John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 2:4

"And he will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." — Isaiah 2:4 (ASV)

And he shall judge among the nations. He means that the doctrine will be like a king’s scepter, so that God may rule among all nations; for, by a figure of speech in which a part is taken for the whole, the Hebrew word שפט (shaphat)—to judge—means to govern or to reign.

Since, therefore, God had not taken more than one nation to be subject to His reign, the Prophet here shows that the boundaries of His kingdom will be enlarged, so that He may rule over various nations. He likewise notices indirectly the difference between the kingdom of David, which was but a shadow, and this other kingdom, which would be far more excellent.

At that time God ruled over His chosen people by the hand of David, but after the coming of Christ He began to reign by Himself—that is, in the person of His only-begotten Son, who was truly God manifested in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). The prophets sometimes employ the name of David when they are speaking about the kingdom of Christ, and they do so with propriety—that is, with respect to His human nature, for the Redeemer had been promised to spring from that family (Jeremiah 30:9; Ezekiel 34:23; Ezekiel 37:24).

But here the Prophet extols His divine majesty, from which it is evident how much more excellent the condition of the new Church is than that of the ancient Church, since God has revealed Himself as King in His Son. And again, he confirms the calling of the Gentiles, because Christ is not sent to the Jews only, so that He may reign over them, but so that He may hold His sway over the whole world.

And shall rebuke many nations. The word יכח (yakach) sometimes means to expostulate, sometimes to correct, and likewise to prepare; but the ordinary interpretation is most suitable to this passage, in which the Prophet speaks of the reformation of the Church. For we need correction, so that we may learn to submit ourselves to God; because, due to the obstinacy that belongs to our nature, we shall never make progress in the word of God until we have been subdued by violence.

Accordingly, Christ makes the beginning of preaching the gospel to be that the world be reproved concerning sin (John 16:8). So that the doctrine may not be without profit, Isaiah shows that the stubbornness of our flesh must be subdued; and therefore he attributes to God the office of a reproving judge, so that He may try our life and, by condemning our vices, may effect a reformation of our morals. And indeed, we see how little effect is produced by the gospel unless that power of the Spirit is exercised which leads men to repentance.

And they shall beat their swords into ploughshares. He next mentions the beneficial result that will follow when Christ has brought the Gentiles and the nations under His dominion. Nothing is more desirable than peace; but while all imagine that they desire it, everyone disturbs it by the madness of his lusts, for pride, covetousness, and ambition lead men to rise up in cruelty against each other. Since, therefore, men are naturally led away by their evil passions to disturb society, Isaiah here promises the correction of this evil. For, as the gospel is the doctrine of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18), which removes the enmity between us and God, so it brings men into peace and harmony with each other. The meaning amounts to this: Christ’s people will be meek and, laying aside fierceness, will be devoted to the pursuit of peace.

This has been improperly limited by some commentators to the time when Christ was born, because at that time, after the battle of Actium, the temple of Janus was closed, as appears from the histories. I readily admit that the universal peace that existed throughout the Roman empire at the birth of Christ was a token of that eternal peace which we enjoy in Christ. But the Prophet’s meaning was different. He meant that Christ makes such a reconciliation between God and men that a comfortable state of peace exists among themselves by putting an end to destructive wars. For if Christ is taken away, not only are we estranged from God, but we incessantly carry on open war with Him, which is justly thrown back on our own heads; and the consequence is that everything in the world is in disorder.

Besides, Isaiah promises that when the gospel is published, it will be an excellent remedy for putting an end to quarrels; and not only so, but that when resentments have been laid aside, men will be disposed to assist each other. For he does not merely say that swords shall be broken in pieces, but they shall be turned into mattocks. By this, he shows that there will be so great a change that, instead of annoying one another and committing various acts of injustice as they had formerly done, they will from now on cultivate peace and friendship. They will employ their exertions for the common advantage of all, for mattocks and pruning-hooks are instruments adapted to agriculture and are profitable and necessary for human life. He therefore shows that when Christ reigns, those who formerly were hurried along by the love of doing mischief will afterwards contend with each other in every possible way by acts of kindness.

Neither shall they practice war any more. The word למד (lamad) signifies either to be accustomed to or to learn. But the meaning of the Prophet is plain enough: they will not train themselves in destructive arts and will not strive with each other in acts of cruelty and injustice, as they were formerly accustomed to do. Therefore, we infer that they have made little proficiency in the gospel whose hearts have not been formed to meekness, and among whom that brotherly love which leads men to perform kind offices to each other does not yet reign. But this cannot be done before their consciences have been brought into a state of peace with God, for we must begin there so that we may also be at peace with men.

Certain fanatics torture this passage to promote anarchy (ἀναρχίαν), as if it took away from the Church entirely the right to use the sword, and they bring it forward to condemn with great severity every kind of war. For example, if a prince defends the people entrusted to him and protects them against injustice, those people say, “It is unlawful for Christians to use the sword.” But it is easy to reply to this, for the Prophet speaks metaphorically about the kingdom of Christ, which leads men, through mutual kindness, to become reconciled to each other.

The Scriptures frequently employ a metaphor in which the thing signified is denoted by a sign, as in that passage: He who has not a sword, let him buy one (Luke 22:36). Christ certainly did not intend to induce His followers to fight but intimated that a time of war was at hand. On the other hand, we are told that swords shall cease to exist, or shall be beaten down to serve a different purpose, when hatred and fighting are at an end, and when those who formerly were at enmity are reconciled to each other.

It may be objected that in a state of harmony and peace, the sword will no longer be needed. I reply that peace exists among us only to the extent that the kingly power of Christ is acknowledged, and that these two things have a mutual relation.

If only Christ reigned entirely in us! For then peace would also have its perfect influence. But since we are still far distant from the perfection of that peaceful reign, we must always focus on making progress; and it is excessive folly not to consider that the kingdom of Christ here is only beginning.

Besides, God did not gather a Church—by which is meant an assembly of godly men—so as to be separate from others; but the good are always mixed with the bad. Not only so, but the good themselves have not yet reached the goal and are far distant from the perfection that is required of them.

The fulfillment of this prophecy, therefore, in its full extent, must not be looked for on earth. It is enough if we experience the beginning and if, being reconciled to God through Christ, we cultivate mutual friendship and abstain from harming anyone.