Isaías 7

1 Aconteció en los días de Acaz hijo de Jotam, hijo de Uzías, rey de Judá, que Rezín rey de Siria, y Peca hijo de Remalías, rey de Israel, subieron a Jerusalén para combatirla; mas no la pudieron tomar

2 Y vino la nueva a la casa de David, diciendo: Siria se ha confederado con Efraín. Y se le estremeció el corazón, y el corazón de su pueblo, como se estremecen los árboles del monte a causa del viento

3 Entonces dijo el SEÑOR a Isaías: Sal ahora al encuentro de Acaz, tú, y Sear-jasub tu hijo, al extremo del conducto de la pesquera de arriba, en el camino de la heredad del Lavador

4 y dile: Guarda, y repósate; no temas, ni se enternezca tu corazón a causa de estos dos cabos de tizón que humean, por el furor de la ira de Rezín y del sirio, y del hijo de Remalías

5 Por haber acordado maligno consejo contra ti el sirio, con Efraín y con el hijo de Remalías, diciendo

6 Vamos contra Judá, y la despertaremos, y la repartiremos entre nosotros, y pondremos en medio de ella por rey al hijo de Tabeel

7 El Señor DIOS dice así: No permanecerá, y no será

8 Porque la cabeza de Siria será Damasco, y la cabeza de Damasco, Rezín; y dentro de sesenta y cinco años Efraín será quebrantado y nunca mas será pueblo

9 Entretanto la cabeza de Efraín será Samaria, y la cabeza de Samaria el hijo de Remalías. Si vosotros no creyereis, de cierto no permaneceréis

10 Y habló más el SEÑOR a Acaz, diciendo

11 Pide para ti señal del SEÑOR tu Dios, demandándola en lo profundo, o arriba en lo alto

12 Y respondió Acaz: No pediré, y no tentaré al SEÑOR

13 Dijo entonces Isaías: Oíd ahora, casa de David. ¿No os basta ser molestos a los hombres, sino que también lo seáis a mi Dios

14 Por tanto, el mismo Señor os dará señal: He aquí que la virgen concebirá, y dará a luz un hijo, y llamará su nombre Emmanuel

15 Comerá manteca y miel, hasta que sepa desechar lo malo y escoger lo bueno

16 Porque antes que el niño sepa desechar lo malo y escoger lo bueno, la tierra que tú aborreces será dejada de sus dos reyes

17 El SEÑOR hará venir sobre ti, y sobre tu pueblo, y sobre la casa de tu padre, días cuales nunca vinieron desde el día que Efraín se apartó de Judá, es a saber, al rey de Asiria

18 Y acontecerá que aquel día silbará el SEÑOR a la mosca que está en el fin de los ríos de Egipto, y a la abeja que está en la tierra de Asiria

19 Y vendrán, y se asentarán todos en los valles desiertos, y en las cavernas de las piedras, y en todos los zarzales, y en todas las matas

20 En aquel día raerá el Señor con navaja alquilada, con los que habitan del otro lado del río, es a saber, con el rey de Asiria, cabeza y pelos de los pies; y aun la barba también quitará

21 Y acontecerá en aquel tiempo, que críe un hombre una vaca y dos ovejas

22 y será que a causa de la abundancia de leche que darán, comerá manteca; ciertamente manteca y miel comerá el que quedare en medio de la tierra

23 Acontecerá también en aquel tiempo, que el lugar donde había mil vides que valían mil siclos de plata, será para los espinos y para los cardos

24 Con saetas y arco irán allá; porque toda la tierra será espinos y cardos

25 Mas a todos los montes que se cavaban con azada, no llegará allá el temor de los espinos y de los cardos; mas serán para pasto de bueyes, y para ser hollados de los ganados

Isaías 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.