Isaiah 8:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.”

NIV: Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured.'

NASB: Many will stumble over them, Then they will fall and be broken; They will be snared and caught.'

CSB: Many will stumble over these; they will fall and be broken; they will be snared and captured.

NLT: Many will stumble and fall, never to rise again. They will be snared and captured.'

KJV: And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

NKJV: And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, Be snared and taken.”

Isaiah has described the Lord as both a sanctuary and a stone of stumbling (Isaiah 8:14). For those who honor Him as a holy, He will be their sanctuary their place of safety. He will be their salvation from harm. This is much like a large stone that can anchor a home or be protection from danger. For those who do not honor Him, though, God will become the tripping stone. It that same rock is ignored or dismissed, it can become a tripping hazard. It exists, whether people want to accept that or not—and ignoring it can lead to dire consequences. This will be the case for the northern ten tribes of Israel and the southern two tribes of Judah. Even the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not escape this fate.

Many people will "stumble" over the stone that is the Lord. Worse, they will be broken and taken. The use of the word "taken" refers to the instruments of destruction the Lord will use to bring judgment against Israel and Judah. The Assyrians and then the Babylonians will catch and deport the vast majority of those in Israel and Judah who survive the invasions (2 Kings 24:14).

Jesus used the same language of a stone to describe Himself to the people of Israel during His time on earth: "Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him" (Matthew 21:43–44).

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).