Isaiah 8:1
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י קַח־לְךָ֖ גִּלָּי֣וֹן גָּד֑וֹל וּכְתֹ֤ב עָלָיו֙ בְּחֶ֣רֶט אֱנ֔וֹשׁ לְמַהֵ֥ר שָׁלָ֖ל חָ֥שׁ בַּֽז׃
Isaiah 8:2
וְאָעִ֣ידָה לִּ֔י עֵדִ֖ים נֶאֱמָנִ֑ים אֵ֚ת אוּרִיָּ֣ה הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְאֶת־זְכַרְיָ֖הוּ בֶּ֥ן יְבֶרֶכְיָֽהוּ׃
Isaiah 8:3
וָאֶקְרַב֙ אֶל־הַנְּבִיאָ֔ה וַתַּ֖הַר וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י קְרָ֣א שְׁמ֔וֹ מַהֵ֥ר שָׁלָ֖ל חָ֥שׁ בַּֽז׃
Isaiah 8:4
כִּ֗י בְּטֶ֙רֶם֙ יֵדַ֣ע הַנַּ֔עַר קְרֹ֖א אָבִ֣י וְאִמִּ֑י יִשָּׂ֣א׀ אֶת־חֵ֣יל דַּמֶּ֗שֶׂק וְאֵת֙ שְׁלַ֣ל שֹׁמְר֔וֹן לִפְנֵ֖י מֶ֥לֶךְ אַשּֽׁוּר׃ס
Isaiah 8:5
וַיֹּ֣סֶף יְהוָ֔ה דַּבֵּ֥ר אֵלַ֛י ע֖וֹד לֵאמֹֽר׃
Isaiah 8:6
יַ֗עַן כִּ֤י מָאַס֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה אֵ֚ת מֵ֣י הַשִּׁלֹ֔חַ הַהֹלְכִ֖ים לְאַ֑ט וּמְשׂ֥וֹשׂ אֶת־רְצִ֖ין וּבֶן־רְמַלְיָֽהוּ׃
Isaiah 8:7
וְלָכֵ֡ן הִנֵּ֣ה אֲדֹנָי֩ מַעֲלֶ֨ה עֲלֵיהֶ֜ם אֶת־מֵ֣י הַנָּהָ֗ר הָעֲצוּמִים֙ וְהָ֣רַבִּ֔ים אֶת־מֶ֥לֶךְ אַשּׁ֖וּר וְאֶת־כָּל־כְּבוֹד֑וֹ וְעָלָה֙ עַל־כָּל־אֲפִיקָ֔יו וְהָלַ֖ךְ עַל־כָּל־גְּדוֹתָֽיו׃
Isaiah 8:8
וְחָלַ֤ף בִּֽיהוּדָה֙ שָׁטַ֣ף וְעָבַ֔ר עַד־צַוָּ֖אר יַגִּ֑יעַ וְהָיָה֙ מֻטּ֣וֹת כְּנָפָ֔יו מְלֹ֥א רֹֽחַב־אַרְצְךָ֖ עִמָּ֥נוּ אֵֽל׃ס
Isaiah 8:9
רֹ֤עוּ עַמִּים֙ וָחֹ֔תּוּ וְהַֽאֲזִ֔ינוּ כֹּ֖ל מֶרְחַקֵּי־אָ֑רֶץ הִתְאַזְּר֣וּ וָחֹ֔תּוּ הִֽתְאַזְּר֖וּ וָחֹֽתּוּ׃
Isaiah 8:10
עֻ֥צוּ עֵצָ֖ה וְתֻפָ֑ר דַּבְּר֤וּ דָבָר֙ וְלֹ֣א יָק֔וּם כִּ֥י עִמָּ֖נוּ אֵֽל׃ס
Isaiah 8:11
כִּי֩ כֹ֨ה אָמַ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה אֵלַ֖י כְּחֶזְקַ֣ת הַיָּ֑ד וְיִסְּרֵ֕נִי מִלֶּ֛כֶת בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ הָֽעָם־הַזֶּ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃
Isaiah 8:12
לֹא־תֹאמְר֣וּן קֶ֔שֶׁר לְכֹ֧ל אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמַ֛ר הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה קָ֑שֶׁר וְאֶת־מוֹרָא֥וֹ לֹֽא־תִֽירְא֖וּ וְלֹ֥א תַעֲרִֽיצוּ׃
Isaiah 8:13
אֶת־יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת אֹת֣וֹ תַקְדִּ֑ישׁוּ וְה֥וּא מוֹרַאֲכֶ֖ם וְה֥וּא מַֽעֲרִֽצְכֶֽם׃
Isaiah 8:14
וְהָיָ֖ה לְמִקְדָּ֑שׁ וּלְאֶ֣בֶן נֶ֠גֶף וּלְצ֨וּר מִכְשׁ֜וֹל לִשְׁנֵ֨י בָתֵּ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לְפַ֣ח וּלְמוֹקֵ֔שׁ לְיוֹשֵׁ֖ב יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
Isaiah 8:15
וְכָ֥שְׁלוּ בָ֖ם רַבִּ֑ים וְנָפְל֣וּ וְנִשְׁבָּ֔רוּ וְנוֹקְשׁ֖וּ וְנִלְכָּֽדוּ׃ס
Isaiah 8:16
צ֖וֹר תְּעוּדָ֑ה חֲת֥וֹם תּוֹרָ֖ה בְּלִמֻּדָֽי׃
Wrap up the testimony; seal the Torah for My learners.
Paraphrase: Now these are the words I want you to know and to act on. Write them down in a scroll, so they will be preserved for all future generations. Place My seal on it so everyone will know that these are really and truly My words and not the mere prognostications of fallible human persons.
Comments:
The seal here is not to conceal the contents but to authenticate it as genuine.
Isaiah 8:17
וְחִכִּ֙יתִי֙ לַיהוָ֔ה הַמַּסְתִּ֥יר פָּנָ֖יו מִבֵּ֣ית יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְקִוֵּ֖יתִֽי־לֽוֹ׃
Now I will wait for YHWH who causes His Face to hide from the house of Jacob, and I will wait for Him.
Paraphrase: Yes, people, listen to what YHWH is speaking to us. Listen carefully and write it down accurately. These are the truths which we will need when God’s judgments (Isaiah 8:4) fall on us. When that time comes, we can open up these scrolls, read what God has promised us (Isaiah 8:11-15), know His purposes, and wait patiently for these judgments to pass and for His face to shine on us once again. (Psalm 80:3, 7, 19)
Comments:
It’s so hard to know who the speaker is in the previous verse and if it changes here. I’m concluding that God is the speaker in v16, and Isaiah is speaking here. Most commentators think otherwise.
Isaiah 8:18
הִנֵּ֣ה אָנֹכִ֗י וְהַיְלָדִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָֽתַן־לִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לְאֹת֥וֹת וּלְמוֹפְתִ֖ים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מֵעִם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת הַשֹּׁכֵ֖ן בְּהַ֥ר צִיּֽוֹן׃ס
Behold, I and the children which YHWH has given to me for signs and for wonders in Israel, from YHWH of armies, dwelling in mount Zion.
Paraphrase: Now listen to me, my dear people. YHWH has given me these children (Isaiah 7:3; 8:3) to be a sign for you. Are you getting the message? Here is Shear-jashub who is a sign to you that Israel while Israel will be delivered from Rezin and Pekah (Isaiah 7:4-9), they will be devastated by the Assyrians. (Isaiah 7:17) Nevertheless, God will preserve His people, and “a remnant will return.” And do you see here my infant son Maher-shalal-hash-baz? He too is a sign that the wealth of Syria and Israel will quickly be carried off by the terrible king of Assyria. But this little child also testifies to you that the same king will carry off your wealth as well unless you turn from your evil and repent! Now people of Judah, hear the preaching of these two small children. What a blessing it is that YHWH still lives amongst us and makes Himself known to us!
Comments:
יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת הַשֹּׁכֵן is a noun sentence.
