Isaiah 11:2b-3a
©️2020 Gloria M. Chang
The Spirit rests upon the Root of Jesse, pouring out the gifts of the Holy Spirit: counsel, strength, knowledge, and fear of the Lord.
A spirit of counsel and of strength,
Isaiah 11:2b-3a
a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord,
and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.
Counsel
The Hebrew word etsah (counsel, advice, guidance) is cognate with etsah (trees), from the parent root ets (tree, trees, wood). Thus, the ideal Davidic king, the shoot from the stump of Jesse, stands firm like a tree rooted in the Lord (Psalm 1:3). He rejects the “counsel of the wicked” but follows the “counsel of the Lord.”
Blessed is the man
Psalm 1:1-3 (RSV)
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water,
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
Psalm 33:11 (RSV)
The counsel of the Lord stands for ever,
the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
Strength
The word geburah (strength, might) is derived from the verb gabar (to prevail, be strong, mighty). So too, the name of the archangel Gabriel, which means “the strength of God” or “mighty man of God,” comes from the verbal root gabar.
Job, the suffering servant of the Lord, put his trust in the strength of God. When all his earthly happiness was stripped away, the Lord upheld him with his counsel like a mighty oak:
With him are wisdom and strength;
Job 12:13 (NKJV)
he has counsel and understanding.
Knowledge
The word daath (knowledge) comes from the verb yada (to know). The ancient Hebrew pictographs in the parent root דע (da) open a window onto the biblical concept of knowledge. The letter ד (dalet) represents a door, and the letter ע (ayin) represents the eye.1 The “door of the eye” lets in the light of distinctions.
In the book of Genesis, the first instance of the verb yada (to know) occurs in the Garden of Eden. Beguiling the woman to take the forbidden fruit, the serpent cajoles, “God knows well that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, who know good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). Centuries later, Solomon asked the Lord for the wisdom to distinguish between good and evil and understanding to judge justly (1 Kings 3:9).
Knowledge fulfills its purpose by restoring intimacy and friendship with God.
Let us know, let us strive to know the Lord;
Hosea 6:3
as certain as the dawn is his coming.
He will come to us like the rain,
like spring rain that waters the earth.”
Fear of the Lord
Fear of the Lord (yirat YHWH) fills Emmanuel with the spirit of reverence and awe. Throughout his earthly sojourn, Jesus, aware of God’s sacred presence, united his human will with the will of his Father.
The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord,
Proverbs 9:10
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Textual Origin of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Shaped by the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) and the Latin Vulgate, Catholic tradition identifies seven gifts of the Holy Spirit from Isaiah 11:2-3: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. In the Hebrew text, however, the fear of the Lord is repeated in Isaiah 11:2 and 3. Most English Bibles translate the Hebrew original precisely.
The Septuagint and the Vulgate read “piety” for “fear of the Lord” in its first occurrence, thus listing seven gifts.
New American Bible (Revised Edition) footnote to Isaiah 11:2
In the Christian spirituality that developed from the Greek and Latin traditions, piety and fear of the Lord are interrelated. Did the translators of the Septuagint interpret Isaiah’s text to produce a perfect seven, the number of wholeness in Hebrew?
From the sacrum septenarium (“seven holy things”), the tradition of the seven gifts developed. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1831) states: “The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit… belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David (Isaiah 11:1-2).”
Ultimately, the gifts bestowed on the coming Messiah who is “Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:5(6)) are infinite and innumerable. For the Holy Spirit himself is Gift (Acts 2:38; 10:45; 11:17).
And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.”
John 1:32
Traditional Chinese Translation
《耶西之根，第 3 天》
謀 略 和 能 力 的 靈 ，
知 識 和 敬 畏 耶 和 華 的 靈 ，
Reference
1 See Jeff A. Benner, Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible and The Ancient Hebrew Alphabet.
Dear GMC, thank you for keeping us connected through your reflection. You give us hope that we are not alone, that God is with us and that we have one another as we journey through Advent.
Trees have much to teach us about life. Standing firm for years, we have a grove of some of the oldest maples in this area. They thrive in the cemetery across the street. Mighty oaks companion them in their own stands. When one of these ancient growths is damaged or diseased, the Tree Service has a giant cherry picker to reach the tops. With rope and ladders the workers climb up to cut lower limbs. I’ve watched with wonder as the job gets done.
The ideal Davidic king, the shoot from the stump of Jesse, stands firm like a tree rooted in the Lord (Psalm 1:3). He rejects the “counsel of the wicked,” but follows the “counsel of the Lord.” Like a mighty oak or maple, the one who follows the counsel of the Lord will have firm footing, standing on the promises of God. Tree limbs show symmetery as they sprout from the trunk. This unqiue genetic growth keeps the tree balanced. May our growth steps be as balanced with attention to the counsel of the Lord.
Wow, what a beautiful reflection! I’ve also had the joy of watching tree experts do their job. A mighty oak or maple from a tiny seed is a thing of wonder.
Mountains and all hills,
Fruit trees and all cedars,
Bless the Lord!
Benediction from Psalm 148:9