Isaiah 7:1-9

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Isaiah 7:1-9

The prophet Isaiah had his commission renewed in the year that king Uzziah died, Isa. 6:1. Jotham his son reigned, and reigned well, sixteen years. All that time, no doubt, Isaiah prophesied as he was commanded, and yet we have not in this book any of his prophecies dated in the reign of Jotham; but this, which is put first, was in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham. Many excellent useful sermons he preached which were not published and left upon record; for, if all that was memorable had been... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 7:1

And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah king of Judah ,.... Here begins a new prophecy under the reign of another king; who, though a wicked king, had religious ancestors; and who are mentioned, not, as the Jewish writers F21 Jarchi & Kimchi in loc. & Yalkut Simeoni, ex Bereshit Rabba, sect. 63. fol. 54. 4. generally say, because it was owing to their worthiness that the enemies of Ahaz could not prevail against him; but because it was under... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 7:2

And it was told the house of David ,.... Ahaz, and his family, the princes of the blood, his court and counsellors; who had intelligence of the designs and preparations of the Syrians and Israelites against them: saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim ; the ten tribes; or the kingdom and king of Israel. Some render it, "Syria led"; that is, its army "unto Ephraim" F25 נחה "duxit exercitum", Tigurine version. ; marched it into the land of Israel, and there joined the king of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 7:3

Then said the Lord unto Isaiah ,.... The prophet, the inspired penman of these prophecies, that go by his name; what follows, the Lord said unto him in vision, or by an articulate voice, or by an impulse on his mind: go forth now to meet Ahaz ; the prophet was in the city of Jerusalem, and Ahaz was without, as appears by the place after mentioned, where he was to meet him; perhaps Ahaz was at his country house, which, upon the news brought him of the designs of his enemies, he leaves,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 7:4

And say unto him, take heed, and be quiet ,.... Or "keep" thyself, not within the city, and from fighting with his enemies, but from unbelief, fear, and dread; or, as the Septuagint version, "keep" thyself, "that thou mayest be quiet" F1 השמר והשקט φυλαξαι , Sept.; "observa ut sis quieto animo", Vatablus. ; be easy, still, and silent, and see the salvation of God: the Jewish writers interpret the first word of resting and settling, as wine upon the lees: see Jeremiah 48:11 , ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 7:5

Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah ,.... Not that there were three parties in the counsel and confederacy against Judah, only two, the kingdoms of Syria and Ephraim, or Israel; the king of the former is not mentioned at all, and the latter only as if he was the son of a private person, which is purposely done by way of contempt: have taken evil counsel against thee : which is expressed in the next verse; saying ; as follows. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 7:6

Let us go up against Judah, and vex it ,.... By besieging or distressing it; or "stir it up" to war, as Jarchi interprets it: and let us make a breach therein for us ; in the walls of the city of Jerusalem, and enter in at it; the Targum is, "let us join, and put it to us;' and so Jarchi, let us level it with us, as this valley, which is even: the sense may be, let us make a breach and division among them, and then part the kingdom between us F3 So Noldius, Elr. Concord. Part. p.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 7:7

Thus saith the Lord GOD, it shall not stand ,.... That is, the counsel they had taken against Judah to vex it, make a breach in it, and set a king of their own liking over it; so the Septuagint and Arabic versions render the words, "that counsel shall not stand"; the counsel of God shall stand, but not the counsel of men, when it is against him, Proverbs 19:21 , neither shall it come to pass ; or "shall not be"; so far from standing, succeeding, and going forward, till it is brought to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 7:8

For the head of Syria is Damascus ,.... Damascus was the metropolis of Syria, the chief city in it, where the king had his palace, and kept his court; of which See Gill on Genesis 15:2 , Acts 9:2 , and the head of Damascus is Rezin ; he was king of it, as of all Syria; the meaning is, that Syria, of which Damascus was the principal city, was the only country that Rezin should govern, his dominion should not be enlarged; and Ahaz, king of Judah, might assure himself that Rezin... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Isaiah 7:9

And the head of Ephraim is Samaria ,..... Samaria was the metropolis or chief city of Ephraim, or the ten tribes of Israel: and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son ; Pekah, son of Remaliah, was king of Samaria, as of all Israel. The sense is, that, until the sixty five years were ended, there should be no enlargement of the kingdom of Israel; Judah should not be added to it; Samaria should continue, and not Jerusalem be the metropolis of it; and Pekah, during his life, should be... read more

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