Isaiah 7 - Expanded Bible (EXB)

Trouble with Aram

7 ·When [L In the days of] Ahaz, son of Jotham and grandson of Uzziah, was king of Judah [C 735–715 bc], Rezin king of Aram [C 740–733 bc; Aram is the Hebrew name for Syria] and Pekah son of Remaliah, the king of Israel [C 752–732 bc], went up to Jerusalem to fight against it [C in about 735–734 bc]. But they were not able to ·defeat [or mount an attack against] the city [2 Kin. 16:5–18; 2 Chr. 28:16–21].

2 ·Ahaz king of Judah received a message [L It was reported to the house of David; C the reigning dynasty] saying, “The armies of ·Aram [Syria] and ·Israel [L Ephraim; C influential northern tribe of Israel, used here to refer to the whole northern kingdom] have joined together [C in an alliance against the Assyrian empire].”

When Ahaz heard this, ·he [L his heart] and the ·people [L heart of his people] were ·frightened [L shaken]. They shook with fear like trees of the forest blown by the wind.

3 Then the Lord told Isaiah, “You and your son Shear-Jashub [C the name means “a remnant will return”] should go and meet Ahaz at the ·place where the water flows into [end of the aqueduct/conduit of] the upper pool, on the road ·to the field where people do their laundry [or that goes to Launderer’s Field/T the fuller’s field]. 4 Tell Ahaz, ‘Be careful. Be ·calm [quiet] and don’t ·worry [fear]. Don’t be afraid of the ·fierce [burning] anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah [C Pekah; v. 1], because they are like two ·barely burning sticks that are ready to go out [L smoldering stubs of firewood; C their power would soon be extinguished; Damascus and Israel suffered defeat by the Assyrians in 732 bc; Israel went into exile in 722 bc]. 5 [L Because] Aram has ·plotted [planned evil] with ·Israel [L Ephraim; v. 2] and the son of Remaliah against you, saying, 6 “Let’s ·fight against [invade; attack] Judah and ·tear it apart [or terrorize it]. We will ·divide the land [or conquer it; or breach its walls; L break it open] for ourselves and make the son of Tabeel the new king of Judah [C replacing the legitimate king from David’s dynasty with a usurper].” 7 But I, the Lord God, say,

“‘·Their plan will not succeed [L It will not stand];
it will not happen,
8 because ·Aram is led by the city of Damascus [L the head of Aram/Syria is Damascus; C its capital],
and ·Damascus is led by its weak king, [L the head of Damascus is] Rezin.
Within sixty-five years ·Israel [L Ephraim; v. 2] will no longer be a nation [C probably 670 bc, when Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, brought foreign settlers into Israel; their intermarriage with the remaining Israelites produced the Samaritans].
9 ·Israel is led by the city of Samaria [L The head of Ephraim is Samaria; C its capital],
and ·Samaria is led by its weak king, [L the head of Samaria is] the son of Remaliah [C these human kings were no match for God].
If ·your faith is not strong [you do not stand firm in faith],
you will not ·have strength enough to last [endure/stand firm at all; C the words translated “your faith is strong” and “have strength enough to last” are related in Hebrew].’”

Immanuel—God Is with Us

10 Then the Lord spoke to Ahaz again, saying, 11 “Ask for a sign from the Lord your God [C to confirm the truth of this prophecy; Deut. 18:21–22]. It may be a sign from as deep as ·the place of the dead [or the grave; L Sheol] or ·as high as the heavens [L to the heights above].”

12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ·ask for a sign [L ask] or test the Lord [Deut. 6:16; C probably a statement of false piety].”

13 Then Isaiah said, “·Ahaz, descendant of David, listen carefully [L Hear now, house of David]! Isn’t it bad enough that you ·wear out the patience of [L weary] people? Do you also have to ·wear out the patience of [L weary] my God? 14 The Lord himself will give you a sign: The ·virgin [or young woman] will ·be pregnant [conceive] and will have a son, and she will name him Immanuel [“God is with us”]. 15 He will be eating milk curds and honey [C probably because the crops have been destroyed in the invasion] ·when he learns [by the time he learns; or so that he will learn] to reject what is evil and to choose what is good [C probably ages twelve or thirteen, when he would be accountable to the law; the destruction of Israel would occur in twelve or thirteen years: 722 bc]. 16 ·But [or For] before the child ·learns [knows] to choose good and reject evil, the lands of the two kings you fear [C Israel and Aram/Syria] will be ·empty [desolate; laid waste]. 17 The Lord will bring ·troubled times to [L upon] you, your people, and to ·the people of your father’s family [L your father’s house; C David’s dynasty]. ·They will be worse than […days unlike] anything that has happened since Israel separated from Judah [C the civil war dividing Israel into north (Israel) and south (Judah) after David’s son Solomon died, two centuries earlier]. ·The Lord will bring the king of Assyria to fight against you [L …—the king of Assyria].

18 “·At that time [L In that day] the Lord will whistle for ·the Egyptians, and they will come like flies from Egypt’s faraway streams [L the fly that is at the farthest streams of Egypt]. ·He will call for the Assyrians, and they will come like bees [L … and for bees from the land of Assyria; C Israel and Judah were caught in a tug-of-war between these two great powers]. 19 ·These enemies will camp [L They will rest/settle] in the deep ravines and in the ·cliffs [L crevices/clefts of the rocks], by the thornbushes and ·watering holes [or pastures]. 20 [In that day] The Lord will ·hire Assyria and use it like a razor to punish Judah [L shave with a razor hired beyond the River (Euphrates)—the king of Assyria]. ·It will be as if the Lord is shaving the hair from Judah’s head and body and beard [L …—the head, the hair of the feet and cutting away the beard; C “hair of the feet” is likely a euphemism for pubic hair; such shaving was an act of humiliation].

21 “·At that time [L In that day] a person will be ·able to keep alive only [fortunate to have left] ·one young cow [a heifer] and two sheep. 22 ·There will be only enough milk for that person to eat milk curds [or Because of the abundance of milk, he will have curds to eat]. All who remain in the land will ·go back to eating just [or have enough to eat from] milk curds and honey. 23 [In that day] In every ·vineyard [L place] where there were a thousand grapevines worth ·twenty-five pounds [L a thousand pieces] of silver, there will be only ·weeds [briers] and thorns. 24 People will ·come there only to hunt [L come] with bow and arrow, since the land will be covered with nothing but ·weeds [briers] and thorns [C with no crops, the land will be useful only for hunting]. 25 People once ·worked and grew food on [L hoed with a hoe] these hills, but at that time people will not go there, ·because the land will be filled with [L for fear of] ·weeds [briers] and thorns. ·Only sheep and cattle will go to those places [L It will become a pasture for cattle/oxen and a trampling place for sheep].”

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7 And it cometh to pass in the days of Ahaz, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, gone up hath Rezin king of Aram, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, to Jerusalem, to battle against it, and he is not able to fight against it. 2 And it is declared to the house of David, saying, `Aram...
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