Matthew Poole and continuators on Isaiah 11:4

4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor , and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth , and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked .

Defend and deliver them, as judging is oft used, as Deut. 32. 36. Ier. 5. 28. & 22. 13. &c. Or, judge for the poor, the Prefix, lamed, being understood out of the next Clause, as is usual in the Hebrew Language. He mentions the poor, partly to signifie the Justice of this Judge, because Humane Judges commonly neglect and oppress the Poor; and partly to declare the Nature of Christ's Kingdom, and the Quality of his Subjects, who should, for the generality of them, be the poor and contemptible sort of men, Mat. 11. 5. Iam. 2. 5.

Or, as this Word seems to be taken v. 3. condemn, to wit, their malicious and furious Enemies.

On their behalf, or giving Sentence for them. He calls them meek whom before he called poor, partly to shew his Justice in defending them who are most exposed to the Contempt and Injuries of men, and partly to signifie that his Subjects should be poor in Spirit as well as in the World, and not poor and proud, as many worldly men are.

i. e. Slay, as this Word is used Isa. 37. 36. and very commonly, and as it is expounded in the next Clause.

The men of the Earth, the wicked, as it is in the next Branch of the Verse: fitly called earth, either because of their Earthly Minds and Conversations, as they are called the men of this world, that have their portion here upon the Earth, Psal. 17. 14. or because the far greatest part of the Inhabitants of the Earth is wicked, the whole world lies in wickedness, 1 Ioh. 5. 19. for which reason they are oft called the world, as Iob. 16. 20. & 17. 9, 25. &c.

With his Word, which is his Scepter, and the rod of his power, Psal. 110. 2. which is sharper than a sword, Heb. 4. 12. by the preaching whereof he subdued the World to himself, and will destroy his Enemies, 2 Thess. 2. 8. This he adds, further to declare the Nature of Christ's Kingdom, that it is not of this World, and that his Scepter and Arms are not carnal but Spiritual, as is said 2 Cor. 10. 4.

With his Word breathed out of his Lips; whereby he explains what he meant by the foregoing rod.

Either spiritually, by inflicting deadly Plagues upon their Souls; or properly, which he doth very frequently by his terrible Judgments executed upon many of them, and will certainly do, and that fully and universally, at his coming to Judgment.

Marginal references: Psal. 17. 2. Rev. 19. 11.; Or, argue.; Job. 4. 9. 2 Thess. 2. 8. Rev. 1. 16. & 2. 16. & 19. 15.; Or, word of his mouth.