◄ Isaiah 8:2 ►
And I will appoint for Myself trustworthy witnesses--Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah."
Study Bible
And I will appoint for Myself trustworthy witnesses—

God established public confirmation for Isaiah’s written prophecy through recognized men whose testimony could be verified. Their presence ensured that the sign concerning Maher-shalal-hash-baz and the coming Assyrian invasion was recorded before its fulfillment. God’s revealed word does not depend on human approval, yet He graciously provided witnesses so that Judah would be without excuse when His warning came to pass.

Isa 43:10-12 “You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD…
Deu 19:15 A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing…
Mat 18:16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along…

Uriah the priest

Uriah held a prominent priestly office in Jerusalem during Ahaz’s reign and was known to the royal court. He later carried out King Ahaz’s command to construct an altar patterned after one in Damascus (2 Kings 16:10–16), revealing the compromised spiritual climate of the nation. Even within such decline, his public standing made him a suitable witness to the dated prophetic record.

2Ki 16:10-11 Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser…
2Ki 16:15-16 Then King Ahaz commanded Uriah the priest,…
2Ch 28:24-25 Then Ahaz gathered up the articles of the house of God,…

and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah.”

Zechariah was identified by his father’s name to distinguish him clearly as a known contemporary witness. Together with Uriah, he supplied the required confirmation of two witnesses, consistent with God’s standard for establishing a matter (Deuteronomy 19:15). Their testimony would stand when Isaiah’s warning was fulfilled and would demonstrate that the Lord had spoken beforehand.

Zec 1:1 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius,…
Mat 23:35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed…
Luk 11:51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah,…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Isaiah
The prophet who is delivering God's message. He is a major prophet in the Old Testament, known for his prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah and the future of Israel.

2. Uriah the Priest
A priest during the time of King Ahaz. He is mentioned as a trustworthy witness in this context, although elsewhere in the Bible, he is noted for building an altar in Jerusalem based on a design from Damascus, which was contrary to God's instructions.

3. Zechariah son of Jeberekiah
Another trustworthy witness appointed by God. Not much is known about him outside of this reference, but his inclusion signifies his reliability and standing in the community.

4. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, where these events are taking place. The political and spiritual climate of Judah during Isaiah's time was one of turmoil and apostasy.

5. Prophecy of Immanuel
The broader context of Isaiah 8 includes prophecies concerning the coming of Immanuel, a sign of God's presence and future deliverance.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Trustworthy Witnesses
In times of spiritual and political turmoil, God appoints individuals who can be trusted to uphold His truth. We should strive to be trustworthy witnesses in our own communities.

God's Sovereignty in Appointing Leaders
God chooses specific people for His purposes, even when they may seem unlikely. This reminds us that God’s plans are higher than our understanding.

The Role of Prophecy in Assurance
Prophecies, like those in Isaiah, serve to assure God's people of His presence and future deliverance. We can find comfort in God's promises, knowing they are fulfilled in His timing.

Faithfulness Amidst Compromise
Uriah's dual role as a witness and a participant in unfaithful practices highlights the tension between faithfulness and compromise. We must guard against compromising our faith for societal or political gain.
Bible Study Questions
1. What qualities do you think made Uriah and Zechariah trustworthy witnesses, and how can we cultivate these qualities in our own lives?

2. How does the role of witnesses in Isaiah 8:2 relate to the concept of being a witness for Christ in the New Testament?

3. In what ways can we ensure that we remain faithful to God's commands, even when societal pressures encourage compromise?

4. How does understanding the historical and cultural context of Isaiah's prophecies enhance our interpretation and application of these scriptures today?

5. Reflect on a time when you had to stand as a witness for truth in a challenging situation. How did your faith guide you, and what can you learn from that experience to apply in future situations?
Connections to Other Scriptures
2 Kings 16:10-16
This passage provides background on Uriah the priest, showing his involvement in King Ahaz's religious reforms, which were not in line with God's commands.

Isaiah 7:14
This verse is part of the Immanuel prophecy, which is closely related to the context of Isaiah 8, emphasizing God's promise and presence with His people.

Hebrews 12:1
The concept of "witnesses" is echoed in the New Testament, where believers are surrounded by a "great cloud of witnesses," encouraging faithfulness and perseverance.
Sermons
Prophecy in a NameR. Tuck Isaiah 8:1, 3
A Help to MemoryIsaiah 8:1-4
A Man's PenIsaiah 8:1-4
God's WritingJ. Parker, D. D.Isaiah 8:1-4
Maher-Shalal-Hash-BazB. Blake, B. D.Isaiah 8:1-4
Maher-Shalal-Hash-BazW. Owen.Isaiah 8:1-4
Naming Children from Passing EventsW. Owen.Isaiah 8:1-4
Orders of ServiceW. Clarkson Isaiah 8:1-4
Symbolic UtterancesE. Johnson Isaiah 8:1-4
Unconscious TestimonyJ. R. Howard.Isaiah 8:1-4
People
Immanuel, Isaiah, Jacob, Jeberechiah, Mahershalalhashbaz, Remaliah, Rezin, Uriah, Urijah, Zechariah
Places
Assyria, Damascus, Euphrates River, Jerusalem, Judah, Mount Zion, Samaria, Shiloah
Topics
TRUE, Cause, Faithful, Got, Jeberechiah, Jeberechi'ah, Jeberekiah, Myself, Priest, Record, Reliable, Sure, Testify, Testimony, Uriah, Uri'ah, Urijah, Witness, Witnesses, Writing, Zechariah, Zechari'ah
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Isaiah 8:2

     8224   dependence
     8253   faithfulness, examples
     8331   reliability

Isaiah 8:1-4

     7775   prophets, lives

Library
Shiloah and Euphrates
Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly ... the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many.' ISAIAH viii. 6, 7. The kingdom of Judah was threatened with a great danger in an alliance between Israel and Damascus. The cowardly King Ahaz, instead of listening to Isaiah's strong assurances and relying on the help of God, made what he thought a master-stroke of policy in invoking the help of the formidable Assyrian power. That ambitious military …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Search the Scriptures
I feel at this particular crisis of religious affairs, it is imperative upon the Christian minister to urge his people to hold fast the doctrines of the truth--the words of God. This seems likely to become the age of preaching, rather than the age of praying. We now see everywhere large congregations assembling in halls and abbeys to listen to the Word preached; and it is an ominous sign of the times, that these preachings are not only espoused by the orthodox, but even by those whom we have considered …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 4: 1858

Exposition of the Doctrines of Grace
? Perseverance of the Saints--"The Final Perseverance of Believers in Christ Jesus," by William O'Neill (message 5). The Rev. C. H. SPURGEON took the chair at 3 o'clock. The proceedings were commenced by singing the 21st Hymn-- Saved from the damning power of sin, The law's tremendous curse, We'll now the sacred song begin Where God began with us. We'll sing the vast unmeasured grace Which, from the days of old, Did all his chosen sons embrace, As sheep within the fold. The basis of eternal love …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 7: 1861

Prefatory Scripture Passages.
To the Law and to the Testimony; if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.-- Isa. viii. 20. Thus saith the Lord; Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.--Jer. vi. 16. That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But …
G. H. Gerberding—The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church

Of the Scriptures
Eph. ii. 20.--"And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." Believers are "the temple of the living God," in which he dwells and walks, 2 Cor. vi. 16. Every one of them is a little sanctuary and temple to his Majesty, "sanctify the Lord of hosts in your hearts." Though he be "the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity," yet he is pleased to come down to this poor cottage of a creature's heart, and dwell in it. Is not this …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Gihon, the Same with the Fountain of Siloam.
I. In 1 Kings 1:33,38, that which is, in the Hebrew, "Bring ye Solomon to Gihon: and they brought him to Gihon"; is rendered by the Chaldee, "Bring ye him to Siloam: and they brought him to Siloam." Where Kimchi thus; "Gihon is Siloam, and it is called by a double name. And David commanded, that they should anoint Solomon at Gihon for a good omen, to wit, that, as the waters of the fountain are everlasting, so might his kingdom be." So also the Jerusalem writers; "They do not anoint the king, but …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

Trials of the Christian
AFFLICTION--ITS NATURE AND BENEFITS. The school of the cross is the school of light; it discovers the world's vanity, baseness, and wickedness, and lets us see more of God's mind. Out of dark afflictions comes a spiritual light. In times of affliction, we commonly meet with the sweetest experiences of the love of God. The end of affliction is the discovery of sin; and of that, to bring us to a Saviour. Doth not God ofttimes even take occasion, by the hardest of things that come upon us, to visit …
John Bunyan—The Riches of Bunyan

That it is not Lawful for the Well Affected Subjects to Concur in Such an Engagement in War, and Associate with the Malignant Party.
That It Is Not Lawful For The Well Affected Subjects To Concur In Such An Engagement In War, And Associate With The Malignant Party. Some convinced of the unlawfulness of the public resolutions and proceedings, in reference to the employing of the malignant party, yet do not find such clearness and satisfaction in their own consciences as to forbid the subjects to concur in this war, and associate with the army so constituted. Therefore it is needful to speak something to this point, That it is …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Universality of Actual Grace
The gratuity of grace does not conflict with its universality. Though God distributes His graces freely, He grants them to all men without exception, because He wills all to be saved. This divine "will to save" (voluntas Dei salvifica) may be regarded in relation either to the wayfaring state or to the status termini. Regarded from the first-mentioned point of view it is a merciful will (voluntas misericordiae) and is generally called first or antecedent will (voluntas prima s. antecedens) …
Joseph Pohle—Grace, Actual and Habitual

