Isaiah 8

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Isaiah 8

1 Moreover the Lord said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Ma′her-shal′al-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 Ma′her-shal′al-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.

Notes

[3] According to Rabbi Benton Kravitz, this prophetess is Isaiah's wife – the same woman in 7:14. According to Rashi, this is the fulfillment of the birth portion of the prophecy in 7:14.

Cross Reference

[3] Isaiah 7:14

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 1

<html>scroll Heb. גִּלְיוֹן, like מְגִלָה. ([Mss. add:] Or a tablet.) in common script In script which any man who reads it can skim through quickly, even a very common man, even if he is not intelligent. In this manner Jonathan renders: in a distinct script. to hasten loot, speed the spoils For Sennacherib to come and to loot all the possessions of the ten tribes and to speed Nebuchadnezzar to pillage Zedekiah and his generation.</html>

Verse 2

<html>And I will call to testify for Myself also in those days, in the days of Jehoiakim, concerning that calamity, destined to befall them, two trustworthy witnesses, one to foretell for them the evil that was destined to come upon them, viz. Uriah the priest, whom Jehoiakim dispatched, as it is said (Jer. 26: 20): “And also a man was prophesying in the name of the Lord, Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim, and he prophesied concerning this city and concerning this land, according to all the words of Jeremiah.” and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah who prophesied in the second year of Darius (Zech. 8:4): “Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem.” Uriah is a sign for Zechariah. If you see that Uriah’s prophecy is fulfilled, you can expect that Zechariah’s will likewise be fulfilled, just as I have called to testify concerning Sennacherib, Amos and Isaiah; Amos for the calamity of the ten tribes (Amos 7:11): “And Israel shall surely be exiled,” and Isaiah for his promise to Hezekiah (Isaiah 32,33) [when he would reign].</html>

Verse 3

<html>and she bore a son He is the very son whom the prophetess called Immanuel, since the Holy One, blessed be He, would be at the aid of Hezekiah when he would reign. [It is impossible to say that it was another son, for we learned [in Seder Olam ch. 22] that in the fourth year of Ahaz, this prophecy was said, and in the fourth year of Ahaz, Pekah was assassinated, and it is impossible for two children to be born in one year, one after the other.] And Isaiah his father called him Maher-shalal-hash-baz, because of the calamity destined to befall Rezin and the son of Remaliah, who were coming to wrest the kingdom from the House of David and to curtail the kingdom of Hezekiah.</html>

Verse 4

<html>the wealth of Damascus…shall be carried off And [the] king of Assyria went up to Damascus and seized it (II Kings 16:9). and the plunder of Samaria After Pekah was assassinated, and Hoshea reigned, Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, went up against him, and Hoshea became his vassal, and gave him tribute and a bribe (ibid. 17:3). That is the plunder of Samaria. All this took place in the fourth year of Ahaz.</html>

Verse 6

<html>the waters of the Shiloah that flow gently [i.e., they rejected] the kingdom of the House of David, which leads them gently, like the waters of the Shiloah that flow gently [Jonathan]. Shiloah is a spring, known as Gihon and Shiloah. Here he prophesied concerning Shebna and his company who wanted to rebel against Hezekiah, for they rejected him since they saw that he did not choose a regal table, but would eat a litre of vegetables and engage in the Torah. Concerning him, it is stated (Prov. 13:25): “A righteous man eats to satiate his body.” They saw Pekah son of Remaliah eat forty seahs of pigeons for dessert. They would ridicule Hezekiah and say, Is this one fit to be a king? There is no king but Rezin and the son of Remaliah. They were fit to rule in their lifetimes. And this is the meaning of: “And rejoice in Rezin and the son of Remaliah.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, Do you desire eaters? I will bring many eaters upon you. “Behold the Lord brings upon them the mighty…waters of the river” instead of the weak and gentle waters of the Shiloah.</html>

Verse 7

<html>and it will overflow [i.e.,] the river [will overflow]. and all its distributaries Its waters will surge to rise over all the distributaries of the outflow of its waters. and go over the swelling river [will go] over all its banks its high banks. Those are its upright banks in the place where the river flows between its upright banks, and it is like within a gutter.</html>

Verse 8

<html>into Judah into the land of Judah. overflowing with might. up to the neck up to the main part of the strength of their neck. And Jonathan renders: Up to Jerusalem he will reach. the neck their strength. the tips of his wings A small joint at the end of the wing is called מֻטּוֹת, and I saw in Tanhuma (Tazria 8, Buber 10): How big are the wing tips of the rooster? [One sixtieth of his wings, symbolizing] one sixtieth of Sennacherib’s forces. will fill the breadth of the land of Judah. Immanuel This is the tribe of Judah, whom the Holy One, blessed be He, promised to be with in the days of Hezekiah, as the words of the prophetess, who named her son Immanuel.</html>

Verse 9

<html>Join together Heb. (רֹעוּ), an expression similar to (Prov. 27:10): “Your friend and your father’s friend (רֵעֲךָ וְרֵעַ אָבִיךָ), as Jonathan renders: Join together. Join together, armies of Sennacherib. and be broken Heb. וָחֹתּוּ i.e., you shall be broken. Gird yourselves and be broken You may gird yourselves with all sorts of might, but, eventually, you shall be broken.</html>

Verse 10

<html>Take counsel [This is] the imperative form.</html>

Verse 11

<html>with the overwhelming power of prophecy [Lit., with strength of the hand.] When the prophecy became more intensive over me, when He continued to speak concerning this matter, as it is written above (v. 5): “And the Lord continued to speak to me.” And in this language, Ezekiel said, (3: 14): “And the hand of the Lord became strong over me.” This is an expression of prophecy. and admonished me from going… He warned me not to participate in the counsel of Shebna the scribe and his company, who conspired to rebel against Hezekiah, as is related in Sanhedrin (26a), to which there is an allusion in this Book (below 22:15): “Go, come to this voluptuary, to Shebna who is appointed over the Temple.” and He admonished me like “and to admonish me.”</html>

Verse 12

<html>‘You shall not call a band You of Hezekiah’s company, even though they (sic) are fewer than Shebna’s company, you shall not say: We decide according to the majority (Exodus 23:2. See Rashi ad loc.). to all that this people that is with Shebna, says, for this is a band of the wicked and is not counted, and so it is as regards the ten tribes, who formed an alliance with the kings of Egypt. and you shall not fear what it fears [i.e.,] what this people fears, for they say to you to fear Sennacherib and to make peace with him. you shall not fear…nor attribute strength You shall not say that he is strong. So did Jonathan translate: You shall not say strong.</html>

Verse 13

<html>He gives you strength Heb. (מַעֲרִיצְכֶם).</html>

Verse 14

<html>And it shall be for a portent That plan that Shebna plotted and that Pekah plotted to overthrow the kingdom of the House of David, shall be an omen [a preparationmss.] of the disaster destined to befall them. for a portent Heb. לְמִקְדָשׁ, comp. (Num. 12:18) “Prepare yourself (הִתְקַדְּשׁוּ) for the morrow.” and for a stone upon which to dash oneself upon which the feet are dashed. This is an expression of stumbling, as (in Jeremiah 13:16): “[Before] your feet are dashed (יִתְנַגְּפוּ),” (Psalms 91: 12), “Lest you dash (תִּגֹּף) your foot on a stone.” and for a rock upon which to stumble This is synonymous with “a stone upon which to dash oneself,” for a rock is a stone. for the two houses of Israel who came to be for a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Now who are the two houses? Pekah son of Remaliah and his company and Shebna and his company.</html>

Verse 15

<html>And many shall stumble upon them Upon those stones, these two and their companies shall fall into the hands of their enemies; Pekah was assassinated, for Hoshea assassinated him, and the ten tribes fell into the hands of Sennacherib; and Shebna went out of Jerusalem when Sennacherib abandoned it to march on Tirhakah, king of Cush. He took along Shebna and his company and went away.</html>

Verse 16

<html>Bind this warning All this is part of the prophecy stated above (v. 11): “For so has the Lord said to me,” and He said further to me, “Bind this warning (תְּעוּדָה),” an expression similar to (Deut. 8: 19): “I warn (הַעִדֹּתִי) you today,” an expression of warning. Bind My warning and seal the Torah on the heart of My disciples. Your disciples who fear My Name are called “disciples of the Lord.” And if you say that the expression of binding does not apply to the study of the Torah, it does indeed apply, as it is said (Prov. 6:21): “Bind them upon your heart always.”</html>

