In Isaiah 9:1-7, the prophet declares that God will reverse deep darkness with great light by sending a divinely appointed Child whose name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace and whose reign on David’s throne will shatter oppression, establish lasting peace, and uphold justice forever.

Isaiah 9 is a continuation of a series of prophecies that began in Isaiah 7 and end in Isaiah 12. These prophecies described things that were soon to happen and other things that were yet more distant. The circumstances in which Isaiah made these prophecies were unpleasant and fearful.

The kingdom of Israel had long been divided into two kingdoms: the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah. The kingdom of Israel was in the north and consisted of nine of the twelve tribes. The kingdom of Judah was in the south and included the city of Jerusalem and consisted of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The twelfth and priestly tribe of Levi was dispersed throughout both kingdoms.

The northern kingdom was currently being led by an evil man named Pekah. Pekah murdered the king and stole the throne for himself. He had allied himself with Rezin, the king of Aram (Syria).

Israel and Aram were now waging war with Judah in efforts to conquer and install their own puppet king (Isaiah 7:1, 7:6). They had already defeated Judah in battle and were now preparing to siege the capital of Jerusalem. The people of Judah were terrified (Isaiah 7:2).

It was into this fearful moment that the LORD sent Isaiah to encourage Ahaz, the king of Judah (Isaiah 7:3).

Ahaz stubbornly would not listen or believe. Nevertheless, Isaiah told him that God would soon destroy both Pekah and Rezin and their kingdoms would be no more (Isaiah 7:8). The LORD even gave Ahaz the sign, promising that in the timespan it took for a virgin to be married and give birth, all of his enemies waging war against Jerusalem would be eliminated (Isaiah 7:10-16).

The LORD’s prophetic sign had double fulfillment when Jesus, the Messiah, was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born to the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:20-23, Luke 1:26-35).

Isaiah further predicted that the larger kingdom of Assyria would be the instrument which God would use to defeat Judah’s enemies (Isaiah 8:3-7).

Isaiah predicted hardship for the kingdom of Judah. He prophesied that Assyria would surround Judah (Isaiah 7:17-23, 8:8). But Isaiah never predicted Judah’s fall to Assyria. Unlike Aram and Israel, the kingdom of Judah would outlast Assyria’s efforts to conquer it. The house of David would continue to stand.

But Isaiah’s prophecies for the kingdom of Israel were devastating. Its kingdom would be shattered: “It is no longer a people” (Isaiah 7:8b).

Isaiah 8:9-22 details the destruction of what will happen to the people of Israel who do not trust in the LORD. Isaiah warns that the LORD of hosts, whom the people should regard as holy shall become their fear and dread (Isaiah 8:13). Instead of God being their sanctuary, He will be the stone that trips them (Isaiah 8:14).

This prophetic doom has multiple fulfillments. It is prophetic not only of the unfaithful people of Israel but also of all who reject Jesus as their Savior and condemn themselves as enemies of God’s goodness (Matthew 21:42-46, John 3:18-19).

Those who trust in something other than God will have no dawn (Isaiah 8:20b) and curse the God in whom they did not place their hope (Isaiah 8:21):

“Then they will look to the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be driven away into darkness.”
(Isaiah 8:22)

Isaiah 9 continues this prophetic thought, but it contrasts the “distress and darkness, and the gloom and anguish” (Isaiah 8:22) that the unfaithful people of Israel will soon experience with a distant promise of hope:

But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles (v 1).

Isaiah’s prophecy opens with the conjunction: But.

But is used to make two important contrasts between the prophecies of Isaiah 8 and Isaiah 9

But contrasts the times of fulfillment between Isaiah 8 and Isaiah 9.

In Isaiah 9, Isaiah speaks of the predictions he just uttered in Isaiah 8 as fulfilled in a past tense. This is not purely an example of the prophetic past tense (which speaks of future events as having already happened, as a way to emphasize their certainty). Isaiah is speaking of what he just predicted in the past tense to indicate a gap in time between the fulfillments of what he predicted would happen in Isaiah 8 from what he is about to predict will happen in Isaiah 9.

The first fulfillment of Isaiah 8:9-22 occurred in Ahaz’s and Isaiah’s lifetime, in 722 B.C. It was then that Assyria destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel. But what Isaiah is about to predict in Isaiah 9 explicitly refers to a time later on when the Messiah will come. Jesus the Messiah was born later, around 6 B.C.

From the perspective of the time when the Isaiah 9 prophecies will be fulfilled, the prophecies of Isaiah 8 will have already been fulfilled in earlier times.

To be clear, the prophecies of Isaiah 8 and Isaiah 9 were still in the future at the point in time when Isaiah gave them. Isaiah first made these predictions shortly into King Ahaz’s reign, which began in 735 B.C. The first fulfillment of Isaiah 8 (Assyria’s destruction of the kingdom of Israel) would occur in the near future (722 B.C. —within Isaiah and Ahaz’s own lifetime). The fulfillment of Isaiah 9 (the coming of the Messiah) would not happen for another seven centuries.
But is also used to contrast the prophetic tone of Isaiah 8 and Isaiah 9.

It distinguishes the prophecies of “distress and darkness” (Isaiah 8:22) and the gloom and anguish that would soon befall the kingdom of Israel from the glorious prophecies Isaiah is about to utter.

Isaiah 8 predicts the fall of the kingdom of Israel, but the prophecy of Isaiah 9 looks beyond the immediate crisis to God’s ultimate remedy.

Isaiah explicitly says: But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish.

The pronoun her refers to Israel, specifically the people who live in the territories that the kingdom of Israel encompassed. The opening expression of verse 1 means that the impending darkness, gloom, and anguish Israel will experience will have an end.

In Isaiah 9, the destruction which Isaiah predicted in Chapter 8 is finished and gone. From the prophetic perspective of Isaiah 9, the gloom Israel will suffer because of Assyria is in the distant past. Its gloom will be no more. Assyria, the immediate source of Israel’s gloom, will be no more.

In the distant, later times to which Isaiah 9 is referring to, Israel who was in anguish is no longer in anguish.

Isaiah specifies in earlier times He (the LORD) treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt.

Zebulun was the tenth son of Jacob (by Leah) (Genesis 30:19-10). And Naphtali was the sixth son of Jacob (by Bilhah, Rachel’s maid) (Genesis 30:7-8). Jacob was renamed Israel and his sons were patriarchs of the twelve tribes of Israel. The tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali descended from these two sons of Jacob. The tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali settled in the northern portion of Israel and were part of the northern kingdom of Israel. Their tribal regions were clustered around the Sea of Galilee (also called “the Sea of Kinnereth”).

Isaiah describes the geography of the land of Zebulun and Naphtali as by the way of the sea and on the other side of the Jordan (river). He specifically refers to it as Galilee of the Gentiles.

The way of the sea refers to a major trade and military corridor (often associated with the Via Maris) that ran near the Sea of Galilee and connected larger empires to the coastal plains and beyond.

The other side of Jordan points to places east of the Jordan river, the broader Jordan region and its crossings—routes of movement, invasion, commerce, and culture.

In the time of Jesus, the other side of the Jordan was inhabited by Gentiles. For example, the ancient town of Hippas, which has recently been excavated and can be visited, sits on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. It was a Greek “Decapolis” city and is believed to house the Roman legionnaires during the time of Jesus. It was likely this city where Jesus healed a man of many demons called “Legion” when He visited the other side of the Jordan with His disciples (Mark 5:1-9).

Galilee of the Gentiles signals that this northern region was ethnically mixed and influenced by surrounding peoples. The former land of Zebulun and Naphtali and the Sea of Galilee would for a long time be under political control of Gentile nations by the time the predictions of Isaiah 9 took place. And indeed, this was the case: the Gentile empires of Assyria, Babylon, Persia, multiple variations of Greek, would all control Galilee and the former land of Zebulun and Naphtali before the prophecies of Isaiah 9 would come to pass. And the Roman Empire had political control of Galilee when Jesus the Messiah came.

When Assyria destroyed the kingdom of Israel as Isaiah predicted, the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali were overrun by and treated with contempt by God. But later on He (the LORD) shall make it glorious.

Because Galilee was so shamed and heavily influenced by Gentiles, many in Israel may have written it off as compromised. Yet God chose to use this land as the geographical stage for His glorious and shining work of revealing His Messiah to bring light to the world.

Isaiah is about to predict that the land that was once despised will be the very region where the Messiah’s ministry will dawn and shine forth.

The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them (v 2).

Isaiah predicts the Messiah’s coming in two statements:

The first statement is: the people who walk in darkness Will see a great light.

In this context, to walk means to act and/or live. It describes the manner in which people go about their lives. Walk implies routine, direction, or sustained condition.

Geographically, the people who walk in darkness refer to the people who live in the former land of Zebulun and Naphtali. It is in darkness because it is no longer in Zebulun and Naphtali’s possession.

The expression the people who walk in darkness also refers to people who are in spiritual darkness. Spiritual darkness is sin. Spiritual darkness can also entail ignorance of God’s goodness and truth. In this sense, people who walk in darkness means people who are held captive by their sin. They do not understand and are in the dark about God’s ways. Without God’s light, people who live under sin’s shadow do not have hope.

These people who walk in darkness, will be the very people who will see a great light. This will include many Gentiles, such as the Roman centurion who believed in Jesus in Capernaum (Matthew 8:5-10).

Light dispels darkness. Light illuminates reality. Light brings community. Light initiates and yields life. Light is a metaphor for truth and goodness. Light is an image of hope for people who walk in darkness.

Isaiah says these people will not just see any light. He says they will see a great light. The adjective great indicates the importance and brilliance of the light they will see. The great light the people will see will not be a dim light, but a glorious light.

The great light is the Messiah.

In other words, the people who walk in darkness in this area of Galilee will see the Messiah.

In the book of Isaiah, light is frequently used to symbolize the LORD’s Messiah and/or the Messiah’s ministry (Isaiah 9:2,10:17, 30:26, 42:6, 42:16, 49:6, 50:11, 51:4, 58:8, 59:9, 60:1, 60:3, 60:20).

Matthew explicitly declares the prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-2 to be fulfilled when Jesus, the Messiah, established His ministry headquarters in the city Capernaum which was located in Galilee:

“He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light,
And those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death,
Upon them a Light dawned.’”
(Matthew 4:13b-16)

The Gospel of John uses “light” to describe Jesus in His role as the Messiah when it says:

“In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
(John 1:4-5)

And Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 9:2 when He said:

“I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
(John 8:12b)

When Jesus declared Himself to be “the Light of the World,” He was declaring Himself to be “the World Messiah.”

The second statement in which Isaiah predicts the Messiah’s coming is: Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.

Dark land again refers to the geographic land of Zebulun and Naphtali that have become and are Gentile controlled when the Messiah appears. Spiritually, dark land refers to those who live in the captivity and bondage of sin. This statement that those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them repeats and reinforces the message of the first statement—that the Messiah will appear in Galilee. Isaiah likely repeats this message because of its great importance.

Describing darkness as a land could indicate that it is a realm, a cultural atmosphere, a place where oppression and despair feel normal. The earth groans awaiting its liberation (Romans 8:19-22) because it has been put under the influence of Satan, the prince of darkness (John 12:31).

Isaiah promises a divine and Messianic rescue when He says: the light will shine on them. This means the initiative belongs to God. He is the One who shines His light. We do not enlighten or rescue ourselves from sin and darkness. We cannot escape the dark land without Jesus, the Messiah, and His Light.

This sets up a striking harmony with Luke’s account of the annunciation. Luke emphasizes that Gabriel was sent to a city in Galilee called Nazareth (Luke 1:26), a small town in that same northern district spoken of by Isaiah.

Isaiah’s prophecy continues by describing abundant growth and joy that the advent of the Messiah will cause.

You shall multiply the nation,
You shall increase their gladness;
They will be glad in Your presence
As with the gladness of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil (v 3).

In this context, it appears that the pronoun You refers to the Messiah and His light that will shine in the darkness (i.e. the Messiah).

In this verse, the LORD is speaking about what the Messiah and His light will do for His people. Isaiah prophesies that You, the Messiah, will do two things:

You shall multiply the nation,
You shall increase their gladness

The first thing the LORD says that You, the Messiah, will do is You shall multiply the nation.

The nation in this context refers to God’s people, the nation of Israel. Israel may be described as a nation here to distinguish it from the “northern kingdom of Israel” that was about to fall. God is not promising that the Messiah will restore the northern kingdom. He is promising to reunite all of His people under the Messiah.

The LORD first pledged to Abraham that He would make a mighty nation out of Him and His seed (the Messiah): “I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore” (Genesis 22:17).

This is a promise later reaffirmed near the end of Isaiah when the branch (the Messiah) plants and establishes Israel as a nation:

“Then all your people will be righteous;
They will possess the land forever,
The branch of My planting,
The work of My hands,
That I may be glorified.
The smallest one will become a clan,
And the least one a mighty nation.
I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.”
(Isaiah 60:21-22)

Jeremiah likewise prophesied a restored people under the righteous Branch of David (the Messiah) saying, “I will multiply them and they will not be diminished; I will also honor them and they will not be insignificant” (Jeremiah 30:19).

These prophecies anticipate a Messianic reign in which Israel’s growth is both numerical and spiritual, grounded in divine righteousness, covenant faithfulness, and enduring peace.

Jesus, the Messiah, fulfills these and similar prophecies predicting that You (the Messiah) shall multiply the nation.

Jesus, the Messiah, multiplies the nation of Israel by gathering and enlarging God’s covenant people, fulfilling the prophetic vision through regeneration and inclusion.

Jesus redeems both Israel who is scattered (John 11:51-52) and He brings the Gentiles into God’s family (Isaiah 49:6, John 1:12-13, 10:16, Ephesians 2:12-13).

Jesus identifies Himself as the Shepherd who expands the flock, saying, “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd” (John 10:16, see also Ezekiel 34:11-12). After His resurrection, Jesus commissioned His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, not just from Israel (Matthew 28:18-20.

Paul explains that this growth of Jesus’s kingdom to include all Gentiles fulfills God’s promise to Abraham, teaching that those who belong to Christ are Abraham’s descendants (Galatians 3:29), and that God is “adding to the church” those who are being saved (Acts 2:47). In this way, Jesus multiplies Israel not by borders or census, but by faith, new birth, and union with the Davidic King, expanding the nation into a redeemed people who share in the promises spoken long ago by the prophets (John 3:3, 3:14-15).

The first thing the LORD says that You, the Messiah, will do is You shall increase their gladness.

As the Messiah and Son of God, Jesus will be a perfect King. He will establish a perfect kingdom with no end where everything will operate in total harmony as God intended (Daniel 7:13-14, Luke 1:32-33).

Isaiah 25:6-9 describes the gloriousness of that day when the Messiah’s kingdom shall begin. There will be a lavish banquet with the best wines. There will be no more separation of God from His people. People from all nations will be included. Death will be no more. And the reproach of sin will be gone,

“And it will be said in that day,
“Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”
(Isaiah 25:9)

Jesus is the Messiah who will bring this about. The hope and light that we have in Him is the Gospel—the good news that we can experience this abundant life in Him.

Isaiah then describes the people of God’s response to the Messiah light which brings gladness, prosperity, and victory:

They will be glad in Your presence
As with the gladness of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

The pronoun they in this context refers to God’s people, the nation of people who believe in His Messiah.

The people of God’s gladness is relational and God-centered.

They will be glad in Your presence.

The gladness Isaiah is describing is true joy. This gladness is similar to both the abundant life that Jesus came to give (John 10:10) and eternal life as He defined it—personally knowing God as God and Jesus as the Messiah (John 17:3).

This gladness was offered to Israel as a nation during the time of Jesus and during the first generation after His ascension, but was rejected (John 11:47-50, Acts 3:19). Therefore, this part of Isaiah’s prophecy is still in the future as of this writing. Paul noted that this rejection by Israel gave opportunity for the Gentiles to be saved, nevertheless the prophecy will still be fulfilled, as “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:11-12, 26-29). The time when this fulfillment will take place is likely during a messianic reign when Christ returns (Revelation 20:4).

However, there is a spiritual application of this Messianic promise that has been applicable to all. Your presence refers to the Messiah’s presence. It is His light. True joy is not derived from circumstances. True joy and gladness come from our choices. The Apostle John tells us how we can experience true gladness and complete joy.

We can have complete joy “if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light” (1 John 1:7). In other words, we have full gladness when we live in Jesus, the Messiah’s presence. John tells us that we live in God’s presence/walk in the light when we choose to follow His ways by faith instead of our own ways, and as we confess our sins (1 John 1:6-10).

