Isaiah 7:11

11 Ask thou to thee a sign of thy Lord God, into the depth of hell, either into [the] height above. (Ask thou for a sign from the Lord thy God for thee, yea, from the depths of hell/from the lowest part of Sheol, or from the heights above.)

Isaiah 7:11 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 7:11

Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God
For though Ahaz was a wicked man, yet the Lord was his God, as he was the God of the people of Israel in general, as a nation; and knowing his unbelief and diffidence of his word unto him, offers to confirm it by a sign or miracle: ask it either in the depth, or in the height above,
in earth, or in heaven: so the Targum,

``ask that a miracle may be done for thee upon earth, or that a sign may be shown thee in heaven;''
either that the earth might gape and open its mouth, as in the days of Moses; or that the sun might stand still, as in the times of Joshua; or that a dead man might be raised out of the depth of the earth; or that there might be some strange appearances in the heavens.

Isaiah 7:11 In-Context

9 and Samaria shall fail to be the head of Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah to be [the] head of Samaria. Forsooth if ye shall not believe, ye shall not (still) dwell (But if ye do not believe this, ye shall not endure).
10 And the Lord added to speak to Ahaz, and said,
11 Ask thou to thee a sign of thy Lord God, into the depth of hell, either into [the] height above. (Ask thou for a sign from the Lord thy God for thee, yea, from the depths of hell/from the lowest part of Sheol, or from the heights above.)
12 And Ahaz said, I shall not ask, and I shall not tempt the Lord.
13 And Isaiah said, Therefore the house of David, hear ye; whether it is (too) little to you to be dis-easeful to men, for ye be dis-easeful also to my God? (And Isaiah said, And so, hear ye, the house of David; is it not enough for you to make men weary? must ye also make my God weary as well?)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.