Isaiah 11:2 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him— After an account of his birth, the prophet here exhibits the qualities and endowments of the Messiah; namely, the excellent and extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit. See 1 Corinthians 12:8-9. By the gifts of the Spirit, I understand certain spiritual dispositions, which adorn and perfect the man, so far forth as he is spiritual; concerning which, as found in the Messiah, the prophet here informs us of three things: First, what these gifts should be; secondly, by what cause they shall be produced; thirdly, in what manner they shall be possessed by the Messiah. As to the first, these gifts are commonly thought to be six; wisdom, prudence, counsel, courage, knowledge or love, and the fear of Jehovah; but as the gifts of the Spirit are commonly said to be seven, (Revelation 1:4-6.) so Vitringa and others have thought that the Spirit of the Lord, in the first part of the verse, denotes here also a distinct gift; namely, the spirit of prophesy, (see chap. Isaiah 42:1 Isaiah 61:1.) that is, that gift of grace, by which a person is endued, through the Spirit, with a knowledge of the secret will and counsels of God: and if the spirit of prophesy be thus understood, we may remark an elegant order observed by the prophet in recounting these gifts: for he begins with the perfections of the understanding and judgment, and ends with the perfections of the will. The first perfection of the understanding is knowledge; the next to this is wisdom; which is followed by that virtue of the judgment, prudence, and by that which is near allied to it, an abundance of counsel, or an aptitude to teach: then follow three perfections of the will; fortitude, knowledge, or rather love, (for that is the meaning of the phrase in this place) and fear or reverence of Jehovah. The whole perfection of the human mind is circumscribed within these gifts and graces; and these gifts and graces were most eminently found in the human nature of Jesus Christ, to whom God gave not the Spirit by measure, and who was a prophet mighty in word and deed. See Vitringa.