O Root of Jesse…

December 19

O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples;
before you kings will shut their mouths,
to you the nations will make their prayer:
Come and deliver us, and delay no longer.

Source: The O Antiphons

Source of this version: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Antiphons, also in Ancient Collects, ed. William Bright, p. 20

Latin:

O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum,
super quem continebunt reges os suum,
quem Gentes deprecabuntur:
veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.

Isaiah had prophesied:

• “A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” Isaiah 11:1
• “On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.” Isaiah 11:10

Jesse was the father of King David, and Micah had prophesied that the Messiah would be of the house and lineage of David and be born in David’s city, Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Also compare Isaiah 45:14, Isaiah 52:15 and Romans 15:12.