Isaiah 9: “For unto us a child is born”

Darkness in Galilee

Isaiah spoke in Jerusalem in the eighth century BC, when the Assyrian Empire was swallowing its neighbors. Around 732 BC the Assyrians took the northern territories of Zebulun and Naphtali, the region later called Galilee, and turned them into provinces. For their inhabitants it was a time of deportation and humiliation.

Chapter 9 opens by promising that this same land will be the first to see light. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light, verse 2 says, and the following verses describe joy like harvest time, the yoke broken, and the boots and bloodied cloaks of battle thrown on the fire.

What does Isaiah 9:6 mean?

Verse 6 gives the reason for all that joy: a child is born, a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder. The language is royal. In the ancient world a new king's birth or coronation was greeted with throne names, and this child receives four of them: Wonderful, Counsellor (often read together as Wonderful Counsellor), The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Each name points past an ordinary king. Wonderful Counsellor means a ruler whose plans are extraordinary. Mighty God is a striking title for a human child. Everlasting Father describes a king who cares for his people like a father, without end. Prince of Peace promises shalom, wholeness for the whole nation. Verse 7 adds that his kingdom will sit on the throne of David and have no end.

Readers in Isaiah's day may have hoped for a good king from David's line, such as Hezekiah. Christians have understood the prophecy as fulfilled in Jesus, born of David's line, whose ministry began in Galilee.

A Christmas favorite

Isaiah 9 is traditionally read at Christmas services, including the Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols made famous by King's College, Cambridge. Handel turned verse 6 into one of the most joyful choruses of Messiah. Our print pairs it with the Madonna and Child, a natural choice for the Christmas season, a nursery, or a gift for a newborn.

Fulfillment in the Gospels

Matthew 4 quotes Isaiah 9:1 and 2 when Jesus begins preaching in Capernaum, by the Sea of Galilee. The angel's announcement to the shepherds in Luke 2, that a Savior has been born in the city of David, echoes verse 6, and Gabriel promises Mary that her son will receive the throne of David, reigning without end (Luke 1).