Descended from Jesse
Prophecy
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. — Isaiah 11:1-5 (ESV)
Isaiah describes a ruler arising from Jesse's family after a time of devastation (Isaiah 10:33-11:1). Jesse was David's father (1 Samuel 16:1, 11-13), and the promise of an enduring Davidic kingdom gives this royal imagery its significance (2 Samuel 7:12-16). The ruler receives the Father's Spirit (Isaiah 11:2), delights in reverence for the Father and judges beyond appearances (verse 3). His justice protects the poor and meek; verse 4 also describes decisive judgment against the wicked. Verse 5 characterizes his rule by righteousness and faithfulness.
The prophecy continues beyond these qualities. Isaiah 11:6-9 depicts extraordinary peace and an earth filled with knowledge of the Father. Verse 10 says that the root of Jesse will stand as a signal for the peoples and that the nations will seek him. The passage therefore looks beyond one ruler's character to a transformed world.
Apostolic Understanding
The New Testament identifies Jesus with David's line, but its accounts should not be treated as independent biological proof. Matthew's genealogy names Jesse and David among Jesus' recorded ancestors (Matthew 1:5-6); its account also presents Joseph as Jesus' legal father rather than his biological father (Matthew 1:16, 18-25). Paul says that God brought Jesus from David's offspring as promised (Acts 13:22-23) and describes him as descended from David “according to the flesh” (Romans 1:3). Luke's genealogy also runs through David and Jesse (Luke 3:31-32), corroborating the claimed lineage without settling every genealogical question.
At Jesus' baptism, Matthew describes the Spirit of God descending and resting on him (Matthew 3:16). John the Baptist likewise testifies that the Spirit descended and remained on him (John 1:32-34). Peter later says that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power (Acts 10:38). These accounts connect Jesus' ministry with Isaiah 11:2 while keeping God, who gives the Spirit, distinct from Jesus, who receives it.
Jesus says that his judgment seeks the will of the One Who sent him (John 5:30) and instructs others not to judge by appearances but with right judgment (John 7:24). These sayings resemble the discerning judgment of Isaiah 11:3. His commitment to doing the Father's will (John 4:34) and the description of his conduct as without sin (1 Peter 2:22) support a comparison with the righteousness and faithfulness of verse 5.
Paul explicitly quotes the prophecy's reference to the nations:
And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” — Romans 15:12 (ESV; quoting Isaiah 11:10)
Paul applies Isaiah's hope for the nations to Jesus in a discussion of Gentiles praising God (Romans 15:8-12). His wording follows the Greek form of Isaiah 11:10 more closely than the ESV wording of Isaiah. The quotation identifies Jesus with the promised ruler; it does not say that every scene in Isaiah 11 is complete.
The New Testament also uses imagery resembling Isaiah's future judgment:
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. — 2 Thessalonians 2:8 (ESV)
Revelation 19:15 likewise depicts a sword from Jesus' mouth with which to strike down the nations. These are corroborating allusions, not explicit quotations of Isaiah 11:4. Neither the decisive judgment of verse 4 nor the peace and worldwide knowledge described in verses 6-9 can be presented as present global conditions.
Christian readers identify Jesus as the promised Davidic ruler, seeing his lineage, reception of the Spirit, conduct, and the inclusion of Gentiles as evidence of fulfillment begun, with Isaiah's worldwide justice and peace still awaited.
Jewish and Christian readings
In Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 11:4, Maimonides makes restoration of Davidic rule, rebuilding the Temple, and gathering Israel public criteria for recognizing the Messiah. He reads the wolf-and-lamb imagery figuratively in Kings and Wars 12:1. This is one influential Jewish reading, not a claim that all Jewish interpreters agree on every detail. It underscores why identifying a candidate with Jesse's line does not, by itself, demonstrate completion of Isaiah 11.
Conclusion
Isaiah's prophecy joins a ruler from Jesse's line to Spirit-given discernment, righteous judgment, and peace extending to the nations. New Testament testimony identifies Jesus with that line and explicitly applies Isaiah 11:10 to him, while the passage's decisive judgment and worldwide peace remain outstanding. Jewish and Christian readings differ over whether those outstanding events allow Jesus to be identified as the promised ruler now.