Isaiah’s son not Immanuel
It is often suggested that Immanuel
is one of Isaiah’s sons, possibly even Maher-shalal-hash-baz. This actually
raises more problems than it solves; If, (1) עלמה (calmāh) refers to a young
woman up to the birth of her first child then she could not be Shear-jashub’s
mother; one most assume instead that through death or some other circumstance
Isaiah was about to marry another woman: and (b) none of the traditions suggest
that Isaiah names this child, whereas he had given the sign-names of his other
children. Some scholars suggest that Maher-shalal-hash-baz and Immanuel are the
same person but in 8:3 his mother is called “the prophetess” not the עלמה (calmāh), furthermore,
Maher-shalal-has-baz would have two prophetic names.
Isaiah’s second son,
Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Isa 8:3), in introduced without preamble in Isa 8:1 and
this is understood as implying that “he was retrospectively known to be a
fulfilment of the Immanuel prophecy”. However, this is overstating the case as
the conception notice in Isa 8:3 is prescient and somewhat parenthetical; it is
written from the point of view of an omniscient narrator. The conclusion of the
matter is recorded and witnessed. Therefore, the order of events is; (1)
Isaiah, write concerning swift is booty, speedy is prey. [8.1] then, (2) Isaiah
gathers witnesses [8:2] then, (3) Isaiah writes verses 4-22 concerning Assyrian
destruction, then; (4) Isaiah has relations with his wife (the prophetess not
the virgin) and she conceives another son (besides Shear-jashub) who is
called Maher-shalal-hash-baz.
This is the only possible order,
as it was important to record and witness the “sign” in advance of his wife conceding
in order to establish both the time-frame and the prophetic credentials of the
sign. Perry notes that Isaiah mentions Immanuel (God with us) in 8:8 and deconstructs
his name in 8:10 and therefore associates Immanuel with his disciples in 8:16
who probably took Immanuel to the royal court to demonstrate the fulfilment of
the “sign”. Firstly, the mention of Immanuel in the “spoil” prophecy is not
unusual as he was introduced in the previous chapter. Secondly, an association
with Isaiah’s disciples is not unusual as one of the “witnesses” to the
prophecy was Hezekiah’s maternal grandfather (Zechariah, 2 Chron
29:1 and Isa 8:2). (Zechariah was possibly the deputy high priest; Isaiah was
probably also a priest. Zechariah [Yah has remembered his covenant] was
faithful as was his daughter Abijah [Yah is Father]) Thirdly, it would be
unnecessary to take him into the royal presence, as the young child Hezekiah
would already reside at the royal court with his mother as a permanent reminder
and “sign”. (Paul Wyns, “Who is Immanuel?,” Christadelphian EJournal of
Biblical Interpretation [April 2016]: 277-78; Wyns believes that Immanuel
is a reference to King Hezekiah, who serves as a “type” of Jesus)
