Isaiah 8:20

To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. TO THE LAW AND TO THE TESTIMONY - To the revelation of God by His prophet (Isaiah 8:16), he directs them to refer those who would advise necromancy. IF THEY SPEAK NOT ACCORDING TO THIS WORD, (IT IS) BECAUSE (THERE IS) AS LIGHT IN THEM. The English version understands "they" as the necromancers. But the Hebrew ( 'ªsher (H834)) rendered because, is who: and the Hebrew for if not may be, 'shall they not,' or, 'truly they shall speak according to this word, namely, everyone upon whom (the Hebrew relative is singular) no morning light is dawning' - i:e., who have no morning light (so the Hebrew [shaachaar] - i:e., no prosperity after the...

20._To the law and testimony. _There are indeed various ways of explaining this passage. Some think that it is the form of an oath, as if the Prophet were swearing _by the law _that they were apostates, and would entice others to a similar apostasy. But I take a different view of it, which is, that he directs our attention _to the law and the testimony_; for the preposition ל, (_lamed_,) _to_, plainly shows that this is the meaning. Now, _the testimony _is joined with the _law_, not as if it were different, but for the sake of explanation, “_to the law_, ” which contains _the testimony _or _declaration _of the will of God toward us. In short, we ought to take the word _testimony _as describing a quality, in order to inform us what advantage we derive from _the law_; namely, that God reveals himself to us in _the law_, and declares what is that relati

17-22 The prophet foresaw that the Lord would hide his face; but he would look for his return in favour to them again. Though not miraculous signs, the children's names were memorials from God, suited to excite attention. The unbelieving Jews were prone to seek counsel in difficulties, from diviners of different descriptions, whose foolish and sinful ceremonies are alluded to. Would we know how we may seek to our God, and come to the knowledge of his mind? To the law and to the testimony; for there you will see what is good, and what the Lord requires. We must speak of the things of God in the words which the Holy Ghost teaches, and be ruled by them. To those that seek to familiar spirits, and regard not God's law and testimony, there shall be horror and misery. Those that go away from God, go out of the way of all good; for fretfulness is a sin that is its own punishment. They shall de...

Verse Isaiah 8:20. _TO THE LAW AND TO THE TESTIMONY_ - "Unto the command, and unto the testimony."] "Is not תעודה _teudah_ here the attested prophecy, Isaiah 8:1? and perhaps תורה _torah_ the command, Isaiah 8:11? for it means sometimes a particular, and even a human, command; see Proverbs 6:20, and Proverbs 7:1, where it is ordered to be hid, that is, secretly kept." - Abp. _Secker_. So _Deschamps_, in his translation, or rather paraphrase, understands it: "Tenons nous a l'instrument authentique mis en depot par ordre du Seigneur,...

TO THE LAW ... - To the revelation which God has given. This is a solemn call of the prophet to try everything by the revealed will of God; see Isaiah 8:16. IF THEY SPEAK NOT - If the necromancers - those that pretended to have contact with the dead. ACCORDING TO THIS WORD - According to what God has revealed. By this standard all their pretended revelations were to be tried. By this standard all doctrines are still to be tried. IT IS BECAUSE - There has been a great variety of criticism upon this verse, but our translation expresses, probably, the true idea. The word rendered here ‘because,’ אשׁר _'ăsher_, commonly denotes ‘which;’ but it seems here to be used in the sense of the Syriac? “Dolath,” or

EXPOSITION ISAIAH 8:1 THE SIGN OF MAHER-SHALAL-HASH-BAZ. The sign of Immanuel was recondite. In its more spiritual sense it appealed to faith in an event far distant. Even in its literal import, it was not calculated to cheer and encourage more than a few, since neither the maiden nor the child was pointed out with any distinctness. A fresh sign was therefore given by God's goodness to reassure the mass of the people—a sign about which there was nothing obscure or difficult. Isaiah himself should have a son born to him almost immediately, to whom he should give a name indicating the rapid approach of the spoiler, and before this child should be able to utter the first words which childhood ordinarily pronounces, "Father," "Mother," Damascu

TO THE LAW, AND TO THE TESTIMONY,.... Kimchi takes this to be an oath, "by the law, and by the testimony", it is so and so; but Aben Ezra observes there is no instance of this kind in Scripture; it is a direction of Christ's to his disciples, to attend to the writings of Moses and the prophets, to search the Scriptures, as in John 5:39 and particularly what is before said in this prophecy concerning himself, the same is meant as on Isaiah 8:16. IF THEY SPEAK NOT ACCORDING TO THIS WORD; this sure word of prophecy, to which men do well to take heed, as to a light shining in a dark place, it being the rule of faith and practice, a lamp to the feet, and a light to the path: [IT IS] BECAUSE [THERE IS] NO LIGHT IN THEM; that is, in them that speak not according to it, meaning the Scr

CHAPTER 8 Jehovah's Word Through Isaiah and the Assyrian Announced 1. _The divine instruction and Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Isaiah 8:1)_ 2. _The Assyrian to come (Isaiah 8:5)_ 3. _The answer of faith (Isaiah 8:9)_ 4. _A word to the faithful remnant (Isaiah 8:11)_ 5. _The coming great distress (Isaiah 8:21)_ The names are significant. Isaiah heard the word “Maher-shalal-hash-baz,” and then is told to call his newborn son by this name. The name means “swift for spoil, hasty for prey.” Isaiah's other son was named “Shear-Jashub,” whic

ISAIAH 8:19 TO ISAIAH 9:1. SOME FRAGMENTARY UTTERANCES. These fragments are of uncertain date and authorship, corrupt in text and obscure in sense. The first, Isaiah 8:19 f., is a warning against necromancers. Probably the words of those who advocate consulting them continue to the end of Isaiah 8:19. We should render Isaiah 8:19_ b,_ should not a people seek unto their elohim? on behalf of the living should they not seek unto the dead? The elohim are the spirits of the dead, so described in...

THERE IS NO LIGHT IN THEM. there shall be no morning for them. All are in darkness who do not speak by and appeal to the revealed Word of God....