Isaiah 11:10

A Root of Jesse

Quoted by the apostles in Romans 15:12, in the older Greek wording

Side by Side

The Older Text

Septuagint, translated before Messiah

And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall arise to rule over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust, and his rest shall be glorious.

The Later Text

Masoretic, finished about 1,000 years after the cross

And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

Quoted in Romans 15:12

Paul’s Isaiah

And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

Your KJV reads: the banner in Isaiah, and the King who reigns over the Gentiles in Romans.

See what changed and why ↓

What Your Bible Says

And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.
Romans 15:12 KJV

Paul ends a chain of four Scriptures showing that the nations were always meant to praise Elohim alongside Israel (Romans 15:9–12). His last link is Isaiah. The Son of David rises, He reigns over the Gentiles, and they put their trust in Him.

What the Jewish Bible Says

And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
Isaiah 11:10 KJV

Here the root of Jesse does not rise and does not reign. He stands as a banner, a flag on a pole. The nations look for it from far off.

What Changed

Three things moved. “Stand” became “arise.” “An ensign of the people” became “rule over the Gentiles.” “Seek” became “trust.”

The Gentiles are in both texts. In the Hebrew they seek a signal. In the Greek they trust their King. A banner draws people. A King rules them and keeps them.

Which One Is Right?

The Greek Bible, translated before Messiah, has the root who rises to rule the Gentiles and receives their trust. Paul quotes it almost word for word.

The Masoretic text has the banner that the nations seek.

Both readings promise that the nations will come. The Greek names Him their King.

Purpose of the Change

No motive evident: wording variation only. The Greek likely tells the reader what the banner means, and Paul quoted that wording: the risen Son of David reigns, and the nations trust Him.

The Bottom Line

The Hebrew raises the banner. The Greek names the King on it, and Paul quoted the King.

The root of Jesse stands up in the last Book: “behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book” (Revelation 5:5). And He says it Himself: “I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star” (Revelation 22:16).

Dig Deeper The evidence, for anyone who wants it

The Banner

The Hebrew word for ensign is nes, a pole with a flag on it. Two verses later Yahuah “shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel” (Isaiah 11:12). The same word is the “pole” Moses set the bronze serpent on (Numbers 21:8). Yahushua said, “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up” (John 3:14). The banner is not a bad picture. It is just not the whole picture.

Rise

The Greek word for “arise” belongs to the same family as the Greek word for resurrection. Paul wrote after the root of Jesse had risen from the dead. He did not need to stretch the verse. The older text already said it.

A Root, Not a Rival

The root of Jesse is a son of David, a man from David’s line. His reign is given to Him: “there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom” (Daniel 7:14). A King who receives His kingdom from Another is not the Most High. He reigns for the Father, under the Father.

An Honest Note

This is likely a translation choice, not a change in the Hebrew letters. “Stand” and “arise” are close, and the Greek may be explaining the banner rather than reading a different word. No Hebrew scroll is known that reads “rule.” The Hebrew “seek” is a good word too. It is the same word the Greek translators of Amos read when they wrote that the nations would seek Yahuah (Acts 15:17).