isaiah 11 through 13

Read Isaiah 11 through 13 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions:

Isa 11:1-9 {s} The Branch from the root of Jesse/ His reign of righteousness + peace
Isa 11:10 {p} The Root of Jesse shall be a banner to the Gentiles who will seek Him
Isa 11:11-12:6 {s} He will recover the remnant of His people; He will set up a banner for the nations; Ephraim + Judah; salvation
Isa 13:1-5 {s} The burden against Babylon: the LORD musters His army for battle from the nations
Isa 13:6-14:2 {s} Babylon overthrown at the hands of the Medes

Isa 10:12-12:6 chiastic structure:

1a) Isa 10:12-34 {p+s+p+p+s} The remnant of Jacob will return to the LORD;

1a) Isa 10:12-15 {p} The LORD will punish the haughtiness of Assyria;
1b) Isa 10:16-19 {s} The Holy One of Israel will devour the glory of Assyria;
central axis) Isa 10:20-23 {p} The remnant of Jacob will return to the LORD;
2b) Isa 10:24-32 {p} The yoke of the Assyrian will be destroyed;
2a) Isa 10:33-34 {s} The LORD will humble the haughty;

1b) Isa 11:1-5, The Branch from the root of Jesse: His reign in righteousness;

central axis) Isa 11:6-9 {s} The peaceable kingdom, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD;

2b) Isa 11:10 {p} The Root of Jesse: the banner of the people, whom the Gentiles shall seek;

2a) Isa 11:-12:6 {s} The LORD will recover the remnant of His people: both Judah + Ephraim/ they shall return.

What I find interesting about this structure is that the captivity of Israel has been previously prophesied by Isaiah. But the captivity of Judah has not been previously prophesied; Jeremiah was called as the prophet to Judah who prophesied the most about the captivity of Judah (and he was not yet born in the lifetime of Isaiah). Yet in Isaiah’s prophecy today, Isaiah begins speaking about the remnant who will return, both from Ephraim (Israel) and Judah.

Now the return of the remnant of Jacob: both of Ephraim — Israel, the ten tribes of the northern kingdom — and of Judah — the two tribes of the southern kingdom — forms the bookends of the prophecy in the chiastic structure, in the context of Assyria being used like a tool to execute the LORD’s judgment upon the northern kingdom, but not upon the southern kingdom. But then the structure immediately shifts to the Root and Branch of Jesse, the Child who is to be born to the house of David, who will reign in the Spirit of the LORD and in righteousness and faithfulness. But not just over Judah, and not just over Judah and Israel reunited and restored, but over the whole earth, for he “shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him.”

In Isaiah we have our first glimpse of the grand plan of God, first hinted to Abraham. Israel shall be scattered to the nations, to the four corners, and when the LORD brings her back, He will bring the peoples of the nations with them, seeking the Root and Branch of Jesse. ♥