Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 11:8
And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’s den.
8. The most startling contrast of all, the innocent babe playing with the deadly serpent.
asp ] Heb. pethen, rendered “adder” in Psa 58:4; Psa 91:13, elsewhere as here. The species has not been identified. The cockatrice ( iph ‘n, rendered “adder” in Pro 23:32) is usually identified with the basilisk (or King-serpent) of North Africa, but that reptile is not found in Palestine.
The word den (only here) is doubtful. The most natural view is that it is fem. of the word for “luminary” and denotes the glittering eye of the serpent, which attracts the child like a jewel.
The verb rendered put means strictly “lead”; comp. ducere manum.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And the sucking child – An emblem here of harmlessness and innocence. The change in the world, under the Messiah, shall be as great as if a sucking infant should be able to play unharmed with a venomous serpent.
Shall play – Shall delight himself ( shasha) as children usually engage in their sports; compare Pro 8:30-31; Psa 119:24.
On the hole of the asp – Over, or around the cavern, hole, or place of retreat of the asp. He shall play over that place as safely as if the nature of the asp was changed, and it had become innocuous. The Hebrew word rendered here asp ( pethen) denotes the serpent usually called the asp, whose poison is of such rapid operation that it kills almost instantly: see Job 20:14, Job 20:16; Psa 58:4; Psa 91:13; Deu 32:33. The word occurs in no other places in the Old Testament. This serpent is small. It is found particularly in Egypt, though also in other places; see the note at Job 20:14. It is used here as the emblem of the more sudden, malignant, and violent passions; and the idea is, that under the Messiah a change would be performed in people of malignant and deadly passions as signal as if the asp or adder were to lose his venom, and become innocuous to a child.
And the weaned child – But still, a young and helpless child. The image is varied, but the same idea is retained.
Shall put his hand – That is, he shall do it safely, or uninjured.
On the cockatrice den – Margin, Adders. The word rendered here cockatrice ( tspony) occurs only in the fellowing places: Isa 14:29; Isa 11:8; Isa 59:5; Pro 23:32; Jer 8:17. In all these places, it is rendered cockatrice, except in Pro 23:32. The cockatrice was a fabulous kind of serpent, supposed to be hatched from the egg of a cock. The serpent here designated is, doubtless, a species of the adder, more venomous, perhaps, than the pethen, but still belonging to the same species. Bochart (Hieroz. P. ii. lib. iii. ch. ix.) supposes that the basilisk is intended – a species of serpent that, he says, was supposed to poison even with its breath. The general idea is the same here as above. It is in vain to attempt to spiritualize these expressions, and to show that they refer to certain individuals, or that the animals here designated refer to particular classes of the enemies of the gospel. It is a mere poetic description, denoting great peace and security; and all the changes in the mad, malignant, and envenomed passions of people, that may be necessary to produce and perpetuate that peace. Pope has versified this description in the following beautiful manner:
The lambs with wolves shall graze the verdant mead,
And boys, in flowery bands, the tigers lead.
The steer and lion at one crib shall meet,
And harmless serpents lick the pilgrims feet.
The smiling infant in his hand shall take
The crested basilisk, and speckled snake;
Pleased, the green luster of the scales survey,
And, with their forked tongue, shall innocently play.
Messiah.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 8. The cockatrice’ den.] This is supposed, both by the Targum and by Kimchi, to mean the pupil of this serpent’s eye. “When,” says Kimchi, “he is in the mouth of his den, in an obscure place, then his eyes sparkle exceedingly: the child, seeing this, and supposing it to be a piece of crystal, or precious stone, puts forth his hand to take it. What would be very dangerous at another time, shall be safe in the days of the Messiah; for the serpent will not hurt the child.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The asp; a most fierce and poisonous serpent, Deu 32:33; Job 20:14,16, which also will not be charmed by any art of man, Psa 58:5.
