For Immanuel

Isaiah 8:9-10 is a complex, intricate passage. Verse 9 repeats two different verbs two three times (“gird” 2x, and “be shattered” 3x). The verbs “give ear” ( azan ) and “gird” ( azar ) form a pun. Verse 10 uses the repetitive phrases “counsel counsel” (Heb. ‘utzu ‘etzah ) and “speak speech or words” (Heb. dabru dabar ).

These verses rotate through the same exhortation several times:

1. Do evil/be broken

1a. peoples

1c. and be shattered

2. Give ear

2b. All far of land

3. Gird yourselves

3c. And be shattered

3’. Gird yourselves

3c’. And be shattered

4. Counsel counsel

4c. And it will be broken in pieces

5. Speak speech

5c. And it will not rise

6. For Immanuel

When we put all of these phrases together, we have a sequencer of seven clauses:

1. Do evil, peoples, and be shattered

2. Give ear, all far of the land

3. Gird yourselves, and be shattered

4. Gird yourselves, and be shattered

5. Counsel counsel, and be broken

6. Speak speech, and it will not rise

7. For Immanuel.

The message of the first six clauses is that the evil of the peoples will be thwarted at every point. When they gird themselves, they, not their enemies, will be shattered. When they take counsel together, their counsel will be broken. The words they word will not rise up and be exalted; their words will not become preeminent. The sixfold effort of the nations will be met with sixfold frustration.

And the reason is given in the climactic, Sabbatical, slot: The reason the evil plots and plans of the nations are broken is simply this: Immanuel.