Isaiah 11:13 · Bible study
Isaiah 11:13 Commentary: Peace Between Ephraim and Judah
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Understand Isaiah 11:13's promise of reconciled rivalry between Ephraim and Judah in the Messiah's reign, with commentary from Calvin, Barnes, Gill, and more.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The prophecy that the historic hostility between the northern and southern kingdoms will end in the Messianic age, replaced by peace.
- Key words: qin’ah (envy/jealousy), tsorerim (adversaries/those who oppress), karat (cut off), sur (depart).
- Main debate: Whether “adversaries of Judah” refers to Ephraim’s hostility (Keil) or Judah’s (Cambridge Bible).
- Theological theme: Reconciliation and unity under the messianic king.
- Best use: A promise of healed relationships within God’s people, applicable to church divisions and personal rivalries.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, and the adversaries of Judah will be cut off. Ephraim will no longer envy Judah, nor will Judah harass Ephraim.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The envy also of Ephraim will depart, and those who persecute Judah will be cut off. Ephraim won’t envy Judah, and Judah won’t persecute Ephraim.
KJV King James Version 1769
The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and they that vex Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And turned aside hath the envy of Ephraim, And the adversaries of Judah are cut off, Ephraim doth not envy Judah, And Judah doth not distress Ephraim.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And the envy of Ephraim shall depart, and the troublers of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim will not envy Judah, and Judah will not trouble Ephraim:
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the envy of Ephraim shall be taken away, and the enemies of Juda shall perish: Ephraim shall not envy Juda, and Juda shall not fight against Ephraim.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y se disipará la envidia de Ephraim, y los enemigos de Judá serán talados. Ephraim no tendrá envidia contra Judá, ni Judá afligirá á Ephraim;
E a inveja de Efraim terminará, e os adversários de Judá serão cortados; Efraim não invejará a Judá, e Judá não oprimirá a Efraim.
La jalousie d’Éphraïm disparaîtra,
und der Neid gegen Ephraim wird aufhören, und die Feinde Juda' s werden ausgerottet werden, daß Ephraim nicht neide den Juda und Juda nicht sei gegen Ephraim.
En de nijd van Efraim zal wegwijken, en de tegenpartijders van Juda zullen uitgeroeid worden; Efraim zal Juda niet benijden, en Juda zal Efraim niet benauwen.
La gelosia d’Efraim scomparirà, e gli avversari di Giuda saranno annientati; Efraim non invidierà più Giuda, e Giuda non sarà più ostile ad Efraim.
I ustanie nienawiść Efraimowa, a nieprzyjaciele Judowi wykorzenieni będą. Efraim nie będzie nienawidził Judy, a Juda nie będzie trapił Efraima;
И прекратится зависть Ефрема, и враждующие против Иуды будут истреблены. Ефрем не будет завидовать Иуде, и Иуда не будет притеснять Ефрема.
以法蓮 的嫉妒 就必消散；擾害 猶大 的必被剪除。以法蓮 必不 嫉妒 猶大，猶大 也不 擾害 以法蓮。
And the envy of Ephraim will be gone, and those who make trouble for Judah will come to an end: Ephraim will have no more envy of Judah, and there will be an end of Judah's hate for Ephraim.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 11:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree this verse promises an end to the historic hostility between the northern kingdom (Ephraim) and the southern kingdom (Judah) in the Messianic age. The Hebrew word for “envy” (qin’ah) carries the sense of jealous rivalry that had fueled conflict since the division of the kingdom. As Calvin notes, God promises “that the Church will be in such a state of peace, that neither will the Israelites and the Jews contend in civil broils.” Barnes identifies the causes: Ephraim’s jealousy over Judah’s prominence and the temple. The phrase “adversaries of Judah” is debated: Keil and Delitzsch, following the parallelism, take it as Ephraim’s hostility toward Judah (the participle tsorerim meaning “those who oppose”), while the Cambridge Bible suggests it may refer to Judah’s hostility toward Ephraim. Yet all agree the result is mutual peace. Gill applies this to the cessation of divisions within the church: “whatever envy or jealousy subsisted” shall cease when the gospel prevails. The chapter’s context, the shoot from Jesse, the gathering of exiles, grounds this reconciliation in the Messiah’s reign.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Ephraim's hostility view: The parallelism of the verse demands that both halves refer to the same mutual enmity: 'envy of Ephraim' against Judah corresponds to 'adversaries of Judah' meaning those from Ephraim hostile to Judah (Keil, Maurer).
- Judah's hostility view: The Hebrew for 'adversaries of Judah' could be read as a subjective genitive: the enmity that Judah bears toward Ephraim, balancing the first line (Cambridge Bible, following the verb in v. 14).
- General enemies view: Barnes and others take the phrase more loosely as all enemies of Judah, though the context strongly suggests the mutual rivalry is primary.
What is clear: The verse promises the end of hostility between the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah in the Messianic age, whatever the precise grammatical relationship.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of Ephraim and Judah | They represent the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah) after the division of the monarchy. | Some apply the names primarily to the historical tribes; others (Gill) read them as types of all God's people, including Jews and Gentiles. |
| Meaning of 'adversaries of Judah' | The phrase describes hostility that will be removed in the Messianic age. | Keil and Delitzsch take it as Ephraim's hostility toward Judah (subjective genitive); the Cambridge Bible and Maurer prefer Judah's hostility toward Ephraim (objective genitive). Barnes and others read it more broadly as any enemies of Judah. |
| Timing of fulfillment | The prophecy looks to the reign of the Messiah (the root of Jesse). | Some (Calvin, Gill) see a gradual fulfillment in church history; others (Barnes, Keil) expect a future restoration of Israel. |
| Nature of the peace | It is a genuine cessation of envy and oppression, not merely a truce. | Is the peace primarily spiritual unity in Christ, or does it include political and territorial reconciliation? Commentators differ on how literally to apply the geographical references (v. 14). |
Historical & Cultural Context
The rivalry between Ephraim and Judah runs deep in Israel’s history. After Solomon’s death, the ten northern tribes seceded under Jeroboam (an Ephraimite), leaving Judah and Benjamin loyal to Rehoboam (1 Kings 12). The northern kingdom, often called Israel or Ephraim, made Samaria its capital; the southern kingdom was Judah with Jerusalem. This division perpetuated older tensions. In the period of the judges, Ephraim had shown jealousy toward Gideon (Judges 8:1) and Jephthah (Judges 12:1). The sanctuary had been at Shiloh in Ephraim (Joshua 18:1), but David moved the ark to Jerusalem, exalting Judah. Isaiah 9:21 describes Manasseh and Ephraim fighting each other and both against Judah. The prophets consistently call for reunification (Jeremiah 3:18; Ezekiel 37:16, 24; Hosea 1:11). Isaiah 11 is a messianic oracle: the root of Jesse (David’s line) will stand as a banner for the nations, gathering the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah (vv. 10, 12). Against this backdrop, verse 13 declares the end of the “family broil,” as Barnes calls it. The concrete names Ephraim and Judah stand for the divided people of God. The promise that “Ephraim won’t envy Judah, and Judah won’t persecute Ephraim” is both a political hope and a spiritual one: the Messiah’s reign heals the deepest ruptures.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Isaiah 11:13. The differences among English translations (WEB “persecute,” KJV “vex,” BSB “harass,” YLT “distress”) reflect the same Hebrew root tsarar, meaning to bind, oppress, or treat as an adversary. The word tsorerim (adversaries) is the participle of that verb. The text is stable, and the interpretive questions hinge on the genitive relationship in the phrase “adversaries of Judah,” not on manuscript variation.
Reception History
Early Jewish interpretation, cited by Gill in the name of Jarchi, connected the verse to the two Messiahs of Jewish expectation: Messiah ben Joseph (from Ephraim) and Messiah ben David (from Judah), whose rivalry would cease. Early Christian writers read the verse as part of Isaiah’s messianic promise: the root of Jesse gathering both Jews and Gentiles into one people. Reformation commentators like Calvin and Luther applied the peace to the church, seeing Ephraim and Judah as types of factions within Christendom. John Gill (Baptist) extended it to denominational divisions that would cease when the gospel is fully known. Modern scholarship tends to read the verse against its historical backdrop of the divided monarchy, seeing it as a post-exilic hope for national reunification that found its ultimate reference in Jesus Christ.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Deep roots of rivalry. The envy of Ephraim and the vexing of Judah stretch back centuries, from the tribal jealousies of the judges to the civil war after Solomon. This verse names the bitter history that only God can resolve.
- The removal of hostility. “Will depart,” “will be cut off”, God acts to take away the causes of division. The Hebrew verb karat (cut off) signals a decisive end, not a gradual fade.
- A unified people under one king. The context points to the root of Jesse, the Messiah, who gathers both Israel and Judah. Unity comes not by ignoring wounds but by submission to a common Lord.
Five-point outline
- God sees the bitterness between brothers.
- Envy and oppression are twin sins that destroy community.
- The Messiah’s kingdom reverses both.
- This peace is not a truce but a transformation.
- The gathered people become a blessing to the nations (Isaiah 11:10).
Illustration hooks
- A family feud that lasted three generations over a piece of land nobody remembers how to claim. The original grievance is lost, but the cold war continues. What would it take to stop?
