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Selected Verse: Isaiah 8:13 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Isa 8:13	Strong Concordance	Sanctify [06942] the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635] himself; and let him be your fear [04172], and let him be your dread [06206].
	King James	Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
Sanctify--Honor His holy name by regarding Him as your only hope of safety (Isa 29:23; Num 20:12). him . . . fear--"fear" lest you provoke His wrath by your fear of man and distrust of Him.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

Sanctify--Honor His holy name by regarding Him as your only hope of safety (Isa 29:23; Num 20:12).

him . . . fear--"fear" lest you provoke His wrath by your fear of man and distrust of Him.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
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.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
The object of their fear was a very different one. "Jehovah of hosts, sanctify Him; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your terror. So will He become a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence (vexation) to both the houses of Israel, a snare and trap to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, and shall fall; and be dashed to pieces, and be snared and taken." The logical apodosis to Isa 8:13 commences with v'hâhâh (so shall He be). If ye actually acknowledge Jehovah the Holy One as the Holy One (hikdı̄sh, as in Isa 29:23), and if it is He whom ye fear, and who fills you with dread (ma‛arı̄tz, used for the object of dread, as mōrah is for the object of fear; hence "that which terrifies" in a causative sense), He will become a mikdâsh. The word mikdâsh may indeed denote the object sanctified, and so Knobel understands it here according to Num 18:29; but if we adhere to the strict notion of the word, this gives an unmeaning apodosis. Mikdâsh generally means the sanctified place or sanctuary, with which the idea of an asylum would easily associate itself, since even among the Israelites the temple was regarded and respected as an asylum (Kg1 1:50; Kg1 2:28). This is the explanation which most of the commentators have adopted here; and the punctuators also took it in the same sense, when they divided the two halves of Isa 8:14 by athnach as antithetical. And mikdâsh is really to be taken in this sense, although it cannot be exactly rendered "asylum," since this would improperly limit the meaning of the word. The temple was not only a place of shelter, but also of grace, blessing, and peace. All who sanctified the Lord of lords He surrounded like temple walls; hid them in Himself, whilst death and tribulation reigned without, and comforted, fed, and blessed them in His own gracious fellowship. This is the true explanation of v'hâyâh l'mikdâs, according to such passages as Isa 4:5-6; Psa 27:5; Psa 31:21. To the two houses of Israel, on the contrary, i.e., to the great mass of the people of both kingdoms who neither sanctified nor feared Jehovah, He would be a rock and snare. The synonyms are intentionally heaped together (cf., Isa 28:13), to produce the fearful impression of death occurring in many forms, but all inevitable. The first three verbs of Isa 8:15 refer to the "stone" ('eben) and "rock" (tzūr); the last two to the "snare" (pach), and "trap" or springe (mōkēsh). (Note: Malbim observes quite correctly, that "the pach catches, but does not hurt; the mokesh catches and hurts (e.g., by seizing the legs or nose, Job 40:24): the former is a simple snare (or net), the latter a springe, or snare which catches by means of a spring" (Amo 3:5).) All who did not give glory to Jehovah would be dashed to pieces upon His work as upon a stone, and caught therein as in a trap. This was the burden of the divine warning, which the prophet heard for himself and for those that believed.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

The object of their fear was a very different one. "Jehovah of hosts, sanctify Him; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your terror. So will He become a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence (vexation) to both the houses of Israel, a snare and trap to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, and shall fall; and be dashed to pieces, and be snared and taken." The logical apodosis to Isa 8:13 commences with v'hâhâh (so shall He be). If ye actually acknowledge Jehovah the Holy One as the Holy One (hikdı̄sh, as in Isa 29:23), and if it is He whom ye fear, and who fills you with dread (ma‛arı̄tz, used for the object of dread, as mōrah is for the object of fear; hence "that which terrifies" in a causative sense), He will become a mikdâsh. The word mikdâsh may indeed denote the object sanctified, and so Knobel understands it here according to Num 18:29; but if we adhere to the strict notion of the word, this gives an unmeaning apodosis. Mikdâsh generally means the sanctified place or sanctuary, with which the idea of an asylum would easily associate itself, since even among the Israelites the temple was regarded and respected as an asylum (Kg1 1:50; Kg1 2:28). This is the explanation which most of the commentators have adopted here; and the punctuators also took it in the same sense, when they divided the two halves of Isa 8:14 by athnach as antithetical. And mikdâsh is really to be taken in this sense, although it cannot be exactly rendered "asylum," since this would improperly limit the meaning of the word. The temple was not only a place of shelter, but also of grace, blessing, and peace. All who sanctified the Lord of lords He surrounded like temple walls; hid them in Himself, whilst death and tribulation reigned without, and comforted, fed, and blessed them in His own gracious fellowship. This is the true explanation of v'hâyâh l'mikdâs, according to such passages as Isa 4:5-6; Psa 27:5; Psa 31:21. To the two houses of Israel, on the contrary, i.e., to the great mass of the people of both kingdoms who neither sanctified nor feared Jehovah, He would be a rock and snare. The synonyms are intentionally heaped together (cf., Isa 28:13), to produce the fearful impression of death occurring in many forms, but all inevitable. The first three verbs of Isa 8:15 refer to the "stone" ('eben) and "rock" (tzūr); the last two to the "snare" (pach), and "trap" or springe (mōkēsh).

