Isaiah 8:13

13 But let the Lord of armies be holy to you, and go in fear of him, giving honour to him.

Isaiah 8:13 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 8:13

Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself
Christ, Immanuel, God with us, the Lord of the armies above and below, of angels and of men, God over all, the true Jehovah, who is sanctified by his people, when they declare him to be so; as the Targum paraphrases it,

``the Lord of hosts, him shall ye say is holy;''

for they cannot make him so, nor can he receive any holiness from them, nor does he need any; but they celebrate the perfection of his holiness, and ascribe it to him; yea, they sanctify him, by ascribing their holiness to him; by looking to him as their sanctification, and by deriving and expecting every degree and measure of holiness from him, to complete theirs; by exercising faith upon him, and showing a regard to his commands and ordinances: and [let] him [be] your fear, and [let] him [be] your dread;
that is, the object of fear and dread; not of a servile fear and dread, but of a holy reverence and godly fear; such a fear as is the grace of the covenant, which flows from the goodness of God, and has that for its object, and is influenced by it; see ( Hosea 3:5 ) where the same Lord, Messiah, David the king, is meant, as here. See ( 1 Peter 3:15 ) .

Isaiah 8:13 In-Context

11 For the Lord, controlling me with a strong hand, gave me orders not to go in the way of this people, saying,

12 Do not say, It is holy, about everything of which this people says, It is holy; and do not be in fear of what they go in fear of.

13 But let the Lord of armies be holy to you, and go in fear of him, giving honour to him.

14 And he will be for a holy place: but for a stone of falling and a rock of trouble to the two houses of Israel, and to the men of Jerusalem, for a net in which they may be taken.

15 And numbers of them, falling on the stone, will be broken, and will be taken in the net.