Isaiah 9 6 Explained: Is Messiah The Mighty Elohim?
Isaiah 9 6 explained. In this post, we will reveal the truth about this controversial verse, which is hidden from most of us because of the biblical translations we have inherited.
Today, we move on to look at one verse that has deceived most who read the English language version of the Bible.
The verse in question, Isaiah 9:9, is one of the strongest arguments supporting the claim that the Messiah is the same as the Most High. In the KJV, it reads:
Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty Elohim , The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
This verse is widely accepted as is.
However, what if I tell you that it is a great mistranslation that you can easily prove for yourself? Yes you, who don’t even need to know Hebrew. You can see the mistranslation just by matching the context.
Isaiah 9 6 Hebrew Translation
So let us look at Isaiah 9 6 in Hebrew and English.
Notice “and called” (verb) comes before the name “Elohim” (noun) who called his name. In Hebrew, when a noun and verb are used in succession, the verb comes before the noun as you can see.
However, it is the opposite in English (noun comes before the verb).
Therefore, in translating into English from Hebrew, we have to flip it and place the noun before the verb. Let’s lay it out in the table below.
Isaiah 9-6
Difference between how Hebrew and English are written: placement of noun and verb.
|
English |
Hebrew |
|
and Elohim (noun) called (verb) his name |
and called (verb) his name Elohim (noun)..... |
Translating Isaiah 9:6
I would like to share something which I learnt last night, that may interest some of you.
It is a bit of a detective story, and is a bit lenghthy... make yourself a cuppa Joe and sit back and enjoy this post
It might be a bit difficult to follow, but again, maybe some will "ah-ha" and get my drift ...
What happened last night,
I have been pondering about why so many Messianic Jews I have read about (their websites) seem to say that Yeshua is Yehovah (or "Elohim") in the flesh, or even say that He is equal to the Father (the trinity doctrine).
It is something that puzzles me, because we hear from Yeshua Himself saying that His Father is greater than Him, that Yeshua will sit on the right hand of His Father...
I know that some will say that Yeshua said "My Father and I are One" and say that it means Yeshua is the Father... but to this I reply, Yeshua also said we are One with Him and the Father... yet this doesn't make us Yeshua or the Father, or equal to them... rather it means, One in mind, or agreement.
Well, last night, I pondered about it all, about Yeshua being the Father and how it doesn't make sense, and thought about Isaiah 9:5/6 where it says:
Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty Elohim, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
My big puzzle is that Isaiah above seems to say that the child, whom I take to mean Yeshua, is called the Mighty Elohim, and the everlasting Father........
Yet, it doesn't make sense, with Yeshua always affirming that the Father is greater than Him, and never saying that He is the Father........
Something within me quietly prompted me to go and read the Stone Edition's Tanach that I have next to my bed (which has Hebrew on one side and English translation on other side), and I shook off the prompting abruptly... I was puzzled about my being so abrupt in shaking off this prompting and it occured to me that it may be the Spirit that is telling me to go and read the Tanach. Sometimes the spirit is so quiet and gentle that it is easy for my nature to refuse and turn my back on it's promptings... when I realised this, I struggled within myself and got myself to obey the quiet prompting and open the Tanach.
I took this opportunity to read the Isaiah 9:5/6 part, (which I shared above, about the son, child, being called Eternal Father), wanting to know what the Jews' translation of it in English was, and the actual Hebrew wordings are.
What I found in there was interesting!
In the Tanach, the Hebrew part says:
The english translation part on the opposite page says:
For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us, and the dominion will rest on his shoulder; the Wondrous Adviser, Mighty Elohim, Eternal Father, called his name Sar-shalom [Prince of Peace];
Wow, this translation is different to KJV above, it's saying that the Eternal Father calling the son, "Prince of Peace", instead of the son being called "the Eternal Father" and "the Prince of Peace" and I wondered why...
Then I read in the commentary section beneath in the Tanach, which is on this part in Isaiah, and this is the eye-opener:
This wondrous salvation took place in the days of the child of Ahaz, the righteous King Hezekiah, whom Elohim - the Wondrous Adviser, Mighty Elohim, Eternal Father - called "Prince of Peace."
Please note, I am not focusing on the part about the child being of Ahaz, the righteous King Hezekiah - because I am aware that Yehovah has closed the Jews' eyes regarding Yeshua as Messiah for the time being... I am instead drawn to how Hebrew is written and translated in the commentary - the above Jewish commentary reminded me about the time when I was learning Hebrew using Jeff Benner's "Learn to Read Biblical Hebrew"....
