Isaiah 8

1 with a man’s pen. That is, using common letters, instead of characters which were known only to a few. For the same purpose of legibility the tablet or board (not “roll” as in A.V.) was to be large; and the letters, being few, would be large also. The name inscribed signifies, “Haste, spoil! quick, prey!”

2. Uriah the priest. Uriah (or Urijah) was probably the high priest mentioned in 2 Kings xvi. 10-16, who joined with the king in profaning the temple. Zechariah might be the father-in-law of Ahaz. see 2 Kings xviii. 2.

3. Gall his name, etc. The child thus became the symbol of the impending chastisement of Syria and the Ten Tribes.

6 this people refuseth, etc. This probably means the people of both kingdoms (see 14). They compared the trickling “waters of Shiloah” with the mighty Euphrates, in other words their little kingdom with the greatness of Assyria.

7 the River. That is, the Euphrates, which apply symbolised the Assyrian monarchy, because it overspreads its banks and inundates the surrounding country.

8. And he shall pass through, etc. More vividly as well as accurately rendered in R.V., “And he shall sweep onward into Judah; he shall overflow and pass through,” etc.

thy land, O Immanuel. That is, “the land belonging to thee.” This brief apostrophe to Immanuel, the Messiah, suggests a future deliverance, and leads on to an ironical invitation to all the enemies of Israel to do their worst, of the failure of which the name Immanuel—“God with us”—was a standing pledge (10). “God with us,” says G. A. Smith, “is the one great fact of life.”

11 with a strong hand. That is, by a strong prophetic impulse: see Ezek. iii. 14.

12. Say ye not, A confederacy. R.V., “A conspiracy.” This may refer to the alliance between Syria and Israel, which was causing so much alarm to Judah, or to the alliance which Ahaz was making with Assyria for his protection. In other words, put your trust in God, honour and reverence Him (ver. 13), and He will be to you “a sanctuary,” an asylum from danger, such as the Assyrian monarch cannot afford you; whilst He will be a destroyer, worse than Resin or Pekah, to those who distrust and disobey Him (14, 15). This involves a general principle, and is therefore applied to Christ and the Gospel: ep. 2 Cor. ii. 16.

16. Bind up the testimony. This was spoken to encourage the faithful Israelites to hold fast (binding and sealing in their hearts) to God’s “testimony” (His promise), and keeping God’s “law”: thus being witnesses to the people of His truth, in opposition to those who vainly sought light by forbidden arts.

I will look for him. In God and in His word is the prophet’s unquenchable hope.

18 and the children whom the Lord hath given, etc. Shear-jashub and the infant Maher-shalah-hash-baz. A remnant of God’s people shall return: the despoilers shall themselves be spoiled! The “signs” had a universal meaning, and the language is therefore applied to the Messiah. Heb. ii. 13.

19 peep. That is “chirp” like small fowl. So also in x. 14. This feeble sound was supposed to be made by the spirits with whom the wizards professed to deal.

For the living to the dead? That is, Should they resort, in behalf of the living, to the dead? Luther’s version has “Soll man die Todten für die Lebendigen fragen?” (“Are we to ask the dead for the living?”) This is surely a message for those who are influenced by the spiritism of to-day. No real light has ever come on any subject from that source.

20 [It is] because [there is] no light in them. Rather, as R.V., “Surely there is no morning for them,” i.e., they shall have no relief, no prosperity: comp. lviii. 8; Job xi. 17.

21 through it. That is, through the land. bestead. That is, distressed.

And curse their king and their God. Rather, “curse [their wretched fate] by their king and their God,” uttering imprecations against their lot, instead of humbling themselves under God’s mighty hand; looking “upward” in despair, and “to the earth” in sullen misery: beholding nothing but “darkness.”

armour of the armed man in the tumult, and the garments rolled in blood, shall even be for burning, for fuel of fire” (R.V.), i.e., all warlike equipments shall be utterly destroyed, and war itself shall cease.