Isaiah 7 Study Notes

7:1-2 The political situation was tense in Jerusalem. In the early 730s BC the aggressive Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III was busy on his northern frontier. During this time, Rezin, the king of Aram with its capital in Damascus, and Pekah, the king of Israel (also known as Ephraim), joined forces to withstand the almost certain Assyrian attack that would follow Tiglath-pileser’s victory in the north. Rezin and Pekah wanted Judah to support them, but Ahaz wanted nothing to do with the alliance. By this time he might already have paid (or at least was contemplating paying) the Assyrians to rescue him from these kings (2Kg 16:6-9). He probably feared Tiglath-pileser, but he apparently realized the Syro-Ephraimite coalition was a more immediate threat. Isaiah confronted the king with a question: What was the source of his trust: the Lord or the Assyrians?

7:3 The name of Isaiah’s son, Shear-jashub, means “a remnant will return,” a theme that has already played a significant role in the first six chapters of the book (1:9,26; 4:2-6; 6:13).

7:4 The Lord’s message to Ahaz is that he has nothing to fear. These two leaders of nations are nothing but the smoking ends of sticks taken from the fire (cp. Ps 2:1-6).

7:5-6 Though no other certain references to Tabeel exist in the Bible or are known outside of it, the political intentions of Rezin and Pekah were clear. They wanted to remove Ahaz from the throne because of his unwillingness to join their coalition, and they intended to install a puppet king who would be more easily manipulated.

7:7-8 The reference to sixty-five years is puzzling. If this pronouncement is dated to 735 BC or thereabouts, then it would point to approximately 670 BC, but the northern kingdom was soundly defeated by Assyria in 722 BC. Of course, that is “within sixty-five years,” but perhaps the reference is to some unknown event among the survivors of the northern kingdom around 670 BC. It is also possible that the deportation of Israelites and the importation of foreigners into their former region happened around that time.

7:9 The challenge that the pronouncement presented to Ahaz was that he should trust God and not Assyria as he faced the threat from Rezin and Pekah.

7:10-11 The purpose of a sign was to give Ahaz even more reason to have confidence in God rather than Assyria to rescue him from Rezin and Pekah. Sheol refers to the underworld.

7:12 From Isaiah’s reaction, the reader can discern that Ahaz’s reply, which on the surface seems pious, was actually impious. The king seemed to cite scriptural precedent (Dt 6:16), but the law prohibited the type of rebellious testing that took place at Massah (Ex 17:1-7), not a test offered by a true prophet of the Lord. It may be that Ahaz had already decided to call on Assyria for help.

7:13 The use of my God in this verse instead of “your God,” as in v. 11, shows that Ahaz’s lack of faith was a turning point in his life. Isaiah’s reference to him as house of David shows also that it would impact the Davidic dynasty, spelling its decline.

7:14 The context indicates that the preliminary fulfillment of this sign must have taken place within a few years of its utterance—the time between a child’s conception and his knowing right from wrong (vv. 15-16), traditionally at age twelve. The Hebrew word translated virgin means “young woman of marriageable age” and often has the implication of virginity. Thus many scholars feel that the referent is a woman whom Isaiah would marry and, if so, then the birth is mentioned in 8:1-4. This may be the immediate fulfillment of this sign. But its ultimate and more exalted fulfillment is noted in Mt 1:23 as it cites the more specific Greek word found in the Septuagint, parthenos, which means “virgin.” Immanuel means “God With Us.”

7:15 The first phrase could also be translated, “In order to learn,” meaning that hardship will motivate the child to turn to God. The significance of eating curds and honey is that the devastation of the land’s agriculture (vv. 23-24) will be such that other foods will not be available.

7:16 The Aramean kingdom of Rezin was destroyed in 732 BC. Tiglath-pileser reduced the size of the northern kingdom of Pekah in 733 BC, and the king was assassinated and replaced by Hoshea. Even so, the northern kingdom was totally defeated in 722 BC, about thirteen years after the Immanuel prophecy.

7:17 It was not just Syria and the northern kingdom that would experience Assyrian devastation. Judah would also experience God’s punishment. As later events showed, paying Tiglath-pileser to take care of Ahaz’s northern problem was not the smartest strategy. From that point on Ahaz paid a heavy tribute as Assyria’s vassal (2Kg 16:10-18).

7:18-19 The flies (Egypt) and the bees (Assyria) will infest (occupy) the land.

7:20 The razor is Tiglath-pileser, who will ravage the land of Judah.