Isaiah-Chap-7

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Tanakh versions:

Throughout this site I may use any of the following three versions of the Tanakh: 1. “Jewish Publication Society” (JPS-1917), 2. Mechon-Mamre.org” (MEC), and 3. “Sefaria.org” (SEF).

Colour coded details of our beloved TaNaKh:

1. Torah = History & Law, 2. Nevi’im = The Prophets. 3. *Ketuvim = all other Writings.

*The Ketuvim - Includes, Poetical books - Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the Megillot, or Scrolls - Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and Esther, prophecy of Daniel, and history of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles I & II.

Please Note: Some alterations or (additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, having been corrected like it once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.

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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!

“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).

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“Isaiah Chapter 7”

With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

Introduction:

Isaiah Chapter 7 is set during the Syro-Ephraimite War (c. 73-732 BCE). King Ahaz of Judah finds himself under siege by an alliance between King Rezin of Aram (Syria) and King Pekah of Israel (Ephraim). Their goal was to depose Ahaz and install a puppet ruler who would join their coalition against the rising Assyrian Empire. This chapter captures the pivotal moment where the prophet Isaiah is sent to reassure a trembling king, offering a choice between faith in אֱלֹהִים- Elohim’s (God’s) covenant and reliance on foreign political alliances.

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Let us first read Yeshayahu - Isaiah Chapter 7: (JPS-1917 version of the Tanakh).

1. And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Aram, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it; but could not prevail against it.

2. And it was told the house of David, saying: ‘Aram is confederate with Ephraim’. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest are moved with the wind.

3. Then said יְהוָה - the LORD unto Isaiah: ‘Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear-jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, in the highway of the fullers field’;

4. and say unto him: Keep calm, and be quiet; fear not, neither let thy heart be faint, because of these two tails of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram, and of the son of Remaliah.

5. Because Aram hath counselled evil against thee, Ephraim also, and the son of Remaliah, saying:

6. Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set up a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeel;

7. thus saith יְהוָה - the LORD: It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass

8. For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people;

9. And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. ‘If ye will not have faith, surely ye shall not be established’.

10. And יְהוָה - the LORD spoke again unto Ahaz, saying:

11. ‘Ask thee a sign of יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ - the LORD thy Eloheicha: ask it either in the depth, or in the height above’.

12. But Ahaz said: ‘I will not ask, neither will I try יְהוָה - the ‘LORD’.

13. And he said: ‘Hear ye now, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to weary men, that ye will weary my אֱלֹהִים - Elohim also?

14. Therefore יְהוָה - the LORD Himself shall give you a sign: behold, the young woman shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

15. Curd and honey shall he eat, when he knoweth to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

16. Yea, before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land whose two kings thou hast a horror of shall be forsaken.

17. יְהוָה - the LORD shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father's house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria’.

18. And it shall come to pass in that day, that יְהוָה - the LORD shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

19. And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the rugged valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all brambles.

20. In that day shall יְהוָה - the LORD shave with a razor that is hired in the parts beyond the River, even with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet; and it shall also sweep away the beard.

21. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall rear a young cow, and two sheep;

22. and it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give, he shall eat curd; for curd and honey shall every one eat that is left in the midst of the land.

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

24. With arrows and with bow shall one come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns.

25. And all the hills that were digged with the mattock, thou shalt not come thither for fear of briers and thorns, but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of sheep”.

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Let us now check Isaiah Chapter 7: Verse by Verse Study, with explanations:

Verse 1: “And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Aram, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it; but could not prevail against it”.

Explanation: This sets the historical stage. The “Syro-Ephraimitic” alliance wants to force Judah into a coalition against Assyria. While they reach the gates of Jerusalem, the verse reveals the outcome immediately: they fail because אֱלֹהִים protects the House of David.

Verse 2: “And it was told the house of David, saying: ‘Aram is confederate with Ephraim.’ And his heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest are moved with the wind”.

Explanation: Despite the security of the city, the leadership is shaken. The metaphor of “trees in the wind” illustrates a lack of spiritual roots. Fear has replaced faith in the hearts of the royal court.

