Ahaz, the Immanuel Sign, and Invasion
Isaiah 7:1-25
Isa.7.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- בימי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- אחז: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יותם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עזיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- עלה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- רצין: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ארם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ופקח: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רמליהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- למלחמה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עליה: PREP,3,f,sg
- ולא: CONJ
- יכל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- להלחם: VERB,hitp,inf
- עליה: PREP,3,f,sg
Parallels
- 2 Kings 16:5-8 (verbal): Direct parallel historical account of the assault on Jerusalem by Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah in the days of Ahaz—same event described from the Deuteronomistic history.
- 2 Chronicles 28:5-8 (verbal): Chronicles' version of the Syro‑Ephraimitic attack on Judah during Ahaz’s reign, mentioning Rezin and Pekah and the military consequences for Judah.
- Isaiah 7:2 (structural): Immediate continuation of the narrative in Isaiah: reports the fear of Ahaz and the people in Jerusalem in response to the attack, setting the scene for the sign given to Ahaz.
- Isaiah 8:1-4 (thematic): Continues the prophet’s response to the same political crisis—the naming of Maher‑shalal‑hash‑baz and the prediction of plunder by Assyria develop the consequences of the Syro‑Ephraimitic threat introduced in 7:1.
Alternative generated candidates
- In the days of Ahaz son of Jotham son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not prevail against it.
- In the days of Ahaz son of Jotham son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but they could not prevail against it.
Isa.7.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויגד: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,cns
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- נחה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ארם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- אפרים: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וינע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לבבו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,poss:3,m,sg
- ולבב: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עמו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- כנוע: PREP+VERB,qal,ptcp,m,sg
- עצי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- יער: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מפני: PREP
- רוח: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Kings 16:5-6 (structural): Reports the same historical episode: Rezin king of Aram and Pekah of Israel (Ephraim) attacking Judah in the days of Ahaz, the background to Isaiah’s report that shook the house of David.
- 2 Chronicles 28:5-8 (structural): Chronicles’ account of Syria (Aram) and Israel striking Judah and taking captives mirrors Isaiah’s news to the house of David about the Aram–Ephraim threat and its demoralizing effect.
- Isaiah 8:4-8 (thematic): Immediate literary parallel in Isaiah: continues the response to the Aram–Ephraim conspiracy and predicts the coming Assyrian advance that will overrun the region—linked subject and consequence of the same crisis.
- Isaiah 10:5-6 (thematic): Develops the theme of Assyria as God’s instrument of judgment sent against Israel and its neighbors—provides the broader theological explanation for the political-military upheaval hinted at in 7:2.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it was told to the house of David, saying, 'Aram has allied with Ephraim'; and his heart and the heart of his people shook like a forest of trees shaken before the wind.
- And it was told to the house of David, 'Aram has allied with Ephraim.' Then his heart and the heart of his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken before the wind.
Isa.7.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- ישעיהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- צא: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- נא: PART
- לקראת: PREP
- אחז: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- ושאר: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישוב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- בנך: NOUN,m,sg,cstr+poss,2,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- קצה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תעלת: NOUN,f,sg,const
- הברכה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- העליונה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- מסלת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שדה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כובס: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Isaiah 6:8 (structural): Both verses record the prophet receiving a commission from Yahweh to go out and act — Isaiah 7:3 sends Isaiah to Ahaz, Isaiah 6:8 contains Isaiah’s call/commission motif.
- Isaiah 8:18 (verbal): Continues the motif of the prophet and his children as divine signs (’I and the children the LORD hath given me’), linking Shear‑jashub mentioned in 7:3 with the sign‑bearing family role in ch. 8.
- Isaiah 7:14 (thematic): Immediate narrative continuation: the meeting called for in 7:3 sets the scene for the sign given to Ahaz (the Immanuel prophecy) in 7:14.
- Matthew 1:23 (quotation): The Gospel explicitly cites Isaiah’s Immanuel prophecy (Isaiah 7:14) — a development of the episode initiated by Isaiah’s sending in 7:3 — showing later interpretation and fulfillment claims.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then the LORD said to Isaiah, 'Go out now to meet Ahaz—you and Shear‑jashub your son—at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the Washer's Field.
- And the LORD said to Isaiah, 'Go out now to meet Ahaz—you and Shear-Jashub your son—at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller’s Field.
Isa.7.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואמרת: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- השמר: VERB,hitpael,imperat,2,m,sg
- והשקט: VERB,hitpael,impv,2,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- תירא: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- ולבבך: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,prsuf,2,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- ירך: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- משני: PREP+NUM,dual,m
- זנבות: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- האודים: ART+ADJ,ptcp,m,pl,def
- העשנים: ART+ADJ,ptcp,m,pl,def
- האלה: DEM,pl
- בחרי: PREP
- אף: ADV
- רצין: PN,m,sg
- וארם: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רמליהו: PN,m,sg
Parallels
- Isaiah 7:1-3 (structural): Immediate context: sets the scene (Syro‑Ephraimite threat and Isaiah's meeting with King Ahaz) and introduces the prophetic instruction that is continued in 7:4.
- Isaiah 7:9 (structural): Closely connected admonition about firmness of faith — the consequence of failing to stand (fear/fainting) echoes the warning against being unnerved by the hostile kings.
- Isaiah 8:11-13 (verbal): Repeats the imperative mood and the theme of 'do not fear'/'be careful, be quiet' while shifting the emphasis to fearing the LORD; verbal and thematic echo of Isaiah's counsel to Ahaz.
- 2 Kings 16:5-9 (thematic): Historical parallel describing the alliance of Rezin and Pekah (son of Remaliah) against Judah and their siege activity — the real political-military background to Isaiah 7:4's reference to 'these two'.
- 2 Chronicles 28:5-8 (thematic): Another historical account of Aramean (Rezin) and Israelite (Pekah) aggression against Judah that corresponds to the threat Isaiah references, supplying corroborating historical detail.
Alternative generated candidates
- And say to him, “Be careful, be calm; do not fear, and let not your heart be faint because of these two smoldering firebrands—Rezin of Aram and the son of Remaliah.”’
- And say to him,
Isa.7.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יען: CONJ
- כי: CONJ
- יעץ: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- עליך: PREP+2ms
- ארם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רעה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אפרים: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רמליהו: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
Parallels
- 2 Kings 16:5-6 (verbal): Narrates the same historical episode: Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah (Ephraim/Israel) form an alliance against Judah and come up to war against Jerusalem—closely parallels the language and actors of Isa 7:5.
- 2 Chronicles 28:5-6 (thematic): Chronicles records Rezin and Pekah attacking Judah in the days of Ahaz, capturing people and spoils; provides a parallel historical account of the Syro‑Ephraimite threat reflected in Isaiah 7:5.
- Isaiah 7:6 (structural): Immediate continuation within the same prophetic discourse that elaborates the coalition (Aram and Ephraim/Pekah) and their intent to invade Judah and install a ruler—directly linked to v.5.
- Isaiah 8:1-4 (allusion): The sign-child Maher‑shalal‑hash‑baz and the prophecy of imminent plunder allude to the same Syro‑Ephraimite crisis and its consequences (including Assyrian involvement) arising from Rezin and Pekah’s actions described in Isa 7:5.
Alternative generated candidates
- For the counsel of Aram and Ephraim is this: they have devised evil against you.
- For Aram has devised evil against you, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah have said:
Isa.7.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- נעלה: VERB,qal,impf,1,pl
- ביהודה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ונקיצנה: VERB,qal,imperfect,1,com,pl
- ונבקענה: VERB,qal,imperfect,1,com,pl
- אלינו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- ונמליך: VERB,hiphil,imperfect,1,com,pl
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- בתוכה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,fs
- את: PRT,acc
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- טבאל: NOUN,prop,m,sg
Parallels
- Isaiah 7:1 (structural): Immediate context: introduces the coalition of Rezin (Aram) and Pekah (Israel) who come up against Judah—sets the scene for the threat to depose Judah’s king described in 7:6.
- Isaiah 7:8-9 (verbal): Continuation of the oracle against the alliance of Aram and Israel (Samaria/Ephraim); repeats the theme of the northern powers’ attempt on Judah and contains the prophetic response/call not to fear their conspiracy.
- 2 Chronicles 28:5-8 (thematic): Historical account of Pekah king of Israel striking Judah and defeating its forces—corroborates the real military threat against Judah and the destabilization implied by plans to install a different ruler.
- 2 Kings 16:7-9 (thematic): Describes Ahaz’s dealings with Tiglath‑pileser of Assyria in the same historical crisis (Pekah and Rezin’s aggression); reflects the wider geopolitical maneuvering and consequences of the northern alliance’s pressure on Judah.
Alternative generated candidates
- 'Let us go up against Judah, disturb it, and set up a king in the midst of it, the son of Tabeel.'
- 'Let us go up against Judah, let us frighten it and make a breach in it, and set up a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeel.'
Isa.7.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- תקום: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- ולא: CONJ
- תהיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Isaiah 7:16 (structural): Same prophetic unit: repeats the promise that the hostile alliance will fail—specifies timing (‘before the child knows...’) showing the plan will not come to pass.
- 2 Kings 16:5-9 (structural): Historical parallel to the Isaiah episode: recounts Rezin and Pekah’s aggression and Ahaz’s appeal to Tiglath‑pileser, showing the political outcome connected to Isaiah’s pronouncement that the coalition’s plan would not stand.
- Proverbs 21:30 (verbal): ‘No counsel shall stand’ echoes the language and idea that human plans cannot stand against the will of the LORD (verbal/thematic parallel).
- Psalm 2:1-3 (thematic): Nations plotting against God and His anointed are described as conspiring in vain—shares the theme that human/political schemes will ultimately fail.
- Isaiah 10:5-7 (thematic): God’s sovereign use and judgment of empires (Assyria) shows that human military plans are under divine control; connects to Isaiah 7:7’s assertion that the hostile scheme will not succeed.
Alternative generated candidates
- Thus says the LORD God: It shall not stand, it shall not come to pass.
- Thus says the Lord GOD: It shall not stand, it shall not come to pass.
Isa.7.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- ראש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ארם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דמשק: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- וראש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דמשק: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- רצין: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובעוד: CONJ+PREP
- ששים: NUM,card
- וחמש: CONJ+NUM,card,pl,abs
- שנה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יחת: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אפרים: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מעם: PREP
Parallels
- Isaiah 9:11 (verbal): Repeats the same formula 'the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin' (and parallels the identification of Ephraim with Samaria), echoing the judgment theme of Isa. 7:8.
- 2 Kings 16:9 (allusion): Reports the Assyrian capture of Damascus and the death of Rezin—historical event that fulfills/illustrates the threat to Aram and Rezin underlying Isaiah's warning.
- 2 Kings 17:6 (thematic): Describes the fall of Samaria and the exile of Israel (Ephraim), which corresponds to Isaiah's declaration that 'Ephraim will be broken from being a people.'
- Amos 1:3-5 (thematic): Oracle against Damascus announcing devastation ('I will break the gate of Damascus'), reflecting the prophetic tradition of judgment against Aram/Damascus invoked in Isa. 7:8.
Alternative generated candidates
- For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; within sixty‑five years Ephraim will be broken, so that it is no longer a people.
- For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken so that it is no longer a people.
Isa.7.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וראש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אפרים: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שמרון: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וראש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שמרון: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רמליהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אם: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- תאמינו: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
- כי: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- תאמנו: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,pl
Parallels
- Isaiah 7:8 (structural): Immediate context/parallel — repeats the identification of Samaria's ruler (Pekah son of Remaliah) and forms the unit with v.9 that links that political fact to the prophet's warning about belief and stability.
- 2 Kings 15:25-30 (allusion): Historical account of Pekah son of Remaliah's rise and military actions; corroborates the identification 'son of Remaliah' and the Israelite threat to Judah implicit in Isaiah 7:9.
- 2 Chronicles 28:5-9 (thematic): Narrative of the Syro–Ephraimite coalition (Rezin and Pekah) attacking Judah and routing its forces; provides the historical background for Isaiah's warning and the consequences of failing to trust God.
- Isaiah 7:16 (thematic): Part of the same prophetic unit describing a sign and its timing; connects the warning in v.9 (unbelief → instability) with the foretold outcome for the kings Ahaz fears and the short-term fulfillment of the sign.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not believe, surely you shall not stand.
- And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established.
Isa.7.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- אחז: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
Parallels
- Isaiah 7:11-14 (structural): Immediate continuation of the oracle begun in 7:10: God invites Ahaz to ask for a sign (v.11) and the famous Immanuel sign is given (v.14), showing the purpose of the divine speech introduced in 7:10.
- 2 Kings 16:7-9 (thematic): Historical parallel recounting Ahaz's response to the Syro‑Ephraimite threat—Ahaz seeks Assyrian help rather than trusting Yahweh—providing the historical context and outcome related to the prophetic address in Isaiah 7.
- 2 Chronicles 28:20-25 (thematic): Another historical account of Ahaz's crisis and his dealings with Assyria that parallels the situation to which God speaks in Isaiah 7:10, highlighting Ahaz's political reliance on Assyria instead of divine counsel.
- Matthew 1:22-23 (quotation): Matthew explicitly cites Isaiah's Immanuel prophecy (Isaiah 7:14) as fulfilled in Jesus; this links back to the oracle introduced by 'The LORD spoke to Ahaz' in 7:10 and shows New Testament use of the Isaiah passage.
