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Texts -- Isaiah 9:1-20 (NET)

Context
9:1 The gloom will be dispelled for those who were anxious . In earlier times he humiliated the land of Zebulun , and the land of Naphtali ; but now he brings honor to the way of the sea , the region beyond the Jordan , and Galilee of the nations . 9:2 The people walking in darkness see a bright light ; light shines on those who live in a land of deep darkness . 9:3 You have enlarged the nation ; you give them great joy . They rejoice in your presence as harvesters rejoice ; as warriors celebrate when they divide up the plunder . 9:4 For their oppressive yoke and the club that strikes their shoulders , the cudgel the oppressor uses on them, you have shattered , as in the day of Midian’s defeat. 9:5 Indeed every boot that marches and shakes the earth and every garment dragged through blood is used as fuel for the fire . 9:6 For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us. He shoulders responsibility and is called : Extraordinary Strategist , Mighty God , Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace . 9:7 His dominion will be vast and he will bring immeasurable prosperity . He will rule on David’s throne and over David’s kingdom , establishing it and strengthening it by promoting justice and fairness , from this time forward and forevermore . The Lord’s intense devotion to his people will accomplish this .
God’s Judgment Intensifies
9:8 The sovereign master decreed judgment on Jacob , and it fell on Israel . 9:9 All the people were aware of it, the people of Ephraim and those living in Samaria . Yet with pride and an arrogant attitude , they said , 9:10 “The bricks have fallen , but we will rebuild with chiseled stone; the sycamore fig trees have been cut down , but we will replace them with cedars .” 9:11 Then the Lord provoked their adversaries to attack them, he stirred up their enemies 9:12 Syria from the east , and the Philistines from the west , they gobbled up Israelite territory. Despite all this , his anger does not subside , and his hand is ready to strike again . 9:13 The people did not return to the one who struck them, they did not seek reconciliation with the Lord who commands armies . 9:14 So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail , both the shoots and stalk in one day . 9:15 The leaders and the highly respected people are the head , the prophets who teach lies are the tail . 9:16 The leaders of this nation were misleading people, and the people being led were destroyed . 9:17 So the sovereign master was not pleased with their young men , he took no pity on their orphans and widows ; for the whole nation was godless and did wicked things, every mouth was speaking disgraceful words . Despite all this , his anger does not subside , and his hand is ready to strike again . 9:18 For evil burned like a fire , it consumed thorns and briers ; it burned up the thickets of the forest , and they went up in smoke . 9:19 Because of the anger of the Lord who commands armies , the land was scorched , and the people became fuel for the fire . People had no compassion on one another . 9:20 They devoured on the right , but were still hungry , they ate on the left , but were not satisfied . People even ate the flesh of their own arm !

Pericope

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Hymns

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  • Anak Yang Dijanji [KJ.122]
  • Bernyanyilah Merdu [KJ.106] ( Good Christian Men, Rejoice / In dulci jubilo )
  • Bernyanyilah, Puteri Sion [KJ.90]
  • Dari Timur, Jauh Benar [KJ.129]
  • Di Malam Sunyi Bergema [KJ.96]
  • Dia Nobatkanlah [KJ.226] ( Crown Him with Many Crowns )
  • Gita Sorga Bergema [KJ.99] ( Hark! The Herald Angels Sing )
  • Hai Dunia, Gembiralah [KJ.119] ( Joy to the World )
  • Hosiana! Putra Daud [KJ.162]
  • Lahir Putera Mulia [KJ.132] ( Puer nobis nascitur / Unto Us a Boy Is Born )
  • Mahaterpuji Allahku [KJ.79]
  • O, Datanglah, Imanuel [KJ.81]
  • Puji Yesus [KJ.293]
  • Putri Sion, Nyanyilah [KJ.91]
  • S'lamat, S'lamat Datang [KJ.123]
  • Siapakah Yang Menerima [KJ.124]
  • Terbitlah Bintang Timur [KJ.83]
  • Terbitlah dalam Kegelapan [KJ.107]
  • Terbukalah Sorga [KJ.41]
  • Yerusalem, Pusaka Daud [KJ.155]
  • Yesus Kristus Memerintah [KJ.220]
  • [Isa 9:1] Memories Of Galilee
  • [Isa 9:2] All Praise To Thee, Eternal Lord
  • [Isa 9:2] Carry The Light
  • [Isa 9:2] Glorious Day Is Dawning, A
  • [Isa 9:2] Hail To The Brightness Of Zion’s Glad Morning!