Shear-jashub = שְׁאָר יָשׁוּב = a remnant will return.
Maher-shalal-hash-baz = מַהֵר שָׁלָל חָשׁ בַּז = the spoil speeds, the prey hastes.
Isaiah 8:19
וְכִֽי־יֹאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵיכֶ֗ם דִּרְשׁ֤וּ אֶל־הָאֹבוֹת֙ וְאֶל־הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֔ים הַֽמְצַפְצְפִ֖ים וְהַמַּהְגִּ֑ים הֲלוֹא־עַם֙ אֶל־אֱלֹהָ֣יו יִדְרֹ֔שׁ בְּעַ֥ד הַחַיִּ֖ים אֶל־הַמֵּתִֽים׃
and if they say to you, “Seek to the spirits of the dead and to magicians chirping and muttering. Should not a people to his gods seek on behalf of the living to the dead?
Paraphrase: Perhaps some of you don’t believe it. You don’t see the message that God is giving you through my children. Perhaps you think it would be wiser to consult some of the magicians who are able to speak with the dead. Shouldn’t we seek to discover the mind of God by speaking with the deceased? Perhaps in this way we can know the best course of action for us to take in these difficult times?
Comments:
I am assuming that Isaiah is still speaking.
See also the witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28:7) who is called a אוֹב-בַּעֲלַת.
Isaiah 8:20
לְתוֹרָ֖ה וְלִתְעוּדָ֑ה אִם־לֹ֤א יֹֽאמְרוּ֙ כַּדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־ל֖וֹ שָֽׁחַר׃
To the Torah and to the Testimonies! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no dawn in them.
Paraphrase: Nonsense! To the Torah and to the testimonies which come from the Mouth of God! These are the only words worth listening to; these are the only words that are reliably and infallibly true. The mutterings and chirpings of these magicians are utterly worthless and completely bogus. They arise only from the depraved imagination of some shrewd charlatan. Anyone who makes decisions based on what these quacks say is wandering about in the dark. (Deuteronomy 28:29; Job 5:14; 12:25; Isaiah 59:10; Lamentations 4:14; Zephaniah 1:17) The bright, shining sun of God’s truth (Acts 17:27) has never risen on them; they’re still in the darkness of night.
Comments:
The relative pronoun can be used to introduce a causal clause; see paragraph 3 in the right column of p98.
Isaiah 8:21
וְעָ֥בַר בָּ֖הּ נִקְשֶׁ֣ה וְרָעֵ֑ב וְהָיָ֨ה כִֽי־יִרְעַ֜ב וְהִתְקַצַּ֗ף וְקִלֵּ֧ל בְּמַלְכּ֛וֹ וּבֵאלֹהָ֖יו וּפָנָ֥ה לְמָֽעְלָה׃
and he passed through her being oppressed and hungry, and it was when he hungered that he was angry at himself, and he cursed his king and his God and he turned upwards.
Paraphrase: Such people will come under God’s wrath and judgments. As they go about their daily business, God will turn them over to great oppression and hardship. They will suffer hunger; and when they understand why, they will bitterly regret their folly. They will go on to curse the king. They will even shake their fist at the heavens and curse God Himself.
Comments:
The singular here is a collective.
Note the hitpael וְהִתְקַצַּף.
Isaiah 8:22
וְאֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ יַבִּ֑יט וְהִנֵּ֨ה צָרָ֤ה וַחֲשֵׁכָה֙ מְע֣וּף צוּקָ֔ה וַאֲפֵלָ֖ה מְנֻדָּֽח׃
and to the land, he looks and behold, distress and darkness, gloom of anguish and to darkness being thrust.
Paraphrase: Then, they will look around them and see nothing but poverty, distress, and anguish. The Light has shone into their darkness, but they did not embrace it. (John 1:5) They would rather consult their magicians and wizards than sit at God’s feet and learn from Him. Finally, the day will come when they will be overrun by a strange nation. They will be dragged out of the promised land and scattered to the four corners of the earth. (Deuteronomy 28:63-68)
Comments: