Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
The words of Yahweh.
Verse 12. Say ye not, A confederacy - rather. A conspiracy; Hebrew, quesher, an appropriate term for the unnatural combination of Israel with Syrian foreigners against Judea and the theocracy, to which the former was bound by ties of blood and hereditary religion (Maurer). Do not ye (the godly, such as Isaiah) join in the cry of this people for a "confederacy," which is rather a 'conspiracy,' by either surrendering to the associated king (Vatablus), or forming an alliance with the Assyrian king (Piscator), or deserting, as Shebna is thought to have done, to the Assyrian king (Isaiah 22:15) (Grotius). A combination of God's people, the Jews, with the pagan Assyrians, is regarded by God, the Head of the theocracy, as a rebellious and unnatural conspiracy against Him. But the "confederacy" or conspiracy, which was constantly on the tongue of the Jews, and which Isaiah and the godly are charged not to have uppermost in their thoughts and words, answers in parallelism to "their fear" - namely, the confederate and conspiring Rezin and Pekah, in contrast to whom is put, 'let the Lord be your fear' (Isaiah 8:13). I therefore prefer, with Gesenius, to explain, Do not be saying continually, like the panic-struck people. 'A conspiracy,' as if you had through fear lost all faith.
To all (them to) whom this people shall say, A confederacy - or else, 'as to lª- all things in which this people saith, A conspiracy.' Do not let your continual cry be, A conspiracy, according as their cry on all occasions is, A conspiracy.
Neither fear ye their fear - namely, object of fear: the hostile conspiracy.
Verse 13. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself - Honour His holy name by regarding Him as your only hope of safety (Isaiah 29:23; Numbers 20:12). In nothing do we more dishonour God's holy name than by distrustful fears.
Let him be your fear - "fear," lest you provoke His wrath by your fear of man and distrust of Him.
Verse 14. He shall be for a sanctuary - an inviolable asylum, like the altar of the temple (1 Kings 1:50; 1 Kings 2:28; Ezekiel 11:16: cf. Proverbs 18:10); namely, to those who fear and trust in Him. But for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel - i:e., a rock over which they should fall to their hurt; namely, those who would not believe.
Both the houses - Israel and Judah. Here again the prophecy expands beyond the temporary application in Ahaz' time. The very stone, Immanuel, which would have been a sanctuary on belief, becomes a fatal stumbling-block through unbelief. Jesus Christ refers to this in Matthew 21:44 (cf. Deuteronomy 32:4; Deuteronomy 32:15; Deuteronomy 32:18; Deuteronomy 32:30-31; Deuteronomy 32:37; Daniel 2:34; Romans 9:33; 1 Peter 2:8).
A gin - a trap, in which birds are unexpectedly caught. So shall Christ's second advent "come as a snare on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth" (Luke 21:35; 1 Thessalonians 5:2). So at the destruction of Jerusalem under Titus.
Verse 15. And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken - images from the means used in taking wild animals.
Verse 16. Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. What Isaiah had before briefly noted by inscribing Mahar-shalal-hash-baz in a tablet, fixed up in some public place, he afterward wrote out more in detail in a parchment-roll (Isaiah 30:8): this he is now to seal up, not merely in order that nothing may be added to, or taken from it, as being complete, but to imply that it relates to distant events, and is therefore to be a sealed and not understood testimony (Isaiah 6:9-10), except in part among God's "disciples" - i:e., those who "sanctify the Lord" by obedient trust (Psalms 25:14, "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him; and He will show them His covenant"). Subsequent revelations would afterward clear up what now was dark. So the Apocalypse explains what in Daniel was left unexplained. Compare Daniel 8:26; Daniel 12:9, "The words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end;" but Revelation 22:10, "Seal not the sayings of the prophecy ... for the time is at hand." The Lamb has opened the seals of prophecy. Compare Revelation 5:1; Revelation 5:5; Revelation 5:9.
The testimony - the prophecy of Isaiah, inspired by God and attested by Uriah and Zechariah (Isaiah 8:2).
The law - the revelation just given, having the force of a law.
My disciples - the spiritually "wise," who alone shall "understand" (Daniel 12:10). "My disciples" are those "taught of the Lord" (the same Hebrew as here, limmudai) (Isaiah 54:13). The Lord's disciples secondarily represent here the elect remnant who, during the period of lsrael's stumbling at Immanuel (Isaiah 8:14-15), accept Him. Compare John 7:17; John 15:15.