Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Interpretation
The prophet calls a wonderful counselor that is embodied in work and rest. Isaiah 9:6: trace "child" and "born". Align wonderful counselor in small choices no one sees—season power with mercy.
Context
Isaiah speaks here as prophetic oracle writing, naming wonderful counselor. Placed in ch. 9, the nearby lines set its tone. There’s a line into prophetic hope & judgment. The nearby sentences supply the texture.
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
The Hebrew text is preserved in the Masoretic tradition, stabilized between the 6th-10th centuries CE. The the Dead Sea Scrolls (found 1947-1956) provide manuscripts 1000+ years older than medieval texts, generally confirming the Masoretic Text's reliability with only minor variations. The Septuagint (Greek translation, 3rd-2nd century BCE) offers an independent textual witness. Variations between manuscripts are typically minor: spelling differences, word order, or clarifications that leave the overall message intact. Modern translations compare all available manuscripts to reconstruct the most likely original text.
Sources & witness notes
MT