Because God created humans to know and work and enjoy being with Him, our true gladness can only be found in His presence. True joy is experiencing the LORD Himself as near. Those who love God and His Messiah delight in His presence. For those that follow the LORD, the Messiah’s blessings (such as gladness or joy) are byproducts of being near to Him.

But our sin has separated us from God and turned our hearts away from Him. Unless we repent and trust and love Him and His ways, we will dread and hate God instead of loving Him. Those who do not follow God are uncomfortable and are miserable in His presence. The wicked seek to avoid His presence, which amplifies their misery.

“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”
(John 3:20)

But the wicked are unhappy, because they never experience what they were created for—intimately knowing God—and thus they can never be fulfilled or experience true joy or total gladness. As Jesus stated, the greatest fulfillment of life (“eternal life”) comes from knowing God and Jesus whom He sent (John 17:3).

Jesus the Messiah, is also “Immanuel”—God with us (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, Revelation 21:3). Because Jesus is both God and the Messiah, when we live in the Messiah’s presence, we are in God’s presence. To live in the presence of God is to live in gladness.

Because of Jesus it is possible for a sinful people to be born into God’s eternal family through faith and fully restored into God’s presence (John 1:12, 3:3). This is incredible news. Which is why at the birth of Jesus, the angels announced to the shepherds that they brought them “good news of great joy which will be for all the people” which includes Gentiles (Luke 2:10b).

Isaiah then uses two comparisons to describe the people of God’s gladness at the Messiah’s coming. These comparisons are:

As with the gladness of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

Both harvest and dividing the spoil is a time when good things are reaped. Harvest-joy is the joy of provision, when what was sown and nurtured now produces good fruit. Spoil-sharing joy is the joy of victory, when what threatened you has been defeated and is now divided for your good. In using these comparisons, Isaiah presents the Messiah as both Provider and Victor.

Isaiah also describes the Messiah and His light as a liberator:

For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,
The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.

The Messiah will break the instruments of the people’s oppression. Specifically, the Messiah shall break:

the yoke of the people’s burden.
the staff on their shoulders,
and the rod of their oppressor.

A yoke is something that is used to harness a beast of burden to a plow or cart.

In this prophetic context, the yoke could refer to economic, religious, or spiritual oppression. The driver of the cart is dictating your actions rather than you getting to choose for yourself. As king, the Messiah will defeat Israel’s enemies so that the nation no longer has to pay taxes or tribute to a foreign power; the people will be free.

This desire to get out from under the yoke of a foreign power seems to have been at the core of the Pharisees’ trick question when they publicly asked Jesus (who acted as if He were the Messiah) if it was lawful or unlawful to pay taxes to Caesar (Matthew 22:15-17).

Jesus defeated their trick question. He also destroyed the religious yoke of the Pharisees’ legalism and their tradition by exposing their hypocrisy and pointing people back to the true meaning and goodness of the Law. Jesus invited everyone who was weary of the Pharisees’ rules to exchange their heavy yoke for His light one (Matthew 11:28-30).

Jesus destroyed the yoke of sin by fulfilling the Law of Moses. Because of Jesus, we are no longer bound to obey sin our master.

As the Good Shepherd, Jesus breaks the staff of the corrupt shepherds (Ezekiel 34:2, John 10:1-14).

A rod is used by a tyrant to beat or punish his subjects.

Jesus will break the rod of the oppressor of God’s people. If the oppressor is Satan, then the rod could refer to sin and death.

Jesus overcame sin by perfectly following God’s will and fulfilling the Law by faith (Matthew 5:17, Romans 5:19, Philippians 2:5-8, Colossians 2:13-14).
Jesus defeated death by rising from the dead
(Acts 2:24, Romans 6:9, 1 Corinthians 15:56-57)

Then Isaiah anchors the promise of the Messiah’s liberation to a specific memory: as at the battle of Midian. That phrase calls back to Gideon (Judges 6-7), where God reduced Israel’s army so the victory could only be credited to Him. Midian becomes a symbol that the LORD saves by His power and by using as His instrument those willing to stand for Him and follow His commands.

Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus disarms the powers that held humanity in fear (Hebrews 2:14-15) and offers real freedom (John 8:36). Isaiah’s imagery of shattered oppression becomes spiritually true in the Gospel now, and it will become universally visible when Christ’s reign is fully manifested.

Isaiah continues to describe the Messiah’s light as establishing perfect peace,

For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult,
And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire (v 5).

This is not a poetic wish for less conflict. It is a prophetic end of all war.

Every boot of the warrior and every cloak rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.

Every boot will be burned in the fire because there will no longer be a warrior who needs to be booted or shod for battle. When the Messiah appears, there will not be another battle left to fight. There will no longer be any tumult or conflict. There will be peace.

Every cloak rolled in blood will be for burning because there will no longer be cloaks needed to wrap the wounded or gather the bloody dead.

The boots and blood-soaked cloaks—symbols of ongoing warfare—become fuel for the fire because war has ceased.

In the ancient world, battle gear represented identity, livelihood, and survival. To burn it meant you no longer needed it. Isaiah foretells an era where instruments of war are rendered obsolete. The Messiah-established peace is not simply the absence of conflict. It is “shalom”—with everything as it should be—wholly restored and in perfect harmony. This is why He is called: the Prince of Peace (v 6b), literally: “the Prince of Shalōm” (2 Peter 3:13).

This verse also clarifies the kind of peace Isaiah envisions. It is not fragile. It is not dependent on constant vigilance and deterrence. It is the result of a King whose rule is so just and so strong that violence becomes unnecessary.

After prophetically describing the Messiah’s liberation and “shalom,” Isaiah then begins to describe the Messiah Himself. The light, the joy, the broken yoke, the end of war, all these blessings arrive through a Person—the Messiah:

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders; (6a).

Isaiah begins with the Messiah’s birth.

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us (v 6a).

Isaiah describes the Messiah as a child who will be born. This means that the Messiah will enter the world in a natural way. He will not just materialize on earth out of heaven. He will not be an angel. He will be a human and born as a baby. The Messiah will be a son.

Isaiah says the Messiah will be born—to us; and He will be given to us.

The recipients are us. Us refers specifically to Judah and perhaps more generally all humanity—including Gentiles. The Messiah is sent to us from God. Even though He will be born He is also sovereignly given.

The Messiah being born emphasizes true humanity. The fact that He is given emphasizes divine gift. The Messiah is both genuinely one of us and graciously provided for us by God.

Isaiah’s prophecy about the Messiah was accurate. Jesus, the Messiah, was born in Judea (Matthew 2:1, (Luke 2:5-7). Jesus was the firstborn son of Mary, a virgin—in fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit which is why Jesus is called “the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

God sent His Son Jesus to be the Messiah born for us, as Paul wrote to the Galatians:

“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
(Galatians 4:4-5)

God not only had His Son born to us, God also gave His Son to us:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
(John 3:16)

God gave His Son as a sacrifice to die on the cross and atone for our sins (Isaiah 53:4-6, 53:10-12, Romans 8:32, 1 John 4:10).

Isaiah then adds: And the government will rest on His shoulders (v 6b).

The expression: rest on His shoulders means to carry burdens and responsibilities. This pictures a King who strongly bears the weight of rule. Unlike tyrants who abuse their power to shift their burdens onto the people, the Messiah will serve His people by bearing the weight Himself. The Messiah will be able to carry the burden of the government on His shoulders because He will be worthy and capable (Revelation 5:1-5).

Jesus the Messiah demonstrated His capability and worthiness when He carried the burden of our sins on the cross.

The Hebrew word that is translated in verse 6 as government is a form of מִשְׂרָה (H4951 — pronounced “mis-raw”). “Misraw” means “rule, dominion, government.” It only appears twice in the Hebrew Old Testament.

Government is political management and administration of a nation, its people, and its resources. All governments claim authority to establish and enforce laws.

A government’s authority to do these things is either legitimate or illegitimate. We say it legitimate when its powers are derived from the consent of the governed. It is illegitimate when its power is stolen or usurped. We say a government is good when it wisely performs its functions and serves the people by upholding justice while respecting their God given rights and liberties. We call a government bad when it unwisely fails to do these things. We call a government evil when it actively abuses for selfish gain the people it should be serving.

All human government is imperfect, because all humans are sinful and lack wisdom and humility.

Unlike every other government, whose legitimacy is derived from other persons or institutions, the Messiah’s authority will rest on His shoulders. That is, the Messiah’s legitimacy and authority to govern will be grounded in His own perfect righteousness. His authority will be intrinsic to and inseparable from His person.

Jesus the Messiah, after rising from the dead, informed His disciples that all authority on heaven and on earth had been given to Him (Matthew 28:18). This was the basis for Him to deputize and commission them to make disciples of all nations, teaching others to observe all that He had commanded of them (Matthew 28:19-20). The work or evangelism and discipleship is an invitation to others to participate in the Messiah’s government and administration.

Jesus was given all authority over all heavens and earth because He was granted to be the Son, the firstborn of creation (Hebrews 1:5, Colossians 1:15). Through the “suffering of death,” Jesus restored the rights of humans to reign, according to God’s original design (Hebrews 2:5-9, Philippians 2:8-9). Jesus desires to bring “many sons to glory” so that humans might be fully restored to God’s good design (Hebrews 2:10, Revelation 3:21).

The earth that is to come, which will be filled with righteousness, will be ruled by those who have shown a faithfulness to be God’s servants, and to rule in righteousness (2 Peter 3:13).

When Isaiah says the government, he is referring to the Messiah’s government.

The Messiah’s government will be unlike any government that has ever existed on earth. It will be perfect. It will be perfect because the Messiah is perfect. It will be ruled by One who is a perfect servant (Matthew 20:28). And the perfection of His perfect government will rest on His perfect shoulders. His government will bring lasting prosperity and peace as described earlier in verses 3-5 and again in verse 7. He will rule with absolute authority described as a “rod of iron” (Revelation 19:15). But He will share His authority with those who have overcome as He overcame, and proven themselves as faithful servants (Revelation 3:21, Matthew 25:21).

The Messiah’s government will be over His people. The Messiah’s people will comprise the nation of Israel that is united and formed under Him. The Messiah’s nation will be Israel, but His people will include Gentiles as well as sons and daughters of Abraham (Isaiah 49:6, Matthew 8:11, Revelation 7:9). During the Messianic reign, those of the nations who remain after the great battle will come to Israel to pay their respects, and those who do not will be punished (Zechariah 14:16-17).

But in a larger sense, when Isaiah says the government, he is referring to all political authority. As verse 7 will reveal, the dominion of His government will not have any borders or end. It will extend everywhere forever and ever. Therefore, when the Messiah establishes His government, the very word government will be synonymous with the Messiah and His administration, for there will be no other government anywhere else.

Then Isaiah utters a flurry of five titles and descriptions that portray the Messiah’s character:

And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace (v 6b).

Before he lists these five titles, Isaiah writes: And His name will be called.

A person’s name in Israel’s culture is a description of their identity. It reveals something of their character and who that person is. So, in saying His name will be called, Isaiah is not just saying what people will call the Messiah; he is also revealing the Messiah’s true identity.

Isaiah gives five names—five characteristics that describe and reveal the Messiah’s identity.

The first name Isaiah says the Messiah will be called is Wonderful.

English translations often render the name Wonderful as an adjective accompanying the next word, Counselor, instead of stating it as its own distinct name for the Messiah. The Hebrew text, however, lists Wonderful as one of the Messiah’s names.

The Hebrew word that is translated as Wonderful is a form of the Hebrew word: פֶּלֶא (H6381—pronounced: “pelé”). “Pelé” describes something amazing, extraordinary, and marvelous. “Pelé” means something is so wonderful or astonishing that it is beyond all category of description. For this reason, it is sometimes translated as “something that is hard to understand.”

Scriptures use “pelé” to describe the acts of God Himself because they are so extraordinary that only God could do them. “Pelé” is first used in the song of Moses when he sings:

“Who is like You among the gods, O Lord?
Who is like You, majestic in holiness,
Awesome in praises, working wonders?”
(Exodus 15:11)

“Pelé” is a perfect way to begin describing the Messiah’s character because He will be indescribably and unquantifiably amazing. Who the Messiah is and the things He will do will be beyond human comprehension. His actions will transcend human imagination. He will provoke amazement because His life, authority, and mission will unfold according to God’s purposes rather than human expectations.

Jesus the Messiah fulfills the name: Wonderful.

When the shepherds told others of the things they had witnessed on the night when Jesus was born “all who heard it wondered at the things which [they were] told” (Luke 2:18).

And whenever people encountered Jesus the Messiah they were consistently amazed (Matthew 7:28-29, 9:8, Mark 6:51, 15:4b, Luke 4:22, 5:26, John 7:46).

Jesus was so transcendently wonderful, that the people had difficulty comprehending Him or the full nature of His mission (Mark 16:21-22, 4:11-12, Luke 17:20-21, John 3:9-10, 5:39-40).

Paul is describing the absolute wonderfulness of God and Jesus the Messiah when he writes:

“but just as it is written,
‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.’”
(1 Corinthians 2:9, see also Isaiah 64:4)

The second name Isaiah says the Messiah will be called is Counselor.

A Counselor is someone who advises and/or devises a plan for success. For a Counselor to be good at what they do, they must have wisdom and seek the best interest of those they counsel.

The Messiah is the best Counselor a person could have because He will be wise and a servant of humanity’s best interests (Isaiah 53:12).

To call the Messiah Counselor means He will be the One who possesses and dispenses God’s wisdom. He will give perfect guidance for life, righteousness, and restoration. The Messiah and His counsel will reveal God’s will because His wisdom is divine. Unlike human counselors whose wisdom is limited, the Messianic Counselor speaks with divine insight, rightly diagnosing the human heart and prescribing what leads to justice, peace, and faithfulness to God. His counsel is never flawed, never shortsighted, and never self-serving. The Messiah’s counsel will secure the good of His people.

Jesus, the Messiah, fulfills the name: Counselor.

Jesus is our perfect Counselor. Jesus spoke the words of God with authority and truth, guiding people into life and freedom. He taught not as the scribes, but as One who knows the Father’s will firsthand (Matthew 7:28-29), exposing hearts, correcting error, and inviting repentance and faith. Jesus counseled through parables, commands, promises, and personal encounters. He called sinners to repentance, comforted the broken, warned the proud, and instructed His disciples in the way of the kingdom.

After His ascension, His counseling role continues through the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus calls “the Helper” (a similar name to Counselor) who brings His words to remembrance and guides believers into truth (John 14:26), guiding them safely and faithfully into the purposes of God.

The Apostles Paul and John both identify Jesus as our Counselor by describing Him as our intercessor (Romans 8:34) and righteous Advocate (1 John 2:1). As our Perfect High Priest, Jesus functions as our Counselor (Hebrews 4:15, 5:8-9, 7:24-27).

If Jesus is for us, we cannot fail (Romans 8:31).

The third name Isaiah says the Messiah will be called is Mighty God.

Mighty God is an explicit claim that the Messiah is divine.

Of the Old Testament writers, Isaiah is not alone in revealing the Messiah’s divine nature (Psalm 110:1, Daniel 7:13-14, Micah 5:2). He may be the most direct and concise in telling us that the Messiah will also be God when he prophesies: His name will be called… Mighty God.

To say that the Messiah will be divine means that He does not merely represent God or act with delegated authority, but that He shares in God’s own nature, attributes, and authority.

The Messiah will be God. He will possess and exercise God’s eternal rule. He will rightly receive worship reserved for God alone. He will perform mighty acts and hold offices only God can do and hold, such as forgive sins, bring salvation, and act as judge. Even though the Messiah will be born as a human child, He will not just be human. The Messiah will be both human and divine. The Messiah will not simply be an appointed human who is elevated by God to be king. He will be God Himself.

Moreover, the Messiah will be a figure who is both distinct from the LORD and yet fully participates in divine identity.

Jesus the Messiah fulfills the name: Mighty God.

As the eternal Word, Jesus was both distinct from God and was God (John 1:1).

Jesus is both fully human and He is divine (Luke 1:31-35).

Jesus is revealed as divine because He possesses God’s authority, performs God’s works, bears God’s names, and receives what belongs to God alone.

Jesus exercises authority over

Sins
(Mark 2:5-7, John 8:10-11)
God’s temple
(Matthew 21:12-13)
Creation
(Mark 4:39, Matthew 14:25)
Demons
(Mark 1:27, Luke 4:41)
Death
(Mark 5:35-42, Luke 7:14-15, John 11:43)

Jesus identifies Himself with the divine name (John 8:58). Paul affirms that in Him “all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9), and that He existed with God and as God from the beginning (John 1:1-3). Jesus is worshiped without rebuke (Matthew 28:17). He is seated at the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1, Hebrews 1:3). He is confessed as “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

The fourth name Isaiah says the Messiah will be called is Eternal Father.

The name, Eternal Father, describes the nature of Messiah’s authority and His relationship with His people. In the culture of ancient Israel, a father is one who originates, protects, provides for, and faithfully sustains those under his care. Like a shepherd provides for and protects His flock, a father provides leadership and protection for those in his house. This is true in a family, but also in a kingly or covenantal sense (Isaiah 22:21). As the father is the head of his family, and the king is the head of his nation, so will the Messiah be a Father to His people.

The Messiah will be a Father to His people because He will establish them as a people (Isaiah 49:8-9a, Ezekiel 34:24-26, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Hosea 1:10).

The Messiah will be a Father to His people because He will provide for and protect His household (Isaiah 40:10-11, Ezekiel 34:23-24, Micah 5:4).

But unlike our fathers, who are imperfect and pass away, the Messiah will be an Eternal Father—His authority, provision, protection, grace, shall never diminish or wane. They will be eternal because the Messiah is eternal. Therefore, the Messiah’s role as Father is eternal.

Jesus, the Messiah, fulfills the name: Eternal Father.

Jesus is One with the Father (John 10:30). He is the expression of the Father’s will so that we, by seeing Him, can see and know the Father (John 1:18, 5:19, 14:18-9, 31). Even though Jesus was the Son on the cross, He was also fully God on the cross. We can see this in Zechariah:

"I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.”
(Zechariah 12:10)

This passage says that when the people look upon Jesus on the cross, they “look on Me whom they have pierced.” In the context of Zechariah 12, “Me” represents the LORD speaking. The LORD is Yahweh, the Great I Am, the covenant God of Israel (Zechariah 12:1).

As the Messiah, Jesus is our Eternal Father because He is the Founder of God’s eternal family (John 1:12-13). And Jesus is the founder of His nation and eternal kingdom (Isaiah 49:6, Daniel 7:13-14, Ephesians 2:19-20, Colossians 1:13-18, Hebrews 12:28,1 Peter 2:9). Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

As the Messiah, Jesus is our Eternal Father because He protects and provides for His people (John 10:27-29, Philippians 4:19, Hebrews 2:18).

The fifth name Isaiah says the Messiah will be called is Prince of Peace.

The Hebrew word that is translated as Peace in verse 6 is a form of the word שָׁלוֹם (H7965)—pronounced: “shalōm.” As mentioned above in our commentary of verses 3-4, shalōm describes the wholeness, harmony, security, and the state of flourishing under God’s perfect rule.

The shalōm which the Messiah will usher far surpasses the absence of conflict, and it transcends mere justice; it is the wholeness, harmony, security, and abundance under God’s perfect rule.

The Messiah will be called the Prince of Peace because He is the bringer of Shalōm. Shalōm is not incidental to His reign. By citing His name as the Prince of Peace, Isaiah is indicating that shalōm is essential to the Messiah’s identity.

Shalōm is only possible in the presence of the Prince of Peace. The Lord’s prayer: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10) is a prayer for shalōm.

When the Messiah appears, He will set everything right (2 Peter 3:13). He will not only restore justice, punishing evil and wrongdoing, He will restore all that has been lost (Isaiah 61:1-4, Hosea 14:4-7, Joel 2:26-27, Zephaniah 3:14-20). He will give His people new hearts to love and do good (Ezekiel 36:24-38). His victory will be so complete that there will no longer be strife on earth (Micah 4:3-4). All will be as it should when the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, establishes shalōm.

Jesus, the Messiah, fulfills the name: Prince of Peace.

The promise and prophecy of peace is realized in the person of Jesus.

Jesus abolished the enmity between God and sinners and reconciles us into His forever family.
(Romans 5:1, Colossians 1:20)
Jesus brings peace to troubled hearts in this world, because He has overcome the world.
(John 14:27b)
Even now, His peace guards the hearts of those who trust Him.
(Philippians 4:7)
In Jesus, we can endure our suffering with hope and joy because we have hope for shalōm in the new heaven and the new earth that He will inaugurate.
Jesus reigns as the Prince who governs a kingdom marked by peace, uniting divided peoples into one body.
(Ephesians 2:14-17)

The world cannot offer anything comparable to the peace and shalōm that Christ offers (John 14:27a).

After describing the Messiah’s wonderful and divine character, Isaiah describes the eternal endurance and extent of His peaceful reign.

There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace (v 7a).

There will be no end to the increase of the Messiah’s government.

The extent of His government will be total. It will have dominion over everything that is. There will be no part of anywhere or any dimension that will not be within His jurisdiction. The Messiah’s reign will be everywhere and over everything. His government will not have limits, boundaries, or borders.

Paradoxically, because there will be no end to the increase of His government, His government will apparently be expanding continually. This could mean that in the new heaven and the new earth, God may be continually creating new places — i.e. new worlds, galaxies, and/or dimensions where His government can expand.

The time frame of His government is eternal and everlasting. It will never diminish or come to an end. Once it is established it will endure from then on and forevermore (v 7b).

The prophet Daniel elaborates on the unending increase of the Messiah’s kingdom:

"And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
That all the peoples, nations and men of every language
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed"
(Daniel 7:14).

There will be no end to the increase of the Messiah’s peace (shalōm).

The shalōm and prosperity of the Messiah’s kingdom will continue forever and ever in a state of perfect harmony. His peace will remain. His rule does not plateau. His peace does not expire. The Messiah’s kingdom is not like human empires that rise, stagnate, and fall.

His peace will remain perfect forever and never weaken or diminish. And if perfect peace can somehow paradoxically be improved in the Messiah’s kingdom, it will improve.

Isaiah then grounds this Messianic prophecy in the Davidic covenant.

On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore (v 7b).

Isaiah says the Messianic child that is born and given to us whose name is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace will sit on the throne of David and over his kingdom. Isaiah explicitly names David.

The throne and kingdom of David are directly drawn from God’s promise to King David made over two hundred and fifty years earlier.

The LORD swore to David that,

“When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom.”
(2 Samuel 7:12)

God went on to promise that He would personally establish the throne of this descendant forever (2 Samuel 7:13b). The LORD concluded His covenant with David by assuring him:

“Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”
(2 Samuel 7:16)

By explicitly referencing the throne of David, Isaiah is boldly declaring that the child he is prophesying about is the LORD’s promised descendant of David who will be on the throne forevermore.

This Messiah will sit on David’s throne. He will be a perfect King who will uphold justice and establish harmony throughout His eternal kingdom.

Justice means all things line up with God’s good design. That righteousness will reign in the earth means that wrongs will be addressed. Righteousness means that what is good and life-giving becomes the cultural norm; all will align with God’s design (2 Peter 3:13). Only a perfectly righteous King can sustain a perfectly righteous kingdom.

In this present earth, governments must use deterrents such as the use of force (or the threat of force) to uphold justice and enforce their laws. Without these deterrents, their standards of righteousness deteriorate, and society can collapse into violent lawlessness. It is not stated how it will be applied, but Jesus will also use a “rod of iron” to rule His kingdom and establish righteousness (Revelation 19:15).

There will be no rebellion in His kingdom. The Messiah’s people will freely follow His standards of righteousness because they themselves have been made righteous. They will be righteous because He has made them righteous. The people of the earth will not have a tempter, as Satan will have been jailed (Revelation 20:1-4). However, when Satan is released for a short period, the earth will fill with rebellion one last time before a new heaven and earth are instituted (Revelation 20:7-10).

In the new earth, the Messiah’s people will have hearts that have been fully redeemed and conform according to His good and perfect character. It will be a kingdom that humbly and joyfully serves one another. The people will follow the Messiah’s perfect example and love God with all their heart and will love their neighbor as they love themselves. This is why in the new earth there will be no more death or sorrow (Revelation 21:1-4).

Ezekiel appears to reveal a righteous messianic kingdom when he elaborates on this prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-7 (and others):

“My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them.”
(Ezekiel 37:24)

The term “My servant David” in this prophetic fulfillment would refer to Jesus, the Son of David. Ezekiel then describes an everlasting “covenant of peace” (covenant of shalōm) that the LORD will make with His people (Ezekiel 37:25-26).

As we have been noting throughout this commentary, Jesus is this Messiah who will sit on the throne of David from then on and forevermore in peace, justice, and righteousness. The throne of David will have two manifestations, one in the Messianic kingdom then another in the new earth, where God Himself will dwell on the earth (Revelation 21:3, 22-24).

All these things are still to come. They will happen when Jesus, the Messiah, returns to establish His kingdom.

When the angel Gabriel announced to Jesus’s mother Mary that she would have a Son, he told her:

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
(Luke 1:31-33)

In saying this, the angel was declaring that her Son would be the One whom the prophets, including Nathan, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Micah, and others had promised to send to rescue and redeem Israel, and to establish His righteous rule over the nation of Israel.

From the time Jesus was conceived and born on earth until His death on a cross and resurrection from the dead and His ascension to His throne in heaven, Jesus fulfilled the Law and destroyed sin and death. During His time on earth, the people who walked in darkness saw a great light (Matthew 4:12-16). He has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). And through the Gospel and His teachings, Jesus the Messiah has begun to put His kingdom in motion (Matthew 28:19-20).

His kingdom is still growing today in the hearts of all who believe in Him and follow Him. But its full manifestation and the many glorious and wonderful things Isaiah prophesied here in Isaiah 9:1-7 await His second coming.

But let us not doubt that the Prince of Peace will return and restore all things and bring shalōm. His second coming is promised. And when He returns, He will set all things right.

Lest we doubt, Isaiah concludes this Messianic prophecy with a seal of certainty.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this (v 7c).

Hosts means “many.” In this context, it describes the LORD’s legions of angels.

The LORD of hosts describes God in all His glory and might, arrayed for action. It is an image used to depict God as a military commander who is armored up, on his horse, and ready to charge into battle. When the LORD returns, He is depicted as leading a sort of heavenly cavalry charge (Revelation 19:11-14).

Zeal describes the LORD of hosts’ passionate and eager commitment to make these prophecies a reality. Therefore, the Messiah’s kingdom does not depend on human cooperation to become true. Mighty God will accomplish it.

By stating The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this, Isaiah demonstrates heaven’s urgency for these things to be accomplished as if the LORD of hosts is about to burst onto the scene and establish the Messiah’s kingdom at any moment.

Even though it has been twenty-seven hundred years since Isaiah wrote these things, let us remember three things:

That a day unto the LORD is like a thousand years.
(Psalm 90:4, 2 Peter 3:8)
That the Messiah has already come once and fulfilled many other prophecies.
(Luke 4:21, 24:44, Acts 3:18, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
That Jesus promised to return soon and accomplish this.
(Revelation 22:7, 12, 20)

In light of the LORD’s zeal and what Jesus the Messiah has already accomplished and promised (John 19:31, 14:1-4), we too ought to act in faith and live with zeal in our hearts to accomplish His will with every fiber of our being until His divinely promised return.

What a glorious day that will be!

“You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near…
behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.”
(James 5:8-9)

Isaiah 9:19