Isa. 8 Syria and Israel should be subdued by Assyria, Isa. 8:1–4. Judah also should be afflicted, Isa. 8:5–8, God’s judgments irresistible, and to be feared, Isa. 8:9–13. The Lord is a sanctuary to the godly, a stone of stumbling to the wicked, Isa. 8:14–15.

A great roll; or, a great volume, because the prophecy to be written in it was large, and God would have it written in very large and legible characters. With a man’s pen; with such a pen as writers use, Ps. 41:6, Jer. 8:6, that so all may read and understand it.

Persons of unquestionable reputation, who should bear witness that the following name and prophecy was written and published by me, according to God’s command.

I went unto, Heb. I came near to her. A modest expression of the conjugal act. The prophetess; so called, partly as she was the prophet’s wife, wives being frequently denominated from their husbands’ titles, as the wives of mayor, or doctor, &c, are commonly called mayoress, doctoress, &c.

To cry, My father, and my mother; to speak, and to know his parents; which is within the space of two years. And this agrees with the other prophecy, Isa.

This people; either, 1. The people of Judah, which are supposed to have grown weary of their present government, and out of distrust of God’s protection designed to revolt from God, and from the house of David, and to put themselves under the power and protection of the kings of Syria and Israel.

Therefore; because they despise the opposition which they have from Shiloah and Jerusalem, they shall have a more potent enemy. Upon them; upon Israel. See on the foregoing verse.

He; or, it, to wit, the river, Isa. 8:7 which yet designs the same person and thing, to wit, the invasion of the king of Assyria. Shall pass through Judah; and when he shall have finished his work against you, he shall invade the land of Judah, as Sennacherib did some few years after his conquest…

O ye people; Syrians and Israelites. Immanuel’s name inspireth the prophet with new courage, and makes him send a challenge to all God’s enemies, and foretell their certain downfall. Ye of far countries; whosoever you be, whether far or near, who do or shall conspire against Immanuel’s land.

Speak the word; declare and fix your purpose, and make your boast of it. God is with us; the almighty and only true God fighteth for us, and against you. He gives the interpretation of the name Immanuel expressed before, Isa.

With a strong hand; with a vehement and more than ordinary inspiration, strongly imprinting it in my mind. Of this people; of the generality of the people of Judah; whose eminent danger and calamity he foretells, Isa.

Say ye not, thou, Isaiah, and thine and my children, A confederacy; do not approve of or consent to this wicked design of making a confederacy with the king of Assyria.

Sanctify the Lord of hosts; give him the glory of his power, and goodness, and faithfulness, by trusting to his promises for your deliverance. Let him be your fear; let God, and not the kings of Syria and Israel, be the chief object of your fear.

Your sanctuary; a sure refuge to all that truly fear him, and rely upon him. For a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence; an occasion of sin and ruin, at whom they will take offence and stumble, so as to fall and be broken, as it is expressed, Isa. 8:15.

Many among them; not all, for there shall be a remnant, as was foretold, Isa. 4:2, Isa. 5:13. Shall stumble at that stone or rock, mentioned Isa. 8:14. This was accomplished at the coming of the Messias, whom the Jews rejected to their own destruction.

These are, by the consent of all, God’s words to the prophet. By the testimony and the law or doctrine (for so this word is frequently taken) he understands one and the same thing, as he doth also to wit, the word of God, and especially that which is the main scope and substance thereof, the…

And, or, as this particle is rendered Jer. 2:32, Jer. 2:35, and elsewhere, yet, notwithstanding this dreadful prophecy concerning the unbelief and rejection of Israel, I will wait upon the Lord; I will refer myself and this matter unto God, casting my care upon him, and expecting the accomplishment…

Behold; it is worthy of your observation and admiration. These words are literally spoken by Isaiah concerning himself, but withal mystically concerning Christ, of whom he speaks more frequently and fully than any other prophet, and of whom he was an evident type; and therefore they are fitly…

When they, the Israelites, to whom I and my children are signs and wonders, who are fallen from God, and his true religion and worship, into superstition and idolatry, and will endeavour to seduce you into the same impiety, shall say unto you, my children, whom the prophet here arms against the…

To the law and to the testimony; let this dispute between you and them be determined by God’s word, which is here and in many other places called the law, to signify their obligation to believe and obey it; and the testimony, because it is a witness between God and man of God’s mind and will, and…

And they, the idolatrous and apostatical Israelites, shall pass through it, or, in it, to wit, their own land, which is easily understood out of the context, and from the phrase itself; the pronoun relative being put without an antecedent, as it is in other places, which have been formerly noted.

They shall look unto the earth; finding no help from heaven, they turn their eyes downward, looking hither and thither for comfort. Trouble and darkness. &c. many words expressing the same thing are put together, to signify the variety, and extremity, and continuance of their miseries.