t Bethlehem, because that residence was peculiar to the [Pg 105]
family of David during its lowliness; comp. vol. I., p. 508-9.--The
second hemistich of the verse may either be explained: "a twig from his
roots shall bear fruit," or, as agrees better with the accents: "a twig
shall from his roots bear fruit." The sense, at all events, is: A shoot
proceeding from his roots (_i.e._, the cut-off stem of Jesse) shall
grow up into a stately fruitful tree; or: As a tree cut down throws out
from its roots a young shoot which, at first inconsiderable, grows up
into a stately fruit-bearing tree, so from the family buried in
contempt and lowliness, a _King_ shall arise who, at first humble and
unheeded,[3] shall afterwards attain to great glory. Parallel is Ezek.
xvii. 22-24. The Messiah is there compared to a tender twig which is
planted by the Lord on a high hill, and sends forth branches and bears
fruit, so that all the birds dwell in the shadow of its branches.--It
has now become current to explain: "A branch breaks forth or sprouts;"
but that explanation is against the _usus loquendi_. [Hebrew: prh] is
never equivalent to [Hebrew: prH] "to break forth;" it has only the
signification "to bear," "to bear fruit," "to be fruitful." _Gesenius_
who, in the later editions of his translation, here explains [Hebrew:
prh] by, "to break forth," knows, in the _Thesaurus_, of no other
signification. In the passage of Ezekiel referred to, which may be
considered as a commentary on the verse before us, [Hebrew: ewh pri]
corresponds to the [Hebrew: iprh] here. The change of the tense, too,
suggests that [Hebrew: iprh] does not contain a mere repetition, but a
progress. This progress is necessary for the sense of the whole verse.
For it cannot be the point in question that, in general, a shoot comes
forth; but the point is that this shoot shall attain to importance and
glory. [Hebrew: iprh] comprehends and expresses in one word that which,
in the subsequent verses of the section, is carried out in detail.
First, there is the bestowal of the Spirit of the Lord whereby He is
enabled to bear fruit; then, the fruit-bearing itself.

We here subjoin the discussion of the New Testament passage which
refers to this verse.

[Footnote 1: Their testimony is collected by _Seb. Edzardi_ in the
treatise: _Cap. xi. Esaiae Christo vindicatum adversus Grotium et
sectatores ejus, imprimos Herm. v. d. Hardt._ Hamburg 1696.]

[Footnote 2: "The madness of