Isaiah 8

Gentle Waters or a Flood

A child whose name is a countdown, a people who reject quiet waters, and a prophet who binds up his testimony and waits.

c. 734–732 BC Also in 2 Ne. 18 Read with footnotes in Gospel Library

Background

Chapter 8 continues the crisis of chapter 7. Syria and Israel still threaten Judah, and Ahaz is still leaning toward Assyria.

Chapter 8 continues the crisis of chapter 7. Syria and Israel still threaten Judah, and Ahaz is still leaning toward Assyria. Isaiah’s response is to become a living prophecy. He writes a strange name on a large tablet in front of witnesses, and then his wife, “the prophetess,” bears a son who receives that name: Maher-shalal-hash-baz. The name is a countdown clock. Before the baby can say “Daddy” or “Mommy,” Assyria will plunder Damascus and Samaria.

The second half of the chapter turns inward. Rejected by king and people, Isaiah gathers his disciples, seals up his testimony among them, and resolves to wait for the Lord. It is one of the most personal passages in the book.

Nephi included the chapter as 2 Ne. 18.

The thread through the chapter

Isaiah 8 is a chapter about what we choose to fear and what we choose to trust, told through two kinds of water.

Isaiah 8 is a chapter about what we choose to fear and what we choose to trust, told through two kinds of water.

The people have rejected “the waters of Shiloah that go softly” (verse 6). That is the modest little stream that flowed from Jerusalem’s spring, an image of the Lord’s quiet, sufficient care. They wanted something more impressive. So the Lord will give them “the waters of the river, strong and many”: the Euphrates, meaning Assyria. It will flood Judah up to the neck (verses 7–8). If we refuse gentle waters, we may get a flood.

Then the Lord gives Isaiah private instruction (verses 11–15). Don’t be swept up in what everyone else fears. Don’t call everything a conspiracy. Fear the Lord instead, and He will be your sanctuary. The same Lord who shelters those who trust Him becomes “a stone of stumbling” to those who don’t.

Finally, Isaiah does something every rejected disciple can learn from (verses 16–18). He binds up his testimony, entrusts it to his disciples, and waits for a God who, for now, “hideth his face.” He and his children are living signs of that hope. And when people advise consulting mediums and the dead instead, he points them back: “To the law and to the testimony” (verses 19–20).

The chapter ends in deep darkness, but that is only because Isaiah is about to turn on the light. Chapter 9 begins: “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light.”

Tap any highlighted phrase to open a note beneath its versein the margin.

Verses 1–4

A name that is a countdown

In plain words

The Lord told me to take a large tablet and write on it in ordinary letters: “Maher-shalal-hash-baz” (“Quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil”). I had two reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah, certify it. Then my wife the prophetess conceived and had a son, and the Lord said, “Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz. Before he can say ‘Daddy’ or ‘Mommy,’ the king of Assyria will carry off the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria.”

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.

Word & Language #

The longest name in the Bible

Maher-shalal-hash-baz is four Hebrew words: “Quick (is the) spoil, swift (is the) plunder.”

Maher-shalal-hash-baz is four Hebrew words: “Quick (is the) spoil, swift (is the) plunder.” It is the longest personal name in the Bible, and it was designed to be a public prophecy.

Isaiah wrote it on a large tablet “with a man’s pen,” in ordinary script anyone could read, and had it witnessed before the child was even conceived. Then, when the baby was born and named, everyone in Jerusalem would be reminded: the plunder is coming quickly. Before the boy could say “my father” or “my mother” (verse 4), a year or two at most, Assyria stripped Damascus (732 BC) and carried off much of northern Israel (2 Kgs. 15:29; 2 Kgs. 16:9). The prophecy came true on schedule.

Sources: “Isaiah”, Bible Dictionary.

2 And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.

History & Setting #

An ironic witness

Isaiah chose two witnesses of standing so that no one could later claim the prophecy was written after the fact.

Isaiah chose two witnesses of standing so that no one could later claim the prophecy was written after the fact. The law required two or three witnesses to establish a matter (Deut. 19:15; 2 Cor. 13:1; D&C 6:28).

One of them, Uriah (or Urijah) the priest, is almost certainly the same priest who later obeyed Ahaz’s order to build a copy of an Assyrian altar and put it in the temple (2 Kgs. 16:10–16). So Isaiah’s witness was the high priest of the establishment, a man who would later cooperate with the king’s pro-Assyrian program. He could not be accused of being Isaiah’s partisan. That made his witness all the stronger.

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.

Verses 5–10

Gentle waters or a flood

In plain words

The Lord said: “Because these people have rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoice over Rezin and Remaliah’s son, I will bring on them the mighty flood of the Euphrates, the king of Assyria with all his army. It will overflow its banks and sweep through Judah until it reaches the neck. Its outstretched wings will cover your whole land, O Immanuel.” Band together, you nations, and you will be shattered! Make your plans, and they will fail. Give your orders, and they will not stand, for God is with us.

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;

Imagery & Symbol #

The gentle waters of Shiloah

Shiloah (later Siloam) was a channel that carried water from the Gihon spring along the side of Jerusalem’s hill.

Shiloah (later Siloam) was a channel that carried water from the Gihon spring along the side of Jerusalem’s hill. It was a small, quiet stream, not a mighty river, but it was enough to sustain the city. Later, Hezekiah cut his famous tunnel to bring the same water inside the walls (2 Kgs. 20:20).

Isaiah uses it as a symbol of the Lord’s quiet, sufficient care, and of the Davidic line He had established in Jerusalem. The people rejected it because it seemed too small in the face of Syria and Israel. They wanted a superpower. John records that the pool of Siloam, fed by these waters, means “Sent” (John 9:7). There Jesus, the one the Father sent, healed a man born blind. The gentle waters were Christ all along.

Sources: “Siloam”, Bible Dictionary.

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.

Verses 11–15

Fear the Lord, not what others fear

In plain words

The Lord took hold of me firmly and warned me not to follow these people: “Don’t call everything a conspiracy just because they do. Don’t fear what they fear or be terrified. The Lord of hosts is the one you must regard as holy. Let Him be the one you fear. He will be a sanctuary, but for both kingdoms of Israel He will be a stone that trips them and a rock that makes them fall, a trap and a snare for Jerusalem. Many will stumble over it, fall, be broken, snared, and captured.”

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.

Liken It #

Don’t fear what everyone fears

“Confederacy” here (qesher) means conspiracy. Jerusalem in crisis was full of plots, rumors, and accusations: there’s a conspiracy with Syria!

“Confederacy” here (qesher) means conspiracy. Jerusalem in crisis was full of plots, rumors, and accusations: there’s a conspiracy with Syria! a conspiracy with Assyria! The Lord tells Isaiah not to be swept up in the panic: “neither fear ye their fear.”

Instead: “Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear” (verse 13). The fear of the Lord, which is reverence and awe, displaces all other fears. Peter quoted these verses to Christians facing persecution: “be not afraid of their terror… but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts” (1 Pet. 3:14–15). In an age of constant alarm, this counsel is very timely.

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.

Witness of Christ #

Sanctuary or stumbling stone

The same Lord is two things to two kinds of people. To those who fear and trust Him, He is a sanctuary, a holy refuge.

The same Lord is two things to two kinds of people. To those who fear and trust Him, He is a sanctuary, a holy refuge. To those who reject Him, He is a stone in the road that trips them.

The New Testament applies this directly to Jesus Christ. Paul and Peter both combine this verse with Isa. 28:16 to show that Christ is the precious cornerstone for believers and “a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence” to those who disobey (Rom. 9:32–33; 1 Pet. 2:6–8). Jacob in the Book of Mormon saw the same thing: the Jews would reject “the stone upon which they might build and have safe foundation” (Jacob 4:15–17).

Christ doesn’t change. Our response to Him determines whether we find shelter or stumble.

15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

Verses 16–22

Seal the testimony and wait

In plain words

Tie up this testimony and seal the teaching among my disciples. I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding His face from Jacob’s people, and I will put my hope in Him. Here I am, with the children the Lord has given me, as signs and warnings in Israel. When people tell you to consult mediums and spiritists who whisper and mutter, answer: Shouldn’t people consult their God? Why ask the dead on behalf of the living? Go to the law and the testimony! If they don’t speak according to this word, there is no dawn for them. They will wander, hungry and distressed, cursing their king and their God. Whether they look up or down, they will see only distress, darkness, and gloom.

16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

Restoration Insight #

Binding up the testimony

Rejected by the king and the people, Isaiah turns to a small circle of disciples (Hebrew limmudim, “those who are taught”).

Rejected by the king and the people, Isaiah turns to a small circle of disciples (Hebrew limmudim, “those who are taught”). He entrusts his message to them like a document rolled up, tied, and sealed for safekeeping until its time comes. This may be one of the origins of the book of Isaiah itself: his teachings preserved by faithful students.

The Lord used Isaiah’s language in the last days. He commanded the elders to “bind up the law and seal up the testimony” (D&C 88:84; see D&C 109:38; D&C 109:46) as they went out to warn the nations before His coming. When a testimony is rejected, it isn’t lost. It is sealed and preserved as a witness.

