Question 1

What does the name Mahershalalhashbaz mean in this passage?

Accepted Answer

The name Mahershalalhashbaz means something like “quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil.” God tells Isaiah to write this name on a large scroll and then to give the same name to his newborn son. The name itself is a sign. It points to how fast Assyria will move in to strip Damascus and Samaria of their riches. Before the boy is old enough to say “my father” or “my mother,” those enemy capitals will be looted. Every time people heard the child’s name, they were reminded that God’s word of judgment was already on its way.

Question 2

Why did Isaiah need witnesses like Uriah and Zechariah?

Accepted Answer

Isaiah took two respected men, Uriah the priest and Zechariah, to serve as witnesses when he wrote the prophecy about Mahershalalhashbaz. This made the message public and verifiable. When the events later happened, no one could claim Isaiah made it up after the fact. Even though one of these men later acted wrongly, his official role still meant people would remember what he had seen and heard. This shows that God’s word is not a private guess, but a clear message that can be checked against history.

Question 3

What are the “waters of Shiloah that go softly” and why did the people refuse them?

Accepted Answer

The “waters of Shiloah that go softly” picture a small, gentle stream that flows by Zion. It stands for God’s quiet, steady care over His people, which did not look powerful in human eyes. The people of Judah were not content with this. They wanted the kind of visible strength and success they saw in other nations, and they sided with kings like Rezin and the son of Remaliah. By refusing the gentle waters, they were really turning away from God’s way and longing for worldly power instead of trusting God’s protection.

Question 4

Why does God compare Assyria to a flooding river in this passage?

Accepted Answer

God says that since the people refused His gentle waters, He will bring on them “the waters of the river, strong and many,” meaning the king of Assyria and his armies. The picture is of a huge river like the Euphrates, overflowing its banks and flooding everything in its path. This shows how overwhelming the Assyrian invasion will be. It will cover the land, pass through Judah, and rise up to the neck. The image teaches that when people trust in proud human power, they can end up being swept away by the very kind of power they admired.

Question 5

What does it mean that the land is called “O Immanuel”?

Accepted Answer

When the prophecy says that the spreading of Assyria’s wings will fill “the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel,” it reminds us that the land still belongs to Immanuel, which means “God with us.” Even though judgment is coming and the enemy will reach deep into Judah, God has not abandoned His people. The land is ultimately Immanuel’s land, not Assyria’s. This gives hope that God’s purposes will stand, that He will keep a people for Himself, and that no invading power can cancel His promise to be with His own.

Question 6

Why does the passage repeat “gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces”?

Accepted Answer

The repeated line “gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces” is spoken to the nations planning to attack God’s people. To “gird” means to prepare for battle, to get ready with all your strength and weapons. God is saying that no matter how well they prepare or how many allies they gather, their plans will fail. The repetition drives the point home. Human strength and clever plans are nothing when they go against God’s purpose. Their counsel will come to nothing because the deciding fact is that God is with His people.

Question 7

What does “for God is with us” teach about God’s character here?

Accepted Answer

The words “for God is with us” show that God is both just and faithful. He allows Assyria to come as a judgment because His people refused His ways, yet He does not abandon them. Enemies may surround them, but their plans will not stand in the end. God stays committed to His promise, even when His people have failed. His presence is not a denial of hardship, but a guarantee that hardship will not have the final word. This reveals a God who corrects, protects, and keeps His word at the same time.

Question 8

What was happening historically when God gave this prophecy?

Accepted Answer

At this time, Judah was under pressure from two neighboring powers, Syria with its capital in Damascus and the northern kingdom with its capital in Samaria. These nations were threatening Judah, and there was fear and political plotting. God’s message through Isaiah was that Assyria, a much stronger empire, would soon sweep in and defeat Damascus and Samaria. Judah, instead of resting in God’s quiet care, was tempted to look to human alliances. So God warned that the very kind of power they trusted would overflow the region like a flood.

Question 9

How can believers today apply the picture of Shiloah and the Assyrian flood?

Accepted Answer

The gentle waters of Shiloah and the raging river of Assyria picture two very different ways of living. One is trusting God’s quiet, steady care, even when it looks small. The other is chasing visible strength and security in human power. Today, it is easy to think that success, wealth, or strong leaders will keep us safe. This passage invites us to value God’s way, even when it seems weak, and to be wary of leaning on what looks big and impressive. Trust in God’s presence, not in the flood of passing powers.

Isaiah 8:1

Moreover the Lord said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man’s pen concerning Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

Assyrian Invasion Prophesied

Damascus and Samaria Fall

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Isaiah 8:1

Moreover the Lord said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man’s pen concerning Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

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Assyrian Invasion Prophesied

Damascus and Samaria Fall

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