Maher-shalal-hash-baz

Who is Maher-shalal-hash-baz?

Maher-shalal-hash-baz; Hebrew: מַהֵר שָׁלָל חָשׁ בַּז‎- "Hurry to the spoils!" or "He has made haste to the plunder!" - was the second mentioned prophetic child in Isaiah ch.7-9.

"And I draw near unto the prophetess, and she conceiveth, and beareth a son; and Jehovah saith unto me, 'Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz, ..." Isaiah 8:3

The prophet Isaiah's first son Shear-jashub is mentioned only once in Isaiah 7:3. Commentators, Jewish and Christian, traditionally note that this first son's name is also prophetic - meaning "the remnant shall return" - but no account of why, when or how this son was named is given in the Book of Isaiah.

The child Maher-shalal-hash-baz is the second prophetic-name child after the birth of Immanuel - traditionally understood as the son of Abi the bride of king Ahaz, i.e. the future king Hezekiah, by many Jewish commentators, or of another woman. The name Maher-shalal-hash-baz is a reference to the impending plunder of Samaria and Damascus by the king of Assyria, Tiglath Pileser III (734-732 BCE).

This is often counted the longest name (and word) used in the Bible, though a possible longer name-phrase in Isaiah is found in Isaiah 9:6 "called Pele-joez-el-gibbor-abi-ad-sar-shalom"