The Sign of Plunder and a Call to Courage
Isaiah 8:1-10
Isa.8.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- קח: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- גליון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- גדול: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- וכתב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- עליו: PREP,3,m,sg
- בחרט: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אנוש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- למהר: PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- שלל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בז: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Isaiah 7:14 (thematic): Both passages use the birth/naming of a child as a divine sign to Judah (Immanuel in 7:14; Maher‑shalal‑hash‑baz in 8:1), linking child imagery to prophetic assurance and imminent events.
- Isaiah 8:3 (structural): Immediate continuation of 8:1: this verse identifies the mother and the birth of Maher‑shalal‑hash‑baz, showing the name written in 8:1 corresponds to an actual child as a sign.
- Isaiah 8:18 (thematic): Isaiah explicitly presents himself and his children as 'signs' and 'wonders' of the LORD, reiterating the function of the named child introduced in 8:1 as a prophetic sign to the people.
- Isaiah 30:8 (verbal): A parallel command to 'write' the oracle on a tablet/book; both verses employ the metaphor of inscribing a divine message as a public, durable witness of prophecy.
- Hosea 1:4-9 (thematic): Hosea's prophetic practice of giving his children symbolic names (e.g., Jezreel, Lo‑Ruhamah, Lo‑Ammi) parallels Isaiah's naming of a child as a bearer of divine judgment/announcement.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the LORD said to me: Take for yourself a large tablet and write on it with a common scribe's stylus—Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Swift is the spoil; speedy is the prey).
- And the LORD said to me, 'Take for yourself a large tablet and write on it with a man's stylus: Maher‑shalal‑hash‑baz.'
Isa.8.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואעידה: CONJ+VERB,qal,fut,1,sg
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- עדים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- נאמנים: ADJ,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- אוריה: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- הכהן: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואת: CONJ
- זכריהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יברכיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 19:15 (verbal): Gives the legal principle of establishing a matter by 'the mouth of two or three witnesses,' the background for the prophet's taking of witnesses (Uriah and Zechariah).
- Isaiah 8:1 (structural): Immediate literary context: verse 1 commands the prophet to write on a large tablet; verse 2 continues that symbolic/legal action by naming the witnesses who will attest to the record.
- Matthew 18:16 (quotation): Jesus quotes the Deuteronomic rule about two or three witnesses when discussing intra-community discipline, showing the same legal principle applied in later Jewish and Christian practice.
- 2 Corinthians 13:1 (allusion): Paul alludes to the same Deuteronomic standard ('every charge must be sustained by the evidence of two or three witnesses') when arguing for verification of accusations, echoing the evidentiary function of Isaiah's witnesses.
- Isaiah 43:10 (thematic): Develops the theme of 'witness' in Isaiah: God declares his people (or declares himself) as witnesses. Isaiah 8:2's named witnesses perform a symbolic, legal witnessing role within the prophetic corpus.
Alternative generated candidates
- And I will appoint reliable witnesses for myself: Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah.
- And I will take faithful witnesses for myself—Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah.
Isa.8.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואקרב: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- אל: NEG
- הנביאה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ותהר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,f,sg
- ותלד: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- קרא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שמו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- מהר: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- שלל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בז: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Isaiah 8:18 (structural): Immediate parallel in the same context: Isaiah presents himself and the children as living signs of God’s message, linking the child’s birth/name in 8:3 to the prophetic symbolism in 8:18.
- Isaiah 7:14 (thematic): Another prophetic birth used as a sign (a child to be called Immanuel). Both verses use the birth and the child's name as a divine sign addressing the nation.
- Hosea 1:4-9 (thematic): Prophetic use of children's names (Jezreel, Lo‑Ruhamah, Lo‑Ammi) to convey God's message about judgment and relationship—parallels Isaiah’s use of Maher‑shalal‑hash‑baz as a sign-name.
- Luke 1:31 (allusion): The angelic announcement that Mary will conceive and name the child (call his name) parallels the motif of God-directed naming at birth; NT narratives echo the prophetic naming tradition.
- 1 Samuel 1:20 (thematic): Hannah’s bearing and naming of Samuel after God’s intervention reflects the broader biblical pattern of children born and named in connection with divine purpose or as signs.
Alternative generated candidates
- And I went to the prophetess; she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz.
- Then I went to the prophetess; she conceived and bore a son. And the LORD said to me, 'Call his name Maher‑shalal‑hash‑baz.'
Isa.8.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- בטרם: PREP
- ידע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- הנער: NOUN,m,sg,def
- קרא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אבי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ואמי: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs,1cs
- ישא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- חיל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דמשק: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ואת: CONJ
- שלל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שמרון: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לפני: PREP
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- אשור: NOUN,prop,m,sg
Parallels
- Isaiah 7:16 (verbal): Uses almost the same timing formula — 'before the boy knows/ can say “My father, my mother”' — and links that short timespan to the coming loss of Damascus and Samaria to Assyria.
- Isaiah 7:14 (structural): Earlier Immanuel-sign prophecy that likewise measures imminent political change by the life/age of a child; both passages use a child's infancy as the sign's time-frame for judgment or deliverance.
- Isaiah 10:5-6 (thematic): Presents Assyria as God's instrument of judgment sent to plunder nations; provides the theological rationale for Isaiah 8:4's prediction that the king of Assyria will carry off spoil.
- 2 Kings 16:9 (thematic): Historical account in which Tiglath‑pileser king of Assyria attacks Aram and carries away inhabitants of Damascus — a historical parallel to Isaiah's prediction of Assyrian seizure of Damascus' wealth.
- 2 Kings 17:6 (thematic): Records the Assyrian capture of Samaria and the deportation of Israel in Hoshea's time — directly parallels Isaiah's claim that the spoil of Samaria will be taken by the king of Assyria.
Alternative generated candidates
- For before the boy knows how to call ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.
- For before the boy knows how to call 'My father' or 'My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried off before the king of Assyria.
Isa.8.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויסף: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- עוד: ADV
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
Parallels
- Jonah 3:1 (verbal): Uses the near-identical prophetic formula—'And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying'—the 'again/second time' wording parallels Isaiah's 'yet again, saying.'
- Jeremiah 1:4 (verbal): Begins with the standard prophetic introduction 'The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,' mirroring Isaiah's formulaic declaration that God spoke to the prophet.
- Exodus 6:10 (structural): An earlier biblical instance of the divine speech formula ('And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying'), showing the wider canonical pattern of God addressing his servants with a similar introductory phrase.
- 1 Kings 19:9 (thematic): Narrative pattern of God speaking directly to a prophet after a crisis ('and, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him'), thematically paralleling Isaiah's recurring divine communications.
Alternative generated candidates
- Again the LORD spoke to me, saying,
- Again the LORD spoke to me, saying,
Isa.8.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יען: CONJ
- כי: CONJ
- מאס: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הזה: DEM,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- מי: PRON,interr,sg
- השלח: NOUN,prop,m,sg,def
- ההלכים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- לאט: ADV
- ומשוש: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- רצין: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רמליהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Isaiah 7:3-9 (structural): Immediate literary context: the same episode and warning about trusting Rezin and the son of Remaliah; chapter 7 sets up the political crisis and divine sign to which 8:6 responds.
- 2 Chronicles 28:5-9 (thematic): Historical parallel: describes the alliance of Rezin (Aram) and Pekah son of Remaliah attacking Judah and taking captives—background for Isaiah’s rebuke of reliance on them.
- 2 Kings 16:5-9 (allusion): Related historical account: records the hostility of Rezin and Pekah toward Judah and Tiglath‑Pileser’s intervention—shows the real political threat Isaiah names.
- Jeremiah 17:7-8 (thematic): Thematic parallel on trust: contrasts trusting in God (likened to a tree by water) with reliance on unstable human/political supports, echoing Isaiah’s critique of rejecting the ‘waters’ of Shiloah.
Alternative generated candidates
- Because this people has despised the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and take delight in Rezin and the son of Remaliah,
- "Because this people has rejected the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and has taken pleasure in Rezin and the son of Remaliah,
Isa.8.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ולכן: CONJ
- הנה: PART
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- מעלה: VERB,qal,ptcp,m,sg
- עליהם: PREP,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- מי: PRON,interr,sg
- הנהר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- העצומים: ADJ,m,pl,def
- והרבים: CONJ+ADJ,m,pl,def
- את: PRT,acc
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- אשור: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- ואת: CONJ
- כל: DET
- כבודו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- ועלה: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- על: PREP
- כל: DET
- אפיקיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- והלך: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- על: PREP
- כל: DET
- גדותיו: NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,3ms
Parallels
- Isaiah 10:5-6 (thematic): Portrays Assyria as the instrument of YHWH's judgment—God 'raises up' the Assyrian king against nations, echoing Isaiah 8:7's depiction of the king of Assyria brought in like overwhelming waters.
- Nahum 1:8-9 (verbal): Uses overflowing/flood imagery of divine attack against Assyria/Nineveh—'with an overflowing flood he will make a full end'—paralleling Isaiah's 'waters of the River, mighty and many' motif.
- Ezekiel 29:3 (verbal): Addresses a mighty king 'that lies in the midst of his rivers' (Pharaoh) and announces judgment via the waters—similar verbal/imagistic use of rivers and kings as objects of divine action.
- 2 Kings 17:5-6 (structural): Narrates the historical outcome of the predicted invasion: the king of Assyria comes, besieges Samaria and carries Israel into exile—concrete fulfilment of the prophetic threat pictured in Isaiah 8:7.
Alternative generated candidates
- therefore, behold, the LORD will bring upon them the waters of the River, mighty and many—the king of Assyria and all his glory. He will rise over all his channels and go over all his banks.
- therefore behold, the LORD will bring upon them the waters of the mighty and abundant river—the king of Assyria and all his glory—and he will rise over all his channels and go over all his banks.
Isa.8.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וחלף: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ביהודה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שטף: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ועבר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- עד: PREP
- צואר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יגיע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- מטות: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- כנפיו: NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- מלא: ADJ,m,sg
- רחב: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ארצך: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עמנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- אל: NEG
Parallels
- Isaiah 8:7 (structural): Immediate context—verse 7 introduces the invading force; verse 8 completes the image of that force overflowing through Judah to the 'neck' and filling the breadth of the land (verbal and narrative continuity).
- Isaiah 7:14 (allusion): Immanuel motif—both passages invoke 'Immanuel' as a sign; 8:8 echoes the Immanuel theme of chapter 7, linking the promise-sign to the prophecy of an overwhelming invasion.
- Nahum 1:8 (thematic): Flood/overflow imagery—Nahum speaks of an 'overflowing flood' used to destroy the wicked, paralleling Isaiah's metaphor of an invading force that 'shall overflow and pass through' the land.
- Habakkuk 1:6-7 (thematic): Depiction of a foreign army as an unstoppable, sweeping force—Habakkuk describes the Chaldeans as swift, fearsome invaders who sweep across the land, thematically similar to Isaiah's image of an overflowing army.
- 2 Chronicles 28:5-8 (structural): Historical parallel—this narrative recounts the attacks by Rezin of Aram and Pekah of Israel on Judah in Ahaz's day, the historical backdrop for Isaiah's prophecy about an invasion that overruns Judah.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he will pass through Judah; he will overflow and pass over, reaching even to the neck; and the outstretched width of his wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.
- He will pass through Judah; he will overflow and pass on and reach even to the neck; and the outstretched of his wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.
Isa.8.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- רעו: VERB,qal,imp,2,pl
- עמים: NOUN,pl,m,abs
- וחתו: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,pl
- והאזינו: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,pl
- כל: DET
- מרחקי: NOUN,m,pl,constr
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- התאזרו: VERB,hitp,imp,2,m,pl
- וחתו: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,pl
- התאזרו: VERB,hitp,imp,2,m,pl
- וחתו: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,pl
Parallels
- Isaiah 13:6-8 (thematic): A similar prophetic summons to nations to fear and be shaken at the coming day of the LORD — a call for peoples to wail and for trembling at divine judgment.
- Joel 2:1-11 (thematic): A widespread alarm to the nations and a depiction of cosmic and social upheaval when God’s judgment comes; echoes the summons for far-off peoples to hear and be broken.
- Jeremiah 25:30-31 (allusion): Speaks of the LORD roaring from on high and a noise reaching the ends of the earth as God contends with the nations — parallels the call for distant lands to heed and be overthrown.
- Psalm 2:1-3 (thematic): Depicts the nations conspiring and raging against the LORD and his anointed; thematically related as an oracle concerning the futility and coming defeat of hostile nations.
Alternative generated candidates
- Rouse yourselves, nations, and be shattered; give ear, all distant lands—gird yourselves, and be shattered; gird yourselves, and be shattered.
- Be agitated, you nations, and be broken; give ear, all distant lands—gird yourselves, yet be broken; gird yourselves, yet be broken.
Isa.8.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- עצו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- עצה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ותפר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- דברו: INF,qal,inf+3ms
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ולא: CONJ
- יקום: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- עמנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- אל: NEG
Parallels
- Isaiah 7:9 (verbal): Similar diction about being 'established' or not—both verses contrast human counsel/assurance with the need to trust God's word in the Immanuel context.
- Isaiah 8:9 (structural): Immediate literary context (8:9–10): nations plot and give counsel, but Isaiah declares those counsels will fail because 'God is with us.'
- Psalm 46:7 (verbal): Contains near-identical language ('The LORD of hosts is with us'), echoing Isaiah's assurance that God's presence defeats hostile plans.
- Matthew 1:23 (allusion): Matthew cites the Immanuel tradition ('God with us') from Isaiah to present Jesus as the fulfillment of divine presence promised against human threats.
- Matthew 28:20 (thematic): Jesus' promise 'I am with you always' echoes the same theological theme: God's abiding presence undermines human enemies and counsels.
Alternative generated candidates
- Plan a plan and carry it out; speak a word and make it stand—not so, for God is with us.
- Plan a plan, but it will be thwarted; utter a word, but it will not stand—for God is with us.
And the LORD said to me, "Take for yourself a large tablet and write upon it with a man's stylus: Maher‑shalal‑hash‑baz." And I will appoint faithful witnesses for myself—Urijah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah.
Then I went to the prophetess; she conceived and bore a son. And the LORD said to me, "Call his name Maher‑shalal‑hash‑baz" (that is, "Quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil").
For before the child knows how to cry, "My father" or "My mother," the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried off before the king of Assyria. And the LORD spoke to me again, saying,
"Because this people has rejected the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and has taken pleasure in Rezin and the son of Remaliah,
therefore, behold, the LORD will bring upon them the waters of the great river—mighty and many—the king of Assyria and all his glory. He will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks.
He will pass through Judah; he will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck; and the outspread of his wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.
Tremble, O nations, and be in anguish; listen, all you distant lands: gird yourselves, and be broken; gird yourselves, and be broken.
Form a plan, but it will be thwarted; speak a word, and it will not stand, for God is with us.