Is Isaiah 9:6 A Valid Translation?
By: Darrell George“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty Messiah, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6, ESV).
Many use Isaiah 9:6 as a Trinitarian proof text. It assigns the titles “mighty Elohim” and “everlasting Father” to Yeshua. Few Christians know that most verses used to teach the doctrine of the Trinity are based on questionable translations. On the surface, this verse appears to be a remarkable trinitarian proof text. But a closer examination uncovers a mistranslation.
There are two primary interpretations for the identity of this child. Most Christians believe this child is Yeshua Messiah. Some Trinitarians, Biblical Unitarians, and non-Christian Jews, etc. believe that this child was King Hezekiah or possibly another king.
A Summary of this Writing
Isaiah 9:6 should be interpreted within the context of verses 1-7. All popular Trinitarian translations use future verbs tenses not found in Hebrew manuscripts to dress up Isaiah 9:6 into a prophecy of Yeshua.
The Hebrew word for“name,” וְ (“and his name shall be called”) is singular which indicates that this child has one name, not four distinct names as found in Trinitarian translations. When the word “name” in the singular form is examined in other passages, with rare exceptions, it identifies one name, not multiple names.
The Hebrew word for “called” (“his name shall be called“) is in the active voice. This means that the subject performs this action. The only possible subject in this verse who could have named this child is “Elohim.” But Trinitarian translations changed the verb, “called” into a passive voice.
The New Testament does not teach that Isaiah 9:6 is a fulfillment of any prophecy. None of the titles mentioned in this verse, (“wonderful counselor, mighty Elohim, everlasting father, prince of peace”) are applied to Yeshua in the Bible.
Two ancient sources provide an interpretation of Isaiah 9:6 that is consistent with Hebrew grammar rules. The child was already born, had a government on his shoulders, and he was called one, singular non-divine name.
Please continue reading for supporting elements to these conclusions.
The Context Examined
A fundamental rule of biblical interpretation is to consider the context of a passage. The exegetical form of biblical interpretation seeks to understand the meaning intended by the original author, as understood by the original audience. Isaiah 9:6 cannot be interpreted correctly divorced from the context.
The book, Toward an Exegetical Theology: Biblical Exegesis for Preaching and Teaching, states, “Good exegetical procedure dictates that the details be viewed in light of the total context. . . . If the exegete falters here, much of what follows will be wasted time and effort” (Kaiser, W. C., Jr., 1981, 69).
Sadly, few Christians know that Isaiah 9:1-7 contains verses that are all contextually linked. They should be understood as one unit. Even though technically, the context spills over from the previous chapter.
For example, Isaiah 9:6 begins with the word “for” (“For a child is born”). This points to the preceding verses. If we back up one or two verses, they also begin with the word “for,” which connects related verses.
It can be difficult for us to step outside our cultural setting and consider the context. But a contextual examination establishes a relationship between the preceding context and the royal birth announcement of verse 6.
The first sentence of chapter 9 —“But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish,” should be at the end of chapter 8 as found in Hebrew Bibles.
Beginning in 9:1b, there is a transition from “gloom” to hope. “In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations” (1:1b).
In contrast to the “gloom and doom” of the previous verses in chapter 8, there is a transition, signaled by the word “but.”...
Prophet for Hire?
By:Uriel ben-MordechaiYishaiyahu [Is] 9:6 is a famous passage that is popularly understood by Christians as a prediction that “Messiah’s name will be called,” amongst other nicknames, “Mighty God and EverlastingFather.”
It’s in the bag. Our disputations should be over. The scoreboard doesn’t lie. Christians: 3. Jews: 0. Game over. Christianity wins. What remains now is only for Jews to admit what their own Prophets have been conveying for centuries. The only problem of course is that nagging question... “IF?”. What IF these astute opinions of Hebrew text, all turned out to be Messianic lies? We already know that the first amongst the saintly always come with their argument, and they seem correct... until another comes along to examine them. Using that time-honored tradition then, let’s now take a look at the beauty of Hebrew grammar, and discover the unchanging message of the Prophets.
...For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be on his shoulders. And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. —Yishaiyahu [Is] 9:6 (NIV/NKJV)Not surprisingly, as with any other text, Biblical or otherwise, this oft quoted Isaiah text, if read without the benefit of a firm grip on the grammatical rules of Hebrew, can end up being translated into just about anything the translator wants it to say. Once accomplished, time and tradition simply take over, and non-Hebrew speaking societies will forever be deprived of the meaning of what was actually written down, unless we return to Hebrew.
