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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
Having spoken of the glorious light, and joy, and victory of God’s people, he now proceeds to show the ground of it, and by what person these things are procured.
Unto us; unto us Jews, of whom Christ was born, and to whom he was primarily sent, Mat_15:24, for our use and benefit.
A Child; the Messiah, by the consent of interpreters, not only Christian, but Jewish; for so the ancient Hebrew doctors understood the place, and particularly the Chaldee paraphrast; although the later Jews, out of opposition to Christ, wrest it to Hezekiah; which extravagant conceit, as it hath no foundation at all in that or any other text of Scripture, and therefore may be rejected without any further reason, so it is fully confuted by the following titles, which are such as cannot without blasphemy and nonsense be ascribed to Hezekiah, nor indeed to any mere mortal man, as we shall see. But all the following particulars do so truly and exactly agree to Christ, that they cannot without great violence be alienated from him, or ascribed to any other.
Is born, for shall be born, as the prophets generally speak.
A Son; so he determines the sex of the child. Or, the Son, to wit, of the virgin, of whom I spake before, Isa_7:14.
Is given; is freely and graciously given to us by God. Other children also are said to be given by God, Ge 30 6 48:9, but this in a peculiar manner, and therefore he is called the gift of God, Joh_4:10.
The government, to wit, of Israel, or of God’s people, to whom he is given,
shall be upon his shoulder, i.e. upon him, or in his hands. He mentions shoulders, because great burdens are commonly laid upon men’s shoulders; and as all government, if it be rightly managed, so this especially, is a very heavy burden, requiring extraordinary care, and diligence, and self-denial. Possibly here may be also an allusion to the ancient custom of carrying the ensigns of government before the magistrate upon the shoulders of their officers; or to the cross of Christ, which was laid upon his shoulders, Joh_19:17, which also was the way to his kingdom or government, Luk_24:26.
His name shall be called; either,
1. He shall be called; for names are oft put for persons, as Act_1:15 Rev_3:4 11:13. Or,
2. His name shall be; for to be called in Scripture is off put for to be, as I have noted before on Isa_1:26, and oft elsewhere. But this is not to be taken for a description of his proper name, by which he should be commonly called, but of his glorious nature and qualities. See my notes on Isa_7:14.
Wonderful, Counsellor: these words may be taken either,
1. Severally, as they are in our translation, and by many others. This the Jews apply to Hezekiah, who, as they say, is called wonderful, because of the miracle which God wrought for him, 2Ki_20:2, &c.; and counsellor, because he took counsel with his princes about God’s worship, and the defence of the city, 2Ch_29:4, &c., and gave good counsel to others; which ridiculous account is sufficient to overthrow that exposition. But they agree most eminently to the Lord Christ, who is truly wonderful, in his person, and natures, and words, and works, being made up of wonders, in whom there was nothing which was not wonderful; who also may well be called Counsellor, because he knew the whole counsel of God, and (so far as it was necessary) revealed it to us, and is the great Counsellor of his church and people in all their doubts and difficulties. Or,
2. Jointly,
wonderful Counsellor; which may seem best to agree both with the following titles, each of which is made up of two words, and with Isa_28:29, where God is called wonderful in counsel, and makes the title more full and emphatical. To call Christ simply a Counsellor, may seem too mean a character, being common to many others with him; but to say he is a wonderful Counsellor, is a singular commendation. And so Christ is, because he hath been the Counsellor of his church in all ages, and the author and giver of all those excellent counsels delivered not only by the apostles, but also by the prophets, as is evident from 1Pe_1:10,11, and hath gathered, and enlarged, and preserved his church by admirable counsels and methods of his providence, and, in a word, hath in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Col 2 3.
The mighty God: this title can agree to no man but Christ, who was God as well as man, to whom the title of God or Jehovah is given, both in the Old and New Testament, as Jer_23:6 Joh_1:1 Rom_9:5, and in many other places. And it is a most true observation, that this Hebrew word El is never used in the singular number, of any creature, but only of the Almighty God, as is evident by perusing all the texts where this word is used. And although the title of Elohim, which is of the plural number, be twice or thrice given to some men, yet there is constantly added some diminishing expression to it, as when they are said to be afraid, Job_41:25, and to die, Psa_49:10; whereas here he adds the epithet of mighty, which is ascribed to the great God, Deu_10:17, and elsewhere.
The everlasting Father, Heb. the Father of eternity, Having called him a Child, and a Son in respect of his human nature, lest this should be misinterpreted to his disparagement, he adds that he is a Father also, even the God and Father of all things; the work of creation being common and commonly ascribed to each of the persons of the blessed Trinity, the Maker and Upholder of all creatures, as he is said to be, Joh_1:3 Heb_1:3, and the Father of all believers, who are called his children, Heb_2:13, and the Father of eternity; either,
1. The first author (such persons being called fathers, as Gen_4:20, and elsewhere) of eternal salvation, as he is called, Heb_5:9. Or,
2. As we render it, the everlasting Father, who, though as man he was then unborn, yet was and is from everlasting to everlasting. They who apply this to Hezekiah render it, the father of an age, and expound this of his long life and numerous posterity; which I the rather mention, to show what absurd shifts they are forced to use who interpret this text of any other but Christ. For he did not live very long, nor had he, that we read of, more than one son, Manasseh. And if both these things had been true of him, they were more eminently true of many other men. Besides, this Hebrew word being used of God, as here it is of him who was now called the mighty God, constantly signifies eternity, as Isa_26:4 57:15, &c.
The Prince of peace: this title doth not fully agree to Hezekiah, whose reign was not free from wars, as we see, 2Ki 18; but it agrees exactly to Christ, who is called our peace, Mic_5:5 Eph_2:14, and is the only purchaser and procurer of peace between God and men, Isa_53:5, and of peace between men and men, Jews and Gentiles, Eph_2:15, and of the peace of our own consciences, and leaves peace as his legacy to his disciples, Joh_14:27 16:33.