And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.
This man - in Hebrew simply this. The One just mentioned; He and He alone. Emphatic for Messiah (cf. the same use of "this" - i:e., this same one, Genesis 5:29).
Shall be the peace - the fountain-head of peace between God and man, between Israel and Israel's justly offended God (so "Shiloh" means in Genesis 49:10; Isaiah 9:6, "The Prince of Peace;" Ephesians 2:14; Ephesians 2:17; Colossians 1:20); and, as the consequeuce, He is the fountain of "peace on earth," where heretofore all is strife (Micah 4:3; Hosea 2:18; Zechariah 9:10; Luke 2:14, "on earth peace").
When the Assyrian shall come into our land. Being Israel's most powerful foe at that time, Assyria is made the representative of all the foes of Israel in all ages, who, shall receive their final destruction at Messiah's appearing, (Ezekiel 38:1-23.) It is striking how the two contemporary prophets, Isaiah and Micah, concur in foretelling the deliverance from Assyria, though then it was in the height of its world-empire (Isaiah 10:24-34).
Then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight. Seven expresses perfection; seven and eight is an idiom for a full and sufficient number (Job 5:19; Proverbs 6:16; Ecclesiastes 11:2, "give a portion to seven, and also to eight").
Principal men - literally, anointed х nªciykeey (H5257)] (humble) men [Psalms 62:9 uses 'aadaam (H120), of men of low degree], such as the apostles were. Their anointing, or consecration and qualification to office, was by the Holy Spirit (Calvin). (1 John 2:20; 1 John 2:27.) "Princes" also were anointed, and they are mentioned as under Messiah (Isaiah 32:1, "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment"). The English version therefore gives the probable sense.