Commentary - Isaiah 11:10-16

Bird's-eye view

In this magnificent prophecy, Isaiah describes the results of the Messiah's reign, which he detailed in the first part of the chapter. Having established the character of the King, Isaiah now turns to the nature of His kingdom. The central theme is a great, global ingathering, a second and greater Exodus. Christ, the Root of Jesse, will be raised up as a banner, a rallying point, not just for the Jews, but for all the nations. God will sovereignly recover His remnant from every corner of the earth, healing ancient divisions within His people and uniting them into a formidable force. This united body will then go on the offensive, triumphing over its traditional enemies through the power of the gospel. The passage concludes with powerful, symbolic language, promising that God will remove every obstacle to this great salvation, just as He did when He parted the Red Sea for Israel of old.

This is not a prophecy about a future, localized political restoration in the Middle East. This is a prophecy about the building of the Church. It is about the Great Commission. The gathering from the four corners of the earth is the fruit of gospel preaching. The healing of Ephraim and Judah is the reconciliation of Jew and Gentile in the one body of Christ. The victory over the Philistines and Edomites is the triumph of the kingdom of God over the kingdoms of this world. This is postmillennial poetry of the highest order, describing the victorious advance of the Church throughout history under her glorious King.

Outline

Context In Isaiah

This passage is the culmination of a section that begins in chapter 7 with the prophecy of the virgin birth. Throughout these chapters, Isaiah has contrasted the faithlessness of kings like Ahaz with the coming faithfulness of the true King. Immediately preceding our text, Isaiah 11:1-9 gives us one of the most glorious descriptions of the Messiah in all of Scripture. He is the branch from the stump of Jesse, endowed with the Spirit of the Lord, who will judge with righteousness and bring about a new creation where the wolf dwells with the lamb. Our passage, verses 10-16, flows directly from that. Because the King is who He is, this is the kind of kingdom He will build. The righteous reign of the Messiah results in the global gathering of a redeemed people. This section, in turn, sets the stage for the song of praise in chapter 12, which is the fitting response to such a great salvation.

Key Issues

The Great Ingathering

When the Bible speaks of a "remnant," it is a technical term. It refers to that portion of the visible covenant community that is genuinely faithful. Throughout Israel's history, the nation as a whole was often apostate, but God always preserved a faithful remnant. Here, Isaiah prophesies a day when God will not just preserve a remnant, but will actively and sovereignly acquire it. And this will be the "second time." The first time was the Exodus from Egypt. That was the foundational saving event of the Old Covenant. But this second time will be far greater in scope and significance. This is the Exodus accomplished by Christ.

This new Exodus is not from one geographical location, but from all of them: "Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Ethiopia, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea." This is poetic language for "the whole world." And the people gathered are not just ethnic Jews, but "the nations" who will seek the Root of Jesse. This is the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham that in him all the families of the earth would be blessed. This is the story of the Church, the international people of God, called out from every tribe and tongue and nation, and gathered together under the banner of King Jesus.

Verse by Verse Commentary

10 Then it will be in that day, That the nations will seek the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a standard for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious.

The phrase in that day points to the new era, the Messianic age. The central figure is the "root of Jesse," which Paul explicitly identifies as Christ in Romans 15:12. He is not just the branch from Jesse's stump, but the root that gives Jesse life. He is both David's son and David's Lord. The great reversal is that the Gentiles, the nations, will seek Him. He will be a "standard," a banner or signal flag, lifted up to be a rallying point for all the peoples of the world. This is the crucified and resurrected Christ, lifted up to draw all men to Himself (John 12:32). His "resting place" is not a building or a city, but the glorious state of His kingdom, the Church, where we find our true Sabbath rest in Him.

11 Then it will be in that day, that the Lord Will again acquire the second time with His hand The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Ethiopia, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, And from the coastlands of the sea.

Here the "second Exodus" is explicitly named. God is going to act again, with His mighty hand, to redeem His people. But this redemption is not from bondage in Egypt, but from bondage to sin and death in every nation under heaven. The list of places is representative of the whole world, from the great powers of Mesopotamia (Assyria, Shinar) and Egypt, to the distant lands. This is a global rescue mission. The object of this rescue is the "remnant," the elect of God, those who truly belong to Him, scattered throughout the world.

