In the previous chapter he describes the fall of the king of Assyria and the redemption of Judah. Now he begins a new chapter, and adds to the bodily promise a prophecy of the future kingdom of Christ, what it will be like, what kind of kingdom it will be, what kind of king it will be, and what kind of subjects it will be. 2c.
V. 1. And there shall arise a rod from the tribe of Jesse.
(2) This is an excellent passage of the kingdom of Christ, which he calls a choice branch, that it may show us the beginning of the spiritual kingdom that is to come. For there it is not as in worldly kingdoms; there first a people is brought together; but this king will be born before he has a people, and it will be a single branch, which will come up from a root or from a withered and dead trunk. This root is the tribe of Jesse, that is, David himself, in whom he summarizes all the promises. When this root will have lost all hope, then Christ will arise from it.
3 This is a hidden description of the time when Christ had to be born, namely when this tribe or root had lost all hope, namely after they had already lost the kingdom. As it is said in Gen. 49, 10: "The scepter of Judah shall not be taken away, nor a champion from his feet, until the coming of the hero, to whom the nations shall cleave." At that time, however, the tribe had lost all hope, since Herod was king and the Romans had usurped the priesthood and sold it to whomever they pleased. Thus both the kingdom and the priesthood were lost at the time Christ was born, and the Hans of David and the kingdom were indeed a dead tribe.
4. further, this is a brief epitome of the whole theology and divine works, that
Christ did not come until the tribe died and was completely without hope; that therefore, when all hope is gone, it is the time of salvation, and one should believe that God is closest when He seems to be farthest away. a) Thus, at this time of ours, during the supreme tyranny of the Pabst, he gave the light of the Gospel. Some interpret the root from the Virgin Mary. This is a very godly opinion, but it seems to be more appropriate to draw it to the whole tribe of Judah.
V. 2. On whom the Spirit of the Lord will rest.
Now he describes the powers, the weapons and the whole royal equipment with which the kingdom will be established. This kingdom will not be established by weapons and horses. For it is only a branch. Therefore, it will be a gentle kingdom, mighty through goodness and fruits, not through weapons or power.
The Spirit of the Lord.
6 These are the weapons. It will be a spiritual kingdom; he will administer it through the Holy Spirit alone, and work all things. But he adds who the spirit will be and how it will be constituted. It is "the Spirit of Wisdom" who teaches the knowledge of God and all godliness; for this is our
a) From § 2 to here the following is found in the edition of 1532: Here the prophet has inserted a hidden description of the time (chronographiam). For he says that Christ will be born from the tribe of Jesse, that is, when there can be no hope for this tribe or root, because the kingdom was already lost, as it is said in Genesis 49:10. But there was no hope for the tribe at the time when Herod was king and the Romans also sold the priesthood at that time. So at the time Christ was born, both the kingdom and the priesthood were lost, and indeed the house of David and the kingdom was a dead tribe. Furthermore, this tends to be the order of God's works, that the time of help is at the time of despair, and then one must believe God to be closest when He seems to be farthest.
Wisdom. But "understanding" is the judgment that arises from this wisdom, that we may perceive what contends with godliness, and that we may judge from false doctrines, from Satan's persecutions 2c.
The Spirit of the Council.
(7) Now this belongs to the cross and to the time of trouble, that he should counsel, comfort, and direct the afflicted.
The spirit of strength.
8. who gives victory and carries out these counsels, so that the consolation remains firmly in the heart. Thus, when I see a brother thrown into bonds, covered with shame, deprived of his goods for Christ's sake, I comfort him with the words, so that he may bear the cross patiently: "The servant is not greater than his lord. Did they call the father of the house Beelzebub?" 2c. [Likewise: "Blessed are they that mourn" [Matth. 5, 4. 1. "Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth" [Hebr. 12, 6.]. When he takes hold of these words with his heart, the Spirit powerfully works the strength to triumph.
(9) But we must remember that just as one owes this service to another, that he may comfort in tribulation; so he who is in temptation owes this again, that he may hear the comfort as a certain word of God (as it is). For since Satan tries to flood the hearts with his thoughts, as it were with a flood of sin, one must therefore hear the word, which awakens completely different thoughts than the thoughts of Satan.
The Spirit of Knowledge.
(10) The spirit of knowledge belongs to the common use of life among the brethren, that each one may be guided by the customs of those with whom he associates, and thus avoid all vexations. But he connects knowledge with fear (the Latin translator has given it: the spirit of godliness, but it must be translated: "of fear"), because knowledge in and of itself puffs up [1 Cor. 8, 1.]. And this is the description of the kingdom of Christ, in which way the branch of this kingdom...
be propagated. The spirit of wisdom and understanding belongs to the holding of the word of faith; the spirit of counsel and fortitude to the cross; the spirit of knowledge and fear to the intercourse with the brethren.
V. 3. and his smelling will be in the fear of the LORD.
In judging, Christ will not follow appearances or works, but as it says in the Psalm: "He is pleased with those who fear Him" [Ps. 147:11]. But this is very necessary to know. For there is nothing more dangerous, and which deceives more easily, even holy men, than the appearance of works and hypocrisy. The world cannot overcome these; only the spirit, of which he speaks here, can. Therefore it has happened that at all times so many doctrines of works, of sects, of false spirituality (religionum), orders and ways of life have arisen, by which the world has become so captivated that it has allowed itself to be completely taken in by the larva of works.
(12) Therefore we are to learn from this passage that righteousness does not depend on our works, but just as we all died through a foreign sin, so we must also all be saved through a foreign righteousness. For in this kingdom we are not judged according to what the eyes see, nor according to what the ears hear, that is, according to each one's own works, but according to the righteousness of Christ, which believers take hold of in faith, rely on, and are saved. The others follow certain works; therefore, since they have chosen something that is not in common and ordinary life, it cannot be otherwise than that they are arrogant and presumptuous. Thus the hermits, because they led a hard way of life, wanted to be something higher in the church than the bishops, as if they had been transferred to another world. But the Spirit does not turn to this larva 2c. "He judges with justice"; as follows.
V. 4. But he will judge the poor with righteousness.
13. just as he says in the Gospel [Matt. 5:6], "Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be filled." Thus he describes
the kingdom of Christ to have such a doctrine that teaches a foreign righteousness. This righteousness is given from heaven to those who do not have righteousness, to the poor and miserable, who are troubled by their sins and evil conscience, and need forgiveness of sins.
And shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth.
14. This is a confirmation of the foregoing, thatb ) this kingdom is not maintained by weapons, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. "The rod of the mouth" means the oral word or gospel which proceeds from the mouth of all those who teach purely. This is not ineffective, but fruitful; it justifies the godly, it judges and condemns the ungodly.
V. 5. Righteousness will be the girdle of his loins.
15.c ) Our Christ and His kingdom are also equipped with weapons, not with sword and iron, but with righteousness and faith, as the weapons of Christ and the church are listed in the epistle to the Ephesians [Cap. 6, 11. ff]. Now that we believe, that we pray, that we teach, these are our weapons with which we overcome all temptations, whether spiritual or bodily. For the faith with which we cling to the righteousness of Christ is all-powerful and victorious against all danger. For the kingdom of Christ exists and is sustained by these two things, faith and the word, or by preaching and believing. Now follow the fruits of the word.
V. 6. The wolves will dwell with the lambs.
b) In the 1532 edition, the first words of tz 14 bis are missing: "This kingdom will not" 2c.
c) In the 1532 edition, §15 reads thus: The weapons of our Christ are not swords, but righteousness and faith. For because we cling to his righteousness, we easily overcome conscience and sins. And we also contend in faith; for prayer is a work of faith, by which all terrors and evils are overcome, according to your saying John 16:23: "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that shall my Father give you" 2c.
16 He also lists the fruits of the word. These are images by which he indicates that the tyrants, the works saints and the mighty in the world will be converted and received into the church. But who does these great miracles? Who brings about these miraculous changes? The word, namely the oral word, which comes from the mouth of a sinful man.
V. 7. 8. And an infant will have his delight.
This indicates the boldness of the little children. Although this is also fulfilled in the letter, as we read in the stories that the holy fathers tore the snakes, I will rather follow the secret interpretation that the opinion is this: A child will take pleasure in pulling the vipers out of their hole, that is, the preachers of the Word, who are despised, weak and simple-minded people in the world, will cast out the devil that dwells in the hearts of men. They will not be afraid of the basilisks, that is, the heretics, who poison the listeners even by their mere sight. They will kill them with joy, that is, they will deprive people of those poisonous and harmful opinions they have in their hearts. And they will do all this through the verbally preached word of the Gospel. Therefore, it is the highest ungodliness, and a more than diabolical error, that today many, even among those who consider themselves somewhat learned, despise the outward preaching of the Word as ineffective.
V. 9: One will never die.
18. there will be perfect peace in the church; there will be such unity that will unite even those who disagree.
For the land is full of the knowledge of the Lord.
This is the cause of this most beautiful harmony, that they will have an abundance of the knowledge of Christ. For when my righteousness and your righteousness are set aside, that is, when neither my righteousness nor your righteousness is valid, but only the righteousness of Christ, then peace will inevitably follow, because we are all at peace.
are equally sinners and in need of grace. Thus, in Christ all things are one, and no one has cause to prefer himself to the other.
V. 10. And it will come to pass in that day.
20 This is an excellent passage about the calling of the Gentiles and the spreading of the Word among the Gentiles. And it is mainly from this text that the conclusion is drawn: If the Gentiles are to be united with the Jews in one body, then the whole Jewish ceremonial law will necessarily have to be abolished. Thus he nullifies all trust in the Mosaic righteousness and all merits of works. And this passage must be diligently noted, so that when the calling of the Gentiles is mentioned, wherever it may be, this conclusion is immediately added: "Thus it necessarily follows that the law, and the whole service of the law, must be done away with. But if the law must necessarily be done away with, it follows that no good works serve for righteousness, but righteousness will be by grace and apart from us. Thus also the abolition of the law is indicated in the 117th Psalm, v. 1: "Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles." And not only this, but also the righteousness by grace is indicated, which comes to us without previous works. For the Gentiles are a people without the law of God, stained with all kinds of sins.
21 Likewise, when he adds that the Gentiles will ask about this root, it follows that they will not seek Moses further. Likewise, that neither the Law, nor Moses, nor the Levites, nor the prophets were sufficient for righteousness. Thus, in the word "they will ask" lies the power and use of the kingdom of Christ, which will draw all things to itself after He is exalted [John 12:32]. They will ask for the root; consequently both Jews and Gentiles will reject all that is theirs; consequentlyd ) no other righteousness applies but the righteousness of Christ; consequently all works, merits, and what not Christ
d) From here to the end of § 21, the 1532 edition has: are nothing, works, merit, and everything that is not Christ, that is, it is condemned and altogether useless for righteousness.
is damned if it is done in the opinion of being justified by it.
22) "To ask" means to believe, to care, to be anxious to keep Christ and His righteousness. Therefore, this passage of the prophet absolutely destroys the kingdom of the Jews, yes, also of the Gentiles. For if they ask about Christ, it follows that they will abandon their idols, which they have worshipped. And in this way this text overthrows and reverses all kingdoms until the end of the world; as we also see that the kingdom of the pope falls, which is a wild heap (chaos) of the most diverse religions and objects of confidence. Therefore, this root must necessarily cause confusion among all the kingdoms in the world. Now he adds a description of the person.
It stands as a banner for the nations.
(23) One cannot inquire after Christ by one's own doing, but the exaltation of the "image" moves the Gentiles to inquire after him. The panier is lifted up by the preaching of the gospel; for Christ is presented to the eyes of the mind by the word, that they may look for him. But he calls it a war-dress, because Christ has to do and is strong in the temptations. Likewise, because Christians are always in battle and strife against Satan, the world, and their flesh.
His rest will be honor.
24. for so I will rather translate it, than his grave [sepulcrum in the Vulgate]. Here he adds how he will set up his kingdom. But he calls "his rest" his death, because after his death Christ will begin his kingdom, and will be full of glory, when he will be considered dead by all.
Furthermore, in these passages dealing with the kingdom of Christ, it must be noted that the divinity and humanity of Christ are described therein. He calls Christ "the root of Jesse", therefore he will be a natural son of Jesse, and an essential and true man, who has body and soul. That the Gentiles will ask about him is because of his divinity. For such a faith comes to no one but
God alone; as has been said above in the eighth chapter [§ § ff]. And to redeem, to liberate, to help are divine works, which cannot be attributed to anyone but the true and essential God. Thus it is also said that he will be the son of a virgin. For if he is to redeem the Gentiles, it is necessary that he be without sin; consequently he will not be born in the flesh of sin; consequently he will be born of a virgin without a fleshly father. Furthermore, he speaks quite clearly of the suffering and death of Christ, since he says that he will rest in the grave. His resurrection is also remembered by saying: "His rest will be glory", that is, after his death he will reign gloriously.
V.11. And the Lord will stretch out his hand at that time.
26 He could not say anything else about the kingdom of Christ; therefore he now adds images, and what he had said before in a simple way, he now expresses by figurative speeches, as this is the custom of this prophet. As if he wanted to say: This will then only be the true execution from the land of Egypt, when both Jews and Gentiles will thus be gathered into One Church. "Pathros", I believe, are the Cyrenians or the neighbors of the Cyrenians. The "Elamites" are the Persians. "Sinear" is where Babylon stood. "Hamath" is Antioch. The islands of the sea are towards the evening in the Mediterranean Sea.
V. 12. and will raise a banner among the Gentiles.
27 Not at Jerusalem; consequently, the return will not be bodily.
V. 13. 14. But they will be on the neck of the Philistines.
28 This is all figurative, indicating the miraculous progress of the word, as if to say, Then shall be glorious victories; all things shall yield unto the gospel. Ammon, Moab, Edom, Kedar are parts of the stony Arabia. In the Arabic language, however, it has been named with the general word Kedar. He thus indicates that the apostles will lay hands on these nations and that they will be obedient to the gospel.
V. 15. 16. And the Lord will banish the river of the sea (linguam maris).
29 Linguam maris. This is how the Hebrews describe the mouths of rivers, and likewise the gulfs of the sea. Here, however, he points to the Nile River, so that Egypt will also believe in the gospel.
And will let his hand go over the water (super flumen).
30. when lumen [the stream] is put par excellence, it means the Euphrates.
[That one may walk through it with shoes on].
(31) For the river to be dried up means that it will give way to the gospel, so that it can be preached freely and unhindered.