For a child is born to us. A son is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 6. Child. The Messias, whom the son of Isaias prefigured.—Shoulder. Where the badges of royalty were worn. Calmet.—Christ bore his cross. Tert. and so forth—Wonderful. In his birth, and so forth—Counsellor. From whom all good advice proceeds. Grotius falsely translates, “the consulter of the strong God,” meaning Ezechias. Though he deemed the Socinians unworthy of the Christian name, (Ep. ad Valleum.) he too often sides with them. Johets always means one who “gives counsel.” Calmet. 40:13. Ezechias was at this time ten years old, and he did not always take advice, nor was his reign peaceful, and so forth—God. The three Greek versions maliciously render El “the strong,” though it be uncertain that it ever has that meaning, as it certainly has not when joined with gibbon, “mighty.” Why should two terms of the same import be used? The Septuagint copies vary much. Some read only, “he shall be called the angel of the great council, for I will bring peace upon the princes and his health.” S. Jerom thinks they were afraid to style the child God. But this reason falls to the ground, as other copies have, ( Calmet.) after council, “Wonderful, Counsellor, God, the Mighty, the Potent, εξουσιασζης, the Prince of Peace, the Father of the world to come, for, and so forth (7.) His.” Grabe (de Vitiis lxx. p. 29.) asserts that the former is the genuine version, and that the inserted titles are a secondary one; so that there must have been two version before the days of Aquila, as the text is thus quoted at large by Clement and S. Iræneus, A. 180; Kennicott adds also by S. Ignatius, A. 110. Bible.—The omnipotent God became a little child, and without violence subdued the world, which he still governs. Worthington.