Isaiah 7

Isaiah 7:1-9:7'. PREDICTION OF THE ILL SUCCESS OF THE SYRO-ISRAELITISH INVASION OF JUDAH--AHAZ ALLIANCE WITH ASSYRIA, AND ITS FATAL RESULTS TO JUDEA--YET THE CERTAINTY OF FINAL PRESERVATION AND OF THE COMING OF MESSIAH.

In the Assyrian inscriptions the name of Rezin, king of Damascus, is found among the tributaries of Tiglath-pileser, of whose reign the annals of seventeen years have been deciphered. For the historical facts in this chapter, compare 2 Kings 15:37-16:9'. Rezin of Syria and Pekah of Israel, as confederates, advanced against Jerusalem. In the first campaign they "smote Ahaz with a great slaughter" ( 2 Chronicles 28:5 ). Their object was probably to unite the three kingdoms against Assyria. Egypt seems to have favored the plan, so as to interpose these confederate kingdoms between her own frontier and Assyria (compare Isaiah 7:18 , "Egypt"; and 2 Kings 17:4 , Hoshea's league with Egypt). Rezin and Pekah may have perceived Ahaz' inclination towards Assyria rather than towards their own confederacy; this and the old feud between Israel and Judah ( 1 Kings 12:16 ) occasioned their invasion of Judah. Ahaz, at the second inroad of his enemies (compare 2 Chronicles 28:1-26 and 2 Kings 15:37 , with Isaiah 16:5 ), smarting under his former defeat, applied to Tiglath-pileser, in spite of Isaiah's warning in this chapter, that he should rather rely on God; that king accordingly attacked Damascus, and slew Rezin ( 2 Kings 16:9 ); and probably it was at the same time that he carried away part of Israel captive ( 2 Kings 15:29 ), unless there were two assaults on Pekah--that in 2 Kings 15:29 , the earlier, and that in which Tiglath helped Ahaz subsequently [G. V. SMITH]. Ahaz was saved at the sacrifice of Judah's independence and the payment of a large tribute, which continued till the overthrow of Sennacherib under Hezekiah ( Isaiah 37:37 , 2 Kings 16:8 2 Kings 16:17 2 Kings 16:18 , 2 Chronicles 28:20 ). Ahaz' reign began about 741 B.C., and Pekah was slain in 738 [WINER].

1. Ahaz--In the first years of his reign the design of the two kings against Judah was carried out, which was formed in Jotham's reign ( 2 Kings 15:37 ).
Syria--Hebrew, Aram ( Genesis 10:22 Genesis 10:23 ), originally the whole region between the Euphrates and Mediterranean, including Assyria, of which Syria is an abbreviation; here the region round Damascus, and along Mount Libanus.
Jerusalem--An actual siege of it took place, but was foiled ( 2 Kings 16:5 ).

2. is confederate with--rather, is encamped upon the territory of Ephraim [MAURER], or better, as Rezin was encamped against Jerusalem, "is supported by" [LOWTH] Ephraim, whose land lay between Syria and Judah. The mention of "David" alludes, in sad contrast with the present, to the time when David made Syria subject to him ( 2 Samuel 8:6 ).
Ephraim--the ten tribes.
as . . . trees of . . . wood--simultaneous agitation.