Isaiah 8 · Verse 9

Isaiah 8:9

Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.
Isaiah 8:9, King James Version

Isaiah 8:9 in other translations

BSBHuddle together, O peoples, and be shattered; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for battle, and be shattered; prepare for battle, and be shattered!
WEBMake an uproar, you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Listen, all you from far countries: dress for battle, and be shattered! Dress for battle, and be shattered!
ASVMake an uproar, O ye peoples, and be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces.
YLTBe friends, O nations, and be broken, And give ear, all ye far off ones of earth, Gird yourselves, and be broken, Gird yourselves, and be broken.
DARBYRage, ye peoples, and be broken in pieces! And give ear, all ye distant parts of the earth: Gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces!
BBEHave knowledge, O peoples, and be in fear; give ear, all you far-off parts of the earth:
WebsterAssociate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.

What does Isaiah 8:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
9. Associate yourselves--rather, "Raise tumults," or, Rage, that is, Do your worst [Maurer], referring perhaps to the attack of Rezin and Pekah on Jerusalem. and ... be broken in pieces--rather, "yet ye shall be thrown into consternation." Imperative in the Hebrew, according to the idiom whereby the second of two imperatives implies the future, namely, the consequence of the action contained in the first (so Is 6:9). The name "Immanuel" in Is 8:8 (compare Is 8:10) suggests the thought of the ultimate safety of Immanuel's land, both from its present two invaders, and even from the Assyrians, notwithstanding the grievous flood, wherewith the previous verses foretell they shall deluge it. The succession of the house of David cannot be set aside in Judah, for Immanuel Messiah is to be born in it as heir of David, of whom Isaiah's son is but a type (Is 9:4, 6). give ear ... far countries--witness the discomfiture of Judah's enemies. The prophecy probably looks on also to the final conspiracy of Antichrist and his supporters against the Heir of David's throne in the latter days and their utter overthrow [Horsley]. gird yourselves ... gird yourselves--The repetition expresses vehemently the certainty of their being thrown into consternation (not as English Version, "broken in pieces").

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 9 Associate yourselves "Know ye this" - God by his prophet plainly declares to the confederate adversaries of Judah, and bids them regard and attend to his declaration, that all their efforts shall be in vain. The present reading, רעו rou, is subject to many difficulties; I follow that of the Septuagint, דעו deu, γνωτε. Archbishop Secker approves this reading. דעו deu know ye this, is parallel and synonymous to האזינו haazinu, give ear to It, in the next line. The Septuagint have likewise very well paraphrased the conclusion of this verse: "When ye have strengthened yourselves, ye shall be broken; and though ye again strengthen yourselves, again shall ye be broken;" taking חתו chottu as meaning the same with נשברו, shall be broken.

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 Lord, who will be a Sanctuary to those who trust in him, will be a Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offence, to those who make the creature their fear and their hope. If the things of God be an offence to us, they will undo us. The apostle quotes this as to all who persisted in unbelief of the gospel of Christ, I Pet. 2:8. The crucified Emmanuel, who was and is a Stumbling-stone and Rock of offence to unbelieving Jews, is no less so to thousands who are called Christians. The preaching of the cross is foolishness in their esteem; his doctrines and precepts offend them.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Isaiah 8:9 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.

רֹ֤עוּRo.'ube badH7489
עַמִּים֙'a.MimO peoplesH5971
וָחֹ֔תּוּva.Cho.tuand be shatteredH2865
וְהַֽאֲזִ֔ינוּve.ha.'a.Zi.nuand give earH238
כֹּ֖לkolO allH3605
מֶרְחַקֵּי\־mer.cha.kei-[the] distant places ofH4801
אָ֑רֶץ'A.retz[the] earthH776
הִתְאַזְּר֣וּhit.'a.ze.Rugird yourselvesH247
וָחֹ֔תּוּva.Cho.tuand be shatteredH2865
הִֽתְאַזְּר֖וּhit.'a.ze.Rugird yourselvesH247
וָחֹֽתּוּ\׃va.Cho.tuand be shatteredH2865

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

Cross references for Isaiah 8:9

  • Isaiah 14:5-6

    The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers. He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.

  • Proverbs 11:21

    Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.

  • Psalms 37:14-15

    The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

  • 1 Kings 20:11

    And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.

  • Joel 3:9-14

    Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. …

  • Isaiah 17:12-13

    Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters! The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

  • Isaiah 7:1-2

    And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. 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.

  • Isaiah 54:15

    Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

  • Revelation 20:8-9

    And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

  • Micah 4:11-13

    Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor. Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.

  • Revelation 17:12-14

    And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

  • Isaiah 28:13

    But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Associate.
7:1,2; 54:15; Jer 46:9-11; Eze 38:9-23; Joe 3:9-14; Mic 4:11-13
Zec 14:1-3; Re 17:12-14; 20:8,9
and ye. or, yet ye.
14:5,6; 28:13; Ps 37:14,15; Pr 11:21
gird.
37:36; 1Ki 20:11

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

Context

  • Isaiah 8:8

    And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.

  • Isaiah 8:9

    Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.

  • Isaiah 8:10

    Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.

Read all of Isaiah 8

Isaiah 8:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Juntaos, pueblos, y seréis quebrantados; oid todos los que sois de lejanas tierras: poneos á punto, y seréis quebrantados; apercibíos, y seréis quebrantados.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Associez-vous, peuples, et vous serez brisés; et prêtez l’oreille, vous tous qui habitez au loin sur la terre! Ceignez-vous, et vous serez brisés! Ceignez-vous, et vous serez brisés!
German
Elberfelder 1871
Tobet, ihr Völker, und werdet zerschmettert! Und nehmet es zu Ohren, alle ihr Fernen der Erde! Gürtet euch und werdet zerschmettert, gürtet euch und werdet zerschmettert!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Congregamini, populi, et vincimini; et audite, universæ procul terræ: confortamini, et vincimini; accingite vos, et vincimini.