Annotations upon the Holy Bible. Vol. I wherein the sacred text is inserted, and various readings annex'd, together with parallel scriptures, the more difficult terms in each verse are explained, seeming contradictions reconciled, questions and doubts resolved, and the whole text opened / by the late reverend and learned divine Mr. Matthew Poole.

CHAP. XI.

AND there shall come forth a a rod b out of the stemm c of Jesse d, and a branch shall grow e out of his roots f.

2 And the spirit of the LORD g shall rest up∣on him h, the spirit of wisdom and understand∣ing i, the spirit of counsel and might k, the spi∣rit of knowledge l, and of the fear of the LORD m:

3 And shall make him of † quick understand∣ing n in the fear of the LORD o, and he shall not judge p after the sight of his eyes q, neither reprove r after the hearing of his ears s.

4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor t, and ‖ reprove u with equity for the meek x of the earth: and he shall smite y the earth z with the rod † of his mouth a, and with the breath of his lips b shall he slay the wicked c.

5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins d, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins e.

6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid f: and the calf and the young lion, and the fatling to∣gether, and a little child shall lead them g.

7 And the cow and the bear shall feed h, their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw i like the ox.

8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp k, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the ‖ cockatrice l den.

9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in my holy mountain m: for the earth n shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD o, as the waters cover the sea p.

10 And in that day there shall be a root q of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign r of the peo∣ple s: to it shall the Gentiles seek t, and his rest u shall be † glorious x.

11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time y, to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left, from Assyria, and from E∣gypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea z.

12 And he shall set up an ensign for the na∣tions a, and shall assemble the outcasts b of Isra∣el c, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four † corners of the earth

13 The envy also of Ephraim d shall de∣part e, and the adversaries of Judah f shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim g.

14 But they shall flie upon the shoulders h of the Philistins toward the West, they shall spoil † them i of the East together: † they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab, † and the children of Ammon shall obey them.

15 And the LORD shall utterly destroy k the tongue of the Egyptian sea l, and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand m over the river n, and shall smite it in the seven streams o, and make men go over † dry-shod.

16 And there shall be an high-way for the remnant of his people, which shall be left from Assyria p, like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

Notes

• Zech. 6. 12. Revel. 5. 5.
• a

  The Prophet having dispatched the Assyrian, and com∣forted God's People with the Promise of their Deliverance from that formidable Enemy, now he proceeds further, and declares, That God will do greater things than that for them, that he will give them their long-expected and much∣desired Messiah, and by him will work Wonders of Mercy for them. For this is the manner of the Prophets, to take the occasion of particular Deliverances, to fix the Peoples Minds upon their great and everlasting Deliverance from all their enemies by the Messiah. And having said that the Assyrian yoke should be destroyed because of the anointing, ch. 10. 27. he now more particularly explains who that anointed Per∣son was.
• b

  Or, twig, called a branch in the next Clause▪ Parents are oft compared to Roots or Trees, and their Children to Branches. He speaks of the most eminent Branch, of that famous Son of a Virgin, Isa. 7. 14. of that Wonderful Child, Isa. 9. 6. not of Hezekiah, as some of the Iews and Judaizing Christians conceit; but of the Messiah, as will evidently appear from the following Description.
• c

  Or, trunk; or rather, stump: for the Word properly signifies a Trunk cut off from the Root: Or, re•…•…t, as the LXX here render the Word, and as it is explained in the next Clause. By which he clearly implies, That the Mes∣siah should be born of the Royal House of David, at that time when it was in a most forlorn and contemptible con∣dition, like a Tree cut down, and whereof nothing is left but a Stump or Root under Ground. Which really was the State of David's Family when Christ was born, as is notoriously known; but was in a far better condition when Hezekiah was born.
• Act. 13. 23.
• d

  He doth not say of David, but of Iesse, who was a private and mean Person, 1 Sam. 18. 18, 23. & 20. 30. to intimate, That at the time of Christ's Birth the Royal Family should be reduced to its primitive Obscurity.
• Chap. 4. 2. Jer. 23. 5.
• e

  He speaks of one not yet born, and therefore not of Hezekiah, who was born divers years before his Father Ahaz (in whose time this Prophecy was delivered) was King, by comparing 2 Kings 16. 2. & 18. 2. but of the Messiah.
• f

  Out of one of his Roots, i. e. Bran∣ches, as this Word root is sometimes used, by a very usual Figure called a Metonymy, as it is here below, v. 10. Isa. 53. 2. Hos. 14. 5.
• g

  The Holy Ghost, wherewith he was anointed, Act. 10. 38. and by whom his Mother was overshadowed, Luk. 1. 35.
• h

