Christ's Rule
Isaiah 11:6-16
Argument #1 Contextual

The context is the first of five arguments favoring a figurative interpretation of Isaiah 11:6-16. If verses 1-9 can be demonstrated to be one unit, verses 6-9’s timing and era will necessarily follow 1-5. We will speak of two aspects of this uniformity.

All sixteen verses of Isaiah 11, except one, start the same way in the original Hebrew. We can get a little sense of this from the NASB study translation, but only partially. Without reason, the NASB, for example, translates wav as “then” in 11:1, 10, 11, and 13 instead of “and.”

Each verse of Isaiah 11 in Hebrew begins with the exact conjunction (wav w: the circled crutch below, reading right to left). It’s generally translated as “and” except in verse 9, which might be a continuation of verse 8. Either way, if every verse begins similarly, connecting it to the verse before, the whole passage shows it to be a very strong unit. (Click for larger image).

While the Hebrew word wav (w) can also be translated as “also,” “but,” or “then,” a mixed translation of the same word can reveal a bias. The arbitrary translation disguises the unified structure.

The above text diagram visualizes the same initial part of verses 11:4-7 in Hebrew and English. One can quickly identify the similar wav conjunction circled in red. The NASB translates 4 as “but,” 5 as “also,” 6 as “and,” and 7 as “also”—all indicating a change of scene or context. But no grammatical shift gives reason for structurally separating 11:1-5 from 11:6-9. A more consistent translation displays the unified section.

Support #2: Uniform Presentation

Let’s examine the logic of the presentation and see if there is any reason to separate this passage into different sections. For discussion purposes, we assume Isaiah 11 is divided into three sections (verses 1-5, 6-9, 10-16). If the section of verses 1-5 speaks of a future time of Christ’s time on earth, then it makes sense that the following sections would continue in the same era if there were no other grammatical or structural markers or interrupters. Prophetic texts can be tricky because they refer to current situations but hint at distant Messianic events. This is not applicable because verses 1-5 definitively speak of the Messianic age (i.e., shoot from Jesse). As it is, Isaiah 11:1-5 refers to a future time—about 600 years, when Christ Jesus was anointed full of the Spirit.

Many argue that the fulfillment of verses 6-9 is far more distant because of one’s eschatological interpretation. Their assumptions drive interpretation, “If we have not seen these scenes on earth, then it must speak of another age.” (This is not a negative remark but describes how we all operate; we only need to be attentive to our presumptions.) The subject variation convinces many that a new section has begun in verse 6. Fair enough, but this subject change is not obvious and must be assumed. That the NASB or ESV’s start of a new paragraph at verse 6 shows a bias in interpretation. The solid grammatical structure reasonably pins scenes 1-5 and 6-9 to the same New Testament era. We will look at other arguments, however.

One might assert Isaiah 11 better begins at 10:33, which starts with a “behold” and concludes after the extended series of wav conjunctions in 12:2 or 12:6 (that is, if 12:2 serves as a song’s verses). In this case, 12:5-6 would appropriately conclude this section. For our purposes, it doesn’t matter where it ends, as our focus is on verses 1-9. The structural shift word, behold, lies outside these verses.

Summary

Isaiah 11:1-16 is presented as one thought. Most readers read the promise of verses 1-5 as separate from 6-9 and prematurely conclude that verses 6-9 begin a new unrelated section. However, the regular usage of wav indicates that the passage is one unit rather than two or three different prophecies or sections.

Next => Argument #2: Uniform Presentation | Main article