Verses 3-4: “Then said יְהוָה - the LORD unto Isaiah: ‘Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear-jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, in the highway of the fuller field’; and say unto him: Keep calm, and be quiet; fear not, neither let thy heart be faint, because of these two tails of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram, and of the son of Remaliah”.

Explanation: Isaiah is told to bring his son, whose name means “A remnant shall return”. אֱלֹהִים dismisses the two invading kings as “smoking firebrands” they are burnt out, possessing plenty of smoke (threats) but no real fire (power).

Verses 5-7: “Because Aram hath counselled evil against thee, Ephraim also, and the son of Remaliah, saying: Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set up a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeel; thus saith אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim: It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass”.

Explanation: The enemies planned a “regime change” to replace the Davidic line with a puppet ruler. However, אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s decree is final: man's counsel cannot overturn אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s covenant.

Verses 8-9: “For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people; and the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not have faith, surely ye shall not be established”.

Explanation: אֱלֹהִים defines the limits of these nations. Within 65 years, the Northern Kingdom would cease to exist. The warning to Ahaz is clear: his political survival depends entirely on his spiritual conviction.

Verses 10-12: “And יְהוָה - the LORD spoke again unto Ahaz, saying: ‘Ask thee a sign of יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ - the LORD thy Eloheihcha: ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.’ But Ahaz said: ‘I will not ask, neither will I try יְהוָה - the LORD’”.

Explanation: אֱלֹהִים offers a miracle to prove His word, but Ahaz refuses under the guise of “not testing אֱלֹהִים”. In reality, Ahaz had already decided to trust in an alliance with Assyria and didn’t want a sign from אֱלֹהִים that would obligate him to change his mind.

Verses 13-14: “And he said: ‘Hear ye now, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to weary men, that ye will weary my אֱלֹהִים also? Therefore יְהוָה - the LORD Himself shall give you a sign: behold, the young woman shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel’”.

Explanation: Because Ahaz refused to ask, אֱלֹהִים gives a sign to the whole “House of David”. The almah (young woman) will have a son. His name is Immanuel, “אֱלֹהִים is with us," serves as a constant rebuke to Ahaz’s fear. It signifies that אֱלֹהִים has not abandoned His people.

Verses 15-17: “Curd and honey shall he eat, when he knoweth to refuse the evil, and choose the good. For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land whose two kings thou hast a horror of shall be forsaken. יְהוָה - the LORD shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father’s house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria”.

Explanation: Before the child is old enough to discern right from wrong, the northern threat will vanish. However, because Ahaz trusted Assyria instead of אֱלֹהִים- Elohim, the King of Assyria would eventually become Judah’s greatest oppressor.

Verses 18-25: (Summary of the closing verses).

Explanation: The chapter concludes with a vision of judgment. אֱלֹהִים will “hiss” for the fly of Egypt and the bee of Assyria. The land once filled with vineyards will become a place of briers and thorns. The “curds and honey” mentioned earlier become the food of poverty, as the agricultural economy collapses under the weight of the Assyrian invasion.

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My Closing Message:

Isaiah chapter 7 teaches us that ‘quietness’ and ‘confidence’ are the hallmarks of a true faith. When we face our own “smoking firebrands”, the temptation is to seek worldly solutions that eventually turn against us. The message of Immanuel is a call to remember that if אֱלֹהִים is truly with us, no earthly alliance is necessary, and no earthly enemy can prevail against His ultimate purpose.

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This site was originally created, for those who desired to return to our blessed and wonderful faith. Thus be wise and work on your faith and pray at least two or three times a day (if possible) and always seek our beloved אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s guidance, for His love is always with us, especially when we seek Him, blessed be He! However this site has become very much a teaching site with hundreds of studies!

Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said the following via several of our prophets...

“Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה- the LORD of hosts”. Mal’a’chi - Malachi 3:7. (JPS).

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“Hebraic Studies” motto is as follows;

“The More Torah, the More Life”

For אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim, Blessed be His Sanctified Name,

He is the one who gave us our Life!”

May the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom = Peace of צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה= the LORD of hosts. be with you, and please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat, as well as the מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim - Feasts, and continue saying your daily תְּפִלָּה - Tefeelah’s (Prayers) and regular בְּרָכָה - Be’ra’chah’s (blessings) before food and drinks, etc!

שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!

Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

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