Isaiah 8

This chapter belongs to the early section of Isaiah that deals with the reign of Ahaz, king of Judah, when Aram and the northern kingdom of Israel joined forces to threaten Judah. Following the Immanuel sign of Isaiah 7, it presents another child as a sign.

Outline

• Verses 1–4 Isaiah writes "Maher-shalal-hash-baz" (meaning "the spoil speeds, the prey hastens") on a great tablet and takes Uriah the priest and Zechariah as witnesses. A son bearing the same name is then born, and it is foretold that before the child can cry "My father, and my mother," Damascus and Samaria will be plundered by the king of Assyria.
• Verses 5–8 Because the people have refused the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoice in Rezin and the son of Remaliah, the great river of Assyria will sweep over Judah until it reaches the neck. The passage ends with a cry to "Immanuel."
• Verses 9–10 Though the nations take counsel together, they will be broken in pieces, for God is with us.
• Verses 11–15 Do not fear what this people fears, but fear the LORD of hosts. He will be a sanctuary, yet also a stone of stumbling to both houses of Israel.
• Verses 16–18 The testimony is bound up and sealed among the disciples, and the prophet waits for the LORD, who hides His face. Isaiah and his children are signs in Israel.
• Verses 19–22 Do not inquire of those who have familiar spirits or of wizards, but turn to the law and the testimony. Otherwise the people will be driven into darkness.

Key Verses

• Isaiah 8:10 "for God is with us" — in Hebrew, the same expression as "Immanuel."
• Isaiah 8:14 "for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence" — quoted in the New Testament with reference to Christ.
• Isaiah 8:18 "Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me" — quoted in Hebrews 2.

People and Places

• Isaiah the prophet and his wife: in the Hebrew text his wife is called "the prophetess."
• Maher-shalal-hash-baz: Isaiah's son, whose very name is a prophecy.
• Uriah the priest: some identify him with the priest who built an altar for Ahaz in 2 Kings 16.
• Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah: called as a witness. He is a different person from the author of the prophetic book of Zechariah.
• Rezin: king of Aram (Syria).
• The son of Remaliah: Pekah, king of the northern kingdom of Israel.
• The king of Assyria: the text does not name him, but the king at that time is understood to be Tiglath-pileser III.
• Places: Damascus, Samaria, Jerusalem, and Mount Zion appear. Many interpreters understand the waters of Shiloah as a Jerusalem watercourse leading to the Pool of Siloam.

Points for Reflection

• The identity of Immanuel: Interpreters differ over whether the Immanuel of verse 8 is the same figure as the child in Isaiah 7. Proposed identifications include Maher-shalal-hash-baz, Hezekiah, and the Messiah. Matthew 1:22–23 applies Isaiah 7:14 to the birth of Jesus.
• Historical connections: Damascus is known to have fallen to Assyria around 732 BC, and Samaria around 722 BC.
• New Testament citations: The "stone of stumbling" in verse 14 is quoted in Romans 9 and 1 Peter 2. Verses 12–13 are echoed in 1 Peter 3:14–15.
• Chapter division: Isaiah 8:23 in the Hebrew Bible corresponds to 9:1 in Korean and most English Bibles. The darkness of this chapter leads into the prophecy of the "great light" in Isaiah 9.