Isaiah 8:15
And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse uses a powerful accumulation of verbs – "stumble," "fall," "broken," "snared," "taken" – to describe the inevitable consequences of rejecting God's message. This isn't just a series of unfortunate events; it's a stark picture of a descent into complete ruin, showing how one step away from truth leads to total entrapment.
Isaiah has been warning King Ahaz and the people of Judah about the impending invasion by the hostile kingdoms of Syria and Israel. Despite God's promise of protection and a sign of hope through the birth of Immanuel, they are not trusting in the Lord. Instead, God is described as a stone and a rock that will cause many to stumble, fall, and be broken, leading to their capture by the enemy.
Isaiah 8:14 speaks of God being a 'sanctuary' for some, but a 'stone of stumbling' for others. How can one thing serve such opposite purposes?
The Lord is not capricious. His Word and His presence are perfectly holy and true. However, how people respond to Him determines the outcome.
The Believer's Response:
When God's people trust in Him, He is their 'sanctuary'—a place of safety, refuge, and peace. He shields them from harm and provides security.
The Unbeliever's Response:
For those who reject God, who refuse to trust His Word, or who rely on their own strength and wisdom, God becomes a 'stone of stumbling' and a 'rock of offense'. Their own rebellion causes them to trip and fall over the very presence of God that would have saved them.
Why does Isaiah use so many similar words to describe the consequence of stumbling? What's the impact of this repetition?
The prophet piles up words like 'stumble,' 'fall,' 'broken,' 'snared,' and 'taken' for powerful effect. This isn't just poor writing; it's deliberate emphasis.
A Descent into Ruin:
Each word describes a stage in a catastrophic downfall:
Certainty and Severity:
This verse speaks of a spiritual stumbling stone, a truth that brings both salvation and destruction. While the immediate historical context points to the Assyrian and Babylonian oppressions as national 'stumbling blocks,' the New Testament expands this to the person of Jesus Christ, who would be rejected by many, leading to their spiritual ruin.
c. 734-732 BC
Syro-Ephraimitic War
The Northern Kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) and Syria (Aram-Damascus) attempt to force Judah into an alliance against Assyria. King Ahaz of Judah refuses and instead appeals to Assyria for help.
c. 732 BC
Assyrian Intervention and Conquest
Assyrian forces invade and conquer much of Syria and the northern kingdom of Israel. The immediate threat to Judah is removed, but Judah becomes a vassal of Assyria.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Northern Kingdom of Israel is conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire, its capital Samaria falls, and its population is deported. This event heightens the sense of impending doom for Judah.
c. 701 BC
Sennacherib's Invasion of Judah
The Assyrian king Sennacherib invades Judah, capturing many fortified cities. Jerusalem is besieged but ultimately spared, though tribute is exacted.
This passage directly references Jesus as a 'stone of stumbling' and a 'rock of offense,' echoing Isaiah's imagery of falling and being broken.
Romans 9:32-33Paul connects the 'stumbling block' and 'rock of offense' in Isaiah to Israel's rejection of Christ, highlighting the consequence of pursuing righteousness by works rather than faith.
1 Peter 2:8Peter quotes both Isaiah 8:14 and Isaiah 8:15, applying the imagery of stumbling and falling to those who reject Christ, showing the enduring spiritual application of Isaiah's prophecy.
Psalm 118:22This Psalm speaks of the 'stone that the builders rejected' becoming the cornerstone, a theme deeply connected to Isaiah's prophecy of a stone of stumbling that will ultimately triumph.
pulpitIsaiah 8:15: "And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken."
Verse 15. - Many among them (so the Vulgate, Ewald, Delitzsch, and Knobel). But most others translate, "Many shall stumble thereon,"i.e. on the stone and the rock (Rosenmüller, Gesenius, Vance Smith, Kay, Cheyne). Fall, and be broken. The effect of stumbling against a stone (Matthew 21:44; Luke 20:18). Be snared, and be taken. The effect of being caught in a gin (Psalm 9:15, 16).
gillIsaiah 8:15: "And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken."
And many among them,.... Not all, though the greater part; for Christ was set for the falling and rising of many in Israel, Luke 2:34 , shall stumble, and fall, and be broken: stumble at Christ, the stumbling stone; fall by unbelief into other sins and punishment, and be broken in pieces by this stone, Matthew 21:44, and be snared, and be taken; and so die in their sins, and perish eternally.…
The verse uses a powerful accumulation of verbs – "stumble," "fall," "broken," "snared," "taken" – to describe the inevitable consequences of rejecting God's message. This isn't just a series of unfortunate events; it's a stark picture of a descent into complete ruin, showing how one step away from truth leads to total entrapment.
Isaiah has been warning King Ahaz and the people of Judah about the impending invasion by the hostile kingdoms of Syria and Israel. Despite God's promise of protection and a sign of hope through the birth of Immanuel, they are not trusting in the Lord. Instead, God is described as a stone and a rock that will cause many to stumble, fall, and be broken, leading to their capture by the enemy.
Isaiah has been warning King Ahaz and the people of Judah about the impending invasion by the hostile kingdoms of Syria and Israel. Despite God's promise of protection and a sign of hope through the birth of Immanuel, they are not trusting in the Lord. Instead, God is described as a stone and a rock that will cause many to stumble, fall, and be broken, leading to their capture by the enemy.
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This accumulation stresses the certainty and the severity of the judgment. There is no escape. The overwhelming power of God's justice leaves no room for evasion for those who reject Him.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
The Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II begins deporting Judeans, including members of the royal family and educated elite, to Babylon.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Nebuchadnezzar II destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This marks the end of the Davidic monarchy and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
c. 1st Century AD— this verse
Messianic Expectation and Rejection
During Jesus' ministry, he is presented as a stumbling stone and rock of offense, particularly to the Jewish leaders and many who reject his divine authority and message.
"And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.”" — The verse uses a powerful accumulation of verbs – "stumble," "fall," "broken," "snared," "taken" – to describe the inevitable consequences of rejecting God's message. This isn't just a series of unfo…