Alternative generated candidates
- Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying,
- Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying,
Isa.7.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שאל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- אות: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מעם: PREP
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלהיך: NOUN,m,sg,prsuf-2ms
- העמק: NOUN,m,sg,def
- שאלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- או: CONJ
- הגבה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- למעלה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Isa.7.14 (structural): Same episode/chapter: God offers a sign to Ahaz (7:11), and the sign (the birth of Immanuel) is given in 7:14; the two verses form the offer and fulfillment pair within Isaiah's narrative.
- 2 Kings 20:8-11 (structural): Hezekiah explicitly asks for a sign from the LORD and receives one (the sun's retrogression), paralleling the motif of asking God for a sign introduced in Isa 7:11 (see also Isa 38:7-8).
- Judges 6:36-40 (thematic): Gideon's request for a miraculous sign (the fleece) echoes the practice of asking God for a confirmatory sign as in Isa 7:11; both narratives feature human solicitation of divine confirmation.
- Matthew 12:38-39 (thematic): Jesus is challenged by requests for a sign ('Teacher, we want to see a sign'), paralleling the motif of demanding signs from God and the theological problem of such requests found in Isa 7:11.
- Psalm 139:8 (verbal): Uses the paired spatial extremes of 'heaven' and 'Sheol' to describe God's reach/presence, echoing the Isaiah 7:11 phrase allowing a sign 'as deep as Sheol or high as heaven.'
Alternative generated candidates
- “Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.”
- 'Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.'
Isa.7.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אחז: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- אשאל: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- ולא: CONJ
- אנסה: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 6:16 (verbal): Uses the same prohibition language: 'Do not put the LORD your God to the test,' directly parallels Ahaz's claim 'I will not test the LORD' (shared verb and concept).
- Matthew 4:7 (quotation): Jesus quotes Deut 6:16 ('You shall not put the Lord your God to the test') during the temptation narrative; echoes the same injunction against testing God found in Isaiah 7:12.
- Judges 6:36-40 (structural): Gideon requests a sign (the fleece) from the LORD—an instance of asking for divine confirmation that contrasts with Ahaz's refusal to ask for a sign in Isaiah 7.
- Psalm 78:18 (thematic): Describes the people 'testing' God repeatedly; thematically parallels the issue of testing/trial between humans and God raised by Ahaz's statement about not testing the LORD.
Alternative generated candidates
- But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not test the LORD.”
- But Ahaz said, 'I will not ask, and I will not test the LORD.'
Isa.7.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שמעו: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,pl
- נא: PART
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המעט: NOUN,m,sg,def
- מכם: PREP,2,m,pl
- הלאות: VERB,qal,inf
- אנשים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- כי: CONJ
- תלאו: VERB,qal,imprf,2,m,pl
- גם: ADV
- את: PRT,acc
- אלהי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
Parallels
- 2 Kings 16:7-10 (structural): Same historical episode (Ahaz and the Syro‑Ephraimite crisis). These verses in the historical record parallel Isaiah’s interaction with Ahaz and provide the narrative context for the prophet’s rebuke.
- 2 Chronicles 28:16-25 (structural): Parallel account of Ahaz’s political maneuvering and appeal to Assyria. Chronicles echoes the circumstances behind Isaiah’s warning to the house of David.
- Isaiah 1:14 (verbal): Uses language of God’s being 'weary' or 'displeased' with Israel’s worship and conduct. Shares the motif of provoking or tiring the LORD found in Isa 7:13.
- Numbers 14:22-23 (thematic): Speaks of the people 'tempting' or testing the LORD repeatedly and suffering judgment. The idea of humans wearing out/trying God by persistent unfaithfulness echoes Isaiah’s charge that they 'weary' God.
- Psalm 78:56-58 (thematic): Describes Israel’s continual provocation and testing of God despite his works, a prophetic theme similar to Isaiah’s rebuke that the house of David is wearing out men and even God.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he said, “Hear now, house of David: Is it too little for you to weary men, that you also weary my God?
- And he said, 'Hear then, O house of David: is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also?'
Isa.7.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לכן: ADV
- יתן: VERB,qal,imperf,3,m,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- לכם: PREP,2,m,pl
- אות: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- הנה: PART
- העלמה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- הרה: ADJ,f,sg
- וילדת: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וקראת: VERB,qal,perf,2,ms
- שמו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- עמנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- אל: NEG
Parallels
- Matt.1:22-23 (quotation): Matthew explicitly cites Isaiah 7:14, applying ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive… and shall call his name Immanuel’ to the birth of Jesus (Immanuel = ‘God with us’).
- Luke 1:26-35 (thematic): The Annunciation narrative describes a miraculous, Spirit‑borne conception of a son (Jesus), thematically paralleling Isaiah’s sign of an extraordinary birth as fulfillment of God’s intervention.
- Isa.8:8 (verbal): Within Isaiah’s own context the name ‘Immanuel’ reappears (8:8), linking the sign in 7:14 to subsequent or related prophetic descriptions of foreign invasion and divine presence.
- Isa.9:6-7 (thematic): Another Isaiah oracle about a child given to rule with divine titles and an everlasting government, thematically connected to the motif of a significant birth announcing God’s presence and rule.
- 2 Sam.7:14 (allusion): In the Davidic covenant God speaks of offspring as God’s son; this background informs Old Testament expectations of a Davidic/messianic child and undergirds the ‘God‑with‑us’ and sonship language in Isaiah 7:14.
Alternative generated candidates
- Therefore the LORD himself will give you a sign. Behold, the young woman is with child and will bear a son, and she shall name him Immanuel.
- Therefore the LORD himself will give you a sign. Behold, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Isa.7.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- חמאה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ודבש: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יאכל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לדעתו: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- מאוס: VERB,qal,inf
- ברע: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובחור: CONJ+VERB,qal,inf
- בטוב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Isaiah 7:14 (structural): Immediate context: the sign of the child (Immanuel). 7:15 is part of the same prophetic sign describing the child's diet and role.
- Isaiah 7:16 (structural): Direct continuation/clarification of 7:15—specifies the timing (‘before the boy knows to refuse the evil and choose the good’), linking the child’s simple diet with his moral development.
- Isaiah 11:2–3 (thematic): Both passages emphasize a divinely given capacity for knowledge and discernment—Isaiah 11 describes the spirit of wisdom and understanding that enables right judgment, paralleling ‘to know to refuse the evil and choose the good.’
- Exodus 3:8 (verbal): Uses the stock imagery of milk and honey (“a land flowing with milk and honey”); Isaiah’s ‘curds and honey’ evokes the same idiom of sustenance/abundance and agrarian dietary imagery.
- Judges 14:8–9 (verbal): Another biblical instance of honey in a youthful context (Samson discovering honey). Shares the motif of honey as food associated with a child/young man’s experience and taste.
Alternative generated candidates
- Butter and honey he shall eat, so that he may learn to refuse the bad and choose the good.
- He shall eat curds and honey when he knows enough to refuse the evil and choose the good.
Isa.7.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- בטרם: PREP
- ידע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- הנער: NOUN,m,sg,def
- מאס: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ברע: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובחר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בטוב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תעזב: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- האדמה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- קץ: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מפני: PREP
- שני: NUM,m,pl,construct
- מלכיה: NOUN,m,pl,abs+SUFF:3,m,sg
Parallels
- Isaiah 7:14 (structural): Immediate context: the Immanuel sign (a child born to indicate God's presence) frames the timeframe in v.16 — both verses form one prophetic sign about a child's early life and the fate of the kings threatening Judah.
- Isaiah 8:4 (verbal): Uses a closely parallel timing-formula about a child's development as a sign ('before the child knows ...'), applying the same motive of a child's early milestones to signal the coming collapse of Israel's enemies.
- 2 Kings 16:5-9 (thematic): Historic narrative of Ahaz seeking Tiglath-pileser's aid against Rezin and Pekah; the episode corresponds to the prophecy that the land of the two kings would be abandoned/overthrown within the child's short lifetime.
- 2 Chronicles 28:16-21 (thematic): Another historical account of the Syro-Ephraimitic threat to Judah and the resulting intervention/defeat, serving as a parallel fulfillment of Isaiah's prediction about the 'two kings'.
- Matthew 1:23 (quotation): Matthew explicitly quotes Isaiah 7:14 ('Immanuel') to interpret the birth of Jesus; this New Testament citation connects to the same Immanuel-child motif that provides the temporal frame for v.16.
Alternative generated candidates
- For before the child knows to refuse the bad and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted.
- For before the boy knows to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted.
Isa.7.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יביא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- עליך: PREP+2ms
- ועל: CONJ+PREP
- עמך: NOUN,m,sg,suff-2m
- ועל: CONJ+PREP
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אביך: NOUN,m,sg,suff+2ms
- ימים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לא: PART_NEG
- באו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- למיום: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- סור: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אפרים: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מעל: PREP
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- את: PRT,acc
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- אשור: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Kings 17:6 (verbal): Historical fulfillment: the king of Assyria deported Israel (Ephraim/Samaria), paralleling Isaiah’s threat that Assyria will come upon Ephraim and Judah.