  • [Isa 9:2] Light Came Out Of Darkness, A
  • [Isa 9:2] Light Of Those Whose Dreary Dwelling
  • [Isa 9:2] Nations That Long In Darkness Walked
  • [Isa 9:2] O Jesu Christ, All Praise To Thee
  • [Isa 9:2] O Thou Joyful, O Thou Wonderful
  • [Isa 9:2] O’er The Realms Of Pagan Darkness
  • [Isa 9:2] O’er Those Gloomy Hills Of Darkness
  • [Isa 9:2] Once My Way Was Dark And Dreary
  • [Isa 9:2] Open Bible For The World, An
  • [Isa 9:2] People That In Darkness Walked, The
  • [Isa 9:2] Race That Long In Darkness Pined, The
  • [Isa 9:2] Shining Out Of Darkness
  • [Isa 9:2] This Night A Wondrous Revelation
  • [Isa 9:2] Thousand Years Have Come And Gone, A
  • [Isa 9:2] To Shepherds As They Watched By Night
  • [Isa 9:2] Veiled In Darkness Judah Lay
  • [Isa 9:6] Angel’s Proclamation, The
  • [Isa 9:6] Baby Of Bethlehem, The
  • [Isa 9:6] Bright And Joyful Is The Morn
  • [Isa 9:6] Christmas Day Joyous
  • [Isa 9:6] Father Of Everlasting Grace
  • [Isa 9:6] For Unto Us A Child Is Born
  • [Isa 9:6] Giver Of Concord, Prince Of Peace
  • [Isa 9:6] Good News From Heaven The Angels Bring
  • [Isa 9:6] He Has Come, The Christ Of God
  • [Isa 9:6] He Shall Be Called
  • [Isa 9:6] He’s A Wonderful Savior To Me
  • [Isa 9:6] Hush, All Ye Sounds Of War
  • [Isa 9:6] I Walk With The King
  • [Isa 9:6] It Is A Thing Most Wonderful
  • [Isa 9:6] Jesus! Wonderful Name!
  • [Isa 9:6] Join All Ye Joyful Nations
  • [Isa 9:6] Lands That Long In Darkness Lay, The
  • [Isa 9:6] Messiah, Prince Of Peace
  • [Isa 9:6] Name Of Jesus, Softly Stealing
  • [Isa 9:6] Name Of Jesus, The
  • [Isa 9:6] Newborn King Who Comes Today, The
  • [Isa 9:6] O Wonderful Savior
  • [Isa 9:6] Oh, Wondrous Name!
  • [Isa 9:6] Prince Of Peace, Control My Will
  • [Isa 9:6] Rejoice Today
  • [Isa 9:6] Sing, O Sing, This Blessed Morn
  • [Isa 9:6] Sing Ye The Songs Of Praise
  • [Isa 9:6] Sweet Peace, The Gift Of God’s Love
  • [Isa 9:6] To Christ, The Prince Of Peace
  • [Isa 9:6] To Us A Child Of Hope Is Born
  • [Isa 9:6] Unto Us A Boy Is Born
  • [Isa 9:6] Unto Us A Child Is Born
  • [Isa 9:6] What A Wonderful Savior!

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The Midianites were Bedouin nomads and descendants of Abraham and Keturah (Gen. 25:2) who occupied the plains that bordered the Arabian desert to the east of Moab and Ammon. They were raiders who descended on the Israelites a...
  • God sent His Angel to revisit Manoah and his wife because they voiced questions in prayer about how they should rear Samson (v. 8), his way of life (v. 12), and his vocation (v. 12). Their desire to bring their son up accordi...
  • The king offered sacrifices of worship three times annually, probably at the required feasts of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost (also called Harvest or Weeks), and Tabernacles (also called Booths or Ingathering)."Solomon officiat...
  • Hazael was the governor of Damascus.50The Gentile King of Aram had more interest in inquiring of Yahweh than Jehoram's predecessor did (v. 8; cf. 1:2). It was customary in the Near East to make a great show of giving gifts. I...
  • The main reason God did not allow David to proceed with his plans to build Him a house (temple) was that God, not David, was sovereign. A secondary reason was that David was a man of war (22:8; 28:3). God reserved the right t...
  • With the reign of Ahaz the Chronicler introduced a new interest, the prospect of captivity for Judah, which he again called Israel, the true Israel, twice in this chapter (vv. 19, 23).Why did Israel go into captivity? Why did...
  • These two verses determine the whole mood of Chronicles. Rather than ending with the failure of man the writer concluded by focusing our attention on the faithfulness of God (cf. Lam. 3:22-23). God was in control of the Persi...
  • 31:2 The unusual address, "What, O my son?"is "affectionately reproachful."210She was getting his attention and appealed to him strongly to give heed to her words for two reasons. She had borne him, and he had some connection...
  • The title of this book of the Bible, as is true of the other prophetical books, comes from its writer. The book claims to have come from Isaiah (1:1; 2:1; 7:3; 13:1; 20:2; 37:2, 6, 21; 38:1, 4, 21; 39:3, 5, 8), and Jesus Chri...
  • Occasional time references scattered throughout the book indicate that Isaiah arranged his prophecies in a basically chronological order (cf. 6:1; 7:1; 14:28; 20:1; 36:1; 37:38). However, they are not completely chronological...
  • I. Introduction chs. 1-5A. Israel's condition and God's solution ch. 11. The title of the book 1:12. Israel's condition 1:2-93. God's solution 1:10-204. Israel's response 1:21-31B. The problem with Israel chs. 2-41. God's des...
  • Verses 10-21 are a poem on the nature and results of divine judgment. Note the repetition of key words and phrases at the beginnings and ends of the sections and subsections. The section breaks down as follows.The Lord is exa...
  • This is the third and last of Isaiah's introductory oracles. The first one (ch. 1) introduced the book as a whole by presenting major themes with which the prophet proceeded to deal in chapters 2-66. The second chiastic one (...
  • Most serious students of Isaiah have believed that the record of Isaiah's call in this chapter occurred before he wrote any of the prophecies in this book. The title "holy one of Israel,"Isaiah's trademark name for God, conne...
  • Isaiah next tried to move Ahaz to faith (vv. 10-12), then denounced the king for his failure to trust Yahweh (vv. 13-15), and finally forecast a calamity worse than the division of Israel's united kingdom (vv. 16-17).7:10 Evi...
  • Whereas the sign of Immanuel was for Ahaz primarily, the sign of Maher-shalal-hash-baz was for all the people of Judah. The preceding prophecies to Ahaz (7:10-25) are generally negative, but the following prophecies to the Ju...
  • 8:11 Isaiah now passed along instruction that Yahweh had powerfully given him warning him against following the popular reliance on human strength.8:12-13 The Lord told him not to fear the armies of Judah's enemies, but God H...
  • In contrast to Ahaz, who refused to listen to and obey God, the Lord would raise up a faithful king who would be born and reign in the future (the Millennium). This pericope climaxes the present section (7:1-9:7) dealing with...
  • This section of the book focuses on the Northern Kingdom, and it ties in with the section immediately preceding concerning the Messiah (9:2-7). It explains why Ephraim's plans against Judah would fail. They would not fail bec...
