Isaiah 8 · Verse 12

Isaiah 8:12

Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
Isaiah 8:12, King James Version

Isaiah 8:12 in other translations

BSB“Do not call conspiracy everything these people regard as conspiracy. Do not fear what they fear; do not live in dread.
WEB“Don’t call a conspiracy all that this people call a conspiracy. Don’t fear their threats or be terrorized.
ASVSay ye not, A conspiracy, concerning all whereof this people shall say, A conspiracy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be in dread thereof.
YLT‘Ye do not say, A confederacy, To all to whom this people saith, A confederacy, And its fear ye do not fear, Nor declare fearful.
DARBYYe shall not say, Conspiracy, of everything of which this people saith, Conspiracy; and fear ye not their fear, and be not in dread.
BBEDo not say, It is holy, about everything of which this people says, It is holy; and do not be in fear of what they go in fear of.
WebsterSay ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.

What does Isaiah 8:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 8:12-16
12-16. 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 afraid."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 Say 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 σκληρον, hard. The Syriac and Chaldee render it מרדא merda, and מרוד dn 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 this place. For why should God forbid his faithful servants to say with the unbelieving Jews, It is hard; or, There is a rebellion; or, as our translators render it, a confederacy? And how can this be called "walking in the way of this people?" Isa 8:11, which usually means, following their example, joining with them in religious worship. Or what confederacy do they mean? The union of the kingdoms of Syria and Israel against Judah? That was properly a league between two independent states, not an unlawful conspiracy of one part against another in the same state; this is the meaning of the word קשר kesher. For want of any satisfactory interpretation of this place that I can meet with, I adopt a conjecture of Archbishop Secker, which he proposes with great diffidence, and even seems immediately to give up, as being destitute of any authority to support it. I will give it in his own words: "Videri potest ex cap. Isa 5:16, et hujus cap. Isa 8:13, Isa 8:14, Isa 8:19, legendum קרש vel קדוש kadosh, eadem sententia, qua אלהינו Eloheynu, Hos 14:3. Sed nihil necesse est. Vide enim Jer 11:9; Eze 22:25. Optime tamen sic responderent huic versiculo versiculi Isa 8:13, Isa 8:14." The passages of Jeremiah and Ezekiel above referred to seem to me not at all to clear up the sense of the word קשר kesher in this place. But the context greatly favors the conjecture here given, and makes it highly probable: "Walk not in the way of this people; call not their idols holy, nor fear ye the object of their fear:" (that is, the σεβασματα, or gods of the idolaters; for so fear here signifies, to wit, the thing feared. So God is called "The fear of Isaac," Gen 31:42, Gen 31:53): "but look up to Jehovah as your Holy One; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread; and he shall be a holy Refuge unto you." Here there is a harmony and consistency running through the whole sentence; and the latter part naturally arises out of the former, and answers to it. Idolatry, however, is full of fears. The superstitious fears of the Hindoos are very numerous. They fear death, bad spirits generally, and hobgoblins of all descriptions. They fear also the cries of jackals, owls, crows, cats, asses, vultures, dogs, lizards, etc. They also dread different sights in the air, and are alarmed at various dreams. See Ward's Customs. Observe that the difference between קשר kesher and קדש kadosh is chiefly in the transposition of the two last letters, for the letters ר resh and ד daleth are hardly distinguishable in some copies, printed as well as MS.; so that the mistake, in respect of the letters themselves, is a very easy and a very common one. - L.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 8:9-16

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…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 8:9-16 →

Isaiah 8:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
תֹאמְר֣וּןtom.Runyou must say !H559
קֶ֔שֶׁרKe.sherconspiracyH7195
לְכֹ֧לle.Kholof allH3605
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-thatH834
יֹאמַ֛רyo.Marit is sayingH559
הָעָ֥םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
הַזֶּ֖הha.Zeh<the> thisH2088
קָ֑שֶׁרKa.sherconspiracyH7195
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
מוֹרָא֥וֹmo.ra.'Ofear itsH4172
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
תִֽירְא֖וּti.re.'Uyou must fearH3372
וְלֹ֥אve.Lo'and notH3808
תַעֲרִֽיצוּ\׃ta.'a.Ri.tzuyou must regard with aweH6206

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 8:12

  • 1 Peter 3:14-15

    But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

  • Luke 21:9

    But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.

  • Psalms 53:5

    There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.

  • Isaiah 51:12-13

    I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?

  • Isaiah 30:1

    Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:

  • Luke 12:4-5

    And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

  • 2 Kings 16:5-7

    Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him. At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day. So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath–pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.

  • Isaiah 57:9-11

    And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell. Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved. And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?

  • Isaiah 7:2-6

    And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear–jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field; And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, …

  • Matthew 28:2-5

    And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
not, A confederacy.
7:2-6; 51:12,13; 2Ki 16:5-7
fear ye.
7:4; 57:9-11; Ps 53:5; Mt 28:2-5; Lu 12:4,5; 21:9; 1Pe 3:14,15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 8:11

    For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,

  • Isaiah 8:12

    Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.

  • Isaiah 8:13

    Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

Read all of Isaiah 8

Isaiah 8:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		No digáis, Conjuración, á todas las cosas á que este pueblo dice, Conjuración; ni temáis lo que temen, ni tengáis miedo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ne dites pas conjuration, de tout ce dont ce peuple dira conjuration, et ne craignez pas leur crainte, et ne soyez pas effrayés;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Ihr sollt nicht alles Verschwörung nennen, was dieses Volk Verschwörung nennt; und fürchtet nicht ihre Furcht und erschrecket nicht davor.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Non dicatis: Conjuratio; omnia enim quæ loquitur populus iste, conjuratio est: et timorem ejus ne timeatis, neque paveatis.