does the word “Immanuel” relate to Jesus?
Immanuel here means “God be with us”, and the context is one of desperation, as in “God help us.” While this verse does not tell us anything specific about Jesus, this repetition of the word of the Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 teaches us how we can rely on the promises of God. The strong waters of the Euphrates refer to the nation of Assyria, and possibly the Babylonians, that would almost drown Judah, “up to its neck”. Yet, as The Bible Knowledge Commentary : Old Testament p.1051 says, “the word Immanuel assured the hearers that God had not forgotten His covenant people and would be with them.” In fact, the word “Immanuel” is the pivotal word in Isaiah 8:1-10. Reading Isaiah 8:1-8a, and stopping in the middle of verse 8, one could get the impression that this “flood” of the army will be so severe that Judah will be finished forever. Yet, Gods promise of Immanuel, would be fulfilled, thus guaranteeing that Judah would survive. Isaiah 8:8b-10 are a vivid contrast to the preceding v
