Isaiah 44:8

Do not tremble or fear. Have I not told you and declared it long ago? You are My witnesses! Is there any God but Me? There is no other Rock; I know not one.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — YHWH addresses Israel directly, bracketed by a challenge to rival deities (v. 7) and a verdict on idol-makers (v. 9). The moment is a polemic against false gods in which God turns to His own people.

The words — The prohibitive particle 'al- (אַל, "may not") appears twice, governing two distinct fear roots: פחד (tif.cha.Du, "be in dread," a visceral terror) and ירא (tir.Hu, "fear," a more sustained dread). The double prohibition with differentiated roots sharpens the command beyond a single generic "do not be afraid."

The thread — The "You are My witnesses" formula appears in Isaiah 43:10; "no Rock like our God" echoes 1 Samuel 2:2; the exclusive claim "there is no other" matches Deuteronomy 4:35.

Why it lands — The verse does not soothe; it rebukes fear by pointing back to God's prior declarations. It asks the reader to stop trembling because the evidence was already given.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

אַֽל־'al-may not תִּפְחֲדוּ֙tif.cha.Duyou be in dread וְאַל־ve./'al-and/ may not תִּרְה֔וּtir.Huyou fear הֲלֹ֥אha./Lo'¿/ not מֵאָ֛זme./'Azfrom/ then הִשְׁמַעְתִּ֥יךָhish.ma'.Ti./khadid I proclaim to/ you וְהִגַּ֖דְתִּיve./hi.Gad.tiand/ did I declare וְאַתֶּ֣םve./'a.Temand/ you עֵדָ֑י'e.Da/i[are] witnesses/ my הֲיֵ֤שׁha./Yesh¿/ [is] there אֱל֙וֹהַּ֙'e.Lo.aha god מִבַּלְעָדַ֔יmi./bal.'a.Da/i<from>/ except/ me וְאֵ֥יןve./'Einand/ there not צ֖וּרtzur[is] a rock בַּל־bal-not יָדָֽעְתִּי׃ya.Da.'e.tiI know

King James Version

Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

Cross-references

Isaiah 43:10 “You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may consider and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed, and after Me none will come.
1 Samuel 2:2 There is no one holy like the LORD. Indeed, there is no one besides You! And there is no Rock like our God.
Deuteronomy 4:35 You were shown these things so that you would know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides Him.
Deuteronomy 4:39 Know therefore this day and take to heart that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.
John 10:30 I and the Father are one.”
Psalms 18:31 For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
Deuteronomy 32:39 See now that I am He; there is no God besides Me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal, and there is no one who can deliver from My hand.
2 Samuel 22:32 For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
Isaiah 44:6 Thus says the LORD, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the LORD of Hosts: “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God but Me.
Joel 2:27 Then you will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.