Verse 17

<html>And I will wait for the Lord Said Isaiah: I wait for the Lord, Who hides His countenance from the ten tribes. I hope for Him to fulfill these my words, and to save the House of David.</html>

Verse 18

<html>Behold, I and the children…for signs For two signs: the disaster in store for Pekah, as the child was called Maher-shalal-hash-baz, and the salvation of the House of David, as the child was called Immanuel. This is the solution of the matter according to its simple meaning. According to Midrash Aggadah in Genesis Rabbah (4:2), however, [it deals with Ahaz, who locked (lit. held, אָחַז in Heb.)] the synagogues and the study-halls, lest the children of the schools study Torah. He said, “If there are kids, there are no bucks. If there are no bucks, there are no flocks. If there are no flocks, there is no Shepherd. I will cause Him to remove His presence.” The prophet said to him: “No matter how much you bind the testimony and seal the Torah to close it up, so that it shall not be found in Israel, it shall not avail you.” [17] And I will wait for the Lord, Who hides His countenance… There is no harsher prophecy than that time when Moses said (Deut. 31:18): “And I will surely hide My countenance on that day.” And even on that very day, He promised them, “And this song shall testify before him as a witness, for it shall not be forgotten from the mouth of his seed” (ibid.). [18] Behold, I and the children etc. They are the disciples, who are as dear to me as children; they shall be for signs and wonders that the Torah will survive [in Israel through them].</html>

Verse 19

<html>And when they say to you Said Rabbi Simon: Beeri, the father of Hosea son of Beeri, prophesied these two verses, but, since they were not enough for a Book, they were attached to “Isaiah.” And he prophesied them concerning the exile of the ten tribes, when Sennacherib exiled the Reubenites and the Gadites, and he exiled him with them, as it is said (I Chron. 5:6): “Beerah his son, whom Tilgathpilneser exiled; he was the prince of the Reubenites.” And when they say to you [i.e., when] the nations [say to you]. Inquire of the necromancers…who chirp and who moan This is a derogatory expression, for they have not even any speech, but like these birds who chirp with their voice. The expression of chirping and moaning applies to birds, as below (48:14): “Like a swift or a crane I chirp, I moan like a dove.” Similarly, we find the expression of chirping in regards to a low voice, as it is said (infra 29:4): “And your voice shall be like a necromancer from the earth, and from the dust shall your speech chirp.” Does not this people inquire of its God? This shall be your reply: Does not a people like us, who has a God like our God, inquire of its God? Would you tell us to be like you, to inquire of the needs of the living from the dead?</html>

Verse 20

<html>For the Torah and the warning This is related to the above: Shall we inquire of the dead for the Torah and for the warning for the living, to instruct us what to do? All this is according to the Midrash. According to the simple meaning, however, we can interpret: And when they say to you…This is the end of his prophecy, for he said (v. 11), “and admonished me from going in the way of this people,” and the Holy One, blessed be He, admonished the prophet and Hezekiah’s company, that when Shebna and his company, who will see Hezekiah condemning idolatry, say to you, Inquire of the necromancers and those who divine by the Jidoa bone, and select idolatry as the early forefathers did, and switch the kingdom over to Sennacherib. Does not every people inquire of its god, they worship idols and inquire for the living of the dead? You too should do this. for the Torah and for the warning This shall be your reply, that you shall observe the Torah, as it is said above, “Bind the warning, seal the Torah, and do not believe their words.” if they will not say the likes of this that it has no light Heb. אֵין לוֹ שַׁחַר. Since you will reply to him [to themms.] this answer, you will see and hear whether the honest people among them will not concur with your statement, and say, The likes of this thing is true, that the god, the necromancer, and the diviner by the Jidoa bone, have no request”; i. e., it is not proper to request of him, [explaining שַׁחַר as “request.”] In this manner, Jonathan rendered it. The Midrash Aggadah (Lev. Rabbah 6:6) explains: For himself, he cannot make the dawn shine, for he has no eyes and cannot see. How can he make it shine upon others? Another explanation is: If they do not say to you the likes of this thing Now you will see whether they will not say the likes of this thing, namely, “Inquire of the necromancers and of those who divine by the Jidoa bone.” Even though there is no “light” and no substance in this thing, they will not be ashamed.</html>

