וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י קַח־לְךָ֖ גִּלָּי֣וֹן גָּד֑וֹל וּכְתֹ֤ב עָלָיו֙ בְּחֶ֣רֶט אֱנ֔וֹשׁ לְמַהֵ֥ר שָׁלָ֖ל חָ֥שׁ בַּֽז׃ GOD said to me, “Get yourself a large sheet and write on it in common scriptain common script Meaning of Heb. uncertain. ‘For Maher-shalal-hash-baz’;bMaher-shalal-hash-baz I.e., “Pillage hastens, looting speeds,” indicating that two cities are to be pillaged at an early date; see v. 4.
וְאָעִ֣ידָה לִּ֔י עֵדִ֖ים נֶאֱמָנִ֑ים אֵ֚ת אוּרִיָּ֣ה הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְאֶת־זְכַרְיָ֖הוּ בֶּ֥ן יְבֶרֶכְיָֽהוּ׃ and call reliable witnesses, the priest Uriah and Zechariah son of Jeberechiah, to witness for Me.”
וָֽאֶקְרַב֙ אֶל־הַנְּבִיאָ֔ה וַתַּ֖הַר וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן {ס} וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י קְרָ֣א שְׁמ֔וֹ מַהֵ֥ר שָׁלָ֖ל חָ֥שׁ בַּֽז׃ I was intimate with the prophetess,cthe prophetess I.e., Isaiah’s wife. and she conceived and bore a son; and GOD said to me, “Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz.dMaher-shalal-hash-baz See note at v. 1.
כִּ֗י בְּטֶ֙רֶם֙ יֵדַ֣ע הַנַּ֔עַר קְרֹ֖א אָבִ֣י וְאִמִּ֑י יִשָּׂ֣א ׀ אֶת־חֵ֣יל דַּמֶּ֗שֶׂק וְאֵת֙ שְׁלַ֣ל שֹׁמְר֔וֹן לִפְנֵ֖י מֶ֥לֶךְ אַשּֽׁוּר׃ {ס} For before the boy learns to call ‘Father’ and ‘Mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria, and the delights of Rezin and of the son of Remaliah,eand the delights of Rezin and of the son of Remaliah Moved up from v. 6 for clarity. shall be carried off before the king of Assyria.”
וַיֹּ֣סֶף יְהֹוָ֔ה דַּבֵּ֥ר אֵלַ֛י ע֖וֹד לֵאמֹֽר׃ Again GOD spoke to me, thus:
יַ֗עַן כִּ֤י מָאַס֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה אֵ֚ת מֵ֣י הַשִּׁלֹ֔חַ הַהֹלְכִ֖ים לְאַ֑ט וּמְשׂ֥וֹשׂ אֶת־רְצִ֖ין וּבֶן־רְמַלְיָֽהוּ׃ “Because that people has spurned
The gently flowing waters of Siloam”fflowing waters of Siloam The conduit—and later the tunnel—of Siloam conveyed into Jerusalem the waters of Gihon, which symbolize “GOD of Hosts who dwells on Mount Zion” (v. 18). For the nature of the rejection see note at 7.13.—
וְלָכֵ֡ן הִנֵּ֣ה אֲדֹנָי֩ מַעֲלֶ֨ה עֲלֵיהֶ֜ם אֶת־מֵ֣י הַנָּהָ֗ר הָעֲצוּמִים֙ וְהָ֣רַבִּ֔ים אֶת־מֶ֥לֶךְ אַשּׁ֖וּר וְאֶת־כׇּל־כְּבוֹד֑וֹ וְעָלָה֙ עַל־כׇּל־אֲפִיקָ֔יו וְהָלַ֖ךְ עַל־כׇּל־גְּדוֹתָֽיו׃ Assuredly,
The Sovereign will bring up against them
The mighty, massive waters of the Euphrates,
The king of Assyria and all his multitude.
It shall rise above all its channels,
And flow over all its beds,
וְחָלַ֤ף בִּֽיהוּדָה֙ שָׁטַ֣ף וְעָבַ֔ר עַד־צַוָּ֖אר יַגִּ֑יעַ וְהָיָה֙ מֻטּ֣וֹת כְּנָפָ֔יו מְלֹ֥א רֹחַב־אַרְצְךָ֖ עִמָּ֥נוּ אֵֽל׃ {ס} And swirl through Judah like a flash flood
Reaching up to the neck.gup to the neck I.e., Judah shall be imperiled, but, in contrast to Aram and Ephraim (v. 4), not destroyed.
hSee note at 7.9. But with us is God,
Whose wings are spread
As wide as your land is broad!
רֹ֤עוּ עַמִּים֙ וָחֹ֔תּוּ וְהַֽאֲזִ֔ינוּ כֹּ֖ל מֶרְחַקֵּי־אָ֑רֶץ הִתְאַזְּר֣וּ וָחֹ֔תּוּ הִֽתְאַזְּר֖וּ וָחֹֽתּוּ׃ Band together, O peoples—you shall be broken!
Listen to this, you remotest parts of the earth:
Gird yourselves—you shall be broken;
Gird yourselves—you shall be broken!
עֻ֥צוּ עֵצָ֖ה וְתֻפָ֑ר דַּבְּר֤וּ דָבָר֙ וְלֹ֣א יָק֔וּם כִּ֥י עִמָּ֖נוּ אֵֽל׃ {ס} Hatch a plot—it shall be foiled;
Agree on action—it shall not succeed.
For with us is God!
כִּי֩ כֹ֨ה אָמַ֧ר יְהֹוָ֛ה אֵלַ֖י כְּחֶזְקַ֣ת הַיָּ֑ד וְיִסְּרֵ֕נִי מִלֶּ֛כֶת בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ הָֽעָם־הַזֶּ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃ For this is what GOD said to me, upon taking me by the handitaking me by the hand I.e., singling me out; cf. 41.9, 13; 42.6; 45.1; Jer. 31.32 (v. 31 in some editions). and charging me not to walk in the path of that people:
לֹא־תֹאמְר֣וּן קֶ֔שֶׁר לְכֹ֧ל אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמַ֛ר הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה קָ֑שֶׁר וְאֶת־מוֹרָא֥וֹ לֹא־תִֽירְא֖וּ וְלֹ֥א תַעֲרִֽיצוּ׃ jThe Heb. forms here and in vv. 13 and 19 are plural to include the disciples (v. 16) and the children (v. 18). “You must not call conspiracykconspiracy Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “holy”; cf. v. 13.
All that that people calls conspiracy,lconspiracy See preceding note.
Nor revere what it reveres,
Nor hold it in awe.
אֶת־יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת אֹת֣וֹ תַקְדִּ֑ישׁוּ וְה֥וּא מוֹרַאֲכֶ֖ם וְה֥וּא מַעֲרִֽצְכֶֽם׃ None but GOD of Hosts
Shall you account holy;
Give reverence to [God] alone,
Hold [God] alone in awe.
וְהָיָ֖ה לְמִקְדָּ֑שׁ וּלְאֶ֣בֶן נֶ֠גֶף וּלְצ֨וּר מִכְשׁ֜וֹל לִשְׁנֵ֨י בָתֵּ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לְפַ֣ח וּלְמוֹקֵ֔שׁ לְיוֹשֵׁ֖ב יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ [God] shall become a sanctuary,
A stonembecome a sanctuary, / A stone Emendation yields “be for God’s holy domain [cf. Ps. 114.2] / A stone…” people strike against:
A rock people stumble over
For the two Houses of Israel,
And a trap and a snare for those
Who dwell in Jerusalem.
וְכָ֥שְׁלוּ בָ֖ם רַבִּ֑ים וְנָפְל֣וּ וְנִשְׁבָּ֔רוּ וְנוֹקְשׁ֖וּ וְנִלְכָּֽדוּ׃ {פ}
The masses shall trip over these
And shall fall and be injured,
Shall be snared and be caught.
