Isaiah 7:1-16

The Sign to Ahaz

1 This happened in the days of Ahaz, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah. Rezin, king of Aram, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up [to] Jerusalem for warfare against it, but he was not able to fight against it.

2 When it was reported to the house of David, saying "Aram stands by Ephraim," his heart and the heart of his people shook like the shaking of the trees of [the] forest because of [the] wind.

3 Then Yahweh said to Isaiah, "Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on [the] highway of [the] washer's field.

4 And you must say to him, 'Take heed and be quiet! You must not fear, and your heart must not be faint because of these two stumps of smoldering firebrands, {because of the fierce anger of} Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah.

5 Because Aram has plotted evil against you [with] Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, saying,

6 "Let us go up against Judah and let us tear her apart, {and let us lay it open and so bring it unto ourselves}, and let us install the son of Tabeel [as] king in her midst."

7 Thus says the Lord Yahweh, "It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass.

8 For the head of Aram [is] Damascus, and the head of Damascus [is] Rezin, and in sixty-five years from now Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.

9 And the head of Ephraim [is] Samaria, and the head of Samaria [is] the son of Remaliah. If you do not believe then you will not endure." '"

10 And Yahweh continued to speak to Ahaz, saying,

11 "Ask for a sign for yourself from Yahweh God; make [it] deep [as] Sheol or make [it] high as above."

12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put Yahweh to the test."

13 Then he said, "Hear, house of David! [Is it] too little for you to make men weary, that you should also make my God weary?

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look! the virgin [is] with child and she is about to give birth [to] a son, and she shall call his name 'God with us.'

15 He shall eat curds and honey until he knows to reject the evil and to choose the good.

16 For before the boy knows to reject the evil and to choose the good, {the land whose two kings you dread will be abandoned.}

Isaiah 7:1-16 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. The Hebrew is singular
• [b]. Literally "her"
• [c]. Literally "her"
• [d]. Literally "because of the fierceness of the anger of"
• [e]. Literally "and let us break through her to us"
• [f]. The Hebrew is plural
• [g]. Or "young woman"
• [h]. Literally "the land which you dread will be abandoned because of the face of her two kings"