The Meaning of Isaiah 8:7 Explained

Isaiah 8:7

KJV: Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:

YLT: Therefore, lo, the Lord is bringing up on them, The waters of the river, the mighty and the great, (The king of Asshur, and all his glory,) And it hath gone up over all its streams, And hath gone on over all its banks.

Darby: therefore behold, the Lord will bring up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory; and he shall mount up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:

ASV: now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the River, strong and many, even the king of Assyria and all his glory: and it shall come up over all its channels, and go over all its banks;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now therefore, behold, the Lord  bringeth up  upon them the waters  of the river,  strong  and many,  [even] the king  of Assyria,  and all his glory:  and he shall come up  over all his channels,  and go over  all his banks: 

What does Isaiah 8:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Judah"s sovereign God would indeed sweep these enemies away by using Assyria as His instrument of judgment. Isaiah compared Assyria to the waters of the Euphrates, which seasonally overflowed and swept away all in its path. But it would be God, not Ahaz, who would be responsible for their defeat. Assyria would not inundate God"s people Israel because her gods were stronger than Yahweh, but because the sovereign Lord would bring this judgment on them.
"Like Germany in1939,1940 , the Assyrians seemed almost superhuman. They could strike anywhere, it seemed, with speed and power." [1]
"The motif of the two rivers Shiloah (6) and the Euphrates (7) offers a telling contrast between the seeming weakness of faith and the seeming power of the world." [2]

Context Summary

Isaiah 8:5-18 - Fear God's Power, Not Man's
It seems likely that Syria and Samaria attacked Ahaz because he would not join in a federation against the growing power of Assyria. A strong party seems to have pressed this policy on him, but in all such schemes they repudiated the Divine Protection, Isaiah 8:6. Compare Psalms 46:4. Ahaz and the court party on the other hand, sought to federate with Assyria. But Isaiah never ceased to urge that the true line of defense was to put away whatever was inconsistent with the fear of God. He would be the sanctuary of defense and hiding in the day of trouble, Isaiah 8:13-14. We learn from Hebrews 2:13, how absolutely, when speaking thus, the prophet was being prompted by the Holy Spirit. If men will not build on God's foundation-stone, they fall over it to their hurt. Compare Isaiah 8:15 and Matthew 21:44. Are we not all in danger of substituting human alliances for federation and union with the eternal God? Let our fellowship be with the Father and the Son; and let us wait for Him till the day dawn and the day star shines, 2 Peter 1:19. [source]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 8

1  In Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, he prophesies Syria and Israel shall be subdued by Assyria
5  Judah likewise for their infidelity
9  God's judgments shall be irresistible
11  Comfort shall be to those who fear God
19  Great afflictions to idolaters

What do the individual words in Isaiah 8:7 mean?

Therefore now behold the Lord brings up over them - the waters of the River strong and mighty the king of Assyria and all his glory and He will go up over his channels and go his banks
וְלָכֵ֡ן הִנֵּ֣ה אֲדֹנָי֩ מַעֲלֶ֨ה עֲלֵיהֶ֜ם אֶת־ מֵ֣י הַנָּהָ֗ר הָעֲצוּמִים֙ וְהָ֣רַבִּ֔ים מֶ֥לֶךְ אַשּׁ֖וּר וְאֶת־ כָּל־ כְּבוֹד֑וֹ וְעָלָה֙ עַל־ אֲפִיקָ֔יו וְהָלַ֖ךְ גְּדוֹתָֽיו

וְלָכֵ֡ן  Therefore  now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
הִנֵּ֣ה  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
אֲדֹנָי֩  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
מַעֲלֶ֨ה  brings  up 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
עֲלֵיהֶ֜ם  over  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מֵ֣י  the  waters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
הַנָּהָ֗ר  of  the  River 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָהָר  
Sense: stream, river.
הָעֲצוּמִים֙  strong 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: עָצוּם  
Sense: mighty, vast, numerous.
וְהָ֣רַבִּ֔ים  and  mighty 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
מֶ֥לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אַשּׁ֖וּר  of  Assyria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשּׁוּר  
Sense: the second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians.
כְּבוֹד֑וֹ  his  glory 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּבֹוד  
Sense: glory, honour, glorious, abundance.
וְעָלָה֙  and  He  will  go  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אֲפִיקָ֔יו  his  channels 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָפִיק 
Sense: channel.
וְהָלַ֖ךְ  and  go 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
גְּדוֹתָֽיו  his  banks 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּדָה  
Sense: a river bank.