Isaiah 8:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks,

NIV: therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates— the king of Assyria with all his pomp. It will overflow all its channels, run over all its banks

NASB: Now therefore, behold, the Lord is about to bring on them the strong and abundant waters of the Euphrates River, That is, the king of Assyria and all his glory; And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks.

CSB: the Lord will certainly bring against them the mighty rushing water of the Euphrates River— the king of Assyria and all his glory. It will overflow its channels and spill over all its banks.

NLT: Therefore, the Lord will overwhelm them with a mighty flood from the Euphrates River — the king of Assyria and all his glory. This flood will overflow all its channels

KJV: Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:

NKJV: Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up over them The waters of the River, strong and mighty— The king of Assyria and all his glory; He will go up over all his channels And go over all his banks.

This passage uses a vivid metaphor to explain what the Lord will cause to happen to his people. King Ahaz and the people of Judah refused to trust in the "waters of Shiloah" to protect them. Shiloah represents the Lord or the people's perception of Him (Isaiah 8:6). The king, Ahaz, refused God's command to ask for a confirming sign (Isaiah 7:10–13), likely because he had already determined to ask the Assyrian forces for aid. Judah did not consider the Lord powerful enough to protect them from their enemies: Israel and Syria.

Instead, the people of Judah put their hope and trust in another river, named here as the Euphrates. This river represented the powerful king of Assyria and his mighty armies. That river did succeed in removing the threat of Israel and Syria. The people of Judah rejoiced over the defeat of those nations.

Now, the Lord says that the king of Assyria in all his power, will not be contained. His waters are indeed "mighty and many", referring to the size and ferocity of his armies. No matter what deals may have been made by Ahaz, the Assyrian "river" will overflow its banks and sweep destruction into Judah, after all.

The bottom line is that the people have put their hope in the wrong river. It is powerful, yes, but it is also unpredictable and out of control. The Lord will use that river to bring judgment on His faithless people.

Isaiah 8:1–10 continues the prophetic tone of Isaiah 7. The Lord tells Isaiah to write a name on a sign in front of prominent witnesses. Then Isaiah gives that name to a newborn son. Before that son is old enough to speak, Syria and Israel will be wiped out by Assyria. Assyria will then bring destruction to Judah. This is compared to a mighty river flooding over its banks. In poetry, Isaiah tells the people of Judah that their preparations for war will be meaningless and that they will be shattered.

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).