Is Jesus the Mighty God? An Examination of Isaiah 9:6 One of the most common verses that are brought up by Christians to prove the divinity of Jesus is that of Isaiah 9:6. In fact this verse is supposedly one of the strongest evidences that Jesus is God. So with that said let us see what Isaiah 9:6 says: 6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. So here we see a prophecy being made about the Messiah, the Messiah that is to come for the Israelite people. Now the Christian contends that Jesus is God because the Messiah is called the mighty God, hence that must mean he is God. At face value it might seem that the Messiah is indeed called God, yet a careful examination of the verse shows that the text does NOT refer to Jesus as God. Rather when we do analyse the text, we find that the text has been mistranslated by the Trinitarians, something very common. As we all know Isaiah was an Israelite prophet, and the book of Isaiah was written in Hebrew, therefore we should go to the Hebrew and see what the actual term of mighty God is in the Hebrew language. When we do consult the Hebrew language we find that in Hebrew the term mighty God is as follow: el Gibbor Now what does the word ?el mean in Hebrew? Does the word ?el in Hebrew refer to the mighty and true God alone, such as Yahweh? Well let us see the definition of the word ?el: 1) god, god-like one, mighty one a) mighty men, men of rank, mighty heroes b) angels c) god, false god, (demons, imaginations) d) God, the one true God, Jehovah 2) mighty things in nature 3) strength, power So notice, the word ?el can refer to mighty men, men of high rank, and angels. Hence the word el does not exclusively mean the one and true God. In fact if one reads Ezekiel chapter 31 verse 11 we see that a tyrannical king is called mighty God: 10 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height; 11 I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one (?el) of the heathen If one goes and consults the Hebrew one will find that the term used here is IDENTICAL to that of Isaiah 9:6. Notice how the translators now translate mighty God, ?el, as mighty one! Why the convenient change? Why in Isaiah 9:6 do they put mighty God, and in Ezekiel they put might one? To make matters worst the exact phrase el Gibbor is used in the plural in Ezekiel 32 verse 12, we read: 12 By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall, the terrible of the nations, all of them: and they shall spoil the pomp of Egypt, and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed As the Christian ministry of Biblical Unitarian writes: The phrase translated Mighty God in Isaiah 9:6 in the NIV in the Hebrew, el gibbor. That very phrase, in the plural form, is used Ezekiel 32:21 where dead heroes and mighty men are said, by the figure of speech personification, to speak to others. The phrase in Ezekiel is translated mighty leaders in the NIV, and the strong among the mighty in the KJV and NASB. The Hebrew phrase, when used in the singular, can refer to one mighty leader just as when used in the plural it can refer to many mighty leaders. So thus we have established that the term mighty God, ?el gibbor is not an exclusive name or term for God alone. So therefore we must ask ourselves on what basis have the Trinitarian scholars mischievously translated the term into Mighty God, god with a capital G as if to refer to the true and all mighty God. No Jew ever believed that the Messiah would be God, and no where in the context of Isaiah chapter 9 is such a doctrine taught. The context of Isaiah 9 is about the Messiah and what he will do, as the ministry of Biblical Unitarian note: The context illuminates great truth about the verse, and also shows that there is no justification for believing that it refers to the Trinity, but rather to Gods appointed ruler. The opening verse of the chapter foretells a time when there will be no more gloom for those in distress. All war and death will cease, and every warriors boot.will be destined for burning (v. 5). How will this come to pass? The chapter goes on: for to us a child is born and to us a son is given (v. 6). There is no hint that this child will be God, and reputable Trinitarian scholars will assert that the Jews of the Old Testament knew nothing of an incarnation. For them, the Messiah was going to be a man anointed by God. He would start as a child, which of course Yahweh, their eternal God, could never be. And what a great ruler this man would grow to be: the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty Hero, Father of the Coming Age, Prince of Peace. Furthermore, he will reign on Davids throne (v. 7), which could never be said of God. God could never sit on Davids throne. But Gods Messiah, the Son of David, could (Matt. 9:27, et al). Thus, a study of the verse in its context reveals that it does not refer to the Trinity at all, but to the Messiah, the son of David and the Son of God. So therefore a more accurate translation of Isaiah 9:6 should call the Messiah a mighty hero, or a mighty man, or a mighty god, god with a small g, which means a righteous servant or a mighty prophet. The Trinitarians have NO BASIS in translating ?el Gibbor as mighty GOD with a capital G. So in conclusion Isaiah 9:6 proves nothing for a Trinitarian who believes in the divinity of Jesus. In fact I would say that Isaiah 9:6 is one of the WEAKEST arguments and position a Trinitarian can rely on. And Allah Knows Best!
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 03:17:41 +0000