12 And He will lift up a standard for the nations And assemble the banished ones of Israel, And will gather the scattered of Judah From the four corners of the earth.

God is the active agent in this great work. He will lift the standard. He will assemble. He will gather. This is the sovereign grace of God in action. The standard is for the nations, the Gentiles, while the gathering is of the banished and scattered of Israel and Judah. But these are not two separate groups. This is the one people of God, the true Israel, composed of both believing Jews and believing Gentiles, being gathered into one body from the "four corners of the earth." This is the Great Commission in its essence.

13 Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, And those who assail Judah will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, And Judah will not assail Ephraim.

The division between the northern kingdom (Ephraim) and the southern kingdom (Judah) was the great schism, the great wound in the body of old covenant Israel. Isaiah prophesies a complete healing of this division. In the kingdom of the Messiah, this internal hostility will cease. This finds its ultimate fulfillment in the Church, where Christ has "broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility" (Eph 2:14). The old enmities between Jew and Gentile, and all the petty rivalries that plague mankind, are crucified with Christ. In Him, there is one new man.

14 And they will swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines on the west; Together they will plunder the sons of the east; They will stretch out their hands over Edom and Moab, And the sons of Ammon will obey them.

Once united, the people of God go on the offensive. This is military language used to describe a spiritual reality. The Philistines, Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites were the traditional, perennial enemies of Israel. They represent the hostile world system that is set against Christ and His kingdom. The united Church will "swoop down" and "plunder" them. This is the triumphant advance of the gospel. As Paul said, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but are mighty to the pulling down of strongholds. The nations will either be plundered for Christ through conversion, or they will be brought into submission to His rule.

15 And Yahweh will devote to destruction The tongue of the Sea of Egypt; And He will wave His hand over the River With His scorching wind; And He will strike it into seven streams And make men walk over dry-shod.

To accomplish this great ingathering and conquest, God will remove all obstacles. The imagery is drawn directly from the first Exodus. The "tongue of the Sea of Egypt" refers to the Gulf of Suez, which God parted for Moses. "The River" is the Euphrates, the great barrier to the east and the symbol of Assyrian and Babylonian power. God will not just part these obstacles; He will "devote to destruction" the sea and strike the river into seven shallow streams, making the crossing easy. This is apocalyptic language for God's absolute power over all earthly and political forces that stand in the way of His redemptive plan. No obstacle can prevent the gathering of His people.

16 And there will be a highway from Assyria For the remnant of His people who will remain, Just as there was for Israel In the day that they came up out of the land of Egypt.

The result of God's mighty acts is a "highway." A highway is a prepared, clear, and safe road. God Himself will build a road for His remnant to come home, even from the heart of the enemy's territory, represented by Assyria. The parallel to the Exodus from Egypt is made explicit one last time. Just as God made a way for His people through the wilderness, so He will make a straight path for all His elect to come to Christ. This is the way of salvation, paved by the sovereign grace of God.

Application

This passage ought to fill the Church with a rugged and joyful confidence. We are living "in that day" that Isaiah saw from afar. The Root of Jesse has been lifted up on the cross, and He is drawing all nations to Himself. This great ingathering is happening now, all around us, every time the gospel is preached and a sinner repents.

First, this means our mission is global. God's remnant is in every corner of the earth, and we have been given the privilege of being the instruments He uses to raise the banner. Second, our unity is paramount. The healing of Ephraim and Judah is a command to us to put away all petty jealousies, rivalries, and divisions within the body of Christ. A divided church cannot successfully plunder the gates of Hell. Third, we must not be intimidated by the obstacles. The world's political and cultural powers, which seem as impassable as the Red Sea or the Euphrates River, are nothing to our God. He will wave His hand and make a highway for His people. Our job is not to fear the obstacles, but to march forward on the highway God has already provided, proclaiming the victory of our glorious King.