Isaiah 8:13
in Isaiah 8The LORD of Hosts is the One you shall regard as holy. Only He should be feared; only He should be dreaded.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Jehovah of hosts, him shall ye sanctify; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
KJV
Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
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This verse in Isaiah 8
Commentary
11 notes on this verseIn the first petition of the Lord's Prayer, our sanctification is sought, and this through the gift of fear, when he says: "Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be thy name." Isaiah: "Sanctify the Lord of hosts, and let him be your dread and …
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
The LORD of Hosts is the One you shall regard as holy
Barnes says to regard the LORD of Hosts as holy is to trust Him to defend Judah, when Ahaz trusted Assyria. Bonaventure joins the verse to Matthew 6:9. 1 Peter 3:15 says the same of Christ.
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
285. Sanctify the Lord of hosts. Here he instructs them how the Lord is to be feared: and first, he sets out the law; second, the hiding of the law: seal the law (Isa 8:16). Concerning the first, he does three things: first, he places …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Sanctify - Give him the glory of his power, and goodness, and faithfulness, by trusting to his promises. Let him - Let God, and not the kings of Syria and Israel be the object of your fear.
Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself,....
Were we but duly affected with the greatness and glory of God, we should see the pomp of our enemies eclipsed and clouded, and all their power restrained and under check; see Neh. iv. Those that are afraid of the reproach of men forget the Lord their Maker, ch. li.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Sanctify ... - Regard Yahweh as holy; that is, worship and honor him with pious fear and reverence. Regard him as the source of safety, and the true defense. Ahaz and his people sought for aid from Assyria against the armies of Syria and Samaria. The direction here is rather to seek aid from God. Let him be your fear - Do not be alarmed at what man can do Isa 8:12, but fear and honor God. Be afraid to provoke his wrath by looking to other sources of help when his aid only should be sought.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Sanctify--Honor His holy name by regarding Him as your only hope of safety (Isa 29:23; Nu 20:12). him . . . fear--"fear" lest you provoke His wrath by your fear of man and distrust of Him.
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
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
‘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 ▾
And it shall be for a portent That plan that Shebna plotted and that Pekah plotted to overthrow the kingdom of the House of David, shall be an omen [a preparationmss.] of the disaster destined to befall them.
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
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָ֥ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| צְבָא֖וֹת | tzevaot | of hosts | H6635 → | 485 times |
| אֹת֣וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| תַקְדִּ֑ישׁוּ | takdishu | you will regard as holy | H6942 → | 171 times |
| וְה֥וּא | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| מוֹרַאֲכֶ֖ם | moraakhem | [will be] fear your | H4172 → | |
| וְה֥וּא | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| מַֽעֲרִֽצְכֶֽם׃ | maaritzkhem | [the] [one whom] regard with awe you | H6206 → | 15 times |
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָ֥הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
צְבָא֖וֹתof hosts
tzevaotH6635 →485 times
אֹת֣וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
תַקְדִּ֑ישׁוּyou will regard as holy
takdishuH6942 →171 times
וְה֥וּאand he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
מוֹרַאֲכֶ֖ם[will be] fear your
moraakhemH4172 →
וְה֥וּאand he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
מַֽעֲרִֽצְכֶֽם׃[the] [one whom] regard with awe you
maaritzkhemH6206 →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
Matthew 10:28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
it leads to
- Luke 12:4–5
I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.
- Isaiah 8:12–13
“Do not call conspiracy everything these people regard as conspiracy. Do not fear what they fear; do not live in dread.
- Revelation 2:10
Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful…
- James 4:12
There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
- Luke 12:4–5
Through
Revelation 15:4Who will not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.”
it leads to
- Psalms 86:9
All the nations You have made will come and bow before You, O Lord, and they will glorify Your name.
- Malachi 1:11
For My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place, incense and pure offerings will be presented in My name, because My name…
- Jeremiah 10:7
Who would not fear You, O King of nations? This is Your due. For among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You.
- Psalms 86:9
Through
Luke 12:5But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One who, after you have been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!
it leads to
- 2 Peter 2:4
For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;
- 2 Peter 2:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies9
On this verse
About Isaiah

This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.
