The Prophet and His Day: Isaiah 1-39 - Free Bible Commentary

lands of Lebanon and Canaan. This geographical route became the source of the biblical imagery of the“north” as the direction of evil.8:8 This verse shows the consequences of an Assyrian takeover of Canaan. Judah will survive as anation, but just barely. Ahaz did not listen to Isaiah, did not believe in YHWH’s promises.} “the spread of its wings will fill the breadth of your land” The NASB, NRSV, NJB, REB link thisto the destruction caused by Assyria (“wing” used as a metaphor for “end,” cf. NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p.670, thereby denoting the invasion of all the land), but TEV and JPSOA take the change of metaphor(i.e., from a flood to describe an Assyrian invasion) to the spreading of a bird’s wings (BDB 642CONSTRUCT BDB 489, cf. 8:8; Ps. 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 61:1,4; 63:7; 91:1,4) to relate to God’s promisedspecial child of 7:14; also note vv. 9-10!by noting that the promise was related to a conditional covenant which demanded faith and obedience.Without faith, Jerusalem’s divine protection would send the wrong message (similar to people todayseeing the state of Israel as a divine act of restoration, but the problem is she is not a faith-oriented orfaithful-living covenant people)! Israel today is secular!} “O Immanuel” The title here seems as if it refers to the Davidic king at the time (i.e., Ahaz). Thismay be a textual evidence that the child of 7:14 was Hezekiah. Ultimately, it refers to Jesus, but inIsaiah it had to refer to a contemporary, naturally conceived male child (i.e., 7:15-16)NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 8:9-109"Be broken, O peoples, and be shattered;And give ear, all remote places of the earth.Gird yourselves, yet be shattered;Gird yourselves, yet be shattered.10Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted;State a proposal, but it will not stand,For God is with us."8:9-10 The NASB of 1970 thought that verses 9-15 were one stanza, but the NASB 1995 Update makesvv. 9-10 a separate stanza (I think rightly so, cf. NKJV, NRSV, Peshitta).YHWH addresses the invading mercenary army.1. be broken, v. 9, BDB 949, KB 1270, Qal IMPERATIVE2. be shattered, v. 9, BDB 369, KB 365, Qal IMPERATIVE, cf. 7:8; 30:31; I Sam. 2:10; Jer.48:1,2; 49:37; 50:2; 51:563. give ear, v. 9, BDB 24, KB 27, Hiphil IMPERATIVE4-5. gird yourselves (twice), v. 9, BDB 25, KB 28, Hithpael IMPERATIVE6. be shattered, same as #27. devise a plan, v. 10, BDB 734, KB 801, Qal IMPERATIVE8. state a proposal, v. 10, BDB 180, KB 210, Piel IMPERATIVEFor each action of the invaders there is an opposing plan of God. All their evil will come to naught.Now remember originally God called them to invade because of His people’s sin, but after judgmentGod will again deliver His people so as to accomplish His purposes through them. See Special Topic at1:3.8:10 “Devise a plan” This term (BDB 734) is used of human plans. Often these plans are different,even contrary, to YHWH’s plans (cf. 14:24-27; Pro. 19:21). God will accomplish His plans (cf. 46:10;114