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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Isaiah 7:10–16. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here, I. God, by the prophet, makes a gracious offer to Ahaz, to confirm the foregoing predictions, and his faith in them, by such sign or miracle as he should choose (Isa 7:10, Isa 7:11): Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; See here the divine faithfulness and veracity. God tells us nothing but what he is able and ready to prove. See his wonderful condescension to the children of men, in that he is so willing to show to the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, Heb 6:17. He considers our frame, and that, living in a world of sense, we are apt to require sensible proofs, which therefore he has favoured us with in sacramental signs and seals. Ahaz was a bad man, yet God is called the Lord his God, because he was a child of Abraham and David, and of the covenants made with them. See how gracious God is even to the evil and unthankful; Ahaz is bidden to choose his sign, as Gideon about the fleece (Jdg 6:37); let him ask for a sign in the air, or earth, or water, for God's power is the same in all.
II.Ahaz rudely refuses this gracious offer, and (which is not mannerly towards any superior) kicks at the courtesy, and puts a slight upon it (Isa 7:12): I will not ask. The true reason why he would not ask for a sign was because, having a dependence upon the Assyrians, their forces, and their gods, for help, he would not thus far be beholden to the God of Israel, or lay himself under obligations to him. He would not ask a sign for the confirming of his faith because he resolved to persist in his unbelief, and would indulge his doubts and distrusts; yet he pretends a pious reason: I will not tempt the Lord; as if it would be a tempting of God to do that which God himself invited and directed him to do. Note, A secret disaffection to God is often disguised with the specious colours of respect to him; and those who are resolved that they will not trust God yet pretend that they will not tempt him.
III.The prophet reproves him and his court, him and the house of David, the whole royal family, for their contempt of prophecy, and the little value they had for divine revelation (Isa 7:13) "Is it a small thing for you to weary men by your oppression and tyranny, with which you make yourselves burdensome and odious to all mankind? But will you weary my God also with the affronts you put upon him?" As the unjust judge that neither feared God nor regarded man, Luk 18:2. You have wearied the Lord with your words, Mal 2:17. Nothing is more grievous to the God of heaven than to be distrusted. "Will you weary my God? Will you suppose him to be tired and unable to help you, or to be weary of doing you good? Whereas the youths may faint and be weary, you may have tired all your friends, the Creator of the ends of the earth faints not, neither is weary." Isa 40:28-31. Or this: "In affronting the prophets, you think you put a slight only upon men like yourselves, and consider not that you affront God himself, whose messengers they are, and put a slight upon him, who will resent it accordingly." The prophet here calls God his God with a great deal of pleasure: Ahaz would not say, He is my God, though the prophet had invited him to say so (Isa 7:11): The Lord thy God; but Isaiah will say, "He is mine." Note, Whatever others do, we must avouch the Lord for ours and abide by him.
IV.The prophet, in God's name, gives them a sign:
"You will not ask a sign, but the unbelief of man shall not make the promise of God of no effect: The Lord himself shall give you a sign (Isa 7:14), a double sign."