- Two church congregations that split fifty years ago over a dispute about the color of the carpet. They now meet across the street and do not speak. The Messiah’s peace challenges such absurd divisions.
- A sibling rivalry that began when the younger seems favored, and the elder resents. Years later, each still tries to outdo the other. The verse names envy as the core wound that needs healing.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I let go of envy toward someone who has what I want?
- Is it possible for two groups who have hurt each other to truly reconcile?
- Does Christian unity mean we agree about everything, or can we hold differences in love?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits in the middle of Isaiah’s vision of the Messianic age. It names the oldest division in God’s people, the split between the northern and southern kingdoms, and announces its end. For small groups, this opens a conversation about how God heals broken relationships within the church today.
Discussion questions
- Read Isaiah 11:13 in several translations. What words stand out to you about the nature of the conflict?
- What do you know about the history between Ephraim (the northern tribes) and Judah? Why was the division so painful?
- The Hebrew word for “envy” (qin’ah) can also mean zeal or jealousy. When does healthy passion for God’s purposes turn into destructive envy?
- How does the promise of this verse connect to the larger passage (Isaiah 11:1, 16) about the shoot from Jesse and the gathering of exiles?
- Think of a rivalry you have experienced in a family, church, or community. What would it look like for that “envy to depart” and that “vexing to be cut off”?
- Some commentators apply this verse to divisions among Christians (Gill). Others read it as a future restoration of Israel (Barnes, Calvin). How might both readings give us hope today?
- What one step could our group take this week to heal a relationship that has been marked by envy or opposition?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Isaiah 7:1 | In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. |
| Isaiah 7:6 | “Let’s go up against Judah, and tear it apart, and let’s divide it among ourselves, and set up a king within it, even the son of Tabeel.” |
| Isaiah 9:21 | Manasseh eating Ephraim and Ephraim eating Manasseh, and they together will be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. |
| Jeremiah 3:18 | In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an inheritance to your fathers. |
| Ezekiel 37:16 | “You, son of man, take one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions.’ Then take another stick, and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions.’ |
| Ezekiel 37:24 | “‘“My servant David will be king over them. They all will have one shepherd. They will also walk in my ordinances and observe my statutes, and do them. |
| Hosea 1:11 | The children of Judah and the children of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint themselves one head, and will go up from the land; for great will be the day of Jezreel. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the Hebrew word often translated as "adversaries" may instead mean "enmity" itself, drawing a parallel to how a similar word form is used for repentance in Hosea. The point is that the text speaks of the hostile relationship itself between Judah and Ephraim, not simply the people involved.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes traces the deep historical causes of rivalry between Ephraim and Judah, rooted in ambition, territorial claims, and religious prestige. Under the Messiah, he says, all these animosities will cease, and the two former enemies will live in peace. Only when such strife ends, he insists, can the church truly prosper and fulfill its mission.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that the peace promised here belongs to Christ's entire kingdom across all ages, not just one period. In this world believers only taste the beginning of that kingdom, and the Church continues to face enemies both outside and within. Yet the Lord preserves and defends her until all enemies are conquered.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible interprets "the adversaries of Judah" as those within Judah who oppose Ephraim, not as envy directed from Judah toward Ephraim. The commentary admits this reading is not very natural but still prefers it. It also finds the description of Judah as oppressive and Ephraim as envious inconsistent with their relative importance before 722
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note emphasizes the complete removal of all hostility between Ephraim and Judah. Their former envy and mutual vexation will cease entirely, with both sides ceasing to oppose one another.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads this as a prophecy about the end of envy between Jew and Gentile, and between all Christian groups, when the Gospel spreads in full power. He applies the cutting off of Judah's adversaries to specific historical powers he names as Turks and Papists. For him, the verse promises that every kind of animosity among God's people will finally give way to complete peace and harmony.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argue that the phrase "adversaries of Judah" does not mean Judah's enemies from Ephraim's side but refers instead to Ephraimites hostile to Judah. They read the verse as predicting that old northern jealousy will end first, then Judah's hostility, so the reunited people become one fraternal nation.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange insists that the heathen will seek the Messiah before Israel does, so the promised return of Israel can only come afterward. He treats this as a second exodus from a worldwide exile, gathering the remnant of both sexes from every land.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry reads the prophecy of the Messiah's kingdom as foreshadowed by Hezekiah's victory over Sennacherib. The great things God did for Judah became an ensign that drew neighboring nations, like the Babylonian ambassadors, to come and inquire.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley clarifies that the adversaries mentioned are not the entire tribe of Ephraim, since most of them are already reconciled and living in peace with Judah. Rather, he specifies it refers only to those few within Ephraim who continue in hostility, together with all their other enemies.