Isaiah 7:23

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.

And it shall come to pass in that day {H3117}, that every place {H4725} shall be, where there were a thousand {H505} vines {H1612} at a thousand {H505} silverlings {H3701}, it shall even be for briers {H8068} and thorns {H7898}.

When that day comes, wherever there once were a thousand grapevines, worth a thousand pieces of silver, there will be only briars and thorns.

And on that day, in every place that had a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels of silver, only briers and thorns will be found.

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

Isaiah 7:23 paints a vivid and somber picture of future desolation for the land of Judah. It prophesies a dramatic reversal of fortune where once highly productive and valuable vineyards, symbolized by "a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings," would become wild, overgrown with "briers and thorns." This striking imagery serves as a powerful symbol of divine judgment and the severe consequences of national disobedience.

Context

This verse is part of a larger prophetic message delivered by the prophet Isaiah to King Ahaz of Judah during a period of intense national crisis, known as the Syro-Ephraimitic War. King Ahaz was facing a formidable threat from a coalition of Syria (Aram) and the northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim). God, through Isaiah, offered Ahaz a sign of deliverance and urged him to trust in divine protection rather than seeking alliances with powerful foreign nations like Assyria. However, Ahaz's refusal to trust God and his subsequent reliance on human strategies (as evidenced in Isaiah 7:12) led to prophecies of severe judgment. The "day" referred to in this verse signifies a future time of God's punitive action against Judah's unfaithfulness, where the very land would bear the scars of their rebellion, becoming desolate.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment and Consequences: The verse powerfully illustrates the severe consequences of rejecting God's counsel and relying on human strength or idolatry. What was once a source of immense wealth and sustenance would become unproductive and dangerous, a direct result of Judah's spiritual decline.
  • Reversal of Prosperity: The phrase "a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings" highlights the immense value and productivity of the land, indicative of great prosperity and blessing. Its transformation into "briers and thorns" symbolizes a complete economic and societal collapse, a loss of the blessings that come from covenant faithfulness. This stark reversal echoes themes found in Deuteronomy's warnings about disobedience.
  • Desolation and Wilderness: The land reverting to a wild, untamed state signifies neglect, abandonment, and a return to a pre-cultivated, unproductive condition. This imagery is frequently used in prophetic literature to denote a cursed state or God's profound displeasure with His people.

Linguistic Insight

The Hebrew phrase for "briers and thorns" is shamir vashayith (שָׁמִיר וָשָׁיִת). This common biblical idiom is used to describe wild, unproductive, and often dangerous vegetation. It frequently appears in prophetic literature to denote areas of desolation and curse, reminiscent of the curse on the ground after the Fall in Genesis 3:18. The "thousand silverlings" (Hebrew: kesef) refers to silver, indicating a significant monetary value, emphasizing the extent of the loss and the former prosperity of the land.

Practical Application

Isaiah 7:23 serves as a timeless warning that spiritual prosperity and material well-being are often linked to obedience and trust in God. When a people or an individual turns away from divine wisdom and chooses self-reliance or ungodly alliances, even the most fruitful and valuable aspects of their lives can become barren and troublesome. It encourages profound reflection on what we truly value and whether our trust is rightly placed. This prophetic word reminds us that true security and lasting prosperity come from God's favor and faithfulness, not merely from earthly possessions or human strategies. It calls believers to remain steadfast in their faith and to discern God's hand even amidst societal and personal challenges.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Isaiah 5:6

    And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

  • Matthew 21:33

    Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:

  • Song Of Solomon 8:11

    Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand [pieces] of silver.

  • Song Of Solomon 8:12

    My vineyard, which [is] mine, [is] before me: thou, O Solomon, [must have] a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.

  • Jeremiah 4:26

    I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place [was] a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, [and] by his fierce anger.

  • Hebrews 6:8

    But that which beareth thorns and briers [is] rejected, and [is] nigh unto cursing; whose end [is] to be burned.

  • Isaiah 32:12

    They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

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