Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Isaiah
Chapter 11: A Rod Out of the Stem of Jesse
Assyria was a proud forest that God would cut down; but out of the seemingly dead stump of David's line, 'a rod out of the stem of Jesse' would grow. On this shoot the Spirit of the LORD would rest in fullness, and He would judge with perfect righteousness. Then Isaiah paints the peaceable kingdom His reign brings: the wolf dwelling with the lamb, the child playing by the serpent's den, and 'the earth full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.' The root of Jesse becomes a banner to which even the Gentiles come. It is a chapter about the Spirit-anointed Messiah, His righteous rule, and the world His kingdom will one day fill.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Isaiah chapter 11. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. The chapter foretells the Spirit-anointed shoot from Jesse's line, the peaceable kingdom of His reign, and the root of Jesse to whom the nations come. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Out of Jesse's Stump
From the seemingly dead line of David, a living shoot springs up, the Messiah.
The Spirit Rests on Him
The Spirit of the LORD rests upon Him in fullness, wisdom, might, knowledge, and the fear of God.
The Wolf and the Lamb
His reign brings a peaceable kingdom where the wolf dwells with the lamb and none destroy.
An Ensign to the Peoples
The root of Jesse stands as a banner, and to Him even the Gentiles come.
A Rod from Jesse, Anointed with the Spirit (Isaiah 11:1-3)
Out of the cut-down stump of David's line springs a shoot, the Messiah, upon whom the Spirit of the LORD rests in full measure.
The Spirit of the LORD Shall Rest Upon Him
"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 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; 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: 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. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. 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. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den."
Hebrew Study
"a rod," choter (חֹטֶר). A fresh green shoot, springing out of a dead-looking stump. From that lowly stump God would bring forth new life, the Messiah.
"stem," geza (גֶּזַע). A geza is a stump, a tree cut down to the ground. The picture is deliberate: David's royal line would be felled like a tree and reduced to a stump, and it is out of that stump that the choter comes forth.
Explanation
Jesse was David's father, so "a rod out of the stem of Jesse" means a new king from David's line, springing up when that line had been cut down to a stump. On this shoot the Spirit of the LORD would rest, not in part but in fullness: "the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD." Anointed with the full Spirit of God, He would not judge by what His eyes saw or His ears heard, but with perfect righteousness, defending the poor and slaying the wicked "with the breath of his lips." Here is a King unlike any other, filled with God's own Spirit.
Gospel Focus
This shoot from Jesse's stump is Jesus, the Messiah born of David's line when that royal house had shrunk to obscurity. And the Spirit of the LORD resting upon Him was fulfilled in His life and ministry: at His baptism the Spirit descended and remained on Him, and He announced in the synagogue, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me" (Luke 4:18). Peter summed up His ministry the same way: "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good" (Acts 10:38). The very name Christ, and Messiah, means the Anointed One, and this is the anointing Isaiah foresaw. There is comfort here for us as well: the same Spirit that rested on the Messiah is poured out on His people, so that wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord are gifts we too may seek from Him. But above all, marvel at the King God gave us, springing from a stump when hope seemed dead, filled with the fullness of God's Spirit, ruling in perfect righteousness. This is Jesus, the Spirit-anointed Rod of Jesse.
The Peaceable Kingdom (Isaiah 11:6-9)
Under the Messiah's reign, Isaiah sees a world at peace, where natural enemies dwell together and the earth is full of the knowledge of the LORD.
The Earth Shall Be Full of the Knowledge of the LORD
"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."
Hebrew Study
Under the reign of the Branch, creation itself is healed: "the wolf shall dwell with the lamb... and a little child shall lead them." Predator and prey lie down together; the curse of violence is undone. The reason is given in a glorious summary: "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." When the knowledge of God floods the world as fully as water fills the ocean, even nature's savagery is stilled — a restored Eden under the Messiah's rule.
Explanation
Isaiah paints the peace the Messiah's reign will bring in unforgettable images: "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid... and a little child shall lead them." The cow and the bear feed together; the lion eats straw like the ox; the nursing child plays by the cobra's hole and is not harmed. Every natural enmity is undone. And the reason is given: "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." Where God is fully known, hostility and harm cease; a world flooded with the knowledge of God is a world at peace.