  Not onely come upon him at certain times, as he did upon the Prophets now and then at his pleasure, but shall have its constant and setled abode in him; although the same phrase be sometimes used of other Prophets in an inferiour sense, as Numb. 11. 17. 2 Kings 2. 15.
• i

  Which hath these Perfections in it self, and confers them upon him. It is neither easie, nor at all necessary, exactly to distinguish these two Gifts; it is sufficient that they are necessary Qualifications for a Governour, and for a Teach∣er, both which Offices were to meet in the Messiah; and it is evident that they signifie a practical and perfect Knowledge of all things necessary for the discharge of his Trust, and for his own and Peoples Good, and a sound Judgment, to distinguish between things that differ.
• k

  Of Prudence, to give good Counsel; and of Might and Courage, to exe∣cute it; which are two necessary Qualifications of a Ruler.
• l

  Of the perfect Knowledge of the whole Will and Coun∣sel of God, especially that which concerns the Salvation of Men, the prosecution whereof was his great Work, as also of all secret and hidden things, yea of the Hearts of Men, the Knowledge whereof is ascribed to Christ, Mat. 9. 4. Revel. 2. 23.
• m

  Not a Fear of Diffidence or Horrour, but of Reverence, a Care to please him, and lothness to offend him; which well became the Messiah towards his God and Father.
• †

  Heb. scent, or, smell.
• n

  Heb. he shall make him smell, i. e. perceive, as that Word is used Iudg. 16. 9. Iob 39. 25. understand or judg, as it is explained in the next Clause. Or, his smelling shall be. Smelling is put for Judging, because the Sense of Smelling, where it is quick and good, is more exact and sure in the judging of its proper Objects, than the Senses of Seeing and Hearing are.
• o

  Which is added, either, 1. as the Ob∣ject of his Judging: He is most perspicacious and judicious in the things which concern the fear, i. e. the Worship and Service of God, which he was to order and establish in his Church: Or rather, 2. as the Rule and Manner of his Judging, as may be gathered from the opposite and following Clause. So the sence is, He shall not judge rashly and partially, but considerately and justly, as the Fear of God obligeth all Judges to do.
• p

  Of Persons or Causes. And judging seems to be here Synechdochically put for absolving or giving Sentence for a Person, as it is used Psal. 7. 9, 11. and in many other places, because this is opposed to reproving in the next Clause.
• q

  According to outward Appearance, as men must do, because they cannot search mens Hearts, 1 Sam. 16. 7. or with respect of Persons, but with righteous judgment, which is opposed to judging by appearance, Ioh. 7. 24.
• r

  i. e. Condemn or pass Sentence against a Person: For Christ is here sup∣posed to be a Judge, and so he speaks of a Judicial Re∣proof.
• s

  By false or uncertain Rumours or Suggestions, but shall throughly examine all Causes, and search out the Truth of things, and the very Hearts of men.
• Psal. 17. 2. Rev. 19. 11.
• t

  Defend and deliver them, as judging is oft used, as Deut. 32. 36. Ier. 5. 28. & 22. 13. &c. Or, judge for the poor, the Prefix, lamed, being understood out of the next Clause, as is usual in the Hebrew Language. He menti∣ons the poor, partly to signifie the Justice of this Judge, because Humane Judges commonly neglect and oppress the Poor; and partly to declare the Nature of Christ's Kingdom, and the Quality of his Subjects, who should, for the generality of them, be the poor and contemptible sort of men, Mat. 11. 5. Iam. 2. 5.
• ‖

  Or, argue.
• u

  Or, as this Word seems to be taken v. 3. condemn, to wit, their malicious and furious Enemies.
• x

  On their behalf, or giving Sen∣tence for them. He calls them meek whom before he called poor, partly to shew his Justice in defending them who are most exposed to the Contempt and Injuries of men, and partly to signifie that his Subjects should be poor in Spirit as well as in the World, and not poor and proud, as many worldly men are.
• Job. 4. 9. 2 Thess. 2. 8. Rev. 1. 16. & 2. 16. & 19. 15.
• y

  i. e. Slay, as this Word is used Isa. 37. 36. and very commonly, and as it is expounded in the next Clause.
• z

  The men of the Earth, the wicked, as it is in the next Branch of the Verse: fitly called earth, either because of their Earthly Minds and Conversations, as they are called the men of this world, that have their portion here upon the Earth, Psal. 17. 14. or be∣cause the far greatest part of the Inhabitants of the Earth is wicked, the whole world lies in wickedness, 1 Ioh. 5. 19. for which reason they are oft called the world, as Iob. 16. 20. & 17. 9, 25. &c.
• †

