Commentary on Isaiah Volume 1 John Calvin
JOHN CALVIN
among us; and to this day they still retain the custom of causing a child to taste butter and honey, as soon as it is born, before receiving suck.
That he may know. That is, until he arrive at that age when he can distinguish between good and evil, or, as we commonly say, till the years of discretion;( לlamed) denotes the term and period up to which he shall be reared after the manner of a child; and this contributes still more to prove the reality of his nature. He therefore means understanding and judgment, such as is obtained when the period of childhood is past. Thus we see how far the Son of God condescended on our account, so that he not only was willing to be fed on our food, but also, for a time, to be deprived of understanding, and to endure all our weaknesses. (Hebrews 2:14.) This relates to his human nature, for it cannot apply to his Divinity. Of this state of ignorance, in which Christ was for a time, Luke testifies when he says,
And he grew in wisdom, and in stature, and in favor with God and with man. (Luke 2:52.)
If Luke had merely said that Christ grew, he might have been supposed to mean with men; but he expressly adds, with God. Christ must therefore have been, for a time, like little children, so that, so far as relates to his human nature, he was deficient in understanding.
16. Before the child shall know. Many have been led into a mistake by connecting this verse with the preceding one, as if it had been the same child that was mentioned. They suppose that it assigns the reason, and that the particle( כיki) means for 113 But if we carefully examine the Prophet's meaning, it will quickly be apparent that he leaves the general doctrine, to which he had made a short digression, and returns to his immediate subject. After having founded the hope of the preservation of the city on the promised Mediator, he now shows in what way it will be preserved.
The child. I interpret this word as referring, not to Christ, but to all children in general. Here I differ from all the commentators; for they think that the demonstrativeהpoints out a particular child. But I view,הנער (hannagnar,) so thatהis indeed added for the purpose of making it more definite, but is intended to point out the age, and not any particular child; as when we say, The child, 114 and add the article The 115 for the purpose of giving greater definiteness. This is very customary in Scripture. If he had pointed out a particular child, he would have added( ,הזהhazzeh,) as is frequently done in other passages. It is not probable that this promise of the overturn of the kingdoms of Syria and Samaria, which immediately followed, would be deferred for five hundred years, that is, till the coming of Christ; and, indeed, it would have been altogether absurd. The meaning therefore is, "Before the children, who shall be born hereafter, can distinguish between good and evil, the land which thou hatest shall be forsaken."
113L'enfant. 114Le. 115"At whose kings thou dost fret( מפני, קץ אתהattah kaz mippenei,) thou art fretting by reason of. See Exodus
1:12.'' --- Bishop Stock