The cockatrice; a serpent of more than ordinary cunning and cruelty, Pro 23:32. The meaning is, They shall not fear to be either deceived or destroyed by those who formerly watched all opportunities to do it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. playliterally, “delight”himself in sport.
cockatricea fabulousserpent supposed to be hatched from the egg of a cock. The Hebrewmeans a kind of adder, more venomous than the asp; BOCHARTsupposes the basilisk to be meant, which was thought to poison evenwith its breath.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp,…. Without fear or danger:
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’s den; and suffer no damage: the meaning is explained in the next words, and to be understood of regenerate persons, both of new born babes, or just born, and all such who are weaned from their own righteousness, and live by faith on Christ, who shall not be hurt by the poison of false teachers, nor by the force of violent persecutors, now no more,
See Gill (Editor’s note) on “Isa 11:6”.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
8. And the child shall play on the hole of the asp. He continues to illustrate the same sentiment, that when men have been brought into a state of favor with God, and have been cleansed from their depravity by the Spirit of regeneration, they will likewise be free from every hurtful disposition. There is no reason why men dread the danger or poison arising from the bite of serpents, but because they do not deserve that God should place every part of the world under their control. And, indeed, since animals are permitted to do injury even to children, this shows that the whole race of Adam has been stained with pollution from the very womb.
We must again observe the comparison which we stated, that those men whom a concealed poison led to deeds of violence will have their disposition changed, and will do no harm even to little children. Some men are openly fierce and cruel, (Psa 140:3,) and others inwardly carry and cherish their malice like poison, (Psa 55:21,) as David also describes them; for some men are more quick, and others are more slow, to manifest the desire of doing injury. Whatever they may have formerly been, he means that all of them must be cleansed from wickedness, both open and concealed, after having submitted to Christ. He means, also, that henceforth safety, which will reign everywhere, will be enjoyed even by those who have no kind of protection; so that they will freely venture to expose themselves to imminent dangers.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(8) And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp . . .The description culminates in the transformation of the brute forms which were most identified with evil. As it is, the sight of a child near the hole of the asp (the cobra) or cockatrice (better, perhaps, basilisk, the great viper), would make its mother scream with terror. There was still enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent (Gen. 3:15), but in the far-off reign of the Christ even that enmity should disappear, and the very symbols of evil, subtle, malignant, venomous, should be reconciled to humanity. Some critics translate the last clause, shall stretch out his hand to the eye-ball of the basilisk as if alluding to the power of fascination commonly assigned to it.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. To express the doctrine still more strongly, venomous serpents are represented as innoxious.
The asp “This is thought to be the cobra.” TRISTRAM’S Natural History of the Bible. Precise discrimination of the serpent species is, however, of no importance to exegesis here.
Cockatrice The viper Daboia. (Tristram.)
Sucking weaned child The point is, quite the most helpless are safe among most deadly reptiles.
Stronger figures could scarcely be used, though drawn from the entire field of nature, to express the wonderful effects of the coming great moral changes under the true Davidic-Messianic rule.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Isa 11:8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.
Ver. 8. And the sucking child shall play upon the hole of the asp, &c. ] There shall be no danger from calumniators and cruel crafties, asps and basilisks, a quorum in labris venenum sessitat Psa 140:4 These homines damnosissimi most damnable men shall have a new nature transfused into them; their malignities and mischievous qualities shall cease when once truly converted.
a A fabulous reptile, also called a cockatrice, alleged to be hatched by a serpent from a cock’s egg; ancient authors stated that its hissing drove away all other serpents, and that its breath, and even its look, was fatal.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
cockatrice’
= viper’s. Hebrew. zepha’. Occurs only here in “former” portion; and in Isa 59:5 in “latter”. App-79.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
cockatrice’: or, adder’s, Isa 59:5, Psa 140:3
Reciprocal: Psa 58:4 – the deaf Isa 14:29 – cockatrice Luk 10:19 – I give