  Or, word of his mouth.
• a

  With his Word, which is his Scepter, and the rod of his power, Psal. 110. 2. which is sharper than a sword, Heb. 4. 12. by the preaching whereof he subdued the World to himself, and will destroy his Enemies, 2 Thess. 2. 8. This he adds, further to declare the Nature of Christ's Kingdom, that it is not of this World, and that his Scepter and Arms are not carnal but Spiritual, as is said 2 Cor. 10. 4.
• b

  With his Word breathed out of his Lips; whereby he explains what he meant by the foregoing rod.
• c

  Either spiritually, by infli∣cting deadly Plagues upon their Souls; or properly, which he doth very frequently by his terrible Judgments execu∣ted upon many of them, and will certainly do, and that fully and universally, at his coming to Judgment.
• d

  It shall adorn him, and be the Glory of his Govern∣ment, as a Girdle was used for Ornament, Isa. 3. 24. and as an Ensign of Power, Iob 12. 18. and it shall constant∣ly cleave to him, in all his Administrations, as a girdle clea∣veth to a mans loins, which is the Prophets Similitude, Ier. 13. 11.
• e

  The same thing in other Words.
• Chap. 65. 25. Exek. 34. 25. Hos. 2. 18.
• f

  The Creatures shall be restored to that State of Inno∣cy in which they were before the Fall of Man. But this is not to be understood literally, which is a gross and vain Conceit of some Iews; but spiritually and metapho∣rically, as is evident. And the sence of the Metaphor is this; Men of fierce, and cruel, and ungovernable Disposi∣tions, shall be so transformed by the Preaching of the Gospel, and by the Grace of Christ, that they shall be∣come most humble, and gentle, and tractable, and shall no more vex and persecute those meek and poor ones mentioned v. 4. but shall become such as they: of which we have Instances in Saul being made a Paul, and in the rugged Jaylour, Act. 16. and in innumerable others. But how can this be applied to Hezekiah with any colour?
• g

  They will submit their proud and rebellious Wills to the Conduct and Command of the meanest Persons that speak to them in Christ's Name.
• h

  Together, as it follows, without any Danger or Fear.
• i

  The Grass and Fruits of the Earth, as they did at first, Gen. 1. 29, 30. and shall not devour other Living Crea∣tures, as now they do.
• k

  A most fierce and poisonous Serpent, Deut. 32. 33. Iob 20. 14, 16. which also will not be charmed by any Art of Man, Psal. 58. 5.
• ‖

  Or, adders.
• l

  A Serpent of more than ordinary Cunning and Cruelty, Prov. 23. 32. The meaning is, They shall not fear to be either deceived or destroyed by those who formerly watched all Opportunities to do it.
• Job 5. 23. Isa. 35. 9.
• m

  In Zion, in my Church. Whereever the Gospel comes and prevails, it will have this effect.
• Hab. 2. 14.
• n

  Metonymically put for the Inhabitants of the Earth; and as before it was used for the greater part, v. 4. so here it is used for the better part of the World.
• o

  Of saving and practical Knowledge. Whereby he intimates, That all that Savage∣ness and Malignity which is in wicked men towards true Christians, proceeded from their deep Ignorance, and par∣ticularly from Ignorance of God; and withal, that a right Knowledge of God will make a marvellous and thorow Change in the Dispositions and Conversations of men.
• p

  The Channel of the Sea, the thing contained being put for the thing containing, by a Metonymy common in Scri∣pture, and all Authors.
• q

  A Branch growing upon the Root: of which see on v. 1.
• r

  Shall grow up into a great and high Tree, shall become a visible and eminent Ensign.
• s

  Which not onely the Iews, but all Nations, may discern, and to which they may, and shall resort.
• R•…•…m. 15. 10, 12.
• t

  As the Gospel shall be preached to the Gentiles, so they shall receive it, and believe in the Messiah.
• u

  His Resting-place, as this Word frequently signifies, as Gen. 8. 9. & 49. 5. Psal. 132. 8, 14. Isa. 34. 14. Mi•…•…h. 2. 10. his Temple or Church, the Place of his Pre∣sence and Abode.
• †

  Heb. glory.
• x

  Shall be filled with greater Glory than the Jewish Tebernacle and Temple were; of which see on Hag. 2. 9. onely this Glory shall be Spiritual, consist∣ing in Glorious Ordinances, in the plentiful Effusions of the excellent Gifts, and Graces, and Comforts of the Holy Spirit.
• y

  The first time, to which this Word second relates, seems to be either, 1. the Deliverance out of Egypt, as most both Jewish and Christian Interpreters understand it: And then this second Deliverance must be that out of Babylon: Or, 2. the Deliverance out of Babylon: And then this second Deliverance must be in the days of the Messiah. Which, with submission to better Judgments, seems to me more probable; 1. because that first Deliverance is sup∣posed to be, like the second, a Deliverance of the Rem∣nant of this People from several Countries, into which they were dispersed: whereas that out of Egypt was a Deliverance not of a Remnant, but of the whole Nation, and that out of Egypt onely: 2. because this second De∣liverance was universal, extending to the generality of the Out-casts and Dispersed ones, both of Israel or the Ten Tribes, and of Iudah or the Two Tribes, as is evident from v. 12, 13. whereas that out of Babylon reached onely to the Two Tribes, and to some few of the Ten Tribes which were mixed with them, as is acknowledged both by Ieus and Christians: 3. because this second Deliverance was given them in the days of the Messiah, and did ac∣company or follow the Conversion of the Gentiles, as is evident from v. 9, 10. whereas that out of Babylon was long before the coming of the Messiah, and the calling of the Gentiles.
• Zech. 10. 10, 11.
• z

  From all Places both far and near, into which either the Ten Tribes or the Two Tribes were car∣ried Captives; for the Places of both their Captivities are here named, Of which it is needless to discourse particularly, because they are well known, and have been considered in former Texts. Onely Pathros was not na∣med before; and that was a Province in Egypt, which yet is sometimes distinguished from Egypt strictly so called. See on Ier. 44. 1, 15. Ezek. 29. 14. & 30. 14.
• a

  All Nations, Jews and Gentiles, who shall then em∣brace the true Faith and the Messiah, as was said v. 10.
• b

  That were driven and banished out of their own Land, into Foreign Parts, as the Word implies.
• c

  Strictly so called, or of the Ten Tribes, as is manifest both from their opposition to Iudah in this Verse, and from the mention of Ephraim in the next Verse.
• †

  Heb. wings.
• Jer. 3. 18. Ezek. 37. 16, 22. Hos. 1. 11.
• d

  i. e. Of the Ten Tribes, frequently called by the name of Ephraim, as hath been already and frequently ob∣served, between whom and Iudah there were great Emula∣tions and Contentions.
• e

  Of Enemies they shall be made Friends, and of Wolves, Lambs; as was said before on v. 6. they shall be united together in one Church, under the Messiah, keeping the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace.
• f

  Not the Body of Ephraim, for they are supposed to be reconciled, and they shall not be cut off, but live in love with Iudah, as we see by the next Clause; but those few of them which possibly may continue in their Enmity against them, together with all the rest of their Adversa∣ries.
• Chap. 9. 21.
• g

  Not onely all outward Hostilities shall cease, but also their inward Animosities.
• h

  Either it is a Metaphor from Birds and Beasts of Prey, which commonly fasten upon the Shoulders of Cat∣tel; or from Wrestlers, who endeavour to catch hold of their Adversaries Shoulders, that they may throw them down. Or, shoulder is put for a side, as Numb. 34. 11. Ios. 15. 8, 10. or, for a Part or Quarter of a Country, as Deut. 33. 12.
• †

  Heb. the chil∣dren of the East.
• i

  They shall subdue them. Which is to be un∣derstood of the Spiritual Victory which the Jewish Messiah shall obtain by his Apostles and Ministers over all Nations, in bringing them to the Obedience of his Gospel. For it is the manner of the Prophets to speak of the Spiritual things of the Gospel under such Corporeal Representa∣tions.
• †

  Heb. Edom and Moab shall be the laying on of their hand.
• †

  Heb. the chil∣dren of Am∣mon their o∣bedience.
• k

  Shall not onely divide it, as of old, but will quite dry it up, that it may be an High-way, as it is explained in the next Verse.
• l

  The Red Sea, which may well be cal∣led the Egyptian Sea, both because it borders upon Egypt, and because the Egyptians were drowned in it▪ which is cal∣led a tongue in the Hebrew Text, Ios. 15. 2, 5. as having some resemblance with a Tongue: for which reason the name of tongue hath been given by Geographers to Pro∣montories of Land which shoot forth into the Sea, as this Sea did shoot out of the Main Ocean into the Land.
• m

  He alludes to Moses his shaking of his Hand with the Rod of God in it over the Sea.
• n

  To wit, of Egypt, Nilus, as ap∣pears both from the foregoing and from the following Words.
• o

  For which Nilus is famous in all Authors, and by which it emptieth it self into the Sea.
• †

  Heb. in shoes.
• Chap. 19. 23.
• p

  As there was another High-way from Egypt, in the former Verse. So the sence is, That all Impediments shall be removed, and a way made for the Return of God's Israel from all Parts of the World. He mentions Assyria, because thither the Ten Tribes were carried, 2 Kings 17. 23. whose Case seemed to be most desperate.
• Exod 14. 26, 29.