Isaiah 8

People told me that these nonsense names were untranslatable. Such is not the case. Take care what you are told. As some great systems thinker said - It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you know that isn't so.  Anyway, the name means plenty-of-trouble-brewing, right?

The children that Yahweh has given me... The word is ילד, could be newborns, or juveniles, or toddlers (I was tempted - given the two grandchildren staying with us oldies these past three months!) or begotten since I have used children for בן. This verse 18 is a sudden insight of the prophet about his role as teacher.

22 verses in this chapter in the Greek. 23 in the Hebrew. In the 23rd I have left the play in English of make light (deny קלל) and make heavy (glorify כבד). The beginning I assume is a recall of the initial move into the land. Where today (in the story) we have pending exile and restoration with intimations of other things to which the story ultimately points.

Note the twitter account for the necromancers and the tendency to anger when hungry.

Seriously, it is not really clear who is the subject of the section from verse 21 to 22. I have switched back to masculine singular in the last verse where the subject is again unspecified (perhaps Yahweh), but not the same subject as the prior two verses.

Isaiah 8		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י קַח־לְךָ֖ גִּלָּי֣וֹן גָּד֑וֹל וּכְתֹ֤ב עָלָיו֙ בְּחֶ֣רֶט אֱנ֔וֹשׁ לְמַהֵ֥ר שָׁלָ֖ל חָ֥שׁ בַּֽז	1		And Yahweh said to me, Take for yourself a great plaque, and write on it with a mortal's engraving tool, to Swift-Spoil-Hurried-Loot.	3e	4C	15 16
וְאָעִ֣ידָה לִּ֔י עֵדִ֖ים נֶאֱמָנִ֑ים אֵ֚ת אוּרִיָּ֣ה הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְאֶת־זְכַרְיָ֖הוּ בֶּ֥ן יְבֶרֶכְיָֽהוּ	2		And I will call to witness for me faithful witnesses, Uriah [Yah my light] the priest and Zachariah [Yahweh remembers] child of Yeberekyah [Yahweh blesses].	3e	4C	11 19
וָאֶקְרַב֙ אֶל־הַנְּבִיאָ֔ה וַתַּ֖הַר וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י קְרָ֣א שְׁמ֔וֹ מַהֵ֥ר שָׁלָ֖ל חָ֥שׁ בַּֽז	3		And I came near to the prophetess, and she became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. And Yahweh said to me, Call his name Swift-Spoil-Hurried-Loot.	3e	4C	14 17
כִּ֗י בְּטֶ֙רֶם֙ יֵדַ֣ע הַנַּ֔עַר קְרֹ֖א אָבִ֣י וְאִמִּ֑י יִשָּׂ֣א ׀ אֶת־חֵ֣יל דַּמֶּ֗שֶׂק וְאֵת֙ שְׁלַ֣ל שֹׁמְר֔וֹן לִפְנֵ֖י מֶ֥לֶךְ אַשּֽׁוּר	4	~	For before the youngster knows to call, My father and my mother, the force of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be lifted up before the king of Ashur.	3e	4B	16 19
וַיֹּ֣סֶף יְהוָ֔ה דַּבֵּ֥ר אֵלַ֛י ע֖וֹד לֵאמֹֽר	5		And again Yahweh spoke to me further, saying,	3d	4B	12
יַ֗עַן כִּ֤י מָאַס֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה אֵ֚ת מֵ֣י הַשִּׁלֹ֔חַ הַהֹלְכִ֖ים לְאַ֑ט וּמְשׂ֥וֹשׂ אֶת־רְצִ֖ין וּבֶן־רְמַלְיָֽהוּ	6	~	Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloax that meander sweet-tempered, and have joy in Rezin and the child of Remalia,	3e	4C	20 11
וְלָכֵ֡ן הִנֵּ֣ה אֲדֹנָי֩ מַעֲלֶ֨ה עֲלֵיהֶ֜ם אֶת־מֵ֣י הַנָּהָ֗ר הָעֲצוּמִים֙ וְהָ֣רַבִּ֔ים אֶת־מֶ֥לֶךְ אַשּׁ֖וּר וְאֶת־כָּל־כְּבוֹד֑וֹ וְעָלָה֙ עַל־כָּל־אֲפִיקָ֔יו וְהָלַ֖ךְ עַל־כָּל־גְּדוֹתָֽיו	7		So therefore, behold, my Lord makes ascend on them the waters of the river, numerous and vast, the king of Ashur, and all his glory. And he will come up over all its channels, and will meander over all its levees.	3e	4B	38 16
וְחָלַ֤ף בִּֽיהוּדָה֙ שָׁטַ֣ף וְעָבַ֔ר עַד־צַוָּ֖אר יַגִּ֑יעַ וְהָיָה֙ מֻטּ֣וֹת כְּנָפָ֔יו מְלֹ֥א רֹֽחַב־אַרְצְךָ֖ עִמָּ֥נוּ אֵֽל	8		And he renews himself in Judah. He overflows and he passes through to the neck, touching. And the stretching out of his wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Is-With-Us-God.	3e	4C	18 19
רֹ֤עוּ עַמִּים֙ וָחֹ֔תּוּ וְהַֽאֲזִ֔ינוּ כֹּ֖ל מֶרְחַקֵּי־אָ֑רֶץ הִתְאַזְּר֣וּ וָחֹ֔תּוּ הִֽתְאַזְּר֖וּ וָחֹֽתּוּ	9	C	Associate yourselves, O peoples, and you will be dismayed, and give ear, all the distant places of earth. Gird yourselves and be dismayed. Gird yourselves and be dismayed.	3e	4C	17 12
עֻ֥צוּ עֵצָ֖ה וְתֻפָ֑ר דַּבְּר֤וּ דָבָר֙ וְלֹ֣א יָק֔וּם כִּ֥י עִמָּ֖נוּ אֵֽל	10	f	Take counsel. Counsel is without effect. Speak a word but it will not arise because God is with us.	3e	4C	7 13
כִּי֩ כֹ֨ה אָמַ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה אֵלַ֖י כְּחֶזְקַ֣ת הַיָּ֑ד וְיִסְּרֵ֕נִי מִלֶּ֛כֶת בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ הָֽעָם־הַזֶּ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר	11		Because thus says Yahweh to me with resolute hand, and tutors me to avoid walking in the way of this people, saying,	3c	4B	13 16
לֹא־תֹאמְר֣וּן קֶ֔שֶׁר לְכֹ֧ל אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמַ֛ר הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה קָ֑שֶׁר וְאֶת־מוֹרָא֥וֹ לֹֽא־תִֽירְא֖וּ וְלֹ֥א תַעֲרִֽיצוּ	12		Do not say, Collusion, to all that this people say, Collusion. And its fear you will not fear and you will not panic.	3c	4B	17 14
אֶת־יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת אֹת֣וֹ תַקְדִּ֑ישׁוּ וְה֥וּא מוֹרַאֲכֶ֖ם וְה֥וּא מַֽעֲרִֽצְכֶֽם	13		Yahweh of hosts, him you will sanctify, and him you will fear, and he will be your panic.	3e	4B	11 12
וְהָיָ֖ה לְמִקְדָּ֑שׁ וּלְאֶ֣בֶן נֶ֠גֶף וּלְצ֨וּר מִכְשׁ֜וֹל לִשְׁנֵ֨י בָתֵּ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לְפַ֣ח וּלְמוֹקֵ֔שׁ לְיוֹשֵׁ֖ב יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם	14		And he will be for a sanctuary, and for a stone to stub, and for a rock of stumbling to both the houses of Israel, a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.	3e	4C	6 28
וְכָ֥שְׁלוּ בָ֖ם רַבִּ֑ים וְנָפְל֣וּ וְנִשְׁבָּ֔רוּ וְנוֹקְשׁ֖וּ וְנִלְכָּֽדוּ	15		And many will stumble among them, and they will fall and be broken and be trapped and be conquered.	3e	4B	6 14
צ֖וֹר תְּעוּדָ֑ה חֲת֥וֹם תּוֹרָ֖ה בְּלִמֻּדָֽי	16	g	Straiten the witness, seal instruction among my students.	3e	4A	4 8
וְחִכִּ֙יתִי֙ לַיהוָ֔ה הַמַּסְתִּ֥יר פָּנָ֖יו מִבֵּ֣ית יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְקִוֵּ֖יתִֽי־לֽוֹ	17		And I will tarry for Yahweh who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will wait for him.	3e	4B	16 4
הִנֵּ֣ה אָנֹכִ֗י וְהַיְלָדִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָֽתַן־לִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לְאֹת֥וֹת וּלְמוֹפְתִ֖ים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מֵעִם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת הַשֹּׁכֵ֖ן בְּהַ֥ר צִיּֽוֹן	18		Behold I myself and the newborns that Yahweh has given me, are for signs and portents in Israel, from Yahweh of hosts of the dwelling-place on the hill of Zion.	3e	4B	26 14
וְכִֽי־יֹאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵיכֶ֗ם דִּרְשׁ֤וּ אֶל־הָאֹבוֹת֙ וְאֶל־הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֔ים הַֽמְצַפְצְפִ֖ים וְהַמַּהְגִּ֑ים הֲלוֹא־עַם֙ אֶל־אֱלֹהָ֣יו יִדְרֹ֔שׁ בְּעַ֥ד הַחַיִּ֖ים אֶל־הַמֵּתִֽים	19		And when they say to you, Search out to the necromancers and to the wizards, who twitter and mutter, will it not be that a people should search out to its God from within the living? Not the dead!	3e	4C	27 18
לְתוֹרָ֖ה וְלִתְעוּדָ֑ה אִם־לֹ֤א יֹֽאמְרוּ֙ כַּדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־ל֖וֹ שָֽׁחַר	20		To instruction and to the witness. If they say, Not according to this word, it is that there is no dawn for it.	3e	4C	7 15
וְעָ֥בַר בָּ֖הּ נִקְשֶׁ֣ה וְרָעֵ֑ב וְהָיָ֨ה כִֽי־יִרְעַ֜ב וְהִתְקַצַּ֗ף וְקִלֵּ֧ל בְּמַלְכּ֛וֹ וּבֵאלֹהָ֖יו וּפָנָ֥ה לְמָֽעְלָה	21		And it will pass through it, intransigent and hungry. And it will be when it is hungry, then it is enraged, and it will slight its monarch and its God, and it will face upward.	3c	4B	9 26
וְאֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ יַבִּ֑יט וְהִנֵּ֨ה צָרָ֤ה וַחֲשֵׁכָה֙ מְע֣וּף צוּקָ֔ה וַאֲפֵלָ֖ה מְנֻדָּֽח	22		And to the land it will take note, and behold, trouble, and darkness, and a summit of agony, and gloom of the banished.	3e	4C	6 20
כִּ֣י לֹ֣א מוּעָף֮ לַאֲשֶׁ֣ר מוּצָ֣ק לָהּ֒ כָּעֵ֣ת הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן הֵקַ֞ל אַ֤רְצָה זְבֻלוּן֙ וְאַ֣רְצָה נַפְתָּלִ֔י וְהָאַחֲר֖וֹן הִכְבִּ֑יד דֶּ֤רֶךְ הַיָּם֙ עֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן גְּלִ֖יל הַגּוֹיִֽם	23	B	(But not a summit that molded her.) As in the time of the beginning, he made light of the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterwards he made heavy, the way of the sea across the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.	3e	4C	35 14