Isaiah 8: God With Us
Isaiah names his son for swift judgment on Judah's enemies, warns against fear and false guidance, and clings to the LORD as sanctuary.
Isaiah 8 (WEB)
1 Yahweh said to me, “Take a large tablet, and write on it with a man’s pen, ‘For Maher Shalal Hash Baz’;
2 and I will take for myself faithful witnesses to testify: Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.”
3 I went to the prophetess, and she conceived, and bore a son. Then Yahweh said to me, “Call his name ‘Maher Shalal Hash Baz.’
4 For before the child knows how to say, ‘My father,’ and, ‘My mother,’ the riches of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried away by the king of Assyria.”
5 Yahweh spoke to me yet again, saying,
6 “Because this people have refused the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son;
7 now therefore, behold, the Lord brings upon them the mighty flood waters of the River: the king of Assyria and all his glory. It will come up over all its channels, and go over all its banks.
8 It will sweep onward into Judah. It will overflow and pass through; it will reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of its wings will fill the breadth of your land, Immanuel.
9 Make an uproar, you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Listen, all you from far countries: dress for battle, and be shattered! Dress for battle, and be shattered!
10 Take counsel together, and it will be brought to nothing; speak the word, and it will not stand: for God is with us.”
11 For Yahweh spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,
12 “Don’t say, ‘A conspiracy!’ concerning all about which this people say, ‘A conspiracy!’ neither fear their threats, nor be terrorized.
13 Yahweh of Armies is who you must respect as holy. He is the one you must fear. He is the one you must dread.
14 He will be a sanctuary, but for both houses of Israel, he will be a trap and a snare for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 Many will stumble over it, fall, be broken, be snared, and be captured.”
16 Wrap up the testimony. Seal the law among my disciples.
17 I will wait for Yahweh, who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
18 Behold, I and the children whom Yahweh has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from Yahweh of Armies, who dwells in Mount Zion.
19 When they tell you, “Consult with those who have familiar spirits and with the wizards, who chirp and who mutter:” shouldn’t a people consult with their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?
20 Turn to the law and to the testimony! If they don’t speak according to this word, surely there is no morning for them.
21 They will pass through it, very distressed and hungry; and it will happen that when they are hungry, they will worry, and curse by their king and by their God. They will turn their faces upward,
22 and look to the earth, and see distress, darkness, and the gloom of anguish. They will be driven into thick darkness.
Isaiah 8 (KJV)
1 Moreover the Lord said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man’s pen concerning Maher–shalal–hash–baz.
2 And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.
3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the Lord to me, Call his name Maher–shalal–hash–baz.
4 For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.
5 The Lord spake also unto me again, saying,
6 Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son;
7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:
8 And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.
9 Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.
10 Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.
11 For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,
12 Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
13 Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
17 And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
18 Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.
19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
21 And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.
22 And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.
Isaiah 8 (ASV)
1 And Jehovah said unto me, Take thee a great tablet, and write upon it with the pen of a man, For Maher-shalal-hash-baz;
2 and I will take unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.
3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said Jehovah unto me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz.
4 For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and, My mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be carried away before the king of Assyria.
5 And Jehovah spake unto me yet again, saying,
6 Forasmuch as this people have refused the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son;
7 now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the River, strong and many, even the king of Assyria and all his glory: and it shall come up over all its channels, and go over all its banks;
8 and it shall sweep onward into 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 thy land, O Immanuel.
9 Make an uproar, O ye peoples, and be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces.
10 Take counsel together, and it shall be brought to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.
11 For Jehovah spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,
12 Say ye not, A conspiracy, concerning all whereof this people shall say, A conspiracy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be in dread thereof.
13 Jehovah of hosts, him shall ye sanctify; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 And many shall stumble thereon, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
16 Bind thou up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
17 And I will wait for Jehovah, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
18 Behold, I and the children whom Jehovah hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from Jehovah of hosts, who dwelleth in mount Zion.
19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits and unto the wizards, that chirp and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? on behalf of the living should they seek unto the dead?
20 To the law and to the testimony! if they speak not according to this word, surely there is no morning for them.
21 And they shall pass through it, sore distressed and hungry; and it shall come to pass that, when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse by their king and by their God, and turn their faces upward:
22 and they shall look unto the earth, and, behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and into thick darkness they shall be driven away.
