Isaiah 7:21

21 "At that time a person will be able to keep only one young cow and two sheep alive.

Isaiah 7:21 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 7:21

And it shall come to pass in that day
Not in the days of Hezekiah, after the destruction of Sennacherib's army, when there followed great fruitfulness and plenty, ( Isaiah 37:30 Isaiah 37:31 ) as Kimchi and Jarchi interpret it; but in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, after the destruction of Jerusalem, when some poor men were left in the land to till it, ( Jeremiah 39:10 ) for of these, and not of rich men, are the following words to be understood: [that] a man shall nourish a young cow and two sheep;
this seems to denote both the scarcity of men and cattle, through the ravages of the army of the Chaldeans; that there should not be large herds and flocks, only a single cow, and two or three sheep; and yet men should be so few, and families so thin, that these would be sufficient to support them comfortably.

Isaiah 7:21 In-Context

19 These enemies will camp in the deep ravines and in the cliffs, by the thornbushes and watering holes.

20 The Lord will hire Assyria and use it like a razor to punish Judah. It will be as if the Lord is shaving the hair from Judah's head and legs and removing Judah's beard.

21 "At that time a person will be able to keep only one young cow and two sheep alive.

22 There will be only enough milk for that person to eat milk curds. All who remain in the land will go back to eating just milk curds and honey.

23 In this land there are now vineyards that have a thousand grapevines, which are worth about twenty-five pounds of silver. But these fields will become full of weeds and thorns.