Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.
Associate yourselves `Congregate yourselves' (Vulgate and Chaldaic) [row`uw from raa`aah (H7451) Associate yourselves - `Congregate yourselves' (Vulgate and Chaldaic) [row`uw, from raa`aah (H7451), to associate as flocks do in feeding. Imperative Pual (Rabbi Salomon). But Kimchi derives it from a root, raa`a` (H7489), to shake or agitate. The Syriac translates, 'tremble;' others, 'be broken to pieces,' from a similar root, roang or ruang]; raise tumults, or, rage - i:e., do your worst (Maurer), referring perhaps to the attack of Rezin and Pekah on Jerusalem. But the parallel words in the two corresponding clauses, namely, "gird yourselves," and "take counsel together," confirm the English version.
And ye shall be broken in pieces - yet with all your 'associating' ye shall only get this for your perverse pains, "ye shall be broken in pieces." Rezin's league with Pekah must fail, and Ahaz' league with the King of Assyria only bring sorrow upon him and Judah. The Assyrian associating together of the various world-nations against Judah, and inducing even some in Judah to join him (Isaiah 22:15), must fail against the Holy land ultimately, because it is IMMANUEL'S. Imperative in the Hebrew, according to the idiom whereby the second of two imperatives implies the future-namely, the consequence of the action contained in the first (so Isaiah 6:9). The name "Immanuel" in Isaiah 8:8 (cf. Isaiah 8:10) suggests the thought of the ultimate safety of Immanuel's land, both from its present two invaders and even from the Assyrians, notwithstanding the grievous flood wherewith the previous verses foretell they shall deluge it. The succession of the house of David cannot be set aside in Judah, for Immanuel Messiah is to be born in it as heir of David, of whom Isaiah's son is but a type (Isaiah 9:4; Isaiah 9:6).
Give ear, all ye of far countries - witness the discomfiture of Judah's enemies. The prophecy probably looks on also to the final conspiracy of Antichrist and his supporters, the ten kings and the nations of the earth (Psalms 2:1-12; Revelation 17:8-17; Revelation 19:11-19) against the Heir of David's throne in the latter days, and their utter overthrow (Horsley).
Gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. The repetition expresses vehemently the certainty of their being "broken in pieces."