SEASONAL THREAD: in Isaiah 9:6 is the child to be born called ‘Wondeful’, ‘Counsellor’ (2 titles as in the KJV below) or ‘Wonderful Counsellor’ (1 title as in most modern translations)? 
The 2 title version certainly sticks in the mind after hearing Handel’s beautiful ‘For unto us a child is born’, here with the @londonsymphony
The 2 title version seems general among Reformation translations (Here’s #Luther’s 1545 translation): ‘Wunderbar, Rath’, also separating out ‘mighty God’ as ‘Kraft’ & ‘Held’, taking ‘ēl ‘god’ in the sense of strong one.
The 2 title translation goes back earlier. The Syriac, originating perhaps in the 2nd century AD, reads ܕܘܡܪܐ ܘܡܠܘܟܐ dummārā we-mālōkā ‘wonder and counsellor’, where we- is ‘and’.
The Hebrew phrase is pele’ yō’ēts.
I will leave to the learned such as @K_L_Phillips to explain the significance of Hebrew cantillation signs (the sign on top rhs is telisha gedola) which record the rhythm & melody of traditional recitation, & often indicate early understanding.
I will leave to the learned such as @K_L_Phillips to explain the significance of Hebrew cantillation signs (the sign on top rhs is telisha gedola) which record the rhythm & melody of traditional recitation, & often indicate early understanding.
But I DO want to point out how closely ‘wonder’ & ‘counsel’ are connected in the rest of Isaiah.
Given that pele’ ‘wonder’ only occurs 13x in the Bible, we’re struck that the very next occurrence, in 25:1, comes next to the word counsel.
pele’ ‘ētsōt
God does things which are (literally) ‘wonderful of counsels’.
pele’ ‘ētsōt
God does things which are (literally) ‘wonderful of counsels’.
In 28:29 God acts or is wonderful in counsel (here it’s the verb related to pele’).
Finally, in 29:14-15 the ‘wonder’ root appears repeatedly for what God does in contrast to the people’s wisdom & counsel.
So back in Isaiah 9:6 (9:5 in Hebrew) the son to be born is connected with wonderful counsel, which elsewhere in the book only belongs to God.
Like the following title ‘mighty God’, it’s language connected elsewhere with the one God of Israel.
Like the following title ‘mighty God’, it’s language connected elsewhere with the one God of Israel.
Which is why it’s surprising that it should be used of a child to be born.
Now we know that this text was written long before the New Testament.
We also know that the New Testament doesn’t cite it.
Yet Christians see it as fitting uncannily well with Jesus.
Now we know that this text was written long before the New Testament.
We also know that the New Testament doesn’t cite it.
Yet Christians see it as fitting uncannily well with Jesus.
It’s a case where you can’t say the narratives recording fulfilment were made to fit the prophecy, since the narratives about Jesus make no clear connection with this text.
It just hangs there in its uncanny correspondence with Jesus, & should cause those with ears to hear to ponder whether the existence of texts so easily seen as predictive is really just a matter of happenstance.
Understanding Jesus as God come down makes sense of a lot.
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Understanding Jesus as God come down makes sense of a lot.
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