Isaiah 7:2

2 et nuntiaverunt domui David dicentes requievit Syria super Ephraim et commotum est cor eius et cor populi eius sicut moventur ligna silvarum a facie venti

Isaiah 7:2 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 7:2

And it was told the house of David
Ahaz, and his family, the princes of the blood, his court and counsellors; who had intelligence of the designs and preparations of the Syrians and Israelites against them: saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim;
the ten tribes; or the kingdom and king of Israel. Some render it, "Syria led"; that is, its army "unto Ephraim" ^F25; marched it into the land of Israel, and there joined the king of Israel's army; others, as the Vulgate Latin version, "Syria rests upon Ephraim" ^F26; depends upon, trusts in, takes heart and encouragement from Ephraim, or the ten tribes, being his ally. The Septuagint version is, "Syria hath agreed with Ephraim"; entered into a confederacy and alliance with each other; which is the sense of our version; and is confirmed by the Targum, which is,

``the king of Syria is joined with the king of Israel:''

and his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the
trees of the wood are moved with the wind;
the metaphor denotes the strength and force of the confederate armies, comparable to a strong, blustering, boisterous wind; see ( Isaiah 32:2 ) ( Jeremiah 4:11 Jeremiah 4:12 ) and the weakness of the king and people of Judah, who were like to trees shaken by the wind; and also the fear they were possessed with, partly through consciousness of guilt, and partly through distrust of divine power and Providence; and also on account of what they had suffered already from these powerful enemies, when they attacked them singly; and therefore might much more dread them, as they were combined together against them; see ( 2 Chronicles 28:5-8 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 (hxn) "duxit exercitum", Tigurine version.
F26 "Syria quievit super Ephraim", Forerius, Cocceius; "Syria acquiescit in Ephraimo", Piscator.

Isaiah 7:2 In-Context

1 et factum est in diebus Ahaz filii Ioatham filii Oziae regis Iuda ascendit Rasin rex Syriae et Phacee filius Romeliae rex Israhel in Hierusalem ad proeliandum contra eam et non potuerunt debellare eam

2 et nuntiaverunt domui David dicentes requievit Syria super Ephraim et commotum est cor eius et cor populi eius sicut moventur ligna silvarum a facie venti

3 et dixit Dominus ad Isaiam egredere in occursum Ahaz tu et qui derelictus est Iasub filius tuus ad extremum aquaeductus piscinae superioris in via agri Fullonis

4 et dices ad eum vide ut sileas noli timere et cor tuum ne formidet a duobus caudis titionum fumigantium istorum in ira furoris Rasin et Syriae et filii Romeliae

5 eo quod consilium inierit contra te Syria malum Ephraim et filius Romeliae dicentes