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Commentary on Isaiah 8 verses 9–15
The prophet here returns to speak of the present distress that Ahaz and his court and kingdom were in upon account of the threatening confederacy of the ten tribes and the Syrians against them. And in these verses,
I. He triumphs over the invading enemies, and, in effect, sets them at defiance, and bids them do their worst (Isa 8:9, Isa 8:10): "O you people, you of far countries, give ear to what the prophet says to you in God's name." 1. "We doubt not but you will now make your utmost efforts against Judah and Jerusalem. You associate yourselves in a strict alliance. You gird yourselves, and again you gird yourselves; you prepare for action; you address yourselves to it with resolution; you gird on your swords; you gird up your loins. You animate and encourage yourselves and one another with all the considerations you can think of: you take counsel together, call councils of war, and all heads are at work about the proper methods for making yourselves masters of the land of Judah. You speak the word; you come to resolutions concerning it, and are not always deliberating; you determine what to do, and are very confident of the success of it, that the matter will be accomplished with a word's speaking." Note, It is with a great deal of policy, resolution, and assurance, that the church's enemies carry on their designs against it; and abundance of pains they take to roll a stone that will certainly return upon them. 2. "This is to let you know that all your efforts will be ineffectual. You cannot, you shall not, gain your point, nor carry the day: You shall be broken in pieces. Though you associate yourselves, though you gird yourselves, though you proceed with all the policy and precaution imaginable, yet, I tell you again and again, all your projects shall be baffled, you shall be broken in pieces. Nay, not only shall your attempts be ruined, but your attempts shall be your ruin; you shall be broken by those designs you have formed against Jerusalem: Your counsels shall come to nought; for there is no wisdom nor counsel against the Lord. Your resolves will not be put in execution; they shall not stand. You speak the word, but who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, if the Lord commandeth it not? What sets up itself against God, and his cause and counsel, cannot stand, but must inevitably fall. For God is with us" (this refers to the name of Immanuel - God with us); "the Messiah is to be born among us, and a people designed for such an honour cannot be given up to utter ruin. We have now the special presence of God with us in his temple, his oracles, his promises, and these are our defence. God is with us; he is on our side, to take our part and fight for us; and, if God be for us, who can be against us?" Thus does the daughter of Zion despise them.
II. He comforts and encourages the people of God with the same comforts and encouragements which he himself had received. The attempt made upon them was very formidable; the house of David, the court and royal family, were at their wits' end (Isa 7:2), and then no marvel if the people were in a consternation. Now,
1.The prophet tells us how he was himself taught of God not to give way to such amazing fears as the people were disturbed with, nor to run into the same measures with them (Isa 8:11): "The Lord spoke to me with a strong hand not to walk in the way of this people, not to say as they say nor do as they do, not to entertain the same frightful apprehensions of things nor to approve of their projects of making peace upon any terms, or calling in the help of the Assyrians." God instructed the prophet not to go down the stream. Note, (1.) There is a proneness in the best of men to be frightened at threatening clouds, especially when fears are epidemic. We are all too apt to walk in the way of the people we live among, though it be not a good way. (2.) Those whom God loves and owns he will instruct and enable to swim against the stream of common corruptions, particularly of common fears. He will find ways to teach his own people not to walk in the way of other people, but in a sober singularity. (3.) Corruption is sometimes so active in the hearts even of good men that they have need to be taught their duty with a strong hand, and it is God's prerogative to teach so, for he only can give an understanding and overpower the contradiction of unbelief and prejudice. He can teach the heart; and herein none teaches like him. (4.) Those that are to teach others have need to be themselves well instructed in their duty, and then they teach most powerfully when they teach experimentally. The word that comes from the heart is most likely to reach to the heart; and what we are ourselves by the grace of God instructed in we should, as we are able, teach others also.
2.Now what is it that he says to God's people?
(1.)He cautions them against a sinful fear, Isa 8:12. It seems it was the way of this people at this time, and fear is catching. He whose heart fails him makes his brethren's heart to fail, like his heart (Deu 20:8); therefore Say you not, A confederacy, to all those to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; that is, [1.] "Be not associated with them in the confederacies they are projecting and forecasting for. Do not join with those that, for the securing of themselves, are for making a league with the Assyrians, through unbelief, and distrust of God and their cause. Do not come into any such confederacy." Note, It concerns us, in time of trouble, to watch against all such fears as put us upon taking any indirect courses for our own security. [2.] "Be not afraid of the confederacies they frighten themselves and one another with. Do not distress yourselves with the apprehension of a confederacy upon every thing that stirs, nor, when any little thing is amiss, cry out presently, There is a plot, a plot. When they talk what dismal news there is, Syria is joined with Ephraim, what will become of us? must we fight, or must we flee, or must we yield? do not you fear their fear: Be not afraid of the signs of heaven, as the heathen are, Jer 10:2. Be not afraid of evil tidings on earth, but let your hearts be fixed. Fear not that which they fear, nor be afraid as they are. Be not put into such a fright as causes trembling and shaking;" so the word signifies. Note, When the church's enemies have sinful confederacies on foot the church's friends should watch against the sinful fears of those confederacies.
(2.)He advises them to a gracious religious fear: But sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, Isa 8:13. Note, The believing fear of God is a special preservative against the disquieting fear of man; see Pe1 3:14, Pe1 3:15, where this is quoted, and applied to suffering Christians. [1.] We must look upon God as the Lord of hosts, that has all power in his hand and all creatures at his beck. [2.] We must sanctify him accordingly, give him the glory due to that name, and behave towards him as those that believe him to be a holy God. [3.] We must make him our fear, the object of our fear, and make him our dread, keep up a reverence of his providence and stand in awe of his sovereignty, be afraid of his displeasure and silently acquiesce in all his disposals. Were we but duly affected with the greatness and glory of God, we should see the pomp of our enemies eclipsed and clouded, and all their power restrained and under check; see Neh 4:14. Those that are afraid of the reproach of men forget the Lord their Maker, Isa 51:12, Isa 51:13. Compare Luk 12:4, Luk 12:5.
(3.)He assures them of a holy security and serenity of mind in so doing (Isa 8:14): "He shall be for a sanctuary; make him your fear, and you shall find him your hope, your help, your defence, and your mighty deliverer. He will sanctify and preserve you. He will be for a sanctuary," [1.] "To make you holy. He will be your sanctification;" so some read it. If we sanctify God by our praises, he will sanctify us by his grace. [2.] "To make you easy. He will be your sanctuary," to which you may flee for safety, and where you are privileged form all the arrests of fear; you shall find an inviolable refuge and security in him, and see yourselves our of the reach of danger. Those that truly fear God shall not need to fear any evil.
III. He threatens the ruin of the ungodly and unbelieving, both in Judah and Israel. They have no part nor lot in the foregoing comforts; that God who will be a sanctuary to those who trust in him will be a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, to those who leave these waters of Shiloah, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son, (Isa 8:6), who make the creature their fear and their hope, Isa 8:14, Isa 8:15. The prophet foresees that the greatest part of both the houses of Israel would not sanctify the Lord of hosts, and to them he would be for a gin and a snare; he would be a terror to them, as he would be a support and stay to those that trusted in him. Instead of profiting by the word of God, they should be offended at it; and the providences of God, instead of leading them to him, would drive them from him. What was a savour of life unto life to others would be a savour of death unto death to them. "So that many among them shall stumble and fall; they shall fall both into sin and into ruin; they shall fall by the sword, shall be taken prisoners, and go into captivity." Note, If the things of God be an offence to us, they will be an undoing to us. Some apply this to the unbelieving Jews, who rejected Christ, and to whom he became a stone of stumbling; for the apostle quotes this scripture with application to all those who persisted in their unbelief of the gospel of Christ (Pe1 2:8); to them he is a rock of offence, because, being disobedient to the word, they stumble at it.
(Verse 11 onwards) For thus says the Lord to me: As He has taught me with His mighty hand, so that I do not walk in the way of this people, saying: Do not say, 'conspiracy'; everything this people says is a conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear or be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself, let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread. And He will be a sanctuary for you, but for the two houses of Israel, He will be a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. And many among them will stumble, fall, be broken, snared, and taken captive. The Septuagint translates this passage as follows: Thus says the Lord: they have departed from the path of this people speaking with strong hand lest they say, It is difficult. For everything that this people speaks is harsh; but do not fear their fear, nor be troubled. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, and he will be your fear; and if you trust in him, he will be your sanctification, and you will not encounter him as a stumbling block, nor as a falling rock. But the house of Jacob will be in a snare and in a valley to those sitting in Jerusalem: therefore many will be weak in them, and they will fall and be broken, and they will come near, and they will be captured. And what follows, men in defense, it must be noted that it differs greatly between the Hebrew and the Vulgate Edition: therefore we have included both. And first, we must discuss the Hebrew. The Lord spoke this to me. Because of good works and the grace which I have obtained through good works, whether he instructed me and taught me with his mighty hand, so that I would not walk in the way of this people, and be held captive by the same error: or certainly he made me depart from the most wicked way of this people, and said to me: do not fear the conspiracy of the two kings; but consider this more, that every word which this people speaks against me is a conspiracy; and according to Symmachus, who interpreted it, it will become a rebellion against me. But you, the Prophet, and those who are with you, do not fear the plots of the people, but fear the Lord, and let Him be your fear. For the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7; Ps. 110:9). He will be a sanctuary to those who believe, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to the unbelieving, namely the houses of Judah and Israel. Especially to those who dwell in Jerusalem, it will be a snare and a trap, where many will stumble, fall and be broken, and those ensnared by their own sins will be led into captivity. There are two houses, which the Nazarenes (who receive Christ in such a way that they do not omit the observances of the Old Law) interpret as two families, Sammai and Hillel, from whom the Scribes and Pharisees are descended, whose school Akibas embraced, whom the proselytes consider a master, and after him Meir, who was succeeded by the son of Zachai, and after him Eliezer, and in order Telphon, and again Joseph of Galilee, and up to the captivity of Jerusalem Josue. Therefore, Sammai and Hillel were born in Judaea, not long before the Lord's birth. Sammai is interpreted as a dissipater, while Hillel is considered profane because he dissipated and defiled the precepts of the Law through his traditions and additions. And it is said that these two houses did not receive the Savior, and he became a cause of their ruin and downfall. According to the Septuagint, the people of God resisted with a strong hand (or will resist) and said that all the commandments of the Lord are harsh, as we read in the Gospel: 'This is a hard saying; who can hear it?' (John 6:61). Where it is commanded to them to listen to the Lord and fear Him alone. For if they have trusted in Him, they will have Him for sanctification, and they will not stumble like a stone of scandal, and like a rock of ruin. Of this passage, the Apostle takes testimony, that Christ has become a stumbling block to the Jews: but to the Gentiles foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:23). And again: Israel, by following the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness (Romans 9:31). Why? Because they stumbled not in faith, but as if stumbling in the works of the law. As it is written: 'Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense: and he that believes on Him shall not be confounded' (Ibid., 33). Therefore, those who did not receive Emmanuel, but became to them a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, shall be crushed and led captive. And what he says: 'But the house of Jacob shall be a snare and a trap' to those who sit in Jerusalem signifies that they shall not dwell in high places nor engage in lofty discussions of the Scriptures; but that they should always understand the humble, joining sins to sins, and being bound by the cords of transgressions.
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SUMMARY
Isaiah 8:13 delivers a profound divine imperative, shifting the focus of ultimate reverence and fear from earthly threats to the Almighty God. In a period of intense national apprehension, when Judah faced a formidable alliance of hostile nations, this verse calls for an exclusive and absolute trust in the Lord of hosts, emphasizing His supreme sovereignty and holiness as the sole object worthy of awe and dread, thereby displacing all lesser anxieties and human fears.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Isaiah 8:13 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its urgent message. The primary device is Imperative Mood, as the verse presents a series of direct commands ("Sanctify... let him be... let him be..."), underscoring the urgency, authority, and non-negotiable nature of God's instruction. There is also a strong element of Parallelism, specifically Synonymous Parallelism, where "let him be your fear" and "let him be your dread" convey similar but intensifying concepts. While "fear" (môwrâʼ) often denotes reverential awe, "dread" (ʻârats) carries a stronger connotation of terror or apprehension, creating a nuanced emphasis on the comprehensive nature of God's majesty and the appropriate human response. The repeated use of the divine title "LORD of hosts" (Yahweh Sabaoth) functions as a powerful Metonymy or Synecdoche, where the title itself stands for God's supreme military and cosmic authority, particularly relevant in a context of war and national threat. The entire verse functions as a profound Contrast to the preceding verse (Isaiah 8:12), offering a divine alternative to the "fear of this people," thereby highlighting the theological choice between trusting in human power or divine sovereignty.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Isaiah 8:13 is a foundational statement about the proper posture of humanity before God, emphasizing His singular holiness and supreme authority. It posits that true security and wisdom are found not in human alliances or military strength, but in a reverential awe of the Lord of hosts, who controls all things. This "fear of the Lord" is not a cowering terror, but a profound respect and humble submission that acknowledges God's absolute power and moral perfection, leading to obedience and trust. When God is truly sanctified and feared in this manner, all other anxieties and worldly fears are diminished, as the ultimate object of apprehension is rightfully placed upon the One who is sovereign over all. This verse sets the stage for understanding God as both a sanctuary and a stumbling stone, depending on humanity's response to His call for exclusive devotion.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
In a world constantly assailed by anxieties—economic instability, social unrest, political polarization, health crises, and personal struggles—Isaiah 8:13 offers an enduring and radical counter-narrative. We are perpetually tempted to fixate on and be consumed by the "fears of this people"—the worries and dreads that dominate the headlines and our daily conversations. This verse calls us to a profound reorientation: to sanctify the LORD of hosts, to set Him apart as uniquely holy and supreme in our hearts and minds. This means consciously choosing to elevate His majesty, power, and sovereignty above every perceived threat. When God truly becomes the ultimate object of our reverence and awe, the grip of other fears loosens. Our trust shifts from unreliable human systems or our own limited strength to the infinite power of the One who commands all armies and governs all creation. This spiritual discipline fosters a life of confident obedience, knowing that the One we fear (in reverence) is also the One who protects and provides. It is a call to live unburdened by worldly anxieties, anchored in the unwavering truth of God's sovereign presence and His unfailing love.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does it mean to "sanctify the LORD of hosts"?
Answer: To "sanctify the LORD of hosts" means to set Him apart as holy, unique, and supreme in every aspect of your life. It involves recognizing His divine majesty, absolute authority, and moral perfection, treating Him with the reverence and honor He deserves. It's an internal posture of worship and devotion that acknowledges His distinctness from anything created, and an external commitment to live in a way that reflects His holiness. This command implies giving God His rightful, preeminent place in your heart, thoughts, and actions, rather than allowing worldly concerns or fears to usurp His position.
Is "fear" in this verse about being terrified of God?
Answer: While the word "dread" (Hebrew: ʻârats) can imply terror, the primary "fear" (Hebrew: môwrâʼ) in this context, when applied to God, is not a cowering terror of a harsh tyrant. Instead, it refers to a profound, reverential awe, deep respect, and humble submission to God's immense power, holiness, and righteous authority. It is the kind of fear that leads to wisdom, obedience, and trust, as described in Proverbs 1:7. This reverential fear displaces all other fears because it acknowledges God as the ultimate reality and the one who holds all power, making all other threats seem insignificant in comparison to His sovereignty and love.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Isaiah 8:13 finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who perfectly embodies the sanctified Lord of hosts and is the one in whom all true fear and dread should find their proper object. The command to "sanctify the LORD of hosts himself" is realized in the person of Christ, through whom God's holiness is fully revealed and made accessible to humanity. Jesus, as "God with us" (Matthew 1:23), is the very presence of Yahweh Sabaoth among His people. The reverential fear and dread commanded in this verse are perfectly directed towards Christ, who possesses all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). He is the one before whom every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). By placing our faith and trust in Him, we are freed from the fear of man and worldly anxieties, for He has overcome the world (John 16:33) and holds the keys of death and Hades (Revelation 1:18). Thus, in Christ, the call to fear God alone becomes a call to trust and worship the Lamb who was slain, whose perfect love casts out all fear that torments (1 John 4:18), replacing it with a profound, worshipful awe of His saving power and glorious majesty.