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Isaiah 9:6: A Misunderstood Passage of Scripture
In Isaiah ix, 6, Revised Version, we may find these words, - "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 Father, Prince of Peace." These words are by most people supposed to contain an accurate picture of the coming Jesus. Following the popular tradition, the ordinary Christian of to-day will quote these words and in good faith maintain that they prove three things at least. They prove that the prophet has power to foretell future events; that Jesus was God; that he was identical with the everlasting Father, or Jehovah, of the Old Testament.
Let us look at the passage very closely and see whether it warrants these conclusions. Prof. Briggs, the eminent Presbyterian scholar, translates the verse for us thus: "And his name is called Wonderful Counselor, Divine Hero, Distributor of Spoils, Prince of Peace." If we turn to our Hebrew Bibles we shall find ample reason for rendering the verse as Dr. Briggs does. The other words going in pairs we would naturally expect that the first two should also. The Hebrew word Pele is used quite as often as an adverb as an adjective, and literally then the first two words should read "counseling marvelously." If we confine ourselves strictly to the Hebrew words, "Mighty God" is a fair rendering of El Gibbor. Immanuel means "God with us," Bethel means "House of God," and so on. But among the Hebrews there was great looseness in the use of the word God. The common word for God is Elohim and occurs in the Hebrew Bible 2,555 times, and in 245 passages it is used in a lower sense.
Idols are called gods (Gen. xxxv, 1-4). The Judges of Israel are called gods (Exodus xxii, 8, 28). The angels are called gods. (Compare Psalms viii, 5, old and new versions and margins, with Hebrews ii, 7).
If the revised version of Ps. viii, 5, is correct, the argument in Heb. ii, falls to the ground, Jesus is made lower than God, and the author of Hebrews has perverted Scripture. If the new version is not correct it means nothing to call Jesus god, for as we have seen angels are gods, and we shall have Jesus an angel, or Arianism; judges and warriors are gods, and we shall have Jesus a man, or Unitarianism.
El, the shorter and earlier form of Elohim, occurs 222 times in the Hebrew Bible, and 18 times it refers to judges, priests or warriors. If El must always be rendered god, Nebuchadnezzar is called "the god of Nations" (Ezekiel, xxxi, 11), tall mountains and cedars are called gods (Ps. xxxvi, 7, lxxx, 11). Angels are called "sons of god" (Ps. xxxix, 7).
Finally, the very words we have here occur in Ezekiel xxxii, 21, where it is said the "mighty gods" of the Egyptians shall be slain. The reference is plainly to the warriors "or the strong among the mighty," as the remainder of the chapter shows. Prof. Briggs's translation, "divine hero," is perhaps the best, though in Ezekiel xxxii, 21, the "uncircumcised" are referred to, and these were far from being "divine heroes" in the Jewish conception.
There is manifestly a great deal of difference between a "distributor of spoils," and an "everlasting Father." The vulgate translates, "Father of the future age," and this idea is the one commonly attached to the Hebrew words. But in Hebrew the word father often means a possessor or distributor. And there are two words in Hebrew spelled alike, one meaning "eternity," the other "booty." Prof. Briggs and a long line of famous Hebrew scholars think "distributor of spoils" the true rendering of the Hebrew. The words "prince of peace" sufficiently explain themselves.
Isaiah, then, seems to have in mind when writing these words a lineal successor of David who shall improve the policy of the kingdom and restore peace to the realm. As Robertson Smith said, "Isaiah's ideal is only the perfect performance of the ordinary duties of monarchy." And does not Prof. Briggs's translation give us just such a picture? Israel is to be led to victory by a man who counsels marvelously well. To his plans the victory is due. He will prove himself a hero, a valiant warrior, of "godlike prowess"; when the victory is won he will distribute the spoils to the people, and they will be glad in the rewards of their victory. Then peace will settle down upon them, their prince will lead them to war no more, "and the increase of his government and of peace there should be no end." With this conception of the passage, the thought moves gracefully and logically forward and is wholly and keeping with the thoughts and ideals of Isaiah‘s pages. by A.B. Curtis, in The Unitarian, October 1890
"Wonder-Counsellor, Divine Champion, Father Ever, Captain of Peace." Byington
"A wonder of a counsellor, a divine hero, a father for all time, a peaceful prince." Moffatt
"in purpose wonderful, in battle God-like...." New English Bible
"Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty Hero, Eternal Father...."Revised English Bible
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