- 2 Kings 18:11-12 (verbal): Describes Assyria’s capture of Samaria and the exile of Israel for covenant unfaithfulness—provides the historical outcome Isaiah predicts in 7:17.
- Isaiah 10:5-6 (thematic): Portrays Assyria as the rod/agent of God's judgment against Israel and Judah, echoing 7:17’s depiction of Assyria as the instrument of coming days of punishment.
- Hosea 5:13 (thematic): Notes Ephraim/Israel turning to Assyria and suffering as a result—connects the motif of Ephraim’s dealings with Assyria and consequent judgment mentioned in Isaiah 7:17.
- Isaiah 8:4 (structural): Immediate Isaian parallel: predicts that before the child knows parents’ names the spoil of Samaria will be carried off before the king of Assyria—reiterates the same Assyrian threat named in 7:17.
Alternative generated candidates
- The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—days concerning the king of Assyria.
- The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house days of trouble—such as have not come since the day Ephraim departed from Judah: the king of Assyria.
Isa.7.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- ביום: PREP
- ההוא: DEM,ms,sg
- ישרק: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- לזבוב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- בקצה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יארי: NOUN,m,pl,const
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ולדבורה: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- בארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,def
- אשור: NOUN,prop,m,sg
Parallels
- Isaiah 8:7-8 (structural): Same prophetic scene: Assyria as an invading force ('the waters of the River') coming into the land—continuation and expansion of the threat alluded to in 7:18.
- Isaiah 10:5-6 (thematic): God raises Assyria as an instrument of judgment against Israel/Judah—same theological motif of God summoning a foreign power to execute His will.
- Exodus 8:21-24 (verbal): God sends swarms of flies against Egypt in the Exodus plagues; parallels the motif of God summoning insects/swarms as instruments against nations (explicit 'fly' imagery).
- Joel 1:4 (thematic): Images of locusts/consuming insects as instruments of devastation and divine judgment—parallel use of insect imagery to portray invading/destructive forces used by God.
Alternative generated candidates
- And in that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the edge of the rivers of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
- In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the streams of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
Isa.7.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ובאו: VERB,qal,imp,2,mp
- ונחו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- כלם: PRON,3,m,pl
- בנחלי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,construct
- הבתות: NOUN,f,pl,def
- ובנקיקי: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,pl,construct
- הסלעים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ובכל: CONJ+PREP
- הנעצוצים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ובכל: CONJ+PREP
- הנהללים: NOUN,m,pl,def
Parallels
- Isaiah 2:19 (verbal): Uses nearly identical language and imagery—people entering holes of the rocks and caves—portraying flight/ concealment in response to divine terror.
- Revelation 6:15-17 (thematic): Kings and people hide in caves and among the rocks, calling on the mountains to fall on them, echoing the motif of taking refuge in caverns at the onset of divine judgment.
- Psalm 104:18 (thematic): Describes high places and rocky lairs as habitual refuges for creatures; parallels the motif of rocks and caves as places of dwelling and shelter.
- Obadiah 1:4 (verbal): Speaks of those who 'dwell in the clefts of the rock,' echoing the concrete image of hiding or dwelling in rock-crevices as a response to threat.
- Genesis 19:30 (thematic): Narrates human habitation in a cave (Lot and his daughters), reflecting the wider biblical theme of caves and rock-hewn places used as dwellings or places of refuge.
Alternative generated candidates
- And they will come and settle—all of them—in the ravines and in the clefts of the rocks, and in all the thickets and on every pasture.
- And they will all come and rest all of them in the ravines and in the clefts of the rocks, and in all the thorn bushes, and in all the pastures.
Isa.7.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ביום: PREP
- ההוא: DEM,ms,sg
- יגלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- בתער: PREP
- השכירה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- בעברי: PREP
- נהר: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- במלך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- הראש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ושער: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הרגלים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- וגם: CONJ
- את: PRT,acc
- הזקן: NOUN,m,sg,def
- תספה: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Ezek.5:1-2 (verbal): Ezekiel is ordered to take a barber's razor and pass it over his head and beard as a prophetic sign of judgment—very close verbal and symbolic parallel to Isaiah's 'hired razor.'
- 2 Sam.10:4-5 (thematic): Hanun shaves off part of David's envoys' beards as an act of humiliation—illustrates shaving as a mark of disgrace and defeat like Isaiah's image of Assyrian humiliation.