  • Isaiah explained that because the Northern Kingdom had not turned to Him for safety but to an alliance with Syria, He would not defend her from her enemy.123". . . thesin for Isaiah, the source of all other sin, is the pride ...
  • 9:13-14 Since the Lord's discipline of the nation would not cause her to repent, He would cut off her leadership abruptly and suddenly. This would make her see her need of Him clearer. Isaiah described the totality of leaders...
  • 9:18 Wickedness is not a little misguided playfulness but rebellion against God's order for life.126It proceeds from a little fire to a raging inferno because, like fire, wickedness has an insatiable appetite.9:19 The Lord of...
  • 10:1-2 The Ephraimite leaders were using their positions to deprive the needy of their rights and to obtain what the poor had for themselves. They were evidently favoring legislation that resulted in these ends as well as per...
  • The focus of the prophecy shifts from Assyria to Israel.10:20 In some future day, the remnant (cf. 6:13; 7:3) who escaped annihilation by the Assyrians would no longer trust in man for deliverance, as Ahaz and Judah did befor...
  • This section gives the positive side of the deliverance of God's people that is to come in contrast to the negative side (10:5-34). God would put Assyria down, but the Messiah would lift Israel up by serving her ideally. The ...
  • Messiah would meet certain qualifications (vv. 2-3a) and would rule with absolute justice (vv. 3b-5) with the result that people would live in peace (vv. 6-9)11:1 The prophet had just described Assyria cut down like a forest ...
  • This paean of praise concludes the section dealing with Israel's choice between trusting God or Assyria (7:1-12:6). It expresses the trust in God that Isaiah's revelations in this section encouraged. This is a song of redempt...
  • This major section of the book emphasizes the folly of trusting in the nations rather than in Yahweh. The section preceding it shows how King Ahaz trusted in Assyria and experienced destruction (chs. 7-12). The section follow...
  • The reader would expect that Isaiah would inveigh against Assyria since it was the most threatening enemy in his day and since he referred to it many times in earlier chapters. However, he did not mention Assyria in this sect...
  • "The Babylon oracle revealed that world history, even in its most threatening and climactic forms, is so organized that the people of God are cared for. The Philistia oracle confirmed this by insisting that the Davidic promis...
  • 27:12 The Lord would assemble the remnant of His people from the Promised Land as a farmer gathers up (gleans, cf. 24:13) his crops. Not only will He destroy His enemies then, but He will gather redeemed Israelites into His k...
  • "The section begins (1-6) and ends (23-29) with double illustrations drawn from nature and agriculture. Between lies a meditation in eight broadly equal parts on how Jerusalem's leaders refused the word of invitation and inhe...
  • Like the third "woe"(ch. 30), this fourth one deals with the folly of trusting in Egypt for security rather than the Lord. It applies particularly the principles set forth in the first part of the second "woe"(29:1-14), as is...
  • In contrast to the preceding chapter, this one is full of joy and rejoicing. There God turned the world into a desert; here He transforms that desert into a garden.339References to "be glad"and "gladness"begin and end the poe...
  • Chapters 36-39 conclude the section of the book dealing with the issue of trust by giving historical proof that Yahweh will protect those who trust in Him. In these chapters, King Hezekiah represents the people of Judah.344Th...
  • 37:14-15 When Hezekiah received Sennacherib's letter, he took it with him into the temple and laid all the enemy's words before the Lord in prayer.37:16-20 Hezekiah began his prayer--did Isaiah witness it?--by acknowledging Y...
  • 39:1 The phrase "At that time"(cf. 38:1) anticipates a specially significant event and ties it to what preceded in chapter 38. As this verse explains, the events that follow happened after Hezekiah had recovered from his illn...
  • This part of Isaiah picks up a theme from chapters 1-39 and develops it further. That theme is God's faithfulness to His promises to give His people a glorious future after He disciplined them for their unfaithfulness. The Lo...
  • Would the coming Babylonian exile prove that God could not deliver His people or that He would not because they had been so sinful? Isaiah's answer was a resounding no! The new historical situation did not signal a change in ...
