Maher-shalal-hash-baz (מַהֵר שָׁלָל חָשׁ בַּז): This is the longest word in the book of Isaiah, and the second longest word in the entire Bible. It is the name of Isaiah’s son, and it means “Hurry to the spoils!” or "He has made haste to the plunder!"1
Tohu (תֹּהוּ): This word appears in Isaiah 34:11, 40:17, and 41:29. It means “emptiness”, “chaos”, or “nothingness”. It is also the first word in the Bible, in Genesis 1:2, where it describes the state of the earth before creation.
Tzir (צִיר): This word appears in Isaiah 23:2, 3, and 4. It means “messenger”, “envoy”, or “ambassador”. However, it also has another meaning: “pain”, “anguish”, or “travail”. This creates a wordplay in Isaiah 23:4, where the city of Tyre is told to be ashamed, for the sea has spoken: “I have not been in pain, nor have I given birth, nor have I raised young men, nor brought up young women.”
Shiloach (שִׁלֹחַ): This word appears in Isaiah 8:6. It is the name of a spring or a pool in Jerusalem, also known as Siloam. It means “sent” or “dispatched”, and it is related to the word shalach (שָׁלַח), which means “to send”. This word is also connected to the name Shiloh (שִׁילֹה), which was the first capital of Israel and the place where the ark of the covenant was kept. Some people also interpret Shiloh as a messianic title, based on Genesis 49:10.
Seraphim (שְׂרָפִים): This word appears in Isaiah 6:2 and 6:6. It is the plural form of seraph (שָׂרָף), which means “burning one” or “fiery one”. It refers to a type of angelic being that has six wings and praises God in his throne room. The word seraph is also used to describe a venomous snake in Numbers 21:6 and Deuteronomy 8:15.
Nebel (נֵבֶל): This word appears in Isaiah 5:12 and 14:11. It means “harp” or “lyre”, a musical instrument with strings. However, it also has another meaning: “fool”, “wicked”, or “worthless”. This creates a contrast in Isaiah 5:12, where the people are condemned for their revelry and ignorance: “They have harp and lyre, tambourine and flute, and wine at their feasts; but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord, nor do they see the work of his hands.”
Kikkar (כִּכָּר): This word appears in Isaiah 40:15. It means “circle”, “disk”, or “sphere”. It is used to describe the shape of the earth, as seen from God’s perspective: “Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust… All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.”
Chashmal (חַשְׁמַל): This word appears in Isaiah 41:15. It means “bronze”, “copper”, or “metal”. It is used to describe the sharpness and strength of Israel, as God’s instrument of judgment: “Behold, I make of you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and you shall make the hills like chaff.” Some people also associate this word with electricity, based on its use in Ezekiel 1:4 and 1:27, where it describes a bright and fiery substance that surrounds the vision of God’s glory.
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