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?

History & Setting #

Mediums who chirp and mutter

In times of crisis, people in Judah turned to necromancers: mediums who claimed to consult the spirits of the dead.

In times of crisis, people in Judah turned to necromancers: mediums who claimed to consult the spirits of the dead. A “familiar spirit” was the spirit such a medium claimed to control. Mediums were known for speaking in strange, bird-like chirps (“peep”) and low murmurs (“mutter”), supposedly the voices of the dead. The law of Moses strictly forbade all of this (Lev. 19:31; Deut. 18:10–12). King Saul’s visit to the medium of Endor is the famous example (1 Sam. 28).

Isaiah’s answer is common sense: “should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?” Why consult the dead about the living when you can ask the living God? Isaiah will later describe a very different voice from the dust, the Book of Mormon speaking “out of the ground” with a “familiar spirit” (Isa. 29:4; 2 Ne. 26:16). The contrast is instructive.

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.

Liken It #

“To the law and to the testimony”

Here is Isaiah’s test for any spiritual claim: does it agree with the word God has already given?

Here is Isaiah’s test for any spiritual claim: does it agree with the word God has already given? “If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” The Hebrew literally says “there is no dawn for them,” which sets up the darkness of verses 21–22 and the great light of chapter 9.

The “law” (torah, instruction) and “testimony” are God’s revealed word, including the testimony Isaiah has just sealed among his disciples (verse 16). In our day the Lord gives the same counsel. We measure every voice against the scriptures and the words of living prophets (D&C 1:37–38; D&C 68:4).

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.

Seeing Christ in Isaiah 8

Several threads in Isaiah 8 lead to Jesus Christ. The land belongs to Immanuel (verse 8), and the faithful take courage because “God is with us” (verse 10). The Lord is a sanctuary to those who trust Him and a stumbling stone to those who don’t (verse 14), and the New Testament identifies that stone as Christ (1 Pet. 2:6–8). Hebrews hears the Savior’s own voice in verse 18: “Behold I and the children which God hath given me” (Heb. 2:13).

And the “waters of Shiloah that go softly” (verse 6) find their fulfillment at the pool of Siloam, “Sent,” where Jesus, the one sent by the Father, opened blind eyes (John 9:7). His way is often quiet and gentle, and easy to despise if we are looking for a flood.

Liken it to yourself

The Lord’s help sometimes comes as “waters that go softly.” Are there quiet, ordinary blessings in my life (daily prayer, scripture study, the sacrament, a steady ward) that I underrate because they don’t seem powerful enough?
What does the world around me fear right now? What would it mean to “fear not their fear” and let the Lord be my fear (verses 12–13)?
When my testimony is rejected, can I “bind it up” among the faithful and keep waiting and looking for the Lord (verses 16–17)?
Where do I go when I need guidance: to the law and the testimony, or to modern “wizards that peep and mutter,” the endless voices competing for my attention?

Worth exploring next

The stumbling stone. Trace the stone image through Isa. 8:14, Isa. 28:16, Ps. 118:22, Dan. 2:34–45, Matt. 21:42–44, Hel. 5:12, and D&C 50:44.
Sealed testimony. Compare Isaiah’s “seal the law among my disciples” with the sealed portion of the plates (Ether 4:4–7) and with D&C 88:84. What does it mean for testimony to be sealed until its time?
Darkness to light. Read Isa. 8:21–9:2 without the chapter break. How does the sudden turn from darkness to light work?

This chapter elsewhere in scripture

Nephi’s text of this chapter (2 Ne. 18) reads differently from the King James Version in 8 verses. The BoM markers show the 5 where more than a small word changes.

2 Ne. 18 — Nephi quotes the chapter.
1 Pet. 2:6–8 — Peter identifies the stone of stumbling as Christ.
Heb. 2:13 — Hebrews applies verse 18 to Christ and His children.
D&C 88:84 — The elders are to bind up the law and seal up the testimony.

Sources & further reading

Donald W. Parry, Jay A. Parry, and Tina M. Peterson, Understanding Isaiah, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1998.
John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, New International Commentary on the Old Testament, 2 vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986–1998.
Victor L. Ludlow, Isaiah: Prophet, Seer, and Poet, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1982.
Donald W. Parry and John W. Welch, eds., Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, Provo, UT: FARMS, 1998.
Chapter 13: The Establishment of Zion (Isaiah 1–12), Old Testament Student Manual: 1 Kings–Malachi (2003).

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