\\INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 9\\

This chapter contains a prophecy, partly of comfort to the church and
people of God, against the calamities predicted in the preceding
chapter \\#Isa 8:1-22\\; and partly of punishment, to be inflicted upon
the ungodly Israelites by their enemies. The comfort promised arises
from the appearance of Christ, the great light, in some certain places
of the land mentioned, said before to be afflicted, \\#Isa 9:1,2\\
which would occasion a joy among them; illustrated by some similes, by
the joy in harvest, and at the dividing of spoils, \\#Isa 9:3\\ the
cause of which is a deliverance from a burdensome yoke of tyranny and
bondage, wrought in like manner as that by Gideon formerly; different
from all other salvations, which are usually obtained with noise and
blood, \\#Isa 9:4,5\\ the author of which is the Messiah; who is
described by his birth as man, and by his divine sonship as God; or by
his person, having two natures united in him; and by the government
devolved on him; and by his several names, which express the greatness
and glory of his person and office; and by the increase and
administration of his government, \\#Isa 9:6,7\\ then follows a
denunciation of judgment on Israel, \\#Isa 9:8\\ the instruments of
which are pointed at, \\#Isa 9:11,12\\, and the persons described that
should suffer, high and low, rich and poor, young and old,
\\#Isa 9:14,15,17\\ the reasons of it, their making light of former
corrections, \\#Isa 9:9,10\\ their impenitence and hardness under
chastenings, \\#Isa 9:13\\ their going astray by means of their
leaders; and their hypocrisy and wickedness, \\#Isa 9:16-18\\ all which
would occasion the wrath of God to burn against them, and consume them,
\\#Isa 9:18,19\\ yea, through hunger and want of provisions, should
destroy one another, \\#Isa 9:20,21\\.