Isaiah

In the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham son of Uzziah, king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel marched upon Jerusalem to attack it; but they were not able to attack it.

Now, when it was reported to the House of David that Aram had allied itself with Ephraim, their hearts and the hearts of their people trembled as trees of the forest sway before a wind.

But GOD said to Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashubaShear-jashub Meaning “[only] a remnant will turn back,” i.e., repent; cf. 6.13; 10.21. to meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the Upper Pool, by the road of the Fuller’s Field.

And say to him: Be firm and be calm. Do not be afraid and do not lose heart on account of those two smoking stubs of firebrands, on account of the raging of Rezin and his Arameans and the son of Remaliah.bthe son of Remaliah To refer to a person only as “the son of—” is slighting; cf. note at 1 Sam. 10.11.

Because the Arameans—with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah—have plotted against you, saying,

‘We will march against Judah and invade and conquer it, and we will set up as king in it the son of Tabeel,’cthe son of Tabeel Cf. note at v. 4.

thus said my Sovereign GOD:It shall not succeed,It shall not come to pass.

For the chief city of Aram is Damascus,And the chief of Damascus is Rezin;

The chief city of Ephraim is Samaria,And the chief of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.dThe thought is continued by 8.8b–10; cf. 2 Chron. 13.8–12. And in another sixty-five years,Ephraim shall be shattered as a people.eAnd in another sixty-five years, / Ephraim shall be shattered as a people Moved down from v. 8 for clarity. If you will not believe, for you cannot be trusted…”ffor you cannot be trusted In contrast to others “surely, you shall not be established.”

GOD spoke furthergGod spoke further I.e., Isaiah continued to speak in God’s name; cf. Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Kimhi. to Ahaz:

“Ask for a sign from the ETERNAL your God, anywhere down to Sheol or up to the sky.”

But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask, and I will not test GOD.”

“Listen, House of David,” [Isaiah] retorted, “is it not enough for you to treat the agentshthe agents I.e., the prophets; cf. Targum, Rashi, Kimhi. as helpless that you also treat my God as helpless?ias helpless By insisting on soliciting the aid of Assyria (see 2 Kings 16.7ff.; cf. below, v. 20). “Treat as helpless” follows the translation of Saadia; cf. Gen. 19.11.

Assuredly, my Sovereign will give you a sign nonetheless! Look, the young woman is with child and about to give birth to a son. Let her name him Immanuel.jImmanuel Meaning “with us is God.”

(By the time he learns to reject the bad and choose the good, people will be feeding on curds and honey.)

For before the lad knows to reject the bad and choose the good, the ground whose two kings you dread shall be abandoned.

GOD will cause to come upon you and your people and your ancestral house such days as have not come since Ephraim turned away from Judah—that selfsame king of Assyria!kAssyria Cf. note at v. 13.

“In that day, GOD will whistle to the flies at the ends of the water channels of Egypt and to the bees in the land of Assyria;

and they shall all come and alight in the rugged wadis, and in the clefts of the rocks, and in all the thornbrakes, and in all the watering places.

“In that day, my Sovereign will cut away with the razor that is hired beyond the Euphrates—with the king of Assyrialking of Assyria Who was hired by Ahaz; cf. notes at vv. 13 and 17.—the hair of the head and the hair of the legs,mthe hair of the legs I.e., the pubic hair. and it shall clip off the beard as well.

And in that day, each household shall save alive a heifer of the herd and two animals of the flock.

(And they shall obtain so much milk that they shall eat curds.) Thus everyone who is left in the land shall feed on curds and honey.

“For in that day, every spot where there could stand a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels of silvernevery spot where … silver I.e., all the best farmland, corresponding to the hairiest parts of the body; v. 20. shall become a wilderness of thornbush and thistle.

One will have to go there with bow and arrows,owith bow and arrows Because of dangerous beasts. for the country shall be all thornbushes and thistles.

But the perils of thornbush and thistle shall not spread to any of the hills that could only be tilled with a hoe;phills that could only be tilled with a hoe Marginal farmland, too rocky for the plow, corresponding to areas of the body with scant hair. and here cattle shall be let loose, and sheep and goatsqsheep and goats See note at Exod. 12.3. shall tramp about.”