צ֖וֹר תְּעוּדָ֑ה חֲת֥וֹם תּוֹרָ֖ה בְּלִמֻּדָֽי׃ Bind up the message,
Seal the instruction with My disciples.”
וְחִכִּ֙יתִי֙ לַיהֹוָ֔ה הַמַּסְתִּ֥יר פָּנָ֖יו מִבֵּ֣ית יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְקִוֵּ֖יתִי־לֽוֹ׃ So I will wait for GOD, whose face is hidden from the House of Jacob, and in whom I will trust.
הִנֵּ֣ה אָנֹכִ֗י וְהַיְלָדִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתַן־לִ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה לְאֹת֥וֹת וּלְמוֹפְתִ֖ים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מֵעִם֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת הַשֹּׁכֵ֖ן בְּהַ֥ר צִיּֽוֹן׃ {ס} Here stand I and the children GOD has given me as signs and portents in Israel from GOD of Hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.
וְכִֽי־יֹאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵיכֶ֗ם דִּרְשׁ֤וּ אֶל־הָֽאֹבוֹת֙ וְאֶל־הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֔ים הַֽמְצַפְצְפִ֖ים וְהַמַּהְגִּ֑ים הֲלוֹא־עַם֙ אֶל־אֱלֹהָ֣יו יִדְרֹ֔שׁ בְּעַ֥ד הַחַיִּ֖ים אֶל־הַמֵּתִֽים׃ Now, should people say to you, “Inquire of the ghosts and familiar spirits that chirp and moan; for a people may inquire of its divine beingsndivine beings I.e., the shades of the dead; cf. 1 Sam. 28.13.—of the dead on behalf of the living—
לְתוֹרָ֖ה וְלִתְעוּדָ֑ה אִם־לֹ֤א יֹֽאמְרוּ֙ כַּדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־ל֖וֹ שָֽׁחַר׃ for instruction and message,” surely, for those who speak thus there shall be no dawn.
וְעָ֥בַר בָּ֖הּ נִקְשֶׁ֣ה וְרָעֵ֑ב וְהָיָ֨ה כִֽי־יִרְעַ֜ב וְהִתְקַצַּ֗ף וְקִלֵּ֧ל בְּמַלְכּ֛וֹ וּבֵאלֹהָ֖יו וּפָנָ֥ה לְמָֽעְלָה׃ oThis sentence would read well after v. 22. And they shall go about in it wretched and hungry; and when they are hungry, they shall rage and revolt against their king and their divine beings. They may turn their face upward
וְאֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ יַבִּ֑יט וְהִנֵּ֨ה צָרָ֤ה וַֽחֲשֵׁכָה֙ מְע֣וּף צוּקָ֔ה וַאֲפֵלָ֖ה מְנֻדָּֽח׃ or they may look below, but behold
Distress and darkness, with no daybreak;pwith no daybreak Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
Straitness and gloom, with no dawn.qwith no dawn Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
כִּ֣י לֹ֣א מוּעָף֮ לַאֲשֶׁ֣ר מוּצָ֣ק לָהּ֒ כָּעֵ֣ת הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן הֵקַ֞ל אַ֤רְצָה זְבֻלוּן֙ וְאַ֣רְצָה נַפְתָּלִ֔י וְהָאַחֲר֖וֹן הִכְבִּ֑יד דֶּ֤רֶךְ הַיָּם֙ עֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן גְּלִ֖יל הַגּוֹיִֽם׃ For if there were to berif there were to be So 1QIsᵃ; the others have “there is not.” any break of day for that [land] that is in straits, only the former [king] would have brought abasement to the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali—while the later one would have brought honor to the Way of the Sea, the other side of the Jordan, and Galilee of the Nations.sMeaning of verse uncertain. The rendering here assumes that “the former [king]” refers to Pekah and “the later” to Hoshea (cf. 2 Kings 15.29–30). For the construction lu…ka-ʻeth, see Judg. 13.23.
