Canter Bridge

Among the reasons for the notoriety that attaches to the Book of Isaiah figures its introduction of ‘Emmanuel’ (Hebrew: עמנו אל) as a name.

As with everything in this massive biblical work, it happens enigmatically. The more famous attachment of the name to a child yet to be born is preceded by the word’s appearance in a context of warfare, threat, and deliverance. No one would yet think of a child.

Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah,therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel. (Isaiah 8:6–8 ESV)

Violent, surging Assyria rises almost to the point of drowning vulnerable, flailing, ever-conspiratorial Judah. Its waters flood even to the neck, leaving no corner of the land untouched. Although there is one other interpretation that makes ‘Immanuel’ itself/himself the owner of ‘outspread wings’, the most common readings understand ‘O Immanuel’ as something of an exclamation. Either the outspreading wings of Assyria ‘will fill the bread of your land, O Immanuel’, where Immanuel is the lord of the violated land. Or ‘Emmanuel’ is a stand-alone cry of desperation: ‘… and (Assyria’s) outspread wings will fill the breadth of your (that is, Judah’s) land. O, Immanuel!’

In either case, ‘God with us’ remains an odd and puzzling expression that elicits the reader’s thoughtful curiosity about just what is going on here.

The text requests only the slightest pause before racing on to its second use of Emmanuel as a something close to a name. Again, children are neither seen nor heard.

Be broken, you peoples, and be shattered; give ear, all you far countries; strap on your armor and be shattered; strap on your armor and be shattered. Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; speak a word, but it will not stand, for God is with us. (Isaiah 8:9–10 ESV)

The doomed collusion of two of Judah’s near neighbors (Syria and Ephraim, 7.5-7) is heard here by way of echo. Although ‘you peoples’ and ‘all you far countries’ likely includes also Assyria and even other nations, it begins closer to home with Judah’s plotting neighbors Syria and Ephraim.

Judahite desperation in the face of the Assyrian onslaught a few verses earlier now fades before a confident message of defeat to nations that would dare come against her. If ‘Emmanuel’ functioned as a quasi-name in verse 8, its mystery is drawn out still further here, where the word provides the reason for which Judah will not fall to the dark designs of well-armed peoples and nations.

‘Emmanuel’—whatever at this point the odd juxtaposition Hebrew עמנו (‘with us’) and אל (‘God’) can mean—will not allow the final destruction of his land and his people.

But where are the children?