Isaiah 8:18 - Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary

W e have authority from the Holy Ghost, to make application of these words to the person of the Lord Jesus. Some have thought that, as the two sons of the prophet Isaiah Shear-jashub and Mahershalal-hash-baz, are particularly noticed by the Lord in Isaiah's ministry, the prophet also speaks of them in this verse; at least, they say, the prophet may he supposed to speak of them, as well as of Christ. But would not this be sadly to debase the subject, and enervate the scriptures, in mingling anything, or any person with the Lord Jesus Christ? I take occasion to remark, once for all, in this place, that, according to my poor humble view of divine things, men putting several constructions on passages of this kind, as partly referring to Christ, and partly referring to themselves, or those around them, is not following the steps of the Holy Ghost. It is to Jesus, the one glorious object and head of his church, all scripture points, and it is in Jesus the whole centres. We must, in the present instance, refer the whole of this passage to the Lord Jesus, since the Holy Ghost, by his servant the Apostle, hath decidedly said as much. See Hebrews 2:13. And so again, in one of the Psalms, the sacred writer, under the spirit of prophecy, thus introduceth the Lord Christ, saying, I am as a wonder unto many; Psalms 71:7. And hence a light is thrown over that scripture also of the prophet, to prove that what was said of Joshua the high-priest, refers not to Joshua, but to Christ; Zechariah 3:8.