Isaiah 9:1–7: Edit history

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