John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 8:1

"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;" — Isaiah 8:1 (ASV)

And Jehovah said to me. This prophecy contains nothing new but is a confirmation of the preceding one, in which Isaiah predicted the approaching desolation of the kingdom of Israel and Syria. He had foretold that both countries would be deprived of their kings before the children who would soon afterward be born could distinguish between good and evil, that is, before they were grown up (Isaiah 7:16). But because the wicked are not terrified by any threats, it was therefore necessary for this prediction to be repeated and demonstrated by some outward sign.

First, to arouse the nation more effectively, God commands that this prophecy be made publicly known by writing, so that it may be understood by all. We have previously said that it was the custom of the Prophets, after being instructed to deliver any message to the people, to summarize in a few words the substance of what they had said and to affix it to the gates of the temple, as can be learned from Habakkuk 2:2; for if that passage is compared with the present one, the matter will be sufficiently obvious.

But here something particular is expressed, for God does not merely command him to write the prophecy but demands a great and large roll, so that it may be read from a distance. The smaller the writing, the more obscure it is, and the more difficult it is to read. To the same purpose is what immediately follows, with the pen of a common man, for אנש (enosh) denotes any man of ordinary rank; and the meaning is that even the most ignorant and uneducated persons would be able to read the writing.

Make speed to spoil, hasten to the prey. This concise brevity is more emphatic than if he had delivered a long discourse. For anyone could carry home four words, perceive in them the swiftness of the wrath of God, and be truly and deeply affected by the judgment of God, as if it had been pointed out with a finger.

In short, God determined that he should not waste words, because there was no time for controversy, but that he should represent the matter by an outward sign. Since the Prophets had so frequently, and without any good effect, threatened vengeance, He gave a striking exhibition of it by an example, so that it might make a deeper impression on their minds and be engraved on their memory. As often as these words מהר שלל הש בז (Maher-shalal-hash-baz) were mentioned, they would recall to their memory the destruction of Israel and Syria and would make them more certain of it.

Isaiah having prophesied about the coming of Christ in the previous chapter (Isaiah 7:14), many improperly explain this passage also as relating to the same subject: that, endowed with heavenly power, He came to spoil the prince of this world (John 12:31) and therefore hastened to the prey. This ingenuity is pleasing enough but cannot at all harmonize with the text, for the true and natural understanding of the context shows that in this passage the Prophet presents nothing new but supports what he had previously said.