Summary
God tells Isaiah to write a name on a large tablet, Maher-shalal-hash-baz, meaning swift is the plunder, quick is the spoil, and the prophetess bears a son given that name. Before the child can say father or mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried off by Assyria. Because Judah has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and trembled before its enemies, God will bring the flood of the king of Assyria sweeping up to the neck, yet the chapter twice cries out that all the plotting of the nations will fail, “for God is with us”—Immanuel. Speaking with a strong hand upon him, God warns Isaiah not to follow the fearful path of the people: do not call conspiracy what they call conspiracy, do not fear what they fear, but regard Yahweh of Armies as holy. He will be a sanctuary to those who trust him but a stone of stumbling to those who do not. Isaiah binds up the testimony among his disciples and resolves to wait for the LORD who hides his face. He rejects consulting mediums and the dead, urging the people to turn to the law and the testimony, for those without God's light wander in distress and thick darkness.
Key Figures
- Isaiah and his family — The prophet, the prophetess, and their children, given as living signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of Armies.
- Maher-shalal-hash-baz — Isaiah's son whose name—swift is the plunder, quick is the spoil—signals the imminent fall of Damascus and Samaria to Assyria.
- The LORD of Armies — The God who is with his people as Immanuel, a sanctuary to those who fear him and a stone of stumbling to those who refuse to trust.
Key Verse
Isaiah 8:10 (WEB)
Take counsel together, and it will be brought to nothing; speak the word, and it will not stand: for God is with us.”
Lessons Learned
- God's word is sure; what he names will surely come to pass (Isaiah 8:1-4).
- Rejecting God's gentle provision invites overwhelming consequences (Isaiah 8:6-8).
- We are to fear God rather than the things that frighten the world (Isaiah 8:12-13).
- When darkness presses in, we must turn to God's word, not to false sources of guidance (Isaiah 8:19-20).
- No plan against God's people can finally stand. “Take counsel together, and it will be brought to nothing… for God is with us” (Isaiah 8:10, WEB). Immanuel is the assurance that frustrates every hostile scheme.
- Fear the Lord, not the world. “Yahweh of Armies is who you must respect as holy. He is the one you must fear” (Isaiah 8:13, WEB). Right fear of God dissolves the tyranny of lesser fears.
- God is both sanctuary and stumbling stone. “He will be a sanctuary, but… a trap and a snare” (Isaiah 8:14, WEB). The same Lord who shelters the trusting trips those who reject him.
- Seek guidance from God's word alone. “Turn to the law and to the testimony!” (Isaiah 8:20, WEB). When tempted toward false counsel, God's revealed word is the test and the light.
- What is the meaning of the name Maher-shalal-hash-baz, and how does it function as a sign (8:1-4)?
- What do the gentle “waters of Shiloah” and the flooding “River” represent (8:6-8)?
- How does the refrain “God is with us” (8:10) answer the people's fears?
- What does it mean that the LORD will be both a sanctuary and a stone of stumbling (8:14)?
- When you feel surrounded by darkness or bad news, where are you tempted to turn for guidance, and how does verse 20 redirect you?
- The name means “swift is the plunder, quick is the spoil,” a prophecy that Assyria would soon carry off Damascus and Samaria (8:1-4). The child becomes a walking sign: before he can speak, the threatening kingdoms will fall. God's word is so certain it is written down and witnessed in advance.
- The waters of Shiloah were Jerusalem's gentle, steady spring, picturing the quiet provision of trusting God; the mighty River pictures Assyria's flood of conquest (8:6-8). Because Judah despised God's gentle care and feared its enemies, it would be swept by the very power it dreaded. Help the group see the contrast between quiet trust and frantic alliances.
- The cry “for God is with us”—Immanuel—declares that no coalition of nations can succeed against a people God dwells with (8:9-10). It reframes the crisis: the decisive factor is not enemy strength but God's presence. This anticipates the assurance believers have in Christ.
- To those who trust him, God is a refuge and shelter; to those who reject him, the same holy God becomes an obstacle they stumble over (8:14). The New Testament applies this to Christ, the cornerstone who is precious to believers but a stumbling stone to the unbelieving (1 Peter 2:6-8).
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to recognize the modern equivalents of consulting mediums—anxious searching for guidance anywhere but God. Encourage them, gently, to return to Scripture as their light when fear and darkness press in, trusting the God who is with them.