Isaiah7

King Ahaz of Judah was greatly distressed by the Syro-Ephraimite confederacy's invasion, causing widespread fear. The prophet Isaiah was sent by the Lord to reassure Ahaz, urging him not to fear the two kings, for their plan would fail. When Ahaz refused to ask for a sign, the Lord declared that a virgin would conceive and bear a son named Immanuel, signifying that the immediate threat would pass. However, this comfort was juxtaposed with a warning of future desolation brought by the king of Assyria.

Listen to this chapter

God Assures Ahaz Against Invasion

¶ And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.

Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field;

And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,

Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal:

Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.

For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.

And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.

The Sign of Immanuel Promised

¶ Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying,

Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.

But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD.

And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.

Assyria: The Instrument of Judgment

¶ The LORD shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father's house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.

In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep;

And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns.

With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns.

And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.

Study Notes for Isaiah 7

Verse 1

This verse establishes the historical context: the Syro-Ephraimitic War (734–732 BC). The combined forces of Syria (Aram) and Israel (Ephraim) attempted to overthrow King Ahaz of Judah, but failed to capture Jerusalem.

Verse 2

The fear of the royal court and the people is compared to trees shaking violently in the wind, illustrating the panic caused by the powerful northern alliance.

Verse 3

Isaiah meets Ahaz at a specific, strategic location outside the city walls, possibly where Ahaz was inspecting the water supply in preparation for a siege. Shear-jashub ('A Remnant Shall Return') is a symbolic name, already containing a message of hope and judgment.

Verse 4

Isaiah instructs Ahaz to remain calm and trust God. The powerful invading kings are dismissively referred to as 'two tails of these smoking firebrands,' meaning they are merely smoldering, dying embers that pose no lasting threat.

Verse 6

The goal of the invaders was regime change: to depose the Davidic king (Ahaz) and install a puppet ruler, 'the son of Tabeal,' thereby extinguishing the divinely established Davidic covenant.

Verse 8

This prophecy provides specific temporal limits to the crisis. The 65-year period refers to the time until Ephraim (Israel) would be so thoroughly deported and mixed with other peoples that it would cease to exist as a distinct nation (a process completed after 722 BC).

Verse 9

This verse contains the central theological message of the entire chapter: security (establishment/stability) is conditional upon faith (belief). Ahaz must rely on God, not on political alliances like Assyria, to survive the crisis.

Verse 11

God offers Ahaz the unparalleled opportunity to request any sign—no matter how miraculous—to confirm the divine promise of protection. This demonstrates God’s willingness to meet human doubt with clear evidence.

Verse 12

Ahaz uses false piety ('I will not tempt the LORD') as an excuse to refuse the sign. He had already committed to seeking help from the Assyrians, making divine confirmation unnecessary for his plans (cf. 2 Kings 16:7).

Verse 13

Isaiah’s tone shifts from tender pleading to sharp rebuke, addressing Ahaz not just personally, but as the 'house of David,' underscoring the covenantal seriousness of his unbelief.

Verse 14

Because Ahaz refused a sign, the Lord gives one anyway. The prophecy of Immanuel ('God With Us') has a dual fulfillment: an immediate sign of deliverance for Ahaz and, ultimately, a messianic sign fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:23).

Verse 16

The immediate historical context of the sign is confirmed: before this child reaches the age of moral discernment (typically 3-5 years), the lands of the two enemy kings (Syria and Israel) would be utterly devastated.

Verse 17

The prophecy turns to judgment. Because Ahaz refused to trust God, the very power he intended to hire (Assyria) would be brought against Judah, initiating a period of suffering worse than the division of the kingdoms.

Verse 18

The Lord will 'hiss' (whistle) to summon the armies of Egypt (the fly) and Assyria (the bee). These powerful nations are depicted as agents of God’s will, ready to swarm over Judah.

Verse 20

The 'hired razor' is a powerful metaphor for the king of Assyria, whom Ahaz paid as an ally. Shaving the head, feet, and beard symbolizes total humiliation, defilement, and the stripping away of national identity and strength.

Verse 22

Following the devastation, the land will be so depopulated and ruined that survivors will maintain only small flocks. Their diet of butter and honey signifies a return to primitive subsistence, not prosperity.

Verse 23

Cultivated land, previously valued for its vineyards, will revert to wild briers and thorns. This illustrates the widespread ecological and economic collapse caused by the Assyrian invasion and subsequent depopulation.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate

Isaiah7

God Assures Ahaz Against Invasion

The Sign of Immanuel Promised

Assyria: The Instrument of Judgment

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Options