Chapter Eight

1–4. A twofold sign of judgment threatening Syria and the Israelite kingdom. 5–10. Judgment for disbelief: a) An Assyrian invasion of the land of Immanuel, 11–15. b) the true, real danger, 16–22. c) without God’s revelation there is no hope for the Jews.

Isa 8:1-4. Some time after the meeting of the prophet Isaiah with Ahaz, depicted in chapter 7 (cf. Isa 8:8-10 and Isa 7:14), new signs and revelations were communicated to the prophet, which clarified the meaning of what had been communicated to the house of David earlier through the prophet. A twofold sign—(the prophet was to write on a tablet the expression: Maher-shalal-hash-baz and give his son such a strange name)—pointed to the swift laying waste of Damascus and Samaria.

Isaiah 8:1. And the Lord said to me: Take for yourself a large tablet and write on it with a man’s pen: Maher-shalal-hash-baz. “A large tablet”—in Hebrew gilaion, that is, a rather large white board on which one could write clearly and in large characters the four words. “With a man’s pen,” that is, in the common script, for example, written as the famous Siloam inscription. This script is contrasted with conditional script, which can be understood only by those initiated into the conventional meaning of the different letters.

Isaiah 8:2. And I took for myself faithful witnesses: Uriah the priest and Zechariah, son of Berechiah,— 2 Samuel 16:10. “Uriah,” as is evident from 2 Kings 16:10 and following, was a man of note at that time. He is chosen by God as a witness that the prophet indeed wrote the aforesaid words, also because he did not share views with the prophet Isaiah and appeared to the king and to the people as completely impartial, even hostile toward the prophet, an unbiased witness with whom the prophet could not have made any secret agreement. “Zechariah” may have been the father-in-law of Ahaz (2 Sam 18:2).

Isaiah 8:3. And I approached the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. And the Lord said to me: Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz, Isaiah 8:4. For before the child will know how to cry out, “My father,” and “My mother,” the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be carried away before the king of Assyria. Here also an indication is given (a second symbolic action) of the laying waste of Syria and the kingdom of Israel. Only about a year and a half remained before this laying waste, because within a year and a half a child learns to stammer the names of father and mother (abi, immi). “The prophetess”—the wife of the prophet Isaiah. Isa 8:5-10. Reproaching certain Jews who did not value the line of David placed on the throne of Judea by God Himself and who had lost hope in the Almighty, the prophet proclaims to them that the one on whom they place greater hope, that is, the Assyrian king, shall become the devastator of their country. If not for Immanuel, to whom the Judean land belongs and who will therefore protect it, the Judean kingdom would be completely destroyed.

Isaiah 8:5. And the Lord spoke to me again and said, Isaiah 8:6. Because this people despises the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and delights in Rezin and the son of Remaliah, Isaiah 8:7. Now therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing upon it the waters of the river—strong and many—the king of Assyria with all his glory; and it shall rise above all its channels and overflow all its banks; Isaiah 8:8. And it shall sweep through Judah; it shall overflow and pass through; it shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of its wings shall fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel! In these verses the prophecy of chapter 7 (verses 17–15) is more clearly revealed. “The waters of Shiloah”—this is the gently flowing Shiloah stream that flowed out from beneath the royal palace on Mount Zion. It is a symbol of the royal service of the dynasty of David. There are Jews who despise this seemingly inconspicuous stream and desire to see a stronger government. For this they will be punished: upon them will rush a great river—the king of Assyria with his glory or enormous army. “The stretching out of its wings,” that is, the overflowing of this river. Instead of wings here one can put the expression hands. “Your land, O Immanuel.” The prophet speaks that the land of Judea belongs to Immanuel—in order to encourage the Jews frightened by his prediction. If Judea belongs to Immanuel as King, then He will not allow her to perish.

Isaiah 8:9. Be in turmoil, O peoples, and be broken; give ear, all you far regions; gird yourselves, but be broken; gird yourselves, but be broken! Isaiah 8:10. Take counsel together, but it shall come to nothing; speak a word, but it shall not stand: for God is with us! In general, the pagan nations are not formidable to the Jews because God is with the Jews! Or, according to the Hebrew, “for Immanuel!” Isa 8:11-15. Thus, salvation and destruction, as Isaiah learned from God, are conditioned not by the political skill of rulers and do not depend on external circumstances. Everything in the life of a state, as in the life of a individual man, depends on faith in the Word of God and on obedience to it. He who fears God, nothing will terrify him, no danger; divine promises give such a man the desired peace. But those who pay no heed to the Word of God proclaimed by the prophets will surely stumble on their path and fall into trouble.

Isaiah 8:11. For the Lord spoke to me with a strong hand and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, A new revelation the prophet here describes. At this time he was in a special, ecstatic state (under the hand of the Lord). “To walk in the way,” that is, to imitate.

Isaiah 8:12. “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy; and do not fear what they fear, and do not be afraid. The Lord teaches the prophet and the Jews who were still able to listen to the prophet’s instruction, not to consider seriously the conspiracy of the kings of Syria and Israel against the dynasty of David (2 Chr 23:13).

Isaiah 8:13. The Lord of hosts—Him you shall regard as holy; let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread! It is not these insignificant kings whom the Jews should fear, but their great King—the Lord! They must take His will into account, because He is their Almighty Sovereign.

