Isaiah 8:1

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

And Jehovah said unto me, Take thee a great tablet, and write upon it with the pen of a man, For Maher-shalal-hash-baz;

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י קַח־לְךָ֖ גִּלָּי֣וֹן גָּד֑וֹל וּכְתֹ֤ב עָלָיו֙ בְּחֶ֣רֶט אֱנ֔וֹשׁ לְמַהֵ֥ר שָׁלָ֖ל חָ֥שׁ בַּֽז׃

Transliteration

wə-yōʾmer YHWH to-me qaḥ-ləkā gillāyôn gādôl and-kətōb on-it with-ḥereṭ ʾĕnôš to-mahēr šālāl ḥāš baz

Grammar Details

• *wə-yōʾmer*: waw consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and said/spoke
• *YHWH*: proper noun, divine name - Yahweh/LORD
• *qaḥ-ləkā*: qal imperative masculine singular + preposition with 2nd masculine singular suffix - take for yourself
• *gillāyôn*: noun masculine singular - tablet/scroll/writing surface
• *gādôl*: adjective masculine singular - large/great
• *kətōb*: qal imperative masculine singular - write
• *ḥereṭ*: noun masculine singular construct - stylus/engraving tool
• *ʾĕnôš*: noun masculine singular - man/common person
• *mahēr šālāl ḥāš baz*: phrase meaning 'quick to plunder, swift to spoil' - symbolic name

Word Meanings

• *gillāyôn*: tablet/large scroll/writing surface
• *ḥereṭ ʾĕnôš*: stylus of man/common writing tool/ordinary pen
• *mahēr šālāl ḥāš baz*: quick to the spoil, swift to the prey/hasten to plunder, hurry to loot/speed to the spoil, haste to the prey

Referenced Verses

• Isa 30:8 : 8 Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever.
• Jer 36:2 : 2 Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day.
• Jer 36:28 : 28 Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned.
• Jer 36:32 : 32 Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire; and there were added besides unto them many like words.
• Hab 2:2-3 : 2 And Jehovah answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it. 3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hasteth toward the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay.
• Rev 13:18 : 18 Here is wisdom. He that hath understanding, let him count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man: and his number is Six hundred and sixty and six.
• Rev 21:17 : 17 And he measured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, [according to] the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
• Job 19:23-24 : 23 Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! 24 That with an iron pen and lead They were graven in the rock for ever!
• Isa 8:3 : 3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said Jehovah unto me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz.