Isaiah 9:5 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, &c. With the triumphant exclamations of the conqueror, and the bitter lamentations of the conquered, and the different cries of the same persons, sometimes conquering and sometimes conquered; and garments rolled in blood With great difficulty and slaughter. But this shall be with burning, &c. But this victory, which God's people shall have over all their enemies, shall be more terrible to their adversaries, whom God shall utterly consume, as it were, by fire. The reader must observe, however, the words סאון סאן, here rendered battle of the warrior, occurring only here, are of very doubtful signification, and of consequence are rendered differently by learned men. Dr. Waterland, from Vitringa, translates the verse, “Every clashing of the noisy warrior, and the garment rolled in blood, shall be thrown to be burned; fuel for the fire.” Bishop Lowth renders it, “For the greaves of the armed warrior in the conflict, and the garment rolled in much blood, shall be for a burning, even fuel for the fire.” It is probable, as Vitringa observes, that the words are intended to signify, that, in consequence of Christ's appearing in the flesh, and destroying the enemies of his church, a time of peace and tranquillity shall take place on earth, and the instruments of war and slaughter be of no further use.