Isaiah 8:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

NIV: The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.

NASB: It is the Lord of armies whom you are to regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread.

CSB: You are to regard only the Lord of Armies as holy. Only he should be feared; only he should be held in awe.

NLT: Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble.

KJV: Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

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

Isaiah quoted the Lord's command not to fear what the people of Judah fear (Isaiah 8:12). This was not because the people had nothing to fear. The people were right to be afraid. They were wrong about where their fear was directed. What they feared was only a small effect; the real cause was God Himself.

Isaiah has already described the terrible times to come for Judah (Isaiah 8:8). They will be threatened and defeated by powerful enemies. Still, the people don't realize that it is the Lord, their own God, who will bring the destruction upon them. Instead of seeing the Assyrians as all-powerful, the Lord tells Isaiah to honor Him as holy. The Lord is truly the source of all power. The Assyrians are a blip in history which the Lord could easily wipe out. The only possibility of salvation from destruction comes through honoring the Lord, the true source of that destruction, above everything else in life.

Now the Lord tells Isaiah to fear and dread only God Himself. In the biblical context, "fear" of God means something other than blind panic or terror. It involves the idea of respect, honor, obedience, and reverence. At the same time, it does include a healthy sense of "fear." Just as people "fear" fire and its destructive potential without living in constant alarm, one can properly "fear" God without experiencing fright. We "fear" what fire can do when it's misused; we should "fear" the consequences of defying our Creator.

Isaiah is to revere God, not worry about the fears expressed by others in Judah. Judgment will come on Judah from the Lord. He is the one they should focus their fear on. And He is the one they should return to in repentance, obedience, and genuine worship.

Isaiah 8:11–22 follows the prophecy about the coming destruction from the Assyrians. It includes a strong warning from the Lord to Isaiah to not follow the sins of the rest of Judah. He must not fear real or imagined threats. Instead, Isaiah must honor God and find safety in Him. The people will reject God, leading to ruin, and being taken away. Isaiah declares he will wait on the Lord and his family will be a sign that God has not abandoned those who trust Him. Those who reject God's Word, however, will remain in darkness.

Isaiah 8 begins with the Lord telling Isaiah to write a name on a large sign. Then Isaiah conceives a son, with a woman referred to as the "prophetess," likely his wife. The son is given the name on the sign. Before the son can speak, Judah's enemies will be wiped out by Assyria. Assyria will then bring destruction on Judah. Isaiah must not live in fear and dread as the people do. They will stumble over the stone of the Lord instead of trusting in Him. Isaiah will continue to hope in the Lord. Those who reject God's truth will live in darkness.

The prior chapter included a famous prophecy regarding the virgin birth of Jesus. Isaiah 8 continues to prophesy about the coming destruction of Judah's current enemies: Syria and Israel. Isaiah has a son whose name he has written on a sign. Before that son is old enough to talk, Assyria will destroy Judah's enemies and then bring destruction into Judah. The Lord warns Isaiah to honor God, not live in fear. The people will reject God as their foundation, falling into further sin. But Isaiah declares that he and his family will continue to point toward God's faithfulness. Those who reject God's revelation will live in and frustration and despair. This sets up additional prophecies which connect to the ministry of Christ.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).