Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Don’t say, ‘A conspiracy!’ concerning all about which this people say, ‘A conspiracy!’ neither fear their threats, nor be terrorized.
- BSB “Do not call conspiracy everything these people regard as conspiracy. Do not fear what they fear; do not live in dread.
- NKJV “Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,’ Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.
- NASB “You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy!’ Regarding everything that this people call a conspiracy, And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it.
- NLT “Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don’t live in dread of what frightens them.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God tells his people not to share the world's fears and conspiracy theories, but to trust him.
Overview
Where the people cried "conspiracy" and lived in dread of alliances, God commands his servants not to fear what they fear. The warning is against being governed by the anxieties of an unbelieving society. Faith frees God's people from the panic that grips those who do not know him; Peter cites this passage to encourage believers under pressure (1 Peter 3:14-15).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 1 Pet 3:14–15But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
- Luke 21:9But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.
- Isa 51:12–13I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;
- Ps 53:5There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.
- Isa 30:1Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:
- Luke 12:4–5And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
- 2 Kgs 16:5–7Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.
- Isa 57:9–11And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.
- Matt 28:2–5And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
- Isa 7:2–6And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 8:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.