Isaiah 9:6b These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor…
Isaiah uses four sets of word pairs to describe this child that will be born unto us- the Light of the World that will overcome darkness, physical distress and spiritual misery. The first title is "Wonderful Counselor":
By itself in English this is a pretty cool title for someone. Imagine calling someone by this phrase. "Hey, Wonderful Counselor, how are you today?" or "Look, there goes Wonderful Counselor!" Obviously this isn’t a title that we throw around on just anybody, is it? Not even the greatest psychologist alive today would be known by the phrase "Wonderful Counselor."
And in Hebrew, this title is even more impressive. It’s unbelievably powerful. It is a title of awe. The Hebrew is pele yoetz.
Pele means "wonder." In the old testament this word predominantly refers to God. It is used to describe Yahweh and his miraculous works because God is a wonder. God is astonishing. God is beyond human understanding and our capability to fathom. God is shocking and marvelous and indescribable. This word, pele, hints at the deity of this child to be born. It is a word that could even stand alone in this passage. We could translate it, "He will be called ‘Wonder’."
And not only will he be called Wonder, but he will also be called Counselor. Yoetz means "counselor, adviser, purposer, planner, deviser." This child will be the one who sits on the throne of the world with wisdom and judgment. Isaiah goes on in his book to describe to how this child’s rule will end hostility and inaugurate peace. He is a counselor that needs no other advisers or analysts around him. This child does not need a cabinet to help him make decisions or carry out action. He himself is The Counselor to whom everyone else will turn. He is a Wonder of a Counselor. He is a Counselor of Wonder.