(Note: Malbim observes quite correctly, that "the pach catches, but does not hurt; the mokesh catches and hurts (e.g., by seizing the legs or nose, Job 40:24): the former is a simple snare (or net), the latter a springe, or snare which catches by means of a spring" (Amo 3:5).)

All who did not give glory to Jehovah would be dashed to pieces upon His work as upon a stone, and caught therein as in a trap. This was the burden of the divine warning, which the prophet heard for himself and for those that believed.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
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.

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¹² And the LORD [03068] spake [0559] unto Moses [04872] and Aaron [0175], Because ye believed [0539] me not, to sanctify [06942] me in the eyes [05869] of the children [01121] of Israel [03478], therefore ye shall not bring [0935] this congregation [06951] into the land [0776] which I have given [05414] them.

²³ But when he seeth [07200] his children [03206], the work [04639] of mine hands [03027], in the midst [07130] of him, they shall sanctify [06942] my name [08034], and sanctify [06942] the Holy One [06918] of Jacob [03290], and shall fear [06206] the God [0430] of Israel [03478].

¹² Say [0559] ye not, A confederacy [07195], to all them to whom this people [05971] shall say [0559], A confederacy [07195]; neither fear [03372] ye their fear [04172], nor be afraid [06206].

⁵ Can a bird [06833] fall [05307] in a snare [06341] upon the earth [0776], where no gin [04170] is for him? shall one take up [05927] a snare [06341] from the earth [0127], and have taken [03920] nothing at all [03920]?

²⁴ He taketh [03947] it with his eyes [05869]: his nose [0639] pierceth through [05344] snares [04170].

¹⁵ And many [07227] among them shall stumble [03782], and fall [05307], and be broken [07665], and be snared [03369], and be taken [03920].

¹³ But the word [01697] of the LORD [03068] was unto them precept [06673] upon precept [06673], precept [06673] upon precept [06673]; line [06957] upon line [06957], line [06957] upon line [06957]; here a little [02191], and there a little [02191]; that they might go [03212], and fall [03782] backward [0268], and be broken [07665], and snared [03369], and taken [03920].

²¹ Blessed [01288] be the LORD [03068]: for he hath shewed me his marvellous [06381] kindness [02617] in a strong [04692] city [05892].

⁵ For in the time [03117] of trouble [07451] he shall hide [06845] me in his pavilion [05520]: in the secret [05643] of his tabernacle [0168] shall he hide [05641] me; he shall set me up [07311] upon a rock [06697].

⁵ And the LORD [03068] will create [01254] upon every dwelling place [04349] of mount [02022] Zion [06726], and upon her assemblies [04744], a cloud [06051] and smoke [06227] by day [03119], and the shining [05051] of a flaming [03852] fire [0784] by night [03915]: for upon all the glory [03519] shall be a defence [02646].
⁶ And there shall be a tabernacle [05521] for a shadow [06738] in the daytime [03119] from the heat [02721], and for a place of refuge [04268], and for a covert [04563] from storm [02230] and from rain [04306].

¹⁴ And he shall be for a sanctuary [04720]; but for a stone [068] of stumbling [05063] and for a rock [06697] of offence [04383] to both [08147] the houses [01004] of Israel [03478], for a gin [06341] and for a snare [04170] to the inhabitants [03427] of Jerusalem [03389].

²⁸ Then tidings [08052] came [0935] to Joab [03097]: for Joab [03097] had turned [05186] after [0310] Adonijah [0138], though he turned [05186] not after [0310] Absalom [053]. And Joab [03097] fled [05127] unto the tabernacle [0168] of the LORD [03068], and caught hold [02388] on the horns [07161] of the altar [04196].

⁵⁰ And Adonijah [0138] feared [03372] because [06440] of Solomon [08010], and arose [06965], and went [03212], and caught hold [02388] on the horns [07161] of the altar [04196].

²⁹ Out of all your gifts [04979] ye shall offer [07311] every heave offering [08641] of the LORD [03068], of all the best [02459] thereof, even the hallowed part [04720] thereof out of it.

¹³ Sanctify [06942] the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635] himself; and let him be your fear [04172], and let him be your dread [06206].