“And the wolf will dwell with the lamb,
And the leopard will lie down with the young goat,
And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little boy will lead them.
Also the cow and the bear will graze,
Their young will lie down together,
And the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra,
And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.”
Isaiah 11:6-9 NASB1995
There are many, many passages in the Bible that bring tears to my eyes. This is one of them! The peaceful image of lions and wolves and leopards lying down with their prey animals and removing the dangers to humans that have marked a fallen creation is ultimately very satisfying and beautiful. Even the deadly snakes are no longer a threat! I love the image that AI created at the top (no explanation was necessary).
Many commentators, even ones who are fairly literal in their interpretations, have difficulty actually believing that meat-eating predators could be altered in their temperaments and dietary habits to be peaceful companions of those who once were prey, including humans. Well, in response to that, let’s look at Jeremiah:
“Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?””
Jeremiah 32:26-27 NASB1995
Our God is all-powerful and created this remarkable creation around us. He can, with but a gesture, remove the prey versus predator relationship in the animals and also destroy that same inclination in humans when Jesus reigns.
Many people today are looking for “utopia”, relying on imperfect and corrupt humans to give them that ”peaceful vision” through a coercive government that removes responsibility. This approach usually results in a dystopia, a topic that has filled many fictional and history books. As believers, we must instead rely on the Word of God that there will never be more splendid paradises of perfection than the ones He has in store for us in the millennium and, even better, in the New Earth. It is tragic, indeed, that those who look for humans to create this utopia will miss out on a real paradise because they have rejected Jesus.
Let’s examine at two commentaries that take this at Isaiah’s word, without trying to twist it into a different interpretation . First, here is Harry Ironside, as quoted in Precept Austin:
In that day the curse (Ge 3:17, 18, 19) will be lifted from the lower creation and the very nature of the beasts of the earth will be changed. Those who attempt to spiritualize all these expressions must needs take the beasts here to represent violent and savage men whose hearts will be changed by regeneration. But the prophet gives no hint of such an application of his words. He very definitely speaks of that which God will do for the animal kingdom in the day when the curse will be lifted. There is no hint that the prophet was speaking allegorically or that his language is to be interpreted other than in strict literality. It seems evident that when the Second Man, the Last Adam, is set over this lower universe, that ideal conditions will prevail on earth, such as characterized the world before sin came in to mar God’s fair creation with its sad entail of violence and rapine on the part of the beasts of the earth and the evil effects upon the bodies of men and women, resulting in sickness and death. All this will be undone in the day when Christ shall come as the Restorer of all things spoken by the prophets, and “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” While the millennium is not to be confounded with the new heavens and the new earth, it will nevertheless be a period of wonderful blessing for all who shall dwell in the world when in the administration of the fullness of the seasons, God shall head up all things in Christ.
Here’s the commentary in Enduring Word; David Guzik has an interesting take on this alteration in the predator-prey relationship:
a. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb: When the Messiah reigns, nature will be transformed. No longer will there be predators among the animals, and it seems that all animals will be herbivores (plant-eaters) only (the cow and the bear shall graze…the lion shall eat straw like the ox).
i. Romans 8:19-22 tells us more about this transformation of creation: The earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Nature is waiting for the transformation that will come when the Messiah reigns and believers are glorified.
b. And a little child shall lead them: When the Messiah reigns, not only will the way animals relate to each other be changed, but the way they relate to humans will be changed. A little child will be safe and able to lead a wolf or a leopard or a young lion or a bear. Even the danger of predators like cobras and vipers will be gone.
i. In Genesis 9:2-3, the LORD gave Noah, and all mankind after him, the permission to eat meat. At the same time, the LORD put the dread of man in animals, so they would not be effortless prey for humans. Now, in the reign of the Messiah, that is reversed. For this reason, many think that in the reign of the Messiah, the Millennium, humans will return to being vegetarians, as it seems they were before Genesis 9:2-3.
c. For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea: When the Messiah reigns, the knowledge of the LORD –in a relational sense, not merely an intellectual sense – will cover the entire earth. The Millennial reign of the Messiah will be glorious.
A unique perspective, that humans and carnivores will be vegetarians under the reign of the Messiah. Guzik backs that up with Scripture so it is a likely outcome. Perhaps there will be no need to eat!
This glorious reign is because the Earth is full of the knowledge of the Lord! We could certainly use that now!
In contrast, Precept Austin shows that even an excellent Bible commentator like Matthew Henry cannot wrap his mind around the idea that the animals of creation can be altered:
Below is an example of misinterpretation by a reasonably good devotional commentator Matthew Henry because of his failure to interpret the Biblical text literally. [The first paragraph is from Matthew Henry; the second is a comment from Bruce Hurt].
“Any one with physiological knowledge of the difference between the structure of herbivorous and carnivorous animals, or with any knowledge of dentistry, will at once see that the lion could no more eat straw like an ox than he could fly to the moon; even if his teeth were changed so that he could masticate the straw, it would prove fatal to him, since he could by no means digest or assimilate it. This is simply a figure of the peace that would come to humanity as a result of Christ’s coming as a Saviour into the world.”
Comment: One cannot emphasize too strongly the need to be diligent to rightly divide the Word of truth (2Ti 2:15) by always seeking to read it literally unless the text and especially the context suggest the writer is clearly using figurative language. The context or setting of Isaiah 11 is clearly a supernatural scene and therefore is is not at all difficult to interpret verses 6-8 as literally true as a result of divine alteration of the lion’s diet and digestive tract (not to mention God’s ability to do likewise for the wolf, the leopard and the young lion of verse 6).
Interestingly (and perhaps sadly), many of the esteemed commentators on BibleHub (including that same Matthew Henry) are reluctant to accept the miraculous and see the power of God. It is so like “human nature” for humans to limit their understanding of what God can and cannot do based on what science has told them or because their vision is too narrow. This is how it becomes easy for progressive churches to “explain away” the miracles of Jesus, His virgin birth, and His Resurrection, instead of relying on the text literally. It’s the same blindness that afflicted the disciples for three years (as noted in this passage from Luke):
“On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him. And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only boy, and a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth; and only with difficulty does it leave him, mauling him as it leaves. I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not.” And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” While he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.
But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, “Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.”
Luke 9:37-45 NASB1995
This frustration on the part of Jesus and His sharp rebuke of His disciples happens right after Peter, John and James witness the Transfiguration.
The Holy Spirit has worked in me for quite a few years now, softening and destroying my doubts that were caused by a “science brain” and showing me the supernatural power of God through His Word. So it is perfect timing that I came to this lovely passage again today, realizing that it is not wishful thinking on the part of Isaiah, but a vision of what will come to pass!
My next devotional examines Isaiah 11:10-12, a Signal to His peoples.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Thank You for showing me the beauty and truth of Your Word. I look forward to being with You and Your restored creation! Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org.
Precept Austin was accessed on 11/08/2026 to review commentary for Isaiah 11:6-9.
Biblehub.org was accessed on 11/08/2026 to review commentary for Isaiah 11:6-9.
Commentary from Enduring Word is used with written permission and without any alteration. ©1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com. At the link referenced, the bibliography used by David Guzik can be accessed.