Isaiah 8:6

The waters of Shiloah. This aqueduct flowed from the spring Gihon, in a cave in the eastern hill of Jerusalem, whose waters formed a stream that emptied into the old Pool of Siloam. Later, a tunnel built by Hezekiah (in which the Siloam inscription was found; see Vol. II, opposite p. 65; p. 87) conducted the waters of Gihon to a new Pool of Siloam inside the city. These quiet waters of Shiloah represented the message of assurance against Assyria that was implicit in the name Immanuel, “God with us.” To refuse the gently flowing waters of Shiloah was to refuse the counsel of God. By turning to Assyria for help, Ahaz brought upon Judah “the waters of the river [Euphrates], strong and many,” for “the river,” “the king of Assyria,” would “go over all his banks” and inundate “the breadth of thy land [Judah]” (vs. 7, 8). All this was implicit in the name Maher-shalal-hash-baz, “Speed the spoil, hasten the plunder” (see on v. 1).

Rejoice in Rezin. The meaning of the remainder of v. 6 is obscure in relation to its context. Ahaz and the people of Judah were in mortal fear of Rezin and Pekah, son of Remaliah (ch. 7:1, 2). On the basis of a correction of the Hebrew text some have translated the last clause, “melt in fear before Rezin and the son of Remaliah” (RSV; etc.). While this reading agrees with the context, it also involves a somewhat improbable reconstruction of the Hebrew. Others, supposing the clause to be an early editorial insertion, have suggested that if it be omitted, v. 7 would follow v. 6 naturally and without any break in the line of thought. It is worthy of note, however, that the Dead Sea scroll 1QIs confirms the reading of the Masoretic text.