Isaiah
Chapter 7
THE BOOK OF EMMANUEL
First Warning to Ahaz
When Ahaz, son of Jotham and grandson of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, laid siege to Jerusalem but could not capture it.
When the news reached the house of David: “Aram’s troops are encamped in Ephraim.” The king’s heart and the people’s hearts trembled like the forest’s trees do before the wind.
The Lord then said to Isaiah: “Go with your son, A-remnant-will-return, and meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field.”
Say to him:“Stay calm and fear not; do not lose courage before these two stumps of smoldering firebrands—the fierce anger of Rezin the Aramean and the blazing fury of the son of Remaliah. You know that
Aram, Ephraim, and Remaliah’s son have plotted against Judah, saying:
Let us invade and scare it, seize it, and put the son of Tabeel king over it.”
But the Lord God says: It shall not be so; it shall not come to pass.
8aFor Damascus is only the head of Aram and Rezin the lord of Damascus.
9aSamaria is only the head of Ephraim and Remaliah’s son is only the lord of Samaria.
Second Warning: The Sign of Immanuel
Again the Lord addressed Ahaz:
“Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether it comes from the deepest depths or from the heights of heaven.”
But Ahaz answered: “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord.”
Then Isaiah said: “Now listen, descendants of David. Have you not been satisfied in testing the patience of people, and now you also test the patience of my God?
Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The young woman is with child and bears a son and calls him Immanuel.
He will live on curds and honey by the time he learns to refuse evil and choose good.
For before the child knows how to reject evil and cherish virtue, the land of the two kings that you abhor will be deserted.
The Lord will bring a time much worse than any since Ephraim Broke away from Judah.
Assyrian Invasion
On that day the Lord will whistle for flies from the farthest streams of Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.
They will come and settle in the steep ravines, in the clefts of the rocks, on all the bushes, and on every pasture.
On that day, with a razor hired from beyond the river (with the king of Assyria), the Lord will shave the head and the hair of the legs and the beard as well.
On that day a man will raise a heifer and a couple of sheep,
and from the abundance of milk those who survive in the land will feed on curds and honey.
On that day, every place planted with a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels will be covered with briers and thorns.
Men will go there armed with bows and arrows, for the whole country will be covered with briers and thorns.
No one will dare come to all the hills which used to be cultivated with the hoe, for fear of briers and thorns. There, cattle will be let loose and sheep left to graze.
Commentaries
First Warning to Ahaz.
The information in verse 1 pertains to the Syro-Ephraimite war. Assyria is gaining more territory; Damascus and Samaria want to force the king of Judah to join them in attacking Assyria together. Ignoring Isaiah’s advice, Judah decides to seek help from the Assyrians.
The Assyrians support the small southern kingdom but impose harsh vassalage on it. Additionally, they begin invasions of Samaria, ultimately destroying it in 722 B.C. Isaiah, like most prophets, preaches not only with words but also through symbolic gestures and signs.
Second Warning: The Sign of Immanuel – Assyrian Invasion.
Ahaz is a very young king (cf. 2 Kgs 16:2). The political situation overwhelms him. The kings of Samaria and Syria declare war on him to depose him and replace him with another king, thus cutting off the Davidic dynasty. The prophecy that the king does not want to hear assures him that the Davidic line will remain on the throne. As for the child’s mother, she is a “virgin” (according to the Greek text) or a maiden ready for marriage, as in the case of Rebecca in Genesis 24:14-16. The evangelists Matthew and Luke draw on this tradition to interpret the birth of Jesus as the Davidic Messiah (cf. Mt 1:16, 18; Lk 1:26-34). This mysterious and anonymous woman is also mentioned by the prophet Micah in the same messianic context (Mi 5:2).
Verses 18-25 contain a series of four prophecies, each introduced by the phrase “in that day” or “in those days” (18, 20, 21, 23). Note that here, the ones involved in war are no longer the Syro-Ephraimites, but Egypt and the Southern Kingdom. The mention of milk and honey brings to mind the days of the desert once again. The desert is highly symbolic. Was it not in the desert that the Lord created a nation? Will it not be necessary to return to the desert for the people to reconnect with their source and renew their covenant with God? (cf. Hos 2:14ff).