1."A sign in general of his good-will to Israel and to the house of David. You may conclude it that he has mercy in store for you, and that you are not forsaken of your God, how great soever your present distress and danger are; for of your nation, of your family, the Messiah is to be born, and you cannot be destroyed while that blessing is in you, which shall be introduced," (1.) "In a glorious manner; for, whereas you have been often told that he should be born among you, I am now further to tell you that he shall be born of a virgin, which will signify both the divine power and the divine purity with which he shall be brought into the world, - that he shall be a extraordinary person, for he shall not be born by ordinary generation, - and that he shall be a holy thing, not stained with the common pollutions of the human nature, therefore incontestably fit to have the throne of his father David given him." Now this, though it was to be accomplished above 500 years after, was a most encouraging sign to the house of David (and to them, under that title, this prophecy is directed, Isa 7:13) and an assurance that God would not cast them off. Ephraim did indeed envy Judah (Isa 11:13) and sought the ruin of that kingdom, but could not prevail; for the sceptre should never depart from Judah till the coming of Shiloh, Gen 49:10. Those whom God designs for the great salvation may take that for a sign to them that they shall not be swallowed up by any trouble they meet with in the way. (2.) The Messiah shall be introduced on a glorious errand, wrapped up in his glorious name: They shall call his name Immanuel - God with us, God in our nature, God at peace with us, in covenant with us. This was fulfilled in their calling him Jesus - a Saviour (Mat 1:21-25), for, if he had not been Immanuel - God with us, he could not have been Jesus - a Saviour. Now this was a further sign of God's favour to the house of David and the tribe of Judah; for he that intended to work this great salvation among them no doubt would work out for them all those other salvations which were to be the types and figures of this, and as it were preludes to this. "Here is a sign for you, not in the depth nor in the height, but in the prophecy, in the promise, in the covenant made with David, which you are no strangers to. The promised seed shall be Immanuel, God with us; let that word comfort you (Isa 8:10), that God is with us, and (v. 8) that your land is Immanuel's land. Let not the heart of the house of David be moved thus (Isa 7:2), nor let Judah fear the setting up of the son of Tabeal (Isa 7:6), for nothing can cut off the entail on the Son of David that shall be Immanuel." Note, The strongest consolations, in time of trouble, are those which are borrowed from Christ, our relation to him, our interest in him, and our expectations of him and from him. Of this child it is further foretold (Isa 7:15) that though he shall not be born like other children, but of a virgin, yet he shall be really and truly man, and shall be nursed and brought up like other children: Butter and honey shall he eat, as other children do, particularly the children of that land which flowed with milk and honey. Though he be conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, yet he shall not therefore be fed with angels' food, but, as it becomes him, shall be in all things made like unto his brethren, Heb 2:17. Nor shall he, though born thus by extraordinary generation, be a man immediately, but, as other children, shall advance gradually through the several states of infancy, childhood, and youth, to that of manhood, and growing in wisdom and stature, shall at length wax strong in spirit, and come to maturity, so as to know how to refuse the evil and choose the good. See Luk 2:40, Luk 2:52. Note, Children are fed when they are little that they may be taught and instructed when they have grown up; they have their maintenance in order to their education.
2.Here is another sign in particular of the speedy destruction of these potent princes that were now a terror to Judah, Isa 7:16. "Before this child (so it should be read), this child which I have now in my arms" (he means not Immanuel, but Shear-jashub his own son, whom he was ordered to take with him for a sign, Isa 7:3), "before this child shall know how to refuse the evil and choose the good" (and those who saw what his present stature and forwardness were would easily conjecture how long that would be), "before this child be three or four years older, the land that thou abhorrest, these confederate forces of Israelites and Syrians, which thou hast such an enmity to and standest in such dread of, shall be forsaken of both their kings, both Pekah and Rezin," who were in so close an alliance that they seemed as if they were the kings of but one kingdom. This was fully accomplished; for within two or three years after this, Hoshea conspired against Pekah, and slew him (Kg2 15:30), and, before that, the king of Assyria took Damascus, and slew Rezin, Kg2 16:9. Nay, there was a present event, which happened immediately, and when this child carried the prediction of in his name, which was a pledge and earnest of this future event. Shear-jashub signifies The remnant shall return, which doubtless points at the wonderful return of those 200,000 captives whom Pekah and Rezin had carried away, who were brought back, not by might or power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts. Read the story, Ch2 28:8-15. The prophetical naming of this child having thus had its accomplishment, no doubt this, which was further added concerning him, should have its accomplishment likewise, that Syria and Israel should be deprived of both their kings. One mercy from God encourages us to hope for another, if it engages us to prepare for another.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
For the one and the same Spirit of God, who proclaimed by the prophets what and of what sort the advent of the Lord should be, did by these elders give a just interpretation of what had been truly prophesied; and He did Himself, by the apostles, announce that the fullness of the times of the adoption had arrived, that the kingdom of heaven had drawn near, and that He was dwelling within those that believe in Him who was born Emmanuel of the Virgin. To this effect they testify, [saying,] that before Joseph had come together with Mary, while she therefore remained in virginity, "she was found with child of the Holy Ghost;" [Matthew 1:18] and that the angel Gabriel said to her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God;" [Luke 1:35] and that the angel said to Joseph in a dream, "Now this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, Behold, a virgin shall be with child." [Matthew 1:23] But the elders have thus interpreted what Esaias said: "And the Lord, moreover, said to Ahaz, Ask for yourself a sign from the Lord your God out of the depth below, or from the height above. And Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord. And he said, It is not a small thing for you to weary men; and how does the Lord weary them? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son; and you shall call His name Emmanuel. Butter and honey shall He eat: before He knows or chooses out things that are evil, He shall exchange them for what is good; for before the child knows good or evil, He shall not consent to evil, that He may choose that which is good." [Isaiah 7:10-17] Carefully, then, has the Holy Ghost pointed out, by what has been said, His birth from a virgin, and His essence, that He is God (for the name Emmanuel indicates this). And He shows that He is a man, when He says, "Butter and honey shall He eat;" and in that He terms Him a child also, [in saying,] "before He knows good and evil;" for these are all the tokens of a human infant. But that He "will not consent to evil, that He may choose that which is good,"— this is proper to God; that by the fact, that He shall eat butter and honey, we should not understand that He is a mere man only, nor, on the other hand, from the name Emmanuel, should suspect Him to be God without flesh.
(Verse 12.) And Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord. This is not humility, but pride, that he does not want to ask for a sign from the Lord. Although it is written in Deuteronomy: You shall not test the Lord your God (Deut. 6:16), and the Savior used this against the devil as a testimony (Matt. 4): nevertheless, being commanded to ask, he should have fulfilled the command in obedience, especially since both Gideon and Manoah asked for and received a sign (Judges 6 and 13). However, according to the ambiguity of the Hebrew language, in which it is written 'Ulo Enasse Adonai' (), and all similarly translated it, I will not attempt the Lord, that it may be read, I will not exalt the Lord. For the impious king knew that if he sought a sign, he would receive it, and the Lord would be glorified. Therefore, like a worshipper of idols, who had set up altars in every corner of the streets and on the mountains and in shady groves, and considered fanatics to be Levites, he does not want to seek a sign as commanded.
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Summary
Isaiah 7:12 records King Ahaz's pivotal and seemingly pious refusal of a direct, gracious offer from God, extended through the prophet Isaiah. Faced with an existential threat from a Syro-Ephraimite coalition, Ahaz was offered a sign of God's choosing to bolster his faith and demonstrate divine protection. However, Ahaz's response—"I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD"—was not an act of reverence but a thinly veiled excuse for his deep-seated unbelief and his predetermined decision to rely on human alliances rather than divine intervention.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is situated at a critical juncture in the book of Isaiah, specifically within the "Book of Immanuel" (chapters 7-12). The preceding verses establish the dire situation: Judah, under King Ahaz, is besieged by the combined forces of Aram (Syria) and Israel (Ephraim), causing widespread panic, described as the trees of the wood being "moved with the wind" in Isaiah 7:2. In an extraordinary act of divine condescension, God sends Isaiah to Ahaz, assuring him that the invasion will fail and offering a sign—"Ask it either in the depth, or in the height above" in Isaiah 7:11—to solidify the king's trust. Ahaz's refusal in verse 12 directly precedes God's unsolicited declaration of the Immanuel sign in Isaiah 7:14, underscoring the theological weight of the king's unbelief and setting the stage for the subsequent prophecies.
Historical & Cultural Context
The events of Isaiah 7 unfold during the Syro-Ephraimite War (circa 735-732 BC). King Ahaz of Judah was confronted by a formidable alliance between King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah of Israel, who sought to depose him and install a puppet ruler. This period was marked by intense political instability in the Ancient Near East, with the rising power of the Assyrian Empire looming large. Ahaz, rather than trusting in the Lord as his father David had, was already inclined to seek a military alliance with Assyria, a decision that would lead to devastating consequences for Judah. His refusal of God's sign, therefore, was not merely a spiritual misstep but a strategic political choice rooted in a lack of faith, preferring the perceived strength of a human superpower over the covenant faithfulness of Yahweh. The cultural norm of seeking divine signs for assurance was common, making God's offer understandable within the context, and Ahaz's rejection all the more telling.
Key Themes
Isaiah 7:12 powerfully illustrates the stark contrast between unbelief and faith. Ahaz's refusal, cloaked in a veneer of piety, reveals a heart that has already chosen to rely on human strength and political maneuvering rather than God's promises and power. This highlights the theme of false piety, where religious language is misused to justify disobedience and a lack of trust, a dangerous spiritual deception. Despite Ahaz's rejection, the passage also underscores God's unwavering divine sovereignty and patience. Even when His gracious offer is spurned, God's plan for Judah and His ultimate promise of deliverance remain steadfast, culminating in the unsolicited prophecy of Immanuel, a testament to God's faithfulness even in the face of human faithlessness. This episode also sets the stage for the broader theme of the consequences of trusting in human strength over divine provision, a recurring motif throughout the prophetic books and particularly in Isaiah's warnings to Judah, as seen in later chapters like Isaiah 30.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Meaning "possessor." This is the name of the reigning king of Judah, whose actions in this chapter are pivotal. Ironically, while his name suggests one who grasps or possesses, Ahaz fails to grasp the divine invitation to trust, instead clinging to his own human wisdom and political alliances. His personal name here underscores the individual responsibility for his momentous decision.
Meaning "to inquire; by implication, to request; by extension, to demand." God had explicitly invited Ahaz to "ask" for a sign, making Ahaz's refusal a direct rejection of a divine invitation to engage in a relationship of trust and dependence. His unwillingness to "ask" reveals a heart already set against God's way, preferring his own counsel over divine guidance.
Meaning "to test; by implication, to attempt; adventure, assay, prove, try." This word is crucial. While often used negatively in the Old Testament to describe Israel's faithless testing of God's patience (e.g., in the wilderness), here God Himself was inviting Ahaz to "test" Him in a positive sense—to prove His word and power to deliver. Ahaz's refusal to "tempt" God in this context was therefore not an act of reverence, but a profound act of unbelief, a refusal to allow God to demonstrate His faithfulness and power.
Verse Breakdown
"But Ahaz said,"
This opening clause immediately establishes a contrast ("But") between God's gracious and extraordinary offer in the preceding verse and Ahaz's response. It highlights that the king's words are a direct, personal, and decisive reply to the divine invitation, marking a critical turning point in the narrative and in Judah's history.
"I will not ask,"
This is a direct and explicit refusal of God's command/invitation to choose a sign. Ahaz rejects the opportunity for a divine demonstration of power and faithfulness. This reveals his unwillingness to participate in God's plan or to seek divine assurance, indicating a self-reliant and stubborn heart that prefers its own perceived wisdom to divine intervention.
"neither will I tempt the LORD."
This phrase provides Ahaz's justification for his refusal, cloaked in a veneer of piety. He invokes the biblical principle against putting God to the test unnecessarily. However, in this unique context, God Himself was inviting the test as a demonstration of His faithfulness. Ahaz's use of this principle is a profound misapplication, serving as a religious excuse for his underlying unbelief and his predetermined decision to rely on human alliances (Assyria) rather than God.
Literary Devices
Isaiah 7:12 is rich with Irony. Ahaz's statement, seemingly pious and reverent, is in fact deeply impious. He claims not to "tempt the LORD," a principle generally commendable, but he does so in a situation where God explicitly invites him to ask for a sign to prove His faithfulness. This creates a profound Contrast between God's gracious condescension and Ahaz's stubborn unbelief. The king's words are a deceptive facade, revealing a heart that has already chosen a path of self-reliance and political expediency over divine trust. This refusal also serves as a subtle Foreshadowing of Judah's broader trajectory of unbelief and the eventual consequences of rejecting God's covenant faithfulness, setting the stage for the subsequent prophecies of judgment and ultimate restoration, particularly through the unsolicited prophecy of Immanuel.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Isaiah 7:12 stands as a stark warning against the dangers of unbelief, particularly when it masquerades as piety. Ahaz's refusal to "tempt the LORD" was a misapplication of a valid biblical principle (e.g., Deuteronomy 6:16), turning a command intended to prevent faithless challenging of God into an excuse for rejecting a gracious divine invitation. This highlights a crucial theological distinction: there is a difference between presumptuously testing God out of doubt or rebellion, and responding to God's invitation to trust Him by accepting a sign He offers. Ahaz's choice reflects a deeper spiritual malaise—a preference for human strength and political maneuvering over the omnipotent power and covenant faithfulness of Yahweh. His actions foreshadow the tragic consequences that befall those who refuse to humble themselves and trust in the Lord alone, ultimately leading Judah down a path of increasing reliance on foreign powers and away from divine protection, as detailed in 2 Kings 16:7-9 and 2 Chronicles 28:16-21.
Reflection and Application
Isaiah 7:12 challenges us to deeply examine our own hearts when faced with God's invitations to trust Him. Like Ahaz, we can sometimes cloak our fears, doubts, or predetermined plans in spiritual-sounding language, justifying our reliance on worldly solutions rather than genuinely seeking and accepting God's guidance and assurance. Do we truly desire God's intervention, or do we prefer to maintain control and pursue our own strategies, even when God offers a clear path of faith? This verse serves as a potent reminder that genuine faith involves embracing God's offers of assurance, even when they seem counter-intuitive or challenge our comfort zones, rather than clinging to human wisdom or strength. Our refusal to accept God's gracious help, particularly when offered explicitly, can lead us down paths of greater difficulty and away from His intended blessings, just as it did for King Ahaz and the kingdom of Judah. It calls us to discern when God is inviting us to a deeper trust, even through a "test" of His faithfulness, and to respond with open hearts rather than pious excuses that mask a deeper unbelief.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was Ahaz's refusal to "tempt the LORD" considered wrong if the Bible teaches not to tempt God?
Ahaz's refusal was wrong because he misapplied a biblical principle. While it is true that believers should not presumptuously test God out of doubt or rebellion (as seen in Deuteronomy 6:16 or Exodus 17:2), in this specific instance, God Himself was inviting Ahaz to ask for a sign. God's offer was a gracious condescension, meant to bolster Ahaz's faith and demonstrate His protective power amidst a severe threat. Ahaz's refusal, therefore, was not an act of reverence but a thinly veiled excuse for his deep-seated unbelief and his predetermined decision to rely on the powerful Assyrian Empire for help, rather than on God. He used religious language to mask his rebellious heart and his unwillingness to submit to God's will.
What were the immediate and long-term consequences of Ahaz's decision to reject God's offer?
The immediate consequence of Ahaz's rejection was that God, despite the king's unbelief, declared He would give a sign anyway, leading to the famous prophecy of Immanuel in Isaiah 7:14. This demonstrated God's unwavering sovereignty and faithfulness even in the face of human faithlessness. In the long term, Ahaz's decision to trust Assyria over God led to disastrous political and spiritual consequences for Judah. As recorded in 2 Kings 16 and 2 Chronicles 28, Ahaz paid tribute to Assyria, adopted their idolatrous practices, and even sacrificed his own son, bringing great distress upon Judah. His lack of faith plunged the kingdom into deeper apostasy and ultimately led to its subjugation, demonstrating the severe repercussions of rejecting divine guidance and relying on human strength.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Ahaz's profound unbelief in Isaiah 7:12 stands in stark contrast to the perfect faith and obedience of Jesus Christ. Ahaz, a king of Judah, was offered a sign by God to confirm His word and deliver Judah, yet he stubbornly refused, choosing to rely on human alliances. This refusal, though cloaked in false piety, revealed a heart unwilling to trust the covenant God. In profound contrast, Jesus Christ, the true King of Israel and the ultimate Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), perfectly trusted His Father in all things. When tempted by Satan in the wilderness, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:16, refusing to "tempt the LORD" by presumptuously demanding a miraculous sign (Matthew 4:7). His refusal was an act of perfect obedience and faith, unlike Ahaz's, which was an act of unbelief. Furthermore, because Ahaz refused a sign, God unilaterally gave the sign of Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14), a prophecy directly fulfilled in the miraculous virgin birth of Jesus Christ, who is indeed "God with us" (Matthew 1:23). Thus, Christ Himself is the ultimate sign, the very presence of God among humanity, demonstrating the divine faithfulness that Ahaz rejected. He is the one who perfectly trusts God, and through His perfect life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection, He provides the true and ultimate deliverance that Ahaz sought in vain through human means, inviting all to trust in Him for salvation and eternal life (Acts 16:31).