Isaiah 7:1-17

The Sign of Immanuel

1 When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.

2 Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with^[a] Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

3 Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub,^[b] to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.

4 Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.

5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying,

6 “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.”

7 Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “ ‘It will not take place, it will not happen,

8 for the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is only Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.

9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’ ”

10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz,

11 “Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”

12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test.”

13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also?

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you^[c] a sign: The virgin^[d] will conceive and give birth to a son, and^[e] will call him Immanuel.^[f]

15 He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right,

16 for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.

17 The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.”

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Isaiah 7:1-17 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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 45

1. S 1 Chronicles 3:13
2. S ver 8; S 2 Kings 15:37
3. 2 Chronicles 28:5
4. S 2 Kings 15:25
5. ver 5,9; Isaiah 8:6
6. ver 13; S 2 Samuel 7:11; Isaiah 16:5; Isaiah 22:22; Jeremiah 21:12; Amos 9:11
7. Isaiah 9:9; Hosea 5:3
8. Isaiah 6:4; Daniel 5:6
9. Isaiah 10:21-22
10. 2 Kings 18:17; Isaiah 36:2
11. Isaiah 30:15; Lamentations 3:26
12. S Genesis 15:1; S Deuteronomy 3:2; Isaiah 8:12; Isaiah 12:2; Isaiah 35:4; Isaiah 37:6; Matthew 24:6
13. S Deuteronomy 20:3; S Isaiah 21:4
14. Amos 4:11; Zechariah 3:2
15. Isaiah 10:24; Isaiah 51:13; Isaiah 54:14
16. S 2 Kings 15:27
17. S ver 1
18. ver 2
19. Isaiah 24:3; Isaiah 25:8; Isaiah 28:16
20. Psalms 2:1; Isaiah 8:10; Isaiah 14:24; Isaiah 28:18; Isaiah 40:8; Isaiah 46:10; Acts 4:25
21. S Genesis 14:15
22. ver 1; Isaiah 9:11
23. 2 Kings 17:24; Isaiah 8:4; Isaiah 17:1-3
24. S 2 Kings 15:29; Isaiah 9:9; Isaiah 28:1,3
25. S Psalms 20:8; Isaiah 8:10; Isaiah 40:8
26. 2 Chronicles 20:20
27. Isaiah 8:6-8; Isaiah 30:12-14
28. S Exodus 7:9; S Deuteronomy 13:2
29. Psalms 139:8
30. Deuteronomy 4:34
31. S ver 2
32. S Genesis 30:15
33. S Isaiah 1:14
34. Psalms 63:1; Psalms 118:28; Isaiah 25:1; Isaiah 49:4; Isaiah 61:10
35. S Exodus 3:12; S Luke 2:12
36. S Genesis 24:43
37. S Genesis 3:15; Luke 1:31
38. S Genesis 21:22; Isaiah 8:8,10; Matthew 1:23*
39. S Genesis 18:8
40. ver 22
41. Isaiah 8:4
42. Deuteronomy 1:39
43. S Deuteronomy 13:16; Isaiah 17:3; Jeremiah 7:15; Hosea 5:9,13; Amos 1:3-5
44. 1 Kings 12:16
45. S ver 20; S 2 Chronicles 28:20

Footnotes 6

[a]. Or "has set up camp in"
[b]. "Shear-Jashub" means "a remnant will return."
[c]. The Hebrew is plural.
[d]. Or "young woman"
[e]. Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls "son, and he" or "son, and they"
[f]. "Immanuel" means "God with us."