honor Galilee. A light will dawn there.... In the New Testament, Matthew quotes this passage (Matthew 4:12-17) at the beginning of the ministry of Messiah Jesus, as He begins to preach in Galilee.
Isaiah 9:3-5, Enlarge the nation and increase its joy
You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
The passage turns to second person, addressing God, who will "enlarge the nation" and "increase their joy", breaking the yoke across the shoulders of Israel. This God restoring Israel, possibly with a military Messiah, returning in power.
Verses 4, 5 and 6 all begin with an emphatic ki, ("because", "for".) This is somewhat lost in the NIV. The nation will be enlarged --
because the yoke on Israel will be shattered...,
because the warrior's boot will be burned up...,
The next passage explains how this will happen:
because a child is born....
Isaiah 9:6-7, A Son, a Counselor, eternal peace
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
How will Israel be restored? A child, a son (echoing the prophesies through Isaiah's children) will rule the government. He is given four names, several that identify Him as God. His reign is eternal, a continuation of David's throne. This passage is clearly Messianic.
It is to this same ’êl gib·bō·wr (God the Mighty) that the nation returns in 10:21.
Isaiah 9:8-12, Enemies on all sides
The Lord has sent a message against Jacob;
it will fall on Israel.
All the people will know it—
Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria—
who say with pride
and arrogance of heart,
“The bricks have fallen down,
but we will rebuild with dressed stone;
the fig trees have been felled,
but we will replace them with cedars.”
But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s foes against them
and has spurred their enemies on.
Arameans from the east and Philistines from the west
have devoured Israel with open mouth.
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.
Destruction is coming to Israel. Arrogant hopes of rebuilding will be in vain. And in all of this, God is not finished. The ominous sentence, "His anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised", will be repeated several times in this chapter.
The identity of Rezin is unclear. The Septuagint replaces "Rezin's foes" with "adversaries of Zion". The Hebrew word Retsin apparently is the name of a king of Aram (Damascus, a perennial enemy of Israel.) The gist of the passage is that a number of armies (Arameans from the east, Philistines from the west) will descend on Israel/Samaria, even (possibly) enemies of the king of Aram.
Isaiah 9:13-17, Head and tail
But the people have not returned to him who struck them,
nor have they sought the Lord Almighty.
So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
both palm branch and reed in a single day;
the elders and dignitaries are the head,
the prophets who teach lies are the tail.
Those who guide this people mislead them,
and those who are guided are led astray.
Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,
nor will he pity the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly and wicked,
every mouth speaks folly.
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.
The destruction of Israel will remove the elders and leaders, the "head", and will also remove the lying and dishonest prophets, the "tail." Indeed, everything in between will be destroyed, as it is all "ungodly and wicked." And after all this is done, God is still not finished.
Isaiah 9:18-21, Wickedness like fire
Surely wickedness burns like a fire;
it consumes briers and thorns,
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,
so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
By the wrath of the Lord Almighty
the land will be scorched
and the people will be fuel for the fire;
they will not spare one another.
On the right they will devour,
but still be hungry;
on the left they will eat,
but not be satisfied.
Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring:
Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;
together they will turn against Judah.
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.
The wickedness of Israel/Samaria spreads like wildfire, engulfing the land. Indeed, intertribal civil war will be part of the destrution; the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim will feed on each other. And after all this destruction, God is still not finished.
Some Random Thoughts
What a strange intermission in the middle of this distressing prophecy! In between the coming destruction of Israel/Samaria described in chapter 8 and the destruction and civil war in the last half of chapter 9, we have the announcement of an eternal King who will restore everything. And the honor will go to Galilee!
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