Isaiah 8:12
in Isaiah 8“Do not call conspiracy everything these people regard as conspiracy. Do not fear what they fear; do not live in dread.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Say ye not, A conspiracy, concerning all whereof this people shall say, A conspiracy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be in dread thereof.
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.
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This verse in Isaiah 8
Commentary
9 notes on this verseSay 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.
This site's exposition
the LORD has spoken to me
on Isaiah 8:11-13
The Lord speaks to Isaiah, instructing him "not to walk in the way of this people," whose fear of conspiracy had gripped Ahaz. Isaiah must "not fear what they fear" and must regard the LORD of Hosts alone as holy. The instruction sets the prophet apart from the people.
This site's exposition
Do not call conspiracy
The Hebrew word for conspiracy is qesher, and Clarke says the Septuagint read a word meaning hard. Barnes takes the command as a call to refuse the fear of Ahaz's people and their alliance with Assyria. 1 Peter 3:14 draws on these words.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 11 onwards) For thus says the Lord to me: As He has taught me with His mighty hand, so that I do not walk in the way of this people, saying: Do not say, 'conspiracy'; everything this people says is a conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear or be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself, let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread. And He will be a sanctuary for you, but for the two houses of Israel, He will be a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.
The Medieval Church1 voice
284. Say not. Here the teaching itself is set out. And first, he prohibits the word of fear: say not: a conspiracy, of two nations, as if it is to be feared by us; for all that this people speaks, is a conspiracy, against me. …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Be not put into such a fright as causes trembling and shaking;" so the word signifies. Note, When the church's enemies have sinful confederacies on foot the church's friends should watch against the sinful fears of those confederacies. (2.) He advises them to a gracious religious fear: But sanctify the Lord of hosts himself,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Say ye not, a confederacy,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-brackets
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Say 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 Isa 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 interpretation of this passage. The Septuagint renders the word קשׁר qesher, ‘confederacy,’ by the word σκληρόν sklēron - ‘Everything which this people say, is hard.’ The Syriac, ‘Do not say, rebellion,’ etc. The Chaldee understands the word in the same sense. Lowth proposes to change the word קשׁר qesher, into קדשׁ qâdôsh, because Dr. Seeker possessed one manuscript in which this reading was found; and he translates the passage: ‘Say ye not it is holy, Of everything of which this people shall say it is holy.’ That is, ‘call not their idols holy; nor fear ye the object of their fear; that is, the gods of the idolaters.’ But it is plain that this does not suit the connection of the passage, since the prophet is not reproving them for their idolatry, but is discoursing of the alliance between the kings of Syria and Samaria. Besides, the authority of one manuscript, without the concurrence of any ancient version, is not a sufficient authority for changing the Hebrew text. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
‘You shall not call a band You of Hezekiah’s company, even though they (sic) are fewer than Shebna’s company, you shall not say: We decide according to the majority (Exodus:2. See Rashi ad loc.).
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
with the overwhelming power of prophecy [Lit., with strength of the hand.] When the prophecy became more intensive over me, when He continued to speak concerning this matter, as it is written above (v. 5): “And the Lord continued to speak to me.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תֹאמְר֣וּן | tomrun | you must say ! | H559 → | 5305 times |
| קֶ֔שֶׁר | kesher | conspiracy | H7195 → | |
| לְכֹ֧ל | lekhol | of all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יֹאמַ֛ר | yomar | it is saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הָעָ֥ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הַזֶּ֖ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| קָ֑שֶׁר | kasher | conspiracy | H7195 → | |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מוֹרָא֥וֹ | morao | fear its | H4172 → | |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִֽירְא֖וּ | tireu | you must fear | H3372 → | 315 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תַעֲרִֽיצוּ׃ | taaritzu | you must regard with awe | H6206 → | 15 times |
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תֹאמְר֣וּןyou must say !
tomrunH559 →5305 times
קֶ֔שֶׁרconspiracy
kesherH7195 →
לְכֹ֧לof all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁר־that
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יֹאמַ֛רit is saying
yomarH559 →5305 times
הָעָ֥םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
הַזֶּ֖ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
קָ֑שֶׁרconspiracy
kasherH7195 →
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
מוֹרָא֥וֹfear its
moraoH4172 →
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תִֽירְא֖וּyou must fear
tireuH3372 →315 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
תַעֲרִֽיצוּ׃you must regard with awe
taaritzuH6206 →15 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 21:9When you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be alarmed. These things must happen first, but the end is not imminent.”
it leads to
- Luke 21:28
When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
- Matthew 24:6–8
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.
- Mark 13:7–8
When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.
- Luke 21:28
Through
Psalms 53:5There they are, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to fear. For God has scattered the bones of those who besieged you. You put them to shame, for God has despised them.
it leads to
- Proverbs 28:1
The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
- Leviticus 26:36
As for those of you who survive, I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies, so that even the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to…
- Jeremiah 6:30
They are called rejected silver, because the LORD has rejected them.”
- Psalms 141:7
As when one plows and breaks up the soil, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
- Ezekiel 6:5
I will lay the corpses of the Israelites before their idols and scatter your bones around your altars.
- Proverbs 28:1
Where this verse is studied
About Isaiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.