Ver. 1. And there shall come forth a rod,] i.e., Christ shall be born; whom our prophet having called “the anointing” or Messiah, (Isaiah 10:27) maketh him and his kingdom henceforward the chief matter of his discourse, to the end of his book. Here he beginneth with his nativity, calling him a rod or twig, springing, not out of the stock of David, but out of the stump of Jesse, a mean man, and that then, when the royal family was sunk so low as from David the king to Joseph the carpenter. Well might Chrysostom say that the foundation of our philosophy was humility. And another, that at Bethlehem brake forth that well of salvation which, in the type, once David so thirsted after. (2 Samuel 23:15) And a Branch.] Or, The Nazarene born at Nazareth, saith Junius, which signifieth “a branch”; for so it was generally deemed; and our Saviour styleth himself Jesus of Nazareth; (Acts 22:8) and on his cross they wrote Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, wherein that prodigy, saith A. Lapide, seemeth to have fallen out concerning which the poet inquireth— “ Dic quibus in terris inscripti nomine Regis Nascantur flores.” Tell who is noted in the earth by the name of a King, Let him in flowers. For Nazareth he interpreteth a flower, or something flowery; and for shall grow, others render shall bud, or bear fruit. Scultet.
Ver. 2. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.] After such a description of Christ’s person, [as Isaiah 11:1] follows here a declaration of his kingdom, which is set forth to be— first, Spiritual; (Isaiah 11:2) secondly, Just; (Isaiah 11:3-5) thirdly, Peaceable; (Isaiah 11:6-9) fourthly, Ample, as made up of Gentiles and Jews. (Isaiah 11:11, &c.) Shall rest upon him.] His humanity shall be filled topfull with the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost, to be as it were an everlasting treasure and cistern full of them for the use of the Church. (John 1:16 3:34 Acts 2:33) And this was typified by the Holy Ghost descending in the likeness of a dove, at the time of his baptism, and resting upon him. (Matthew 3:16 John 1:32,33) The spirit of wisdom and understanding.] These six princely virtues (for the schoolmen, misled by the Vulgate translation, falsely found their septiformem gratiam Spiritus Sancti) were eminently and transcendently in Christ; they should be also found in some measure in all rulers. (Deuteronomy 1:16 Exodus 18:25 1 Kings 3:12 Leviticus 19:35-37) Diodat. Annot.
Ver. 3. And shall make him of quick understanding.] Heb., It shall make him scent or smell— sc., by a singular sagacity and sharpness of judgment in smelling out a hypocrite, as Simon Peter did Simon Magus, who had deceived Philip, even unto baptism; but Peter soon found him out: how much more will Christ? His sharp nose easily discerneth and is offended with the stinking breath of the hypocrite’s rotten lungs, though his words be never so scented and perfumed with shows of holiness. So for the innocence of the godly, when “being defamed they pray” as Paul, apologise and cannot be heard, as the primitive Christians; Christ will “bring forth their righteousness as the light, and their judgment as the noonday.” (Psalms 37:6) And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes.] He cannot be deceived, as knowing all hearts, and as having all things naked and dissected before his eyes. (Hebrews 4:13 Matthew 9:12 John 2:24) Others judge by relation of others, and secundum allegata et probata -not so Jesus Christ; but he shall always proceed upon his own knowledge, and so pass a most righteous sentence. Oecolampadius thinks the prophet here alludeth to Solomon’s sentence passed on the two harlots. (1 Kings 3:16-28)
Ver. 4. But with righteousness judge the poor,] i.e., The poor in spirit, those meek ones of the earth. So the Anabaptists of Germany called themselves, and said that now the promise must be fulfilled, “The meek shall inherit the earth”; whenas they by blood, rapine, cruel wars, seized on the possessions of others. And have we not now among us many loaves of the same leaven, brats of the same breed, bloody in their positions and dispositions—the fifth monarchy men they call themselves. Christ Jesus (as he hath lately to his great praise, so still) preserve and bless us out of their bloody fingers, and from their prodigious principles and practices. He hath promised it here, and much more: thou shalt “give thy judgment to the king” (Christ), “and he shall deliver the poor” (Psalms 72:2) -viz., from all foes and persecutors. And he shall smite the earth,] i.e., Earthly minded men, who are “of the earth, speak of the earth, and the earth heareth them.” (John 3:31) As the earth is cold and dry, so are they. As the earth is heavy, and beareth downward, so do they. As the earth keepeth down hot exhalations that naturally would ascend, so is it with such. And lastly, as the earth standeth still in the midst of heaven, and taketh no notice of the whole circumference that is carried around it, so are earthly men stupid and insensible, &c. Howbeit “by the rod of his mouth,” that is, by the preaching of the gospel, Christ doth again secretly “smite the earth,” that is, the consciences of carnal people, glued to the earth, making them sound heavily as a shawm. And with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.] The devil and his deputies, Antichrist especially, (2 Thessalonians 2:8) and that with little ado, even with a blast of his lips only; as with his bare word he laid on their backs those soldiers that came to apprehend him. This was written May 1, 1657. A mediaeval musical instrument of the oboe class, having a double reed enclosed in a globular mouthpiece.