There is little doubt about the prophecy of Isaiah – that this reference is to the Messiah, who is seen as the coming ruler of Israel. In western culture, we may lose the impact of the words of Isaiah. The phrase in the King James Version (KJV) is not fully clear. The words, Wonderful and Counselor are separated, as though both are nouns. Translators missed the parallel structure they adopted for the other parts of the verse. (Even Handel’s librettist got it wrong.) This person Isaiah describes would be, if we may be so bold as to correct the scholars, a wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, peaceful Prince. The English Bible (NEB) states: in purpose wonderful, in battle God-like, Father for all time, Prince of Peace. The Revised Standard Version (RSV) drops the comma after Wonderful, found in the KJV, and capitalizes the words, offering four titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. It is correct. The New International Version (NIV) follows the RSV with a footnote alternative suggesting also the KJV rendering. The most consistent of the word groupings is: Prince of Peace. All should be as consistent. Even translators may feel they must have their own spin.
The western world may have amended the meanings of both the words Prince and Peace. Commonly, Prince now means the son of a king and queen. Crown Prince is the son who will inherit the throne and that is dictated by first order of male birth. We need care to translate the words of Scripture to catch original meaning. Prince is one of those words we research for rich meaning. The chief of each Israelite tribe was given a name translated prince in English. Chief would likely be understood as first meaning of the word. It could mean captain, even quartermaster, as one translator interpreted the word. Heads of army contingents sometimes were given the title. Isaiah likely meant that this Messiah would have primary authority, but unlike all others with such authority, he would be a peaceful Captain, a peaceful and primary leader, an eminent and good Chief (leader) of the people.
The second issue is that we may miss the meaning of peace, especially when it is placed in the context of personal and lasting power. The peace we gain from the Messiah is the inner peace of spirit and soul. It is for all circumstances. It is the peace that Jesus clarified, and the hearers found so difficult to comprehend. He had to die before His own disciples perceived it fully. His peace, his life, his hope is not of this World – else his father would have called legions of angels to clear the way. He is full of peace – in stormy life, in tender words, in patient eyes, in silencing death. The body must decline to go the way of all that relates to earth so to release the soul.
The point is that Jesus is the Captain of our personal peace. It is an inner peace that he gives and monitors, a peace needed whether the world is at war or touched with absence of warfare that we may call peace. In the emerging meaning of the word Prince, as an ideal leader of persons, Jesus was the Prince made our King. I follow, with great appreciation that Prince Person: the Author of Peace, The Captain, The Chief, The First and the Last. Whatever peace we have, in any context, emanates from him. In response to that forever promise, we find present comfort. We add something here that is beyond the peace of the world. Peace by world standards is simply the absence of armed hostilities. Peace as God would have it is much more. There is a quality in divine peace that ends private struggles, ends all that drives down the individual person so ends private conflict, inner tension and becomes a freed inner life context. Peace! *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020