First Upload: Wednesday March 13, 2019
Last Modified: Wednesday July 8, 2020
Author: Eduardo Freire Canosa
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1 When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.
2 Now the house of David was told, "Aram has allied itself with Ephraim"; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.
3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, "Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman's Field.
4 Say to him, 'Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.
5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah's son have plotted your ruin, saying,
6 "Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it."
7 Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "It will not take place, it will not happen,
8 for the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is only Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.
9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah's son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all."'"
10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz,
11 "Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights."
12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test."
13 Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also?
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
15 He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right.
16 But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.
17 The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria."
18 In that day the Lord will whistle for flies from the distant streams of Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.
19 They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices in the rocks, on all the thornbushes and at all the water holes.
20 In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the River—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to take off your beards also.
21 In that day, a man will keep alive a young cow and two goats.
22 And because of the abundance of the milk they give, he will have curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds and honey.
23 In that day, in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels, there will be only briers and thorns.
24 Men will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns.
25 As for all the hills once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns; they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.
The story of Ahaz's wavering amid rumours that King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel were planning to occupy the land of Judah occupies verses 1-16 and continues on Chapter 8.
The remaining nine verses break away from that story and bear on the future conflict that Ephraim and Judah will have separately with Assyria.
This is the first chapter where a modest modification of three verses is called for. The canonical text errs saying that the Lord spoke twice to Ahaz (v 10) and verses 8-9 need a reshuffle to improve the lecture (as will happen later with Isaiah 33:1).
Revised Chapter 7 preserves sixteen canonical verses, imports twenty-two and a half more from seven chapters and bears the title, "The Lord's Testing of King Ahaz."
17. The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria."
Analysis: This verse tabs Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel (Ephraim) because Assyria occupied the land of Ephraim for the first time then (2 Kings 15:27-29).
Destination: Revised Chapter 33, "Ephraim Allies Itself With Aram,"
Modified 33:1 Woe to you, O traitor, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop betraying, you will be betrayed. 17 The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria. 20 In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the River—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to take off your beards also.
18-19. In that day the Lord will whistle for flies from the distant streams of Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria. 19 They will all come and settle in the steep ravines and in the crevices in the rocks, on all the thornbushes and at all the water holes.
Analysis: The two verses evince the Lord's displeasure with Judah and forecast its loss of sovereignty to both Egypt and Assyria.
Destination: The prophetic section of Revised Chapter 1, "The Invasion of Judah During the Reign of Ahaz."
20. In that day the Lord will use a razor hired from beyond the River—the king of Assyria—to shave your head and the hair of your legs, and to take off your beards also.
Analysis: The razor was "hired" by Ahaz (2 Kings 16:7-9). Therefore verse 20 addresses Ephraim, not Judah. Tiglath-Pileser occupied a fraction of the land of Ephraim and deported the people to Assyria (2 Kings 15:29).
Destination: Revised Chapter 33, "Ephraim Allies Itself With Aram." See verse 17 for the placement of this verse.
21-22. In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two goats. 22 And because of the abundance of the milk they give, he will have curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds and honey.
Reason: The phrase, "All who remain in the land," implies the exile of the rest of the people from the land. The complete exile of the northern kingdom during the monarchy of Hezekiah had no return (2 Kings 17:1-20). This implied exile applies to the southern kingdom and the return was scheduled for a distant future after the Lord had consigned Jacob to destruction and Israel to scorn (Isaiah 43:28) but had preserved His servants who would inherit the land (Isaiah 65:9-10).
Destination: Revised Chapter 6, "The Vision of The Lord,"
65:13 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; my servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; my servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame. 65:14 My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts, but you will cry out from anguish of heart and wail in brokenness of spirit. 65:15 You will leave your name to my chosen ones as a curse; the Sovereign Lord will put you to death, but to his servants he will give another name.21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two goats. 22 And because of the abundance of the milk they give, he will have curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds and honey. 59:21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord. My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever, says the Lord.
23-25. In that day, in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels, there will be only briers and thorns. 24 Men will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns. 25 As for all the hills once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns; they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run.
Reason: Verses 23-25 forecast a great loss of wealth in the countryside. This concurs with Isaiah 5:8, "Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land." There is a hint of exile from the land which is confirmed in the same chapter, "Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding; their men of rank will die of hunger and their masses will be parched with thirst" (Isaiah 5:13).
Destination: Revised Chapter 5, "The Vineyard of The Lord,"
5:9 The Lord Almighty has declared in my hearing: "Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants. 5:17 Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture; lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich.23 "In that day, in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels, there will be only briers and thorns. 24 Men will go there with bow and arrow, for the land will be covered with briers and thorns. 25 As for all the hills once cultivated by the hoe, you will no longer go there for fear of the briers and thorns; they will become places where cattle are turned loose and where sheep run."
7-9. Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "It will not take place, it will not happen, 8 for the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is only Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. 9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah's son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all."
Dislocated Sentence: The misplaced sentence, "Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people," perturbs the narration. It is set right below,
7 Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "It will not take place, it will not happen, 8 for the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is only Rezin. The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah's son. 9 Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all."
10. Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz,
Correction: Not the Lord but Isaiah had spoken previously to Ahaz (verses 3-9).
Verse 10 should read,
10 Again Isaiah spoke to Ahaz.
3:10-11. Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds. 11 Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done.
8:1-4. The Lord said to me, "Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. 2 And I will call in Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses for me." 3 Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said to me, "Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. 4 Before the boy knows how to say 'My father' or 'My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria."
8:11-15. The Lord spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said: 12 "Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. 13 The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, 14 and he will be a sanctuary; but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. 15 Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured."
8:16. Bind up the testimony and seal up the law among my disciples.
8:18. Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion.
8:19-20. When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.
17:7-8. In that day men will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. 8 They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made.
27:5. Or else let them come to me for refuge; let them make peace with me, yes, let them make peace with me.
27:9. By this, then, will Jacob's guilt be atoned for, and this will be the full fruitage of the removal of his sin: When he makes all the altar stones to be like chalk stones crushed to pieces, no Asherah poles or incense altars will be left standing.
31:6. Return to him you have so greatly revolted against, O Israelites.
Second Half of 48:16. And now the Sovereign Lord has sent me, with his Spirit.
51:12-13. "I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal men, the sons of men, who are but grass, 13 that you forget the Lord your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, that you live in constant terror every day because of the wrath of the oppressor, who is bent on destruction? For where is the wrath of the oppressor?
1 When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it. 2 Now the house of David was told, "Aram has allied itself with Ephraim"; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.
8:11 The Lord spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said: 8:12 "Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. 8:13 The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, 8:14 and he will be a sanctuary; but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. 8:15 Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured.
3:10 "Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds. 3:11 Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done. 27:5 Or else let them come to me for refuge; let them make peace with me, yes, let them make peace with me."
3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, "Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman's Field. 4 Say to him, 'Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. 5 Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah's son have plotted your ruin, saying, 6 "Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it." 7 Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "It will not take place, it will not happen, Modified 8 for the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is only Rezin. The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah's son. Modified 9 Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all."'"
8:1 The Lord said to me, "Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary pen: Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. 8:2 And I will call in Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah as reliable witnesses for me." 8:3 Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said to me, "Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. 8:4 Before the boy knows how to say 'My father' or 'My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria. 8:16 Bind up the testimony and seal up the law among my disciples.
Corrected 10 Again Isaiah spoke to Ahaz, 8:18 "Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion. Second Half of 48:16 And now the Sovereign Lord has sent me, with his Spirit: 51:12 'I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal men, the sons of men, who are but grass, 51:13 that you forget the Lord your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, that you live in constant terror every day because of the wrath of the oppressor who is bent on destruction? For where is the wrath of the oppressor? 8:19 When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? 8:20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. 11 Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.'"
12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test."
13 Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. 15 He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right. 16 But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.
17:7 "In that day men will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. 17:8 They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made. 27:9 By this, then, will Jacob's guilt be atoned for, and this will be the full fruitage of the removal of his sin: When he makes all the altar stones to be like chalk stones crushed to pieces, no Asherah poles or incense altars will be left standing.
31:6 "Return to him you have so greatly revolted against, O Israelites."
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