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Isaiah 9:1–7

Bible verses · Also called: Isaiah 9:1-7, Isaiah 9, Unto Us a Child Is Born, Prince of Peace prophecy

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1 Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.

2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

The text is the New Korean Revised Version (1998), shown under a licence from the Korean Bible Society. Wording may differ slightly from the Korean Revised Version and the Revised New Korean Standard Version. Read in the Korean Revised Version

Isaiah 9:1–7 is a prophecy that light will shine on the land of Galilee, darkened by the Assyrian invasion, and that a child will be born who will reign on the throne of David with judgment and with justice. Christians read it as a prophecy of the birth of Jesus Christ and his ministry in Galilee, and it is widely read at Christmas.

Context

Chapters 7–8 of Isaiah are set against the so-called Syro-Ephraimite War (730s BC), when Aram and the northern kingdom of Israel joined forces to threaten Judah. Around this time Assyria is believed to have occupied the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali in the region of Galilee (2 Kings 15:29). Verse 1 declares that this land, once held in contempt, will one day be made glorious. Verses 2–5 celebrate the joy of the end of oppression, comparing it to the day Gideon defeated Midian ("as in the day of Midian"). Verses 6–7 proclaim, as the basis of that deliverance, the birth of a child who will ascend the throne of David. Because the Hebrew Bible divides chapters and verses differently, 9:1 corresponds to 8:23 in the Hebrew text, and 9:2–7 to 9:1–6.

Interpretation

  • Christian tradition: Matthew 4:15–16 quotes verses 1–2 and presents Jesus' Galilean ministry as the fulfillment of this prophecy, and Luke 1:26–35 likewise speaks of the throne of David and a kingdom without end. Accordingly, the church has read verses 6–7 as a prophecy of Christ's Incarnation and eternal reign, and it cites the name "The mighty God" as evidence of Christ's divinity.
  • Historical reading: Many biblical scholars regard the passage as a royal oracle celebrating the birth or accession of a new Davidic king of that time, and they propose Hezekiah as a candidate. Many of these scholars hold that the text nonetheless expresses hope for an ideal king who surpasses any contemporary ruler.
  • Jewish reading: Jewish tradition preserves both an interpretation that identifies the child as Hezekiah and one that identifies him as the Messiah who is to come. Some medieval Jewish commentators read the preceding titles as referring to God, the one who bestows the name, and take only "Prince of Peace" as the child's name.

Debates and Issues

  • Number of names and translation: The Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Revised Version render the passage as five names, but some translations treat the Hebrew for "Wonderful, Counsellor" as a single title, "Wonderful Counselor," yielding four names; the New Korean Standard Version, among others, groups them this way. The Hebrew El Gibbor, rendered "The mighty God," can also be translated "Mighty Warrior God."
  • Tense: In the original, "unto us a child is born" is expressed as though it had already happened. Whether this is read as a present event or as a prophetic idiom that speaks of the future as certain is bound up with the interpretive differences described above.
  • Relationship between the two readings: Some evangelical scholars affirm both a primary historical meaning and an ultimate fulfillment in Christ. Others, by contrast, regard the passage as a direct prophecy that refers solely to Christ from the outset.

In the Korean Church

Across denominations, the passage is frequently used for sermons and Scripture readings during Advent and Christmas, and churches that follow the lectionary read it as a Christmas text. The chorus "For unto us a child is born" from Handel's Messiah, whose text is taken from verse 6, is often performed by church choirs at Christmastime. Titles such as "Prince of Peace" and "Wonderful" are widely used to address Jesus in prayer and worship.

Related Passages

  • Matthew 4:15–16
  • Luke 1:32–33
  • Isaiah 7:14
  • Isaiah 11:1–5
  • Judges 7:19–25

See also 8

IsaiahBibleMatthew 4:15–16Bible versesIsaiah 8:8–10Bible versesLuke 1:26-35Bible versesChristmasChurch seasonsIncarnationDoctrine & theologyHezekiahPeopleGideonPeople

First draft: AI · Last edited 2026-10-04

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