Verse 21

<html>And the one who passes therein shall suffer hardships and hunger This refers to the above. What is mentioned at the beginning of the section? “And He admonished me from going in the way of this people.” And he explained what that way is, viz. “You shall not call a band…” the union of the ten tribes, who will unite with the kings of Egypt, and he delineated their punishment: “And it shall be for a portent, and they shall stumble on them,” and the entire section. and shall pass therein [i.e.,] the one who passes on that way in abandoning the Holy One, blessed be He and relying upon the kings of Egypt. shall suffer hardships Difficult circumstances. He shall be wearied by hardships and hunger For the harshness of the siege and the oppression shall come upon them during the siege, the three years that Sennacherib besieged Samaria. and it shall come to pass, when he is hungry and wroth, he shall curse the calves and the baalim that they worshipped. and he will turn to Heaven to beseech the Holy One, blessed be He, and He will not listen, for the verdict will have been sealed. Jonathan, too, rendered it in this manner.</html>

Verse 22

<html>And he shall look to the land perhaps he will find aid. [This refers to the incident] that Hoshea son of Elah sent messengers to So the king of Egypt (II Kings 17:4). and behold distress For they will not aid him, and also Shebna defected to Sennacherib, to his detriment. weariness of oppression Heb. מְעוּף צוּקָה, weariness of oppression. and to the darkness he is lost And through the darkness he is lost, for the expression of נִדּוּחַ [applies to darkness], as (Jer. 23:12): “Therefore, their way shall be to them like slippery land in the darkness; they shall be lost and fall upon it.” And to the darkness they shall be lost.</html>

Verse 23

<html>For there is no weariness for the one who oppresses her For the king of Assyria, who was given the mission to oppress and to besiege her and their land [(var.) your land], is neither weary nor slothful to come upon them as many as three times: one in the days of Pekah, when he took Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah,… and Kedesh,…and Galilee, the entire land of Naphtali (II Kings 15:29). And that exile took place in the fourth year of Ahaz, and in the twelfth year, “the Lord incited Pul, the king of Assyria… and exiled the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.” This verse is in Chronicles (I 5:26). This exile took place in the twelfth year of Ahaz, at the beginning of Hoshea’s revolt, as is stated (II Kings 17:4): “And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea,” after he had subordinated himself to him for eight years. Although the calculation is not explicit in the Bible, it is, nevertheless, possible to deduce it from the Baraitha of Seder Olam (Ch. 22). The third exile took place in the sixth year of Hezekiah, the ninth year of Hoshea’s revolt, when Samaria that is the capitalwas captured, and everyone was exiled. That is what is stated here, for there is no weariness for the adversary, who will oppress her, [i.e.,] the land of Israel mentioned in the passage, “And he shall look to the land.” like the first time, he dealt mildly, [exiling only] the land of Zebulun This middle exile will be like the one of the first time, when he dealt mildly to exile the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, for also in the second one, he exiled but the two and a half tribes who were on the other side of the Jordan, but the last one was the third removal. he dealt harshly Heb. הכביד. He swept (מכבד) everything away, like one who sweeps (מְכַבֵּד) a house. This can also be interpreted as an expression of harshness according to the context of the verse, which commences first with an expression of “dealt mildly, [exiling only] the land of Zebulun,” he said, “He dealt harshly.” When Isaiah said this prophecy, the first ones had already been exiled. the way of the sea [Those dwelling by the Sea of Tiberias] (Kinnereth): that is the land of Naphtali, concerning whom it was said (Deut. 33:23): “The sea and the southland you shall inherit.” the other side of the Jordan That is the second exile, that of Reuben and Gad. the attraction of the nations Heb. (גְּלִיל הַגּוֹיִם). That is the entire land of Israel, which would roll (גּוֹלֶלֶת) to it all the nations, for all longed for it and came to it for commerce, like the matter that is stated (Jer. 3:19): “A heritage desired by hosts of nations.” Jonathan, however, rendered this differently.</html>

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Table of Contents

Isaiah 8

Isaiah 8

Notes

Cross Reference

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 1

Verse 2

Verse 3

Verse 4

Verse 6

Verse 7

Verse 8

Verse 9

Verse 10

Verse 11

Verse 12

Verse 13

Verse 14

Verse 15

Verse 16

Verse 17

Verse 18

Verse 19

Verse 20

Verse 21

Verse 22

Verse 23