Ésaïe 7:16-25

16 Mais, avant que l'enfant sache rejeter le mal et choisir le bien, le pays dont tu redoutes les deux rois, sera abandonné.

17 L'Éternel fera venir sur toi, sur ton peuple et sur la maison de ton père, des jours tels qu'il n'y en a pas eu de semblables, depuis le jour qu'Éphraïm se sépara d'avec Juda, savoir le roi d'Assyrie.

18 En ce jour-là, l'Éternel sifflera pour appeler les mouches qui sont au bout des fleuves d'Égypte, et les guêpes du pays d'Assur.

19 Elles viendront et se poseront toutes dans les vallées désertes, dans les fentes des rochers, dans tous les buissons et dans tous les pâturages.

20 En ce jour-là, le Seigneur rasera avec un rasoir qu'il aura loué au-delà du fleuve (avec le roi d'Assyrie), la tête et les poils des pieds, et il enlèvera aussi la barbe.

21 En ce jour-là, chacun nourrira une jeune vache et deux brebis;

22 Et elles produiront tant de lait qu'il mangera de la crème; car tous ceux qui seront laissés de reste dans le pays, mangeront de la crème et du miel.

23 En ce jour-là, tout lieu qui contiendra mille ceps de vigne, valant mille sicles d'argent, sera réduit en ronces et en épines.

24 On y viendra avec la flèche et avec l'arc; car tout le pays ne sera que ronces et épines.

25 Et dans toutes les montagnes que l'on cultivait à la bêche, on ne viendra plus, par crainte des ronces et des épines; mais on y mettra les bœufs en pâture, et elles seront foulées par les brebis.

Ésaïe 7:16-25 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 7

This chapter contains a prophecy of the preservation of the kingdom of Judah, from its enemies; a confirmation of it by a sign; and a prediction of various calamities that should come upon it, antecedent to the accomplishment of that sign. The enemies of Judea are named, and the besieging of Jerusalem by them, and the date of it, which was without effect, are mentioned, Isa 7:1 the fear and dread which seized the house of David upon the news of this confederacy, Isa 7:2 the orders given by the Lord to the Prophet Isaiah, to take with him his son, and meet Ahaz, at a certain place pointed at, Isa 7:3 whose errand was to comfort him, and exhort him to be quiet and easy; since the conspiracy formed against him should be fruitless, and the kingdom of Israel should be broken to pieces, Isa 7:4-9 after which the king is put upon asking a sign of the Lord, for the confirmation of it; which he refusing to do, under a pretence of tempting the Lord, is reproved; and a sign nevertheless is given; which is that of the birth of the Messiah of a virgin, who would be truly God, as his name Immanuel shows, and truly man, as his birth, his food, and gradual knowledge of good and evil, prove, Isa 7:10-15 yea, it is suggested that the deliverance of Judea from the two kings of Syria and Israel should be very speedy; even before the young child Isaiah had with him was capable of knowing to refuse evil, and chose good, Isa 7:16 but as a chastisement of the house of David for their incredulity in this matter, and slight of the divine goodness, various things are threatened to befall them, before the birth of the Messiah; even such as had not been since the revolt of the ten tribes; as that their enemies, the Assyrians and others, should come upon them in great numbers, and fill all places, so that they would be in the utmost distress, and not be able to escape, Isa 7:17-19 there would be a great consumption of men of all sorts, high and low, signified by shaving off the hair of the head, beard, and feet; so that the few that remained would enjoy plenty, Isa 7:20-22 and for want of men to till the land, it would be covered with thorns and briers; and because of wild beasts, the few men in it would be obliged to defend themselves with bows and arrows, Isa 7:23,24 and yet, after this, the land should become fruitful again, before the Messiah's coming, Isa 7:25, as some interpret it.