Jesus' Temporary Residence at Capernaum.
^A Matt. IV. 13-16. ^a 13 And leaving Nazareth [This expression means that Jesus now ceased to make Nazareth his home. For description of Nazareth, see page 60], he came and dwelt in Capernaum [See page 119. Capernaum means city of Nahum, or village of consolation. Its modern name, "Tel-Hum," means hill of Nahum. The word "dwelt" means that Jesus made this town his headquarters. He owned no house there (Matt. viii. 20). He may have dwelt with some of his disciples--for instance, Simon Peter--Matt. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Of the Character of the Unregenerate.
Ephes. ii. 1, 2. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. AMONG all the various trusts which men can repose in each other, hardly any appears to be more solemn and tremendous, than the direction of their sacred time, and especially of those hours which they spend in the exercise of public devotion. …
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration

To Pastors and Teachers
To Pastors and Teachers If all who laboured for the conversion of others were to introduce them immediately into Prayer and the Interior Life, and make it their main design to gain and win over the heart, numberless as well as permanent conversions would certainly ensue. On the contrary, few and transient fruits must attend that labour which is confined to outward matters; such as burdening the disciple with a thousand precepts for external exercises, instead of leaving the soul to Christ by the …
Madame Guyon—A Short and Easy Method of Prayer

"But if we Walk in the Light, as He is in the Light, we have Fellowship one with Another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ His
1 John i. 7.--"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." Art is the imitation of nature, and true religion is a divine art, that consists in the imitation of God himself, the author of nature. Therefore it is a more high and transcendent thing, of a sublimer nature than all the arts and sciences among men. Those reach but to some resemblance of the wisdom of God, expressed in his works, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Wicked Husbandmen.
"Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: and when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto …
William Arnot—The Parables of Our Lord

Letter xix (A. D. 1127) to Suger, Abbot of S. Denis
To Suger, Abbot of S. Denis He praises Suger, who had unexpectedly renounced the pride and luxury of the world to give himself to the modest habits of the religious life. He blames severely the clerk who devotes himself rather to the service of princes than that of God. 1. A piece of good news has reached our district; it cannot fail to do great good to whomsoever it shall have come. For who that fear God, hearing what great things He has done for your soul, do not rejoice and wonder at the great …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

First Sunday in Lent
Text: Second Corinthians 6, 1-10. 1 And working together with him we entreat also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain 2 (for he saith, At an acceptable time I hearkened unto thee, and in a day of salvation did I succor thee: behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation): 3 giving no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our ministration be not blamed; 4 but in everything commending ourselves, as ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

Covenanting a Privilege of Believers.
Whatever attainment is made by any as distinguished from the wicked, or whatever gracious benefit is enjoyed, is a spiritual privilege. Adoption into the family of God is of this character. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power (margin, or, the right; or, privilege) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."[617] And every co-ordinate benefit is essentially so likewise. The evidence besides, that Covenanting …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Christ's Prophetic Office
'The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet,' &c. Deut 18:85. Having spoken of the person of Christ, we are next to speak of the offices of Christ. These are Prophetic, Priestly, and Regal. 'The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet.' Enunciatur hic locus de Christo. It is spoken of Christ.' There are several names given to Christ as a Prophet. He is called the Counsellor' in Isa 9:9. In uno Christo Angelus foederis completur [The Messenger of the Covenant appears in Christ alone]. …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

A Treatise of the Fear of God;
SHOWING WHAT IT IS, AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT WHICH IS NOT SO. ALSO, WHENCE IT COMES; WHO HAS IT; WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS; AND WHAT THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE THAT HAVE IT IN THEIR HEARTS. London: Printed for N. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, over against the Stocks market: 1679. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and "a fountain of life"--the foundation on which all wisdom rests, as well as the source from whence it emanates. Upon a principle …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

That the Employing Of, and Associating with the Malignant Party, According as is Contained in the Public Resolutions, is Sinful and Unlawful.
That The Employing Of, And Associating With The Malignant Party, According As Is Contained In The Public Resolutions, Is Sinful And Unlawful. If there be in the land a malignant party of power and policy, and the exceptions contained in the Act of Levy do comprehend but few of that party, then there need be no more difficulty to prove, that the present public resolutions and proceedings do import an association and conjunction with a malignant party, than to gather a conclusion from clear premises. …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

History of the Interpretation.
1. AMONG THE JEWS. This History, as to its essential features, might, a priori, be sketched with tolerable certainty. From the nature of the case, we could scarcely expect that the Jews should have adopted views altogether erroneous as to the subject of the prophecy in question; for the Messiah appears in it, not in His humiliation, but in His glory--rich in gifts and blessings, and Pelagian self-delusion will, a priori, return an affirmative answer to the question as to whether one is …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Links
Isaiah 8:2 NIV
Isaiah 8:2 NLT
Isaiah 8:2 ESV
Isaiah 8:2 NASB
Isaiah 8:2 KJV

Isaiah 8:2 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Isaiah 8:1
Top of Page
Top of Page