Discovery BoxIsaiah 11:2 
Context11:2 The Lord’s spirit will rest on him 1 –
a spirit that gives extraordinary wisdom, 2
a spirit that provides the ability to execute plans, 3
a spirit that produces absolute loyalty to the Lord. 4
Isaiah 40:28
Context40:28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is an eternal God,
the creator of the whole earth. 5
He does not get tired or weary;
there is no limit to his wisdom. 6
Isaiah 47:10
Context47:10 You were complacent in your evil deeds; 7
you thought, 8 ‘No one sees me.’
Your self-professed 9 wisdom and knowledge lead you astray,
when you say, ‘I am unique! No one can compare to me!’ 10
1 sn Like David (1 Sam 16:13), this king will be energized by the Lord’s spirit.
2 tn Heb “a spirit of wisdom and understanding.” The synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of wisdom he will possess. His wisdom will enable him to make just legal decisions (v. 3). A very similar phrase occurs in Eph 1:17.
3 tn Heb “a spirit of counsel [or “strategy”] and strength.” The construction is a hendiadys; the point is that he will have the strength/ability to execute the plans/strategies he devises. This ability will enable him to suppress oppressors and implement just policies (v. 4).
4 tn Heb “a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.” “Knowledge” is used here in its covenantal sense and refers to a recognition of God’s authority and a willingness to submit to it. See Jer 22:16. “Fear” here refers to a healthy respect for God’s authority which produces obedience. Taken together the two terms emphasize the single quality of loyalty to the Lord. This loyalty guarantees that he will make just legal decisions and implement just policies (vv. 4-5).
5 tn Heb “the ends of the earth,” but this is a merism, where the earth’s extremities stand for its entirety, i.e., the extremities and everything in between them.
6 sn Exiled Israel’s complaint (v. 27) implies that God might be limited in some way. Perhaps he, like so many of the pagan gods, has died. Or perhaps his jurisdiction is limited to Judah and does not include Babylon. Maybe he is unable to devise an adequate plan to rescue his people, or is unable to execute it. But v. 28 affirms that he is not limited temporally or spatially nor is his power and wisdom restricted in any way. He can and will deliver his people, if they respond in hopeful faith (v. 31a).
7 tn Heb “you trusted in your evil”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “wickedness.”
8 tn Or “said”; NAB “said to yourself”’ NASB “said in your heart.”
9 tn The words “self-professed” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
