Isaiah 9:6
Bible verses · Also called: Isaiah 9:6, For unto us a child is born, Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, Prince of Peace, Everlasting Father
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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.
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 9:6 is the prophecy that "unto us a child is born," whose name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. It is one of the best-known Christmas texts. Christianity and Judaism, as well as mainstream denominations and certain other groups, differ over whom these titles refer to and what they mean.
Context
Isaiah 9 opens with a prophecy that a great light will shine on the northern territory plunged into darkness by the Assyrian invasion, namely "the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali" (9:1-2). A song of deliverance follows, in which the yoke of oppression is broken and the boots and garments of war are burned (vv. 3-5). Verse 6 then declares that this deliverance will come through the birth of a child, and verse 7 concludes that he will reign forever upon the throne of David with judgment and justice. Together with the Immanuel prophecy of chapter 7 and the prophecy of the stem of Jesse in chapter 11, the passage is read as part of a group of messianic prophecies.
Interpretation
- As messianic prophecy: Christianity identifies this child as Jesus Christ, pointing to Matthew 4:15-16, which applies verses 1-2 to Jesus' ministry in Galilee. The title "The mighty God" (El Gibbor) in particular is regarded as evidence of the Messiah's divinity, and it is often noted that the same expression is used of the LORD in Isaiah 10:21.
- As a song about a contemporary king: Some in the Jewish tradition and some historical-critical scholars read the song as celebrating the birth or accession of a Davidic king such as Hezekiah. They interpret the titles either as names given to the king or as sentence names that praise God.
- Division of the titles: Translations differ on whether "Wonderful, Counsellor" should be taken as a single title ("Wonderful Counselor") or as two. Citing the paired structure of the original text, many interpreters group the titles into four.
Controversies
Jehovah's Witnesses distinguish between "Mighty God," as used in this verse, and "Almighty God," holding that Jesus is a mighty God but not, like Jehovah, the Almighty. Major denominations reject this view, pointing to Isaiah 10:21, where the same expression is applied to the LORD. The title "The everlasting Father" has also given rise to a modalist reading that treats the Son as the same person as the Father. Orthodox Trinitarian doctrine, by contrast, explains the title as meaning that the Messiah cares for his people eternally, as a father does.
In the Korean Church
The verse is a principal text for Christmas services and Christmas cantatas. The chorus from Handel's oratorio Messiah that sets this verse is frequently sung by church choirs during the Christmas season.
Related Passages
- Isaiah 9:1-7
- Isaiah 7:14
- Luke 2:10-11
- Matthew 4:15-16
See also 6
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