Commentary for Isaiah 8:20

For the Torah and the warning This is related to the above: Shall we inquire of the dead for the Torah and for the warning for the living, to instruct us what to do? All this is according to the Midrash. According to the simple meaning, however, we can interpret: And when they say to you...This is the end of his prophecy, for he said (v. 11), “and admonished me from going in the way of this people,” and the Holy One, blessed be He, admonished the prophet and Hezekiah’s company, that when Shebna and his company, who will see Hezekiah condemning idolatry, say to you, Inquire of the necromancers and those who divine by the Jidoa bone, and select idolatry as the early forefathers did, and switch the kingdom over to Sennacherib. Does not every people inquire of its god, they worship idols and inquire for the living of the dead? You too should do this.

לתורה ולתעודה Concerning³¹A. V., To.³¹A. V., To. the law and concerning the testimony. The preposition ל has the same meaning as in לי of me (Gen. 20:13). לתורה ולתעודה Concerning the law and the testimony³²The words כי עוד are a corruption of והתעודה. contained in the prophecy.—They will surely³³A. V., If they speak not. speak according to this word, etc. They will say : We shall not listen to it, for it is like a night that is not followed by a dawn; its secret will never come forth to light. According to some לתורה is an oath, by the law; but we find no analogy to this in Scripture.

for the Torah and for the warning This shall be your reply, that you shall observe the Torah, as it is said above, “Bind the warning, seal the Torah, and do not believe their words.”