Isaiah 9:6–7
Isaiah announces a child who will be called Prince of Peace
Study it word by word6For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us, and the dominion will be on his shoulder; and his name will be called Wonder of a Counselor, Valiant El, Perpetual Father, Prince of Peace.
7Of the increase of the dominion and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from now and forever. The zeal of YHWH Tsevaot will do this.
In its context
4For the yoke of its burden and the staff of its shoulder, the rod of its oppressor, you have shattered as on the day of Midian.
5For every boot of the one tramping in tumult, and the cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
…
8Adonai sent a word against Jacob, and it fell on Israel;
9and the people knew it, all of them, Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, in arrogance and in greatness of heart, saying,
Its words in the original
- יֶלֶדyeled· child, boy
Child, boy, young man; offspring.
- יֻלַּדyulad· bear, father
Give birth, bear children; said of the father, "father" or "beget". In some forms, help at a birth (midwife) or be born.
- בֵּןben· son
Son. In the plural it can include sons and daughters, and also grandsons and descendants. "Son of..." also says what group someone belongs to ("sons of Israel" = Israelites).
- נִתַּןnitan· give, put, set
Give, in a very wide sense: hand over, put, place, grant, allow, make something be.
- תְּהִיtehi· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- מִּשְׂרָהmisra· rule, dominion
Rule, government, dominion.
- שִׁכְמshichm· shoulder
Shoulder; the upper part of the back, where burdens are carried.
- יִּקְרָאyikra· call, proclaim
Call: speak out to someone, summon, invite, give a name, proclaim; also read aloud. "Call on the name of YHWH" is to pray to him and worship him.
- שְׁמshem· name
Name. In the Bible a name says who someone is; so it also means fame, renown or reputation.
- פֶּלֶאpele· wonder
Wonder: something only God can do.
- יוֹעֵץyoets· advise, counsel
Advise; also decide or plan something.
- אֵלel· El, God, god
"El", an ancient Hebrew word for "God". Alone or with another title it is a name of the God of Israel: El Elyon (God Most High), El Shaddai (God Almighty). Neighboring peoples used the same word for their gods; then this translation writes "god" in lower case. It also means "mighty".
- גִּבּוֹרgibor· mighty one, mighty man
Strong, valiant; a mighty man, an outstanding warrior.
- אֲבִיavi· father
Father; also ancestor ("our fathers"), and the founder or head of a family or group.
- עַדad· forever
Forever, without end.
- שַׂרsar· chief, official
Chief, a person in command: prince, captain, official, leader.
- שָׁלוֹםshalom· peace, well-being
"Shalom": peace in a wide sense; not only the absence of war, but being whole and well: health, safety, good relations. It is also the Hebrew greeting.
- מַרְבֵּהmarbe· increase
Increase, growth.
- קֵץkets· end
End; "at the end of a time", "after".
- כִּסֵּאkise· throne
Throne: the king's seat, sign of his authority.
- דָוִדdavid· David
David, youngest son of Jesse, of Bethlehem; the second king of Israel. The name means "beloved."
- מַמְלַכְתּmamlacht· kingdom
Kingdom: the territory and the power of a king; reign.
- הָכִיןhachin· be firm, prepare
Be firm, be set, be ready; in the causative form, set up, establish, prepare, make ready.
- סַעֲדָsaada· sustain, strengthen
Sustain, strengthen. "Sustain the heart" is to refresh oneself by eating.
- מִשְׁפָּטmishpat· justice, judgment
What is right and the decision that establishes it: the judgment of a judge, someone's right, a rule or ordinance, a custom. "Do righteousness and justice" is to treat each one as is due.
- צְדָקָהtsedaka· righteousness
Righteousness: being right with God and acting rightly with others; justice.
- עוֹלָםolam· forever, eternal
A very long time whose end cannot be seen: looking forward, "forever"; looking back, "of old", "ancient".
- קִנְאַתkinat· jealousy, zeal
Jealousy; also the burning zeal with which someone defends what is his own.
- יְהוָהyehva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- צְבָאוֹתtsevaot· host, army
A great ordered company, like an army. "All their host" is everything that fills the heavens and the earth: the stars and the created beings. From this word comes the title "YHWH of hosts" (YHWH Tsevaot).
- תַּעֲשֶׂהtaase· do, make
Do, make, in the widest sense: build, produce, carry out, keep (a command), prepare.