Isaiah 11:4
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.
Study Note
Study Note
The messianic king described in Isaiah 11 will judge not by appearances (verse 3) but will decide with equity for the poor and strike the earth with the rod of his mouth — establishing justice as the hallmark of the new Davidic reign. The phrase 'rod of his mouth' and 'breath of his lips' anticipate Revelation 19:15, 21, where the rider on the white horse smites nations with a sharp sword issuing from his mouth, making the warrior-judge figure explicitly Christological. The emphasis on justice for the poor and meek connects Isaiah 11 to the program announced in Isaiah 61:1-3 and the beatitudes of Matthew 5, where the blessed kingdom belongs to the poor in spirit. The verse has anchored prophetic calls for social justice across centuries.
Other Translations
but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide 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.
And he hath judged in righteousness the poor, And decided in uprightness for the humble of earth, And hath smitten earth with the rod of his mouth, And with the breath of his lips he putteth the wicked to death.
But he will do right in the cause of the poor, and give wise decisions for those in the land who are in need; and the rod of his mouth will come down on the cruel, and with the breath of his lips he will put an end to the evil-doer.
Cross References
And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.
The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.
And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as …
Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.
Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the …
By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by …
Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy …