Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 8:4

For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.

4. The period here indicated, about a year, is of course shorter than in ch. Isa 7:16, the date of the prediction being about a year later.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

For before … – This must have occurred in a short time – probably before the expiration of three years. A child would usually learn to address his parents in that time. In fact, the event here predicted occurred in less than three years from the time when the prophecy was spoken; see the notes at Isa 7:16.

Before the king of Assyria – By the king, or by his conquests. By the spoil of Samaria here, is to be understood, not the plunder which should be carried away from the city, but from the kingdom of Samaria. In other places, the land is called by the name of the capital; compare 2Ki 17:26; 2Ki 23:19; Jer 31:5. The city of Samaria was not plundered until eighteen years after the time mentioned here by the prophet; Isa 8:5-6. These verses introduce again what was predicted in Isa 7:17, following, respecting the invasion of the land by the king of Assyria. The cause of the invasion is specified, and the consequences are foretold.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 4. For before the child] For my father and my mother, one MS. and the Vulgate have his father and his mother. The prophecy was accordingly accomplished within three years; when Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, went up against Damascus and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin, and also took the Reubenites and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and carried them captive to Assyria, 2Kg 15:29; 2Kg 16:9; 1Ch 5:26.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

To cry, My father, and my mother; to speak, and to know his parents; which is within the space of two years. And this agrees with the other prophecy, Isa 7:16,

Before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, which requires a longer time than to distinguish his parents from strangers; which suits well to Shear-jashub, who, being born some years before this, was capable of that further degree of knowledge as soon as this was capable of the lower degree.

The riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria 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, 2Ki 15:29.

Before the king of Assyria; in his presence, and by himself and his forces; for in Scripture use that is said to be before a man, which is in or is put into a mans power, as Gen 13:9; 20:15, &c.; and men are said to be smitten before their enemies, when they are smitten by them, as Num 14:42; Deu 1:42; Jdg 20:39, and oft elsewhere. Others refer this phrase to the ancient custom of conquerors, of sending or carrying their spoils before them into their own country.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

4. before, &c.within ayear.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, my father, and my mother,…. Which are commonly the first words children learn to say; and so it signifies that what follows should happen in a year or two; as it did:

the riches of Damascus, and the spoil of Samaria, shall be taken away before the king of Assyria; or, “he shall take away the riches” q, c. not the child, unless he is considered as the sign of taking them away; but the soldier, put for the whole Assyrian army, which carried off the riches and spoil of these places, in the presence, and by the order, of the king of Assyria; the first of these, namely, Damascus, the metropolis of Syria, with its riches, wealth, and army, were taken and carried away by Tilgathpilneser, king of Assyria, within the time here mentioned, 2Ki 16:9 but the latter, Samaria, the metropolis of the kingdom of Israel, was not taken and spoiled until the sixth year of Hezekiah, and ninth of Hoshea, 2Ki 17:6 but because the prophecy began to be fulfilled, and was fulfilled in part, within the time mentioned, the whole is attributed to it; though it should be observed, that before this, after Pekah the son of Remaliah was slain, and Hoshea reigned in his stead, the king of Assyria came up against him, and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents; which may be called the spoil of Samaria, 2Ki 17:3.

q “asportabit, opulentiam—-servus regis Assyriae”, Junius & Tremellius “auferet opes—-is [qui stet] coram facie regis Assyriae”, Piscator.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

4. Truly before the child have knowledge to cry. This is an interpretation both of the dark saying and of the vision which was added to it; for although God did not intend to speak in direct language, still it was proper that obscurity should be removed. I interpret הנער, ( hannagnar,) the child, to mean not the Prophet’s son, but rather all who should be born soon afterwards. He declares that, before they are grown up, the two kings of Israel and Samaria (123) will be destroyed.

Before the face of the king of Assyria. That is, at the disposal, or at the will, of the king of Assyria; alluding perhaps to an ancient custom of carrying the spoils of the enemies before the chariot of those who received a public triumph. In like manner shall the spoils of Samaria and Damascus be carried before the king of Assyria.

This makes it still more evident that the Prophet intended nothing else than to foretell the desolation of the kingdom of Israel and of Syria. He does this for the purpose of comforting the godly, and likewise of holding up to scorn the foolish dread of the wicked king, who could not endure that the Lord should assist him; for he rejected not only the promises, but likewise the sign which was offered. In consequence of this, the Prophet goes farther and farther in reproving his wickedness, and that of the whole nation. “Thou dost, indeed, believe nothing, but the Lord will assist his own; and thou shalt quickly see sudden and unexpected changes, by which the Lord will deliver his people.” And yet these words were spoken not so much to the king as to godly men; and hence we ought to infer that the servants of God do not always speak so as to be believed by their hearers; for Isaiah here addresses wicked men, in whom he produces no conviction. Why, then, does he speak to them? To convict them more and more of their unbelief, and to reprove them for it; and next, to render the goodness of God more manifest: for who would not have thought that such aggravated wickedness would entirely shut the door against the mercy of God? And yet the Lord, by his goodness, rises superior to the wickedness both of the king and of the people. The object of the Prophet therefore is, to reprove the ungodly for their rebelliousness, and at the same time show that God is always like himself.

