Isaiah 7

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

6 ascendamus ad Iudam et suscitemus eum et avellamus eum ad nos et ponamus regem in medio eius filium Tabeel

7 haec dicit Dominus Deus non stabit et non erit istud

8 sed caput Syriae Damascus et caput Damasci Rasin et adhuc sexaginta et quinque anni et desinet Ephraim esse populus

9 et caput Ephraim Samaria et caput Samariae filius Romeliae si non credideritis non permanebitis

10 et adiecit Dominus loqui ad Ahaz dicens

11 pete tibi signum a Domino Deo tuo in profundum inferni sive in excelsum supra

12 et dixit Ahaz non petam et non temptabo Dominum

13 et dixit audite ergo domus David numquid parum vobis est molestos esse hominibus quia molesti estis et Deo meo

14 propter hoc dabit Dominus ipse vobis signum ecce virgo concipiet et pariet filium et vocabitis nomen eius Emmanuhel

15 butyrum et mel comedet ut sciat reprobare malum et eligere bonum

16 quia antequam sciat puer reprobare malum et eligere bonum derelinquetur terra quam tu detestaris a facie duum regum suorum

17 adducet Dominus super te et super populum tuum et super domum patris tui dies qui non venerunt a diebus separationis Ephraim a Iuda cum rege Assyriorum

18 et erit in die illa sibilabit Dominus muscae quae est in extremo fluminum Aegypti et api quae est in terra Assur

19 et venient et requiescent omnes in torrentibus vallium et cavernis petrarum et in omnibus frutectis et in universis foraminibus

20 in die illa radet Dominus in novacula conducta in his qui trans Flumen sunt in rege Assyriorum caput et pilos pedum et barbam universam

21 et erit in die illa nutriet homo vaccam boum et duas oves

22 et prae ubertate lactis comedet butyrum butyrum enim et mel manducabit omnis qui relictus fuerit in medio terrae

23 et erit in die illa omnis locus ubi fuerint mille vites mille argenteis et in spinas et in vepres erunt

24 cum sagittis et arcu ingredientur illuc vepres enim et spinae erunt in universa terra

25 et omnes montes qui in sarculo sarientur non veniet illuc terror spinarum et veprium et erit in pascua bovis et in conculcationem pecoris

Isaiah 7 Commentary

Chapter 7

Ahaz threatened by Israel and Syria; and is assured their attack would be in vain. (1-9) God gives a sure sign by the promise of the long-expected Messiah. (10-16) The folly and sin of seeking relief from Assyria are reproved. (17-25)

Verses 1-9 Ungodly men are often punished by others as bad as themselves. Being in great distress and confusion, the Jews gave up all for lost. They had made God their enemy, and knew not how to make him their friend. The prophet must teach them to despise their enemies, in faith and dependence on God. Ahaz, in fear, called them two powerful princes. No, says the prophet, they are but tails of smoking firebrands, burnt out already. The two kingdoms of Syria and Israel were nearly expiring. While God has work for the firebrands of the earth, they consume all before them; but when their work is fulfilled, they will be extinguished in smoke. That which Ahaz thought most formidable, is made the ground of their defeat; because they have taken evil counsel against thee; which is an offence to God. God scorns the scorners, and gives his word that the attempt should not succeed. Man purposes, but God disposes. It was folly for those to be trying to ruin their neighbours, who were themselves near to ruin. Isaiah must urge the Jews to rely on the assurances given them. Faith is absolutely necessary to quiet and compose the mind in trials.

Verses 10-16 Secret disaffection to God is often disguised with the colour of respect to him; and those who are resolved that they will not trust God, yet pretend they will not tempt him. The prophet reproved Ahaz and his court, for the little value they had for Divine revelation. Nothing is more grievous to God than distrust, but the unbelief of man shall not make the promise of God of no effect; the Lord himself shall give a sign. How great soever your distress and danger, of you the Messiah is to be born, and you cannot be destroyed while that blessing is in you. It shall be brought to pass in a glorious manner; and the strongest consolations in time of trouble are derived from Christ, our relation to him, our interest in him, our expectations of him and from him. He would grow up like other children, by the use of the diet of those countries; but he would, unlike other children, uniformly refuse the evil and choose the good. And although his birth would be by the power of the Holy Ghost, yet he should not be fed with angels' food. Then follows a sign of the speedy destruction of the princes, now a terror to Judah. "Before this child," so it may be read; "this child which I have now in my arms," (Shear-jashub, the prophet's own son, ver. ( Isaiah 7:3 ) ,) shall be three or four years older, these enemies' forces shall be forsaken of both their kings. The prophecy is so solemn, the sign is so marked, as given by God himself after Ahaz rejected the offer, that it must have raised hopes far beyond what the present occasion suggested. And, if the prospect of the coming of the Divine Saviour was a never-failing support to the hopes of ancient believers, what cause have we to be thankful that the Word was made flesh! May we trust in and love Him, and copy his example.

Verses 17-25 Let those who will not believe the promises of God, expect to hear the alarms of his threatenings; for who can resist or escape his judgments? The Lord shall sweep all away; and whomsoever he employs in any service for him, he will pay. All speaks a sad change of the face of that pleasant land. But what melancholy change is there, which sin will not make with a people? Agriculture would cease. Sorrows of every kind will come upon all who neglect the great salvation. If we remain unfruitful under the means of grace, the Lord will say, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever.

Chapter Summary

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.