Gospel Focus
This vision of the peaceable kingdom looks forward to the full and final reign of Christ, when His rule is complete over all the earth and even creation is restored to peace. Its fullness is still to come; we do not yet see the wolf and the lamb lie down together in the world around us. But the kingdom has already broken in, and its peace begins now in the hearts Christ rules. Where He reigns, old enmities are healed, and people who were once at war, in family, in nation, in spirit, are made one. The key is the last line: "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD." Peace flows from knowing God; the more He is truly known, the more harm and hatred give way. Habakkuk saw the same day: "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2:14). Long for that day, and let its peace begin in you now, as the knowledge of the Lord fills your heart and heals what was at war within and around you.
The Root of Jesse, an Ensign (Isaiah 11:10)
The root of Jesse becomes a banner lifted up before the peoples, and to Him even the Gentiles come seeking rest.
To It Shall the Gentiles Seek
"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. 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. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. 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. 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. 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. 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."
Hebrew Study
The Messiah is called "a root of Jesse" — sprung from David's father's line — who "shall stand for an ensign (nes, a banner or rallying-flag) of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek." He is lifted up like a standard that draws the nations to Himself. Paul quotes this very verse to prove that the ingathering of the Gentiles was God's plan all along (Romans 15:12). The Root of Jesse is a banner not for Israel only but for all peoples, who come running to the Christ raised up before the world.
Explanation
The Messiah, here called "a root of Jesse," would be lifted up "for an ensign of the people," a banner or standard raised high for all to see and rally to. And His reach would go far beyond Israel: "to it shall the Gentiles seek." The nations, not just the Jews, would come to Him, and "his rest shall be glorious." Then Isaiah describes God gathering "the remnant of his people" a second time from every land, from Assyria and Egypt and the far coasts, drawing His scattered ones home. The root of Jesse would be a rallying point for the whole world.
Gospel Focus
Paul quotes this very verse to prove that the gospel was always meant for the nations, not the Jews alone: "There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust" (Romans 15:12). The root of Jesse is Jesus, lifted up as a banner before the whole world, and the promise that the Gentiles would seek Him is fulfilled every time someone from any nation comes to Christ. He said, "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me," and He is drawing still, from every people and language, all who will rally to His banner. And to those who come, "his rest shall be glorious," the deep rest He promised: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Whatever your nation or background, the root of Jesse is lifted up for you; come and seek Him, trust in Him, and enter His glorious rest.
Chapter 11 in Review
Isaiah 11 promises that from the cut-down stump of David's line "a rod out of the stem of Jesse" would grow, the Messiah, upon whom the Spirit of the LORD rests in fullness. He judges with perfect righteousness, and His reign brings the peaceable kingdom, where the wolf dwells with the lamb and "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD." And as "a root of Jesse," He stands as a banner to the nations, so that "to it shall the Gentiles seek," and God gathers His scattered remnant home.
For the Apostolic reader, this chapter is filled with Christ. The Spirit-anointed Rod of Jesse is Jesus, on whom the Spirit rested and who went about doing good, the Anointed One. The peaceable kingdom is His reign, whose fullness is still to come but whose peace begins now in every heart He rules, as the knowledge of the Lord heals old enmities. And as the root of Jesse lifted up for a banner, He draws the nations to Himself, fulfilling the promise that in Him the Gentiles would trust. Seek the Spirit-anointed King, let the knowledge of the Lord fill and calm your heart, and enter the glorious rest of the root of Jesse.
- The "rod out of the stem of Jesse" is Jesus, springing from David's line when it seemed dead (11:1).
- The Spirit of the LORD rested on Him in fullness; He is the Anointed One (11:2; Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38).
- His reign brings the peaceable kingdom, where none hurt or destroy (11:6-9).
- Peace flows from knowing God: "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD" (11:9; Habakkuk 2:14).
- As the root of Jesse, He is a banner to the nations: "in him shall the Gentiles trust" (11:10; Romans 15:12).
Questions for Reflection
- Do you look to Jesus, the Spirit-anointed King from David's line, as your ruler?
- Is the knowledge of the Lord filling your heart and bringing His peace to old enmities?
- Have you come to the root of Jesse, lifted up as a banner, and entered His glorious rest?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). The Hebrew terms are standard and can be checked in any Hebrew lexicon. Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- The Spirit-anointed Rod of Jesse: Isaiah 11:1-3; Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38.
- The peaceable kingdom and the knowledge of the LORD: Isaiah 11:6-9; Habakkuk 2:14.
- The root of Jesse, a banner to the nations: Isaiah 11:10; Romans 15:12.