(123) It is evident that, by a slip of the pen, Samaria is put for Syria. — Ed.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(4) For before the child shall have knowledge to cry . . .Here then was another sign like that of Isa. 7:14-16. The two witnesses of Isa. 8:2 were probably summoned to the circumcision and naming of the child, and the mysterious name at which all Jerusalem had gazed with wonder was given to the new-born infant. The prediction is even more definite than before. Before the first cries of childhood (Heb. Abi, Ami) should be uttered, i.e., within a year of its birth, the spoils of the two capitals of the kings of the confederate armies should be carried to the king of Assyria. The conclusion of the period thus defined would coincide more or less closely with the longer period assigned at an earlier date (Isa. 7:16). Historically the trans-Jordanic region and Damascus fell before Tiglath-pilneser; Samaria, besieged by Salmaneser, before his successor Sargon (2Ki. 15:29; 2Ki. 16:9; 2Ki. 17:6).

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

4. Before this it was known the inscription meant “plunder and spoils;” but which the plundered party was to be was not known.

Shall have knowledge to cry Shall know how to speak the name My father. The date of the prophecy’s fulfilment is determined by the infant’s growth, about two years from its birth. And now who the vanquished party are becomes known. The Assyrian power, hired by Ahaz, will pillage Damascus, and spoil Samaria before the boy-child shall know how to lisp “My father,” etc.

Denunciation of the foreign parties in Judah, and assertion for Jehovah and his adherents, Isa 8:5-22.

The prophet denounces the despisers of Siloah, the emblem of the mild Davidic kingdom, and threatens that they shall be overwhelmed with the Euphrates, the emblem of the terrible Assyrian empire, 5-8. He bids the enemies of Jehovah defiance, 8-10; calls upon the people to reject their clamors, and to turn to the law and to the Jehovistic signs presented in himself and family, 11-18. He denounces the deserters from God’s law who resort to sorcerers for guidance.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Isa 8:4 For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.

Ver. 4. For before the child, &c. ] That is, within a year or two; for it was an extraordinary thing that is reported of Maximilian the Emperor, that he was eight years old at least ere he spake anything, but afterwards he became a fluent and elegant speaker.

The riches of Damascus. ] Riches do many times change their masters, and kingdoms are oft turned upside down, when they fall to persecuting the people of God especially, as did these Syrians and Israelites.

Before the king of Assyria. ] Spoils taken from the enemy were and are usually carried in triumph before the conqueror.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

before. The interval was twenty-one months from the prophecy, twelve from the birth.

child = sucking child: as in Isa 7:16. Not the same word as in Isa 8:18

shall be taken. So it was: in the third year of Ahaz, Damascus was sacked and Rezin was slain.

taken = carried away.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

before: Isa 7:15, Isa 7:16, Deu 1:39, Jon 4:11, Rom 9:11

the riches of Damascus: etc. or, he that is before the king of Assyria shall take away the riches, etc. Isa 10:6-14, Isa 17:3, 2Ki 15:29, 2Ki 16:9, 2Ki 17:3, 2Ki 17:5, 2Ki 17:6

Reciprocal: 2Ki 18:11 – the king Isa 7:4 – the two tails Isa 7:8 – within Isa 9:8 – sent a word Isa 9:11 – set up Isa 10:5 – the rod Isa 17:1 – Damascus is Isa 28:1 – whose Hos 13:16 – Samaria Amo 1:3 – Damascus Amo 3:12 – so shall Amo 6:14 – I will

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Isa 8:4. 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, Isa 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, 2Ki 15:29.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

8:4 For before the {e} child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the {f} king of Assyria.

(e) Before any child is able to speak.

(f) That is, the army of Assyria.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

Before the boy grew old enough to speak distinctly, Assyria (Tiglath-pileser III) would carry off the wealth of Damascus and Samaria (in 732 B.C.; cf. Isa 7:15-16; 2Ki 15:29). This brought to a close a 200-year period in which the Aramean Kingdom played a leading role. [Note: Watts, p. 114.] Thus Syria and Israel would not only fail in their attempt to bring Judah under their power (cf. Isa 7:6), but the king of Assyria would bring them under his power. This second promise is almost identical to the earlier one in Isa 7:4-9. Perhaps God intended it to be a second witness to the truthfulness of His Word.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)