Isaiah 8:11

9 “Be^a shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces!
Give ear, all you from far countries.
Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces;
Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces.

10 ^aTake counsel together, but it will come to nothing;
Speak the word, ^bbut it will not stand,
^cFor¹ God is with us.”

Fear God, Heed His Word

11 For the Lord spoke thus to me with¹ a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying:

12 “Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,’
Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy,
Nor be afraid of their¹ threats, nor be troubled.

13 The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow;
Let Him be your fear,
And let Him be your dread.

14 ^aHe will be as a¹ sanctuary,
But ^ba stone of stumbling and a rock of¹ offense
To both the houses of Israel,
As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

15 And many among them shall ^astumble;
They shall fall and be broken,
Be snared and¹ taken.”

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

17 And I will wait on the Lord,
Who ^ahides His face from the house of Jacob;
And I ^bwill hope in Him.

18 ^aHere am I and the children whom the Lord has given me!
We ^bare for signs and wonders in Israel
From the Lord of hosts,
Who dwells in Mount Zion.

19 And when they say to you, ^a“Seek those who are mediums and wizards, ^bwho whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they ^cseek the dead on behalf of the living?

20 ^aTo the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because ^bthere is no light in them.

21 They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and ^acurse their king and their God, and look upward.

22 Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
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What Does Isaiah 8:11 Mean?

Isaiah 8:11-12

Isaiah is talking about fear. The historical background is that Judah felt threatened by the presence of the Assyrian empire. They were sweeping down and conquering all of the nearby nations. Judah was frightened. As the people of God, what should they have done? In deep respect, awe, and faith, they should have cried out to God for His protection. He is the Lord of heaven and earth. He governs it all. He could easily have stopped the Assyrians. However, the people conspired with other nations, saying to them, in effect, "You protect us. We will ally with you. We are afraid of the Assyrians, but if we join together, we will have enough power to fend them off and be safe."

God looked at that as a conspiracy against Him. He was their Lord, their King, their God. He certainly had the power to protect. And thus, His instruction to Isaiah: "Do not enter into that conspiracy with them."

John W. Ritenbaugh
The Fear of God

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Fear God, Heed His Word

What Does Isaiah 8:11 Mean?

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