- Judg.16:19-21 (thematic): Delilah has Samson's hair cut, leading to his loss of strength—haircutting functions here as removal of honor/power, echoing Isaiah's motif of shaving as dispossession.
- Isa.20:2-4 (structural): Isaiah is commanded to walk naked and barefoot as a prophetic sign of shame before Egypt and Cush—another prophetic acted-sign predicting national humiliation by foreign powers, structurally similar to the shaved-head image.
- Lev.19:27 (allusion): The law forbids trimming the edges of the beard; thus shaving can connote ritual defilement or social disgrace—background legal/cultural contrast that sharpens the prophetic shock of Isaiah's shaving image.
Alternative generated candidates
- In that day the LORD will shave with a hired razor beyond the River—by the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet; and it will also sweep away the beard.
- In that day the LORD will shave with a hired razor beyond the River—by the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet; and it shall also sweep away the beard.
Isa.7.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- ביום: PREP
- ההוא: DEM,ms,sg
- יחיה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עגלת: NOUN,f,sg,constr
- בקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ושתי: CONJ+NUM,f,du
- צאן: NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Isaiah 7:23-25 (structural): Immediate continuation of the same oracle; expands the image of survivors who keep a heifer and two sheep and graze amid the ruins—same scene and wording in context.
- Isaiah 10:20-22 (thematic): Speaks of a surviving remnant of Israel who return and rely on the LORD after devastation—common theme of a few who live on with livestock and land.
- Amos 9:13-14 (thematic): Promise of agricultural restoration when people again cultivate vineyards and fields; parallels the return to ordinary farming and pastoral life after judgment.
- Isaiah 11:11-12 (thematic): Prediction of the LORD raising up and regathering a remnant from the nations—related motif of a preserved remnant who continue life in the land.
- Jeremiah 23:3-4 (thematic): God promises to gather the remnant of his flock and provide shepherds to feed them—echoes the picture of surviving people sustained in pastoral/agricultural ways.
Alternative generated candidates
- And in that day a man shall keep alive a calf and two sheep.
- And in that day a man will keep alive a young calf and two sheep;
Isa.7.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- מרב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עשות: VERB,qal,inf
- חלב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יאכל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- חמאה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- חמאה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ודבש: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יאכל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- כל: DET
- הנותר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- בקרב: PREP
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Isaiah 7:15 (verbal): Same chapter and related prophecy: the child is said to 'eat curds and honey'—repeating the motif of milk/dairy and honey as sustenance for the remnant.
- Exodus 3:8 (thematic): The description of the Promised Land as 'a land flowing with milk and honey'—uses milk and honey as symbols of abundance and prosperity, echoing Isaiah's image of plentiful food.
- Deuteronomy 8:7-8 (thematic): Part of the catalogue of the land's bounty ('a land of wheat and barley... a land of milk and honey'), reinforcing the milk-and-honey motif as emblematic of fertility and provision.
- Ezekiel 20:6 (allusion): Ezekiel recalls bringing Israel into 'a land flowing with milk and honey'; the prophetic trope of milk and honey as the land's sustenance parallels Isaiah's promise about what the remnant will eat.
Alternative generated candidates
- And because of the abundance of milk they give, he will eat butter; for everyone who is left in the land will eat butter and honey.
- and because of the abundance of milk he will eat butter; for everyone who remains in the land will eat curds and honey.
Isa.7.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- ביום: PREP
- ההוא: DEM,ms,sg
- יהיה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- כל: DET
- מקום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- יהיה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- שם: ADV
- אלף: NUM,m,sg
- גפן: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- באלף: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לשמיר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ולשית: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהיה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Isaiah 5:5-6 (verbal): Close verbal and thematic parallel: God’s judgment on a vineyard—hedge removed and it becoming a wasteland where 'briers and thorns' grow—echoes the language and image of Isa. 7:23.
- Isaiah 34:13 (verbal): Uses similar wording about thorns/brambles overtaking structures ('thorns and thistles shall come up in her palaces'), echoing the motif of desolation by thorny growth.
- Jeremiah 12:10 (thematic): Speaks of vineyards destroyed and trodden down by many shepherds; shares the vineyard-as-nation metaphor and the theme of judgment leading to loss of productive land.
- Micah 7:1-2 (thematic): Describes the fruitful land becoming a wilderness and social breakdown—resonates with the image of productive vines replaced by briers and thorns as a sign of national desolation.
- Isaiah 7:24 (structural): Immediate contextual parallel: verse 23’s announcement that vineyards will become briers is followed by verse 24’s depiction of desolation and violence, reinforcing the same prophetic judgment.
Alternative generated candidates
- On that day every place where there were a thousand vines for a thousand silverlings will become briers and thorns.
- And in that day every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silver shekels will become briers and thorns.
Isa.7.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בחצים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ובקשת: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יבוא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- שמה: ADV
- כי: CONJ
- שמיר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ושית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תהיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,f,sg
- כל: DET
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Isaiah 5:6 (verbal): Uses almost the same language of judgmental desolation—vineyard left untended and ‘briers and thorns’ coming up as a consequence of divine judgment (close verbal and thematic parallel).
- Isaiah 34:13 (thematic): Describes desolation of a land/city where thorns, nettles, and briers grow up in palaces and strongholds—similar image of landscape rendered wild by judgment.
- Hosea 2:6 (verbal): God will ‘hedge up the way with thorn‑bushes’ and wall her in so she cannot find her paths—uses thorn imagery to depict divine restraint and punishment of the land/people.
- Judges 9:14–15 (thematic): Jotham’s parable employs the bramble/thorn as a symbol of worthless danger and desolation (the bramble’s hostile character echoes the hostile, overgrown land image in Isaiah).
Alternative generated candidates
- With arrows and bow men will come there, for all the land shall become briers and thorns.
- With arrows and with bows they will come there; for all the land shall become briers and thorns.
Isa.7.25 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- ההרים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- במעדר: PREP
- יעדרון: VERB,qal,impf,3,pl
- לא: PART_NEG
- תבוא: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- שמה: ADV
- יראת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- שמיר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ושית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- למשלח: PREP
- שור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ולמרמס: PREP
- שה: PRON,rel
Parallels
- Isaiah 7:24 (structural): Immediate context: v.24–25 form a unit describing hills dug with the hoe, absence of useful timber and the land’s conversion to pasture—v.25 continues and concludes that description.
- Isaiah 5:6 (thematic): Similar theme of land made a desolation/unproductive (not pruned or hoed); both passages portray agricultural decline and divine judgment on the land.
- Genesis 3:18 (verbal): Uses the motif/phrase of 'thorns and thistles' as part of the ground’s curse; Isaiah 7:25 echoes this imagery (שמיר ושית) to depict a hostile, unusable landscape.
- Judges 9:15 (thematic): Parable of the bramble/thorn as a worthless, hostile plant—uses thorn imagery to denote sterility, danger, or rejection, resonating with Isaiah’s portrayal of briers and thorns on the hills.
Alternative generated candidates
- And all the hills that were plowed with the mattock will be left to briers and thorns; they will no longer be cleared—no yoke for oxen, no tread for sheep—so that the ox is broken and the warhorse dashed to pieces.
- And all the hills that were plowed with the hoe will be abandoned; no one will pass there for fear of briers and thorns. They shall be for the driving of oxen and for the treading of sheep.
In the days of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but they could not prevail against it. And it was reported to the house of David, “Aram has encamped with Ephraim.” Then his heart and the hearts of his people trembled, like the trees of the forest before the wind. And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz—you and Shear‑Jashub your son—by the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the road to the Washer’s Field. And say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm; do not fear, nor let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering firebrands—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.’
For the counsel devised against you is evil: Aram has taken counsel with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, saying,
“Let us go up against Judah, terrify it, make a breach in it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in its midst.” Thus says the Lord GOD: It shall not stand, nor shall it come to pass.
For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; within sixty‑five years Ephraim will be shattered so that it is no longer a people. And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you will not believe, surely you shall not stand.
Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying,
“Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” And he said, “Hear now, house of David: Is it too little for you to weary men, that you also weary my God?
Therefore the LORD himself will give you a sign. Behold, the young woman is with child and will bear a son, and she shall call his name Immanuel.
He shall eat curds and honey, that he may know how to refuse the evil and choose the good.
For before the child knows to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land of which you are in dread because of the two kings will be forsaken.
The LORD will bring upon you, upon your people, and upon the house of your father days that have not come since the day Ephraim departed from Judah—when the king of Assyria comes.
In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the rivers of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. And they will come and settle all of them in the ravines and in the clefts of the rocks, in all the thorn‑bushes and in every lair.
In that day the LORD will shave with a hired razor, by the king of Assyria—at the River—the head and the hair of the feet; and also will sweep away the beard.
On that day a man will keep alive a young calf and two sheep.
Because of the abundance of milk he will eat butter; for everyone left in the land will eat curds and honey. And in that day every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silverlings shall become briers and thorns.
With arrows and with bow they will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. And all the hills that were plowed with the hoe will be left to briers and thorns; they shall be for the one who drives oxen and for the one who walks with his feet.