Isaiah 8:14. And He will be for a sanctuary and for a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a snare and a net to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Isaiah 8:15. And many among them shall stumble and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be captured. And He will be for a sanctuary—in the translation from Hebrew holie keddasch. Some interpret this in the sense that the Almighty will be for the Jews a refuge, into which enemies will not dare to penetrate to hide those Jews (cf. Isa 5:16; Ezek 28:22). Others see here an indication of the sanctifying activity of the Lord toward the believing. Isa 8:16-22. The saving revelation which the Jews do not wish to accept must be preserved, at least in a small circle of believers. The prophet must initiate them into the understanding of this revelation, and then let them wait with patience for its fulfillment. He himself, with his sons—Shear-jashub and Maher-shalal-hash-baz—will remain a living testimony to all who wish to see and hear—a testimony that salvation is only in the Lord, that the enemies of Judea will soon be punished, and that from the very disobedient Jewish people only a remnant will be saved. Yes, the Jews should seek instruction from the prophets of God, but instead they turn for counsel to various soothsayers. This will lead the Judean state to ultimate ruin—both political and religio-moral.

Isaiah 8:16. Bind up the testimony, seal the law among My disciples. The prophet declares that he wishes to preserve this testimony of God by sealing it for his disciples. (According to the more correct translation, the first word of the verse is read as an infinitive—ihotom: “I intend to bind up...” This is the word of the prophet himself). “Disciples”—of Isaiah are the people who believe in the Almighty, constituting a small circle around the prophet.

Isaiah 8:17. Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. If Jewish society has lost hope in the Lord, the prophet, nevertheless, firmly trusts in Him, contrary to all appearances by which one might conclude that the Almighty has completely broken His covenant with Israel.

Isaiah 8:18. Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. Isaiah and his two sons—all three by their names (the Lord will save—the remnant shall return—a remnant will escape, he hastens the spoil)—serve as clear prefigurations of what the One who is, intends to do for His people: the Lord will save His people. The Apostle Paul, taking the preceding verse, as well as the words of verse 18: behold I and the children... places these in the mouth of the Messiah, to prove that even in the Old Testament there was the thought of the actual assumption by the Messiah—the Son of God—of true human flesh (Heb 2:13).

Isaiah 8:19. And when they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists, those who chirp and those who mutter,” should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead in behalf of the living? These testimonies are enough for the believer. There is no need, therefore, to turn to various kinds of soothsayers for inquiries about the future! “Mediums”—in Hebrew haovot, that is, people who claim to be mediums through whom one can receive an answer from someone among the dead. Such was, for example, the sorceress of Endor (1 Sam 28:7). “Soothsayers”—in Hebrew hajidenim (from the verb jada—to know), in our terms, those who consult spirits or wizards (cf. Lev 20:27; Deut 18:11). As qualifications for both these terms, are added the words: those who squeak and those who mutter. The first word refers to the squeak of a mouse in the silence or the chirping of a bird and designates a scarcely audible, thin, like that of a bird, voice of one speaking on behalf of the dead, a medium. The second—to the hollowness of the voice which those same mediums tried to give to their speech. “Answer”—this word is not in the Hebrew text.

Isaiah 8:20. To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, surely there is no dawn. The first words of this verse constitute a supplement to the verb of the preceding verse, and both verses, more consistently with the context of the discourse, may be translated thus: But you will be told: “Consult with the mediums and the spiritists, those who chirp and those who mutter. Should not a people consult their gods (cf. Jonah 1:5) and the dead on behalf of those who live, in order to receive teaching and testimony?” Certainly, this is what they will say—but in them there is no clear understanding (light).

Isaiah 8:21. And they shall wander through the land, severely oppressed and hungry; and in their hunger they will be enraged, and will curse their king and their God. Isaiah 8:22. And they shall look to the earth, and behold, it is darkness and distress; and the light is darkened by their clouds; and they shall be thrust into darkness. Yet there shall not be gloom for her who is oppressed. Hunger will cause the Jews to curse their king and god—not the Lord, but the one whom they so honored, the one on whom they placed their hopes. Darkness will cover the Judean land everywhere. The Jews will lift their eyes to heaven, expecting to see the sun, but the sun will not appear to them. Darkness appears here, as in other places, as the symbolic designation of the most terrible, comfortless condition (cf. Deut 28:29). Chapter 8 contains new predictions of Assyrian invasion. Verses 1–4, 5–10, 11–15, 16–20 constitute separate prophecies, separated from one another by certain intervals of time. The sign described in verses 1–4 was probably given in 734 BC, since it is predicted here that the kingdoms of Syria and Israel will be devastated by the Assyrians within a year and a half. The following passages have in view the Judean kingdom, which in turn should suffer from the Assyrian ruler. The last passage—verses 16–20—has a personal interest, so to speak, as it recounts an important episode in Isaiah’s prophetic ministry. Wearied, apparently, by the struggle against the disbelief which the Jewish people showed toward his counsel, the prophet records his teachings and, sealing them, entrusts this document to his disciples. What this document contained—it is impossible to venture probable conjectures on this. Chapters 7, verses 10–16, and chapter 8, verses 1–4 and 8–10, are read as a paremial text on the eve of the feast of the Nativity of Christ, because Immanuel and His Kingdom are the prefiguration of Christ and His Church, Who, with such a Protector, needs fear no enemies.