New English Translation
Isaiah 8:12
12“Do not say, ‘Conspiracy,’ every time these people say the word. Don’t be afraid of what scares them; don’t be terrified.
Isaiah 8:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
- New International Version (NIV)“Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,’ Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.
Context of Isaiah 8:12
10Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted! Issue your orders, but they will not be executed! For God is with us! 11Indeed this is what the Lord told me. He took hold of me firmly and warned me not to act like these people: “Do not say, ‘Conspiracy,’ every time these people say the word. Don’t be afraid of what scares them; don’t be terrified. 13You must recognize the authority of the Lord who commands armies. He is the one you must respect; he is the one you must fear. 14He will become a sanctuary, but a stone that makes a person trip, and a rock that makes one stumble – to the two houses of Israel. He will become a trap and a snare to the residents of Jerusalem.
Read all of Isaiah 8Isaiah 8:12 word by word
לֹא־תֹאמְר֣וּן קֶ֔שֶׁר לְכֹ֧ל אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמַ֛ר הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה קָ֑שֶׁר וְאֶת־מוֹרָא֥וֹ לֹֽא־תִֽירְא֖וּ וְלֹ֥א תַעֲרִֽיצוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Isaiah 8:12
- Isaiah 7:2It was reported to the family of David, “Syria has allied with Ephraim.” They and their people were emotionally shaken, just as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.
- Isaiah 51:12“I, I am the one who consoles you. Why are you afraid of mortal men, of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass?
- 2 Kings 16:5At that time King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel attacked Jerusalem. They besieged Ahaz, but were unable to conquer him.
- Isaiah 7:4Tell him, ‘Make sure you stay calm! Don’t be afraid! Don’t be intimidated by these two stubs of smoking logs, or by the raging anger of Rezin, Syria, and the son of Remaliah.
- Isaiah 57:9You take olive oil as tribute to your king, along with many perfumes. You send your messengers to a distant place; you go all the way to Sheol.
- Psalms 53:5They are absolutely terrified, even by things that do not normally cause fear. For God annihilates those who attack you. You are able to humiliate them because God has rejected them.
- Matthew 28:2Suddenly there was a severe earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descending from heaven came and rolled away the stone and sat on it.
- Luke 12:4“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more they can do.
- Luke 21:9And when you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be afraid. For these things must happen first, but the end will not come at once.”
- 1 Peter 3:14But in fact, if you happen to suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. But do not be terrified of them or be shaken.
Commentaries on Isaiah 8:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Say ye not, A confederacy "Say ye not, It is holy" - קשר kesher . Both the reading and the sense of this word are doubtful. The Septuagint manifestly read קשה kashah ; for they render it by , hard. The Syriac and Chaldee render it מרדא merda, and dn מרוד merod, rebellion. How they came by this sense of the word, or what they read in their copies, is not so clear. But the worst of it is, that neither of these readings or renderings gives any clear sense in…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Say ye not - Do not join in their purposes of forming a confederacy. Do not unite with the king and the people of Judah in their alarms about the threatened invasion by the kings of Syria and Samaria, and in their purpose to form an alliance with the king of Assyria. The reason why they should not do this, he states in Isaiah 8:13, where he exhorts the nation to put confidence in the Lord rather than in man. There has been, however, great diversity in the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-16Verses 9-16 The prophet challenges the enemies of the Jews. Their efforts would be vain, and themselves broken to pieces. It concerns us, in time of trouble, to watch against all such fears as put us upon crooked courses for our own security. The believing fear of God preserves against the disquieting fear of man. If we thought rightly of the greatness and glory of God, we should see all the power of our enemies restrained. The Lord, who will be a…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12People saw Isaiah’s message of staying out of Assyrian affairs as treason and part of a conspiracy. However, Isaiah was not engaging in political games. He was sharing God’s message. What scared them was the alliance of Syria and Israel attacking Judah (see Isaiah 7:1, 4).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 12-1612-16. The words of Jehovah. confederacy--rather, a conspiracy; 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]. to all ... say--rather, of all which this people calleth a conspiracy [G. V. Smith]. their fear--namely, object of fear: the hostile conspiracy. be afraid--rather [Maurer], "nor make others to be…Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 8:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries