The Meaning of Isaiah 8:10 Explained

Isaiah 8:10

KJV: Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.

YLT: Take counsel, and it is broken, Speak a word, and it doth not stand, Because of Emmanu-El!'

Darby: Settle a plan, and it shall come to nought; speak a word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.

ASV: Take counsel together, and it shall be brought to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Take  counsel  together,  and it shall come to nought;  speak  the word,  and it shall not stand:  for God  [is] with us. 

What does Isaiah 8:10 Mean?

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 8:10 mean?

Take counsel together but it will come to nothing speak the word but not it will stand for with us God [is] -
עֻ֥צוּ עֵצָ֖ה וְתֻפָ֑ר דַּבְּר֤וּ דָבָר֙ וְלֹ֣א יָק֔וּם כִּ֥י עִמָּ֖נוּ אֵֽל ס

עֻ֥צוּ  Take  counsel 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: עוּץ  
Sense: (Qal) to counsel, plan.
עֵצָ֖ה  together 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵצָה 
Sense: counsel, advice, purpose.
וְתֻפָ֑ר  but  it  will  come  to  nothing 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hofal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: פָּרַר 
Sense: to break, frustrate.
דַּבְּר֤וּ  speak 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
דָבָר֙  the  word 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
וְלֹ֣א  but  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יָק֔וּם  it  will  stand 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
עִמָּ֖נוּ  with  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
אֵֽל  God  [is] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵל 
Sense: god, god-like one, mighty one.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation