And rest ; or, settle . In the desolate valleys . Gesenius and Vance Smith translate "the precipitous valleys;" Mr. Cheyne, "the steeply walled valleys." But the cognate word used in Isaiah 5:6 can only mean "waste," which supports the rendering of the Authorized Version. The exact word used does not occur elsewhere. Upon all bushes; rather, upon all pastures . read more
In that day the Lord shall hiss - see the note at Isaiah 5:26.For the fly - That is, for the army, or the multitude of people. The comparison of a numerous army with “flies” is not uncommon; see Homer’s “Iliad,” B. ii. 469, etc.- Thick as insects play,The wandering nation of a summer’s day.That, drawn by milky streams at evening hoursIn gathered swarms surround the rural bowers;From pail to pail with busy murmur runThe gilded legions, glittering in the sun.Pope.The comparison is drawn probably... read more
And they shall come - The idea in this verse is, that they would spread over the land, and lay it waste. The poetic image of flies and bees is kept up; meaning, that the armies would be so numerous as to occupy and infest all the land.And shall rest - As bees do. Thus the “locusts” are said to have “rested” in all the land of Egypt; Exodus 10:14.In the desolate valleys - The word translated “valleys” usually means “a valley with a brook,” or a brook itself. The Chaldee translates it, ‘In the... read more
Isaiah 7:18-19. In that day Known to God, and appointed by him for the execution of these judgments; the Lord shall hiss for the fly The flies, rather. Thus he calls these enemies, to signify either their great number, or their speedy march: see on Isaiah 5:26. As the word hiss carries with it a low idea, and does not properly express the meaning of the original word שׁרק , sherek, which properly signifies, sibilando advocare, to call by whistling, it seems desirable that it... read more
7:1-12:6 JUDAH IN THE REIGN OF AHAZChapters 7-12 belong to the reign of Ahaz, when Pekah the king of Israel and Rezin the king of Syria (Aram) joined forces to attack Ahaz, with the aim of forcing Judah into their anti-Assyrian alliance. Before reading these chapters, readers should be familiar with the historical background given in the introduction under the heading ‘Israel and Syria attack Judah’.Isaiah’s message for Ahaz (7:1-25)When the Judean king Ahaz hears of the approach of the... read more
rivers of Egypt. Reference to Pentateuch. Hebrew. ye'or . Twenty-nine times in. Genesis and Exodus (only twice in plural. Exodus 7:19 ; Exodus 8:5 ). read more
thorns = the thorn bushes. bushes = the pastures. read more
"And it shall come to pass in that day, that Jehovah will 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. And they shall come, and rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the clefts of the rocks, and upon all thorn-hedges, and upon all pastures."This is a prophecy of the evil that shall befall Judah at the hands of foreign invaders; and like the prophecy of Immanuel a moment earlier, this is not designed to... read more
Isaiah 7:18. The Lord shall hiss for the fly, &c.— See the note on chap. Isaiah 5:26. It is not very strange, that languages should abound with figures and metaphors, or that prophesies should contain parables and apt similitudes. What man, who knows any thing of language or letters, would expect otherwise? However, considering that the word hiss is apt to carry with it a low idea, one might with that our translators had chosen a less offensive word, which might but tolerably have expressed... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 7:18-25
National judgment for national sins. In this latter part of the chapter we have one of those highly elaborate, intense, and suggestive pictures which are peculiar to the books of the prophets. The mighty Assyrian army sweeps over the land; the people flee before them; they fill every corner; they eat up all the food; they carry away all the flocks and herds; a man can barely save one cow and two sheep; they consume the fruits; they trample down the shrubs; they bear off the people captive;... read more