John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Isaiah 7:1-25
1-16. Isaiah assures Ahaz by a sign that Judah will be delivered from Syria and Israel.1. See prefatory note to the section.2. Ephraim] the popular name for the northern kingdom (Isaiah 9:8-9). His heart was moved] i.e. the heart of king Ahaz, because of the formidable confederacy against him. Serious reverses suffered by Judah at this time are recorded in 2 Chronicles 28:5-15.3. Shear-jashub] i.e. ’a remnant shall return.’ Already in the reign of Ahaz the prophet had summed up the... read more
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Isaiah 7:11
God commanded the king to ask Yahweh his God for a sign that He would indeed do what He had promised. Signs were immediate, physical confirmations that what a prophet had predicted further in the future would indeed happen. They either confirmed that God had caused something to happen (cf. Exodus 3:12), or they confirmed that He would cause something to happen, as here (cf. Isaiah 37:30; Jeremiah 44:29-30). [Note: Ibid.] Ahaz had the freedom to request any type of sign, and God promised to use... read more