  • The first strophe of this poem (vv. 1-2) sets the tone for the rest of the chapter and for the rest of the book. It is an introduction to an introduction. In spite of affliction that lay ahead for the Judahites, God's ultimat...
  • How is it clear that Yahweh and not the idols directs world history? Yahweh alone can predict the future and then bring it to pass (41:21-29). Since Yahweh is the God of Israel, does He have any regard for the Gentile nations...
  • Isaiah continued to show that Yahweh was both willing and able to deliver His people, a theme begun in 42:10. He confronted the gods, again (cf. 41:21-29), but this time he challenged them to bring forth witnesses to their de...
  • This chapter climaxes Isaiah's arguments for Yahweh's superiority over pagan idols. The prophet was led to use the Israelites' exile in Babylon to prove his point. Isaiah had demonstrated God's trustworthiness (chs. 7-39) and...
  • This is the third Servant Song (cf. 42:1-4; 49:1-6; 52:13-53:12). Like the second song, this one is autobiographical, but unlike the first and second songs it contains no reference to the Servant. That it is the Servant who i...
  • The Israelites cried out for God to act for them. He had done so in their past history, but they needed His help now. Probably the believing remnant was requesting help.51:9 Israel's call for God to awake assumes that He had ...
  • The people would need to listen to and rely on God's unconditional promise, but their salvation would cost them nothing.55:1 "The introductory particle (hoi) is mainly an attention-getting device, but it expresses a slight to...
  • These chapters introduce the main subject of this section of the book, which grows out of what Isaiah revealed previously. If salvation depends on God's grace, do God's servants have any responsibility other than receiving th...
  • Now the relationship of the nations to Israel becomes even clearer. The Gentiles will come to Israel because of her God, will submit themselves to Israel because of what the Lord will do for her, and will serve the Lord with ...
  • If the Lord was capable of defeating Israel's enemies, as the previous revelation of the Warrior claimed, why had He not acted for Israel already? This intercessory communal lament explains that delayed salvation was not beca...
  • Alexander, Joseph Addison. Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah. 1846, 1847. Revised ed. 2 vols. in 1. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1971.Allen, Kenneth W. "The Rebuilding and Destruction of Babylon."Bibliotheca...
  • 21:18-20 The Lord also commanded Ezekiel to make a representation of two roads coming out of Babylon by which judgment from Yahweh would come. Perhaps he did this by drawing in the dirt or on a tablet. Really there was to be ...
  • A promise of future restoration immediately follows this gloomy revelation of judgment. It provided encouragement to Hosea's audience by assuring a glorious and secure future for Israel.1:10 Despite the judgment promised, Yah...
  • The rest of the book is quite different from what has preceded because of its positive message. As is true of other eighth-century prophets to Israel and Judah, Amos included hope in his prophecy (cf. Isa. 40-66; Hos. 1:10-2:...
  • 4:6 In "that day"the Lord also promised to assemble His people whom He had allowed the nations to abuse. This will occur when He turns the tide for Israel and begins to bless her, namely, at the beginning of the Millennium.Th...
  • This section introduces another ruler of Israel who, in contrast to Zedekiah, his foil, would effectively lead God's people."This royal oracle is obviously intended to be the central peak of the range of oracles in chs. 4 and...
  • 3:14 In view of these wonderful prospects, Zephaniah called the people of Jerusalem and all the Israelites to shout for joy with all their hearts."Although the command is aimed at the future Jerusalem, no doubt the message wo...
  • 3:18 In the past Jews who lived far from Jerusalem were very sad because they could not travel to Jerusalem to observe Israel's annual feasts. They suffered a certain criticism from their fellow Jews for living far away from ...
  • 2:1 The Lord revealed another message to Haggai almost one month later, on the twenty-first day of the seventh month (Tishri, modern October 17) of the same year, 520 B.C. This was the last day of the feast of Tabernacles (Bo...
