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Isaiah 11:9

in Isaiah 11

They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is full of water.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.

KJV

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

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This verse in Isaiah 11

Commentary

3 notes on this verse

A commentator

Athanasius of Alexandria

296–373

Discourses Against the Arians 1.13.8 · Written before 373.

But now, to all the earth has gone forth their voice, and all the earth has been filled with the knowledge of God, and the disciples have made disciples of all the nations, and now is fulfilled what is written: "They shall be all taught of God." And then what was revealed was but a type; but now the truth has been manifested.

This site's exposition

the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain names the reach of the peace just described, not confined to one land but reaching as far as the same knowledge reaches. For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea states the scope in a single comparison, complete coverage rather than a partial improvement, and Habakkuk 2:14 closely echoes the same clause. Barnes reads the verse as the hinge of the whole chapter, the point where the animal peace of verses 6 through 8 is named as one expression of a knowledge that will fill the whole earth.

The record, by era

The Nineteenth Century1 voice
They shall not hurt - That is, those who are designated above under the emblems of the lion, the leopard, the bear, and the adder. Nor destroy in all my holy mountain - Mount Zion; used here, as elsewhere, to denote the seat of his reign on the earth, or his church; the notes at Isa 1:8; Isa 2:4. The disposition of people, naturally ferocious and cruel, shall be changed so entirely, that the causes of strife and contention shall cease. They shall be disposed to do justice, and to promote each other’s welfare everywhere.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

On the verses either side of this one

as a banner for peoples that peoples should raise a banner to gather to him.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Isaiah 11:10:1, via Sefaria, The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
And there shall be at that time a son of the son of Jesse, who shall stand for an ensign of the people; kings shall obey him, and the place of his dwelling shall be in glory.
Targum · Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 11:10, via Sefaria, London "Chaldee Paraphrase," 1871

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 1 further source is cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

16 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • לֹֽא־not

    lo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • יָרֵ֥עוּthey will do harm

    yareuH7489 →107 times

  • וְלֹֽא־and not

    velo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • יַשְׁחִ֖יתוּthey will destroy

    yashchituH7843 →146 times

  • בְּכָל־in all

    bekholH3605 →5413 times

  • הַ֣ר[the] mountain of

    harH2022 →546 times

  • קָדְשִׁ֑יholiness my

    kodshiH6944 →469 times

  • כִּֽי־for

    ki-H3588 →4482 times

  • מָלְאָ֣הit will be full

    malahH4390 →249 times

  • הָאָ֗רֶץthe earth

    haaretzH776 →2504 times

  • דֵּעָה֙knowledge

    deahH1844 →

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • יְהוָ֔הYahweh

    yahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • כַּמַּ֖יִםlike the waters

    kamayimH4325 →581 times

  • לַיָּ֥ם<to> the sea

    laiyamH3220 →396 times

  • מְכַסִּֽים׃ פ[which] cover

    mekhasimH3680 →152 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Habakkuk 2:14For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.52 worksIsaiah 60:18No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders. But you will name your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.13 worksPsalms 133:1Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!12 worksPsalms 72:19And blessed be His glorious name forever; may all the earth be filled with His glory. Amen and amen.10 worksIsaiah 52:10The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.9 worksDaniel 12:4But you, Daniel, shut up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will roam to and fro, and knowledge will increase.”9 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Psalms 46:9He makes wars to cease throughout the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields in the fire.9 worksPsalms 98:2–3The LORD has proclaimed His salvation and revealed His righteousness to the nations.8 worksIsaiah 54:13Then all your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their prosperity.8 worksMicah 4:2–4And many nations will come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.7 worksIsaiah 40:5And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all humanity together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”7 worksEzekiel 47:5Once again he measured off a thousand cubits, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough for swimming—a river that could not be crossed on foot.6 worksJeremiah 31:34No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.”6 worksJob 5:23For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.5 worksZephaniah 3:11On that day you will not be put to shame for any of the deeds by which you have transgressed against Me. For then I will remove from among you those who rejoice in their pride, and you will never again be haughty on My holy mountain.5 worksIsaiah 60:1–22Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.4 worksIsaiah 30:26The light of the moon will be as bright as the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days—on the day that the LORD binds up the brokenness of His people and heals the wounds He has inflicted.4 worksMark 4:32But after it is planted, it grows to be the largest of all garden plants and puts forth great branches, so that the birds of the air nest in its shade.”4 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Habakkuk 2:14

    For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

    it leads to

    • Psalms 22:27

      All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him.

    • Psalms 72:19

      And blessed be His glorious name forever; may all the earth be filled with His glory. Amen and amen.

    • Isaiah 6:3

      And they were calling out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.”

    • Psalms 86:9

      All the nations You have made will come and bow before You, O Lord, and they will glorify Your name.

    • Zechariah 14:8–9

      And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the Eastern Sea and the other half toward the Western Sea, in summer and winter alike.

  • Through

    Isaiah 52:10

    The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

    it leads to

    • Luke 3:6

      And all humanity will see God’s salvation.’”

  • Through

    Job 5:23

    For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.

    it leads to

    • Leviticus 26:6

      And I will give peace to the land, and you will lie down with nothing to fear. I will rid the land of dangerous animals, and no sword will pass through your land.

    • Daniel 6:22

      My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, for I was found innocent in His sight, and I have done no wrong against you, O…

Where this verse is studied

About Isaiah

The Prophet Isaiah — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
The Prophet Isaiah — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
Isaiah: the study guide →Read Isaiah 11 →

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Athanasius of Alexandria, Discourses Against the Arians 1.13.8 and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament.

Read on in Isaiah 11 →