IF, in fact, the New International Version and the New King James Version of this text (above) represented correct translations, and all we had at our disposal was logic and the NT, then with certainty we have to accept Christianity’s claim that the ruler being spoken of, is God, is his own everlasting Father, is a wonderful counselor and a prince of peace. But fortunately, we have tools at our disposal that are immeasurably more valuable, useful, efficacious and conclusive. We have the grammar, and the syntax of the Hebrew language itself.
In order to reacquire the understanding of this text our strategy, therefore, will involve four steps. First, we must determine the players. Who are the primary parties mentioned in this text? Next, we’ll have to discern the meaning of each of the personal descriptions or names applied to the players. Then, we’ll need to investigate the primary verb being used in the passage and decide in which voice the verb is being presented, be it an active voice or in a passive voice. Finally, we’ll need to insert proper punctuation into the text in order to discern how to parse and read the text.
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Prophet Pearls #17 – Yitro (Isaiah 6:1-7:6; 9:5-6)
By: Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson The following article is the transcript of the Isaiah 9:5-6 portion of this broadcast, specifically the section on the verb; "Called"
Keith: No, you’re going to take away our excitement about these verses?
Nehemia: Oh no, I’m excited about the verses. Peace without end?! Who is not going to be excited about peace without end on the throne of David?! Hallelujah! But what’s the name of the child? That’s what I want to ask. Does he have one name? Does he have four names? What’s his name?
Keith: He will be called “Wonderful counselor” in English, a mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace.
Nehemia: So that’s four names.
Keith: He’s got four different titles.
Nehemia: I know some people say it’s like seven names or something like that, because they go on in the next verse. But definitely in verse… in this verse, verse 6, verse 5 in the Hebrew, according to your reading, there are four names. I want to read you the JPS translation of these verses. 9:5-6 in the Hebrew, and in JPS, it’s actually 5 and 6. They are numbered according to the Hebrew. “For a child has been born to us. A son has been given us, and authority has settled on his shoulders. He has been named, ‘The mighty God is planning grace, the eternal father, a peaceable ruler.’” That’s his name, “The mighty God is planning grace, the eternal father, a peaceable ruler.” So he’s got one name. It’s kind of a run-on sentence.
Then the next verse, “In token of abundant authority and have peace without limit upon David’s throne in kingdom that it may be firmly established, in justice and in equity, now and evermore, the zeal of the LORD of Hosts” in Hebrew, Yehovah, “shall bring this to pass.” It’s a little different. I have news for people. That’s not what it says in the Hebrew.
The JPS is not what it says in the Hebrew, and I’m kind of surprised that they translated that way. I don’t have an explanation of why they decided to translate something which is just different than the Hebrew, when the Hebrew was perfectly clear and good, and just out of curiosity -and I didn’t even look at this beforehand - I’m going to pull up the 1917 JPS, because what I just read you is the 1985 JPS, and I’m curious to see if they have something different there and you can find this online.
All right. So the 1917 JPS says, “For a child is born unto us. A son is given unto us and the government is upon his shoulder and his name is Pele Joaz El Gibor Abi Ad Sar Shalom, that the government may be increased and of peace. There’d be no end upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to establish it and uphold it through justice and through righteousness from henceforth, even forever, the zeal of Hashem of Hosts doth perform this.” That’s in this online version, what it says.
Okay, so he’s got this really long name, which has one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight words in the 1917 JPS, Pele Joaz El Gibor Abi Ad Sar Shalom. That’s his name. Interesting. So that’s not what it says in Hebrew or either. I just don’t understand why nobody translated to what it actually says in Hebrew. I looked at the Jewish commentaries, and they understood it. It’s very clear what it says in Hebrew. I don’t understand why nobody translated that way. I’m genuinely perplexed, really. Can I tell you what it says in Hebrew?
Keith: Please.
Nehemia: First of all, I’m going to ask you, because you’ve studied Hebrew; in your translation, it says “He will be called,” right? Is that what it says in your NIV?
Keith: Yes. Okay.
Nehemia: Now, what is the word translated as “he will be called”?
Keith: Let’s see here. Well, actually it says, “His name will be called.”
Nehemia: Does it say, “will be called”?
Keith: “His name will be called.”
Nehemia: So in Hebrew, does it say “His name will be called”?...