  • The visions ended and Zechariah awoke from his dream-like state. What follows is a symbolic act that took place in Jerusalem at the Lord's command."The position of this actual ceremony after the eight visions is significant. ...
  • "This text is one of the most messianically significant passages of all the Bible, in both the Jewish and Christian traditions. Judaism sees in it a basis for a royal messianic expectation, whereas the NT and Christianity see...
  • Matthew began his Gospel with a record of Jesus' genealogy because the Christians claimed that Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. To qualify as such He had to be a Jew from the royal line of David (Isa. 9:6-...
  • Comparison of John's Gospel and Matthew's shows that Jesus ministered for about a year before John the Baptist's arrest. John had criticized Herod Antipas for having an adulterous relationship with his brother Philip's wife (...
  • This pericope describes the character of the kingdom's subjects and their rewards in the kingdom.236"Looked at as a whole . . . the Beatitudes become a moral sketch of the type of person who is ready to possess, or rule over,...
  • Jesus first laid down a principle (v. 1). Then He justified this principle theologically (v. 2). Finally He provided an illustration (vv. 3-5).7:1 Jesus taught His disciples not to be judgmental or censorious of one another i...
  • 16:13 The district of Caesarea Philippi lay 25 miles north of Galilee. Its inhabitants were mainly Gentiles. Herod Philip II, the tetrarch of the region, had enlarged a smaller town on the site at the foot of Mt. Hermon.619He...
  • Mark's account of Jesus' death included five climactic events: the darkness, two of Jesus' cries, the tearing of the temple veil, and the Roman centurion's confession. All of these events happened during the last three of the...
  • 1:28 The fact that Gabriel greeted Mary as he did and did not greet Zechariah the same way shows Mary's favored position. Gabriel's greeting was customary: Hail! or Greetings! (Gr. chaire). Mary was highly "favored"(Gr. kecha...
  • This is the second major song of praise in Luke, the "Benedictus."This title also comes from the first word in the Latin version translated "blessed"(Gr. eulogetos). The first part of the song praises God for messianic delive...
  • Luke omitted several incidents here that the other evangelists included (Matt. 14:22-16:12; Mark 6:45-8:26; John 6:16-66). By doing so, he tied the questions of Herod and the multitude about Jesus' identity with Peter's answe...
  • John began his Gospel by locating Jesus before the beginning of His ministry, before His virgin birth, and even before Creation. He identified Jesus as co-existent with God the Father and the Father's agent in providing creat...
  • Jesus realized that the Eleven did not fully understand what He had just revealed. He therefore encouraged them with a promise that they would understand His words later.14:25-26 Jesus had made these revelations to His discip...
  • Paul turned next to show that the resurrection of Christ makes the resurrection of believers both necessary and inevitable. The consequences of this fact are as glorious as the effects of His not being raised are dismal. Thos...
  • The writer began his epistle with an affirmation of Jesus Christ's greatness to introduce his readers to his subject. This section is one sentence in the Greek text. It contrasts God's old revelation with the new, specificall...
  • The writer pointed out the consequences of not pressing on to maturity to motivate his readers to pursue spiritual growth diligently.Christians have interpreted this passage in many different ways. Some believe that those who...
  • John's revelation continued to unfold future events as God revealed these to him in his vision. The scene John saw next was in heaven. The seventh trumpet judgment did not begin immediately (cf. 8:1-5), but John received info...
  • John recorded his vision of Jesus Christ's reign on the earth for 1, 000 years to inform his readers of what would take place after He returns to the earth."Few verses in the Bible are more crucial to the interpretation of th...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined, 3. Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before T...
  • Each trait of the glowing description is appropriate to the condition of Israel under Ahaz; but each has a meaning far beyond that limited application. Isaiah may, or may not, have been aware of what' or what time' his words ...
  • The guarantee for its accomplishment is the person of the conquering Messiah. The hopes of Israel did not, and those of the world do not, rest on tendencies, principles, laws of progress, advance of civilisation, or the like ...
  • Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wil...
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