Before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, &c. To speak and know his parents; which is within the space of two years. And this agrees with the other prophecy, Isaiah 7:16. For it requires a longer time for a child to know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, than to distinguish his parents from strangers; and Shear-jashub, being born some years before this child, was capable of that higher degree of knowledge as soon as this was capable of the lower degree. The riches of Damascus, &c., shall be taken away The kingdoms of Syria and Israel, here signified by their two capital cities, shall be stripped of their wealth and power, as they were by Tiglath-pileser, within the time here limited, 2 Kings 15:29.
Related Commentaries of Isaiah 8:4
Isaiah 8:4
4 For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the richesc of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.