King James Version
Isaiah 7
25 verses with commentary
The Sign of Immanuel
And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.
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KJV Study Commentary
The Syro-Ephraimite crisis (735-732 BC) where Rezin of Syria and Pekah of Israel besieged Jerusalem represents covenant brothers attacking Judah for refusing anti-Assyrian alliance. The phrase 'could not prevail' foreshadows God's protection despite military pressure. This crisis provided context for the Immanuel prophecy (7:14), demonstrating that God preserves His Davidic line through which Mess...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
**VII.**
(1) **It came to pass in the days of Ahaz.**—The whole reign of Jotham comes between Isaiah 6, 7. On Isaiah’s life during that period, see *Introduction. *The work of the prophet now carries him into the main current of history, as recorded in 2 Kings 15, 16; 2 Chronicles 28, and in Assyrian inscriptions. The facts to be borne in mind are—(1) that the kingdom of Israel under Menahem had a...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
30-31. A striking picture of the effects of sloth.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 7
The benefit of a good name; of death above life; of sorrow above vain mirth. (Eccl. 7:1-6) Concerning oppression, anger, and discontent. (Eccl. 7:7-10) Advantages of wisdom. (Eccl. 7:11-22) Experience of the evil of sin. (Eccl. 7:23-29)
**Verses 1-6** Reputation for piety and honesty is more desirable than all the wealth and pleasure in this world. It will do more good to go to a f...
Read full commentary →And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. is confederate: Heb. resteth on
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KJV Study Commentary
The report that 'Syria is confederate with Ephraim' caused Ahaz's and the people's hearts to move 'as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind' depicts paralyzing fear despite God's promises. This terror reveals lack of faith—trusting circumstances over covenant. The imagery anticipates Jesus' contrast between those founded on rock versus sand (Matthew 7:24-27), showing that faith provides st...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **Syria is confederate with Ephraim.**—Literally, *rests upon ***. . .** Ephraim stands, of course, as often elsewhere, for the northern kingdom of Israel as a whole.
**His heart was moved.**—There was a general panic. King and people alike asked, How could they resist? Would it not be better to join the confederacy, and take their chance with it in attacking the king of Assyria? The image of ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
30-31. A striking picture of the effects of sloth.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 7
The benefit of a good name; of death above life; of sorrow above vain mirth. (Eccl. 7:1-6) Concerning oppression, anger, and discontent. (Eccl. 7:7-10) Advantages of wisdom. (Eccl. 7:11-22) Experience of the evil of sin. (Eccl. 7:23-29)
**Verses 1-6** Reputation for piety and honesty is more desirable than all the wealth and pleasure in this world. It will do more good to go to a f...
Read full commentary →Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field; Shearjashub: that is, The remnant shall return highway: or, causeway
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KJV Study Commentary
God's command that Isaiah take his son Shear-jashub ('remnant shall return') to meet Ahaz made the prophet's child a living sermon. Names function as prophecy in Isaiah (8:3; 8:18), declaring God's purposes. The location—'conduit of the upper pool'—may relate to water supply vulnerable during siege, adding urgency. Shear-jashub's name promised both judgment (only a remnant) and hope (the remnant r...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **Go forth now to meet Ahaz . . .**—**At this **crisis the prophet, already recognised as such, and gathering his disciples round him (Isaiah 8:16), is told to deliver a message to the king. He finds him halting between two opinions. He is making a show of resistance, but in reality he is not depending either on the protection of Jehovah, or the courage of his people, but on a plan of his own....
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
32-34. From the folly of the sluggard learn wisdom (Pr 6:10, 11).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 7
The benefit of a good name; of death above life; of sorrow above vain mirth. (Eccl. 7:1-6) Concerning oppression, anger, and discontent. (Eccl. 7:7-10) Advantages of wisdom. (Eccl. 7:11-22) Experience of the evil of sin. (Eccl. 7:23-29)
**Verses 1-6** Reputation for piety and honesty is more desirable than all the wealth and pleasure in this world. It will do more good to go to a f...
Read full commentary →And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. neither: Heb. let not thy heart be tender
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KJV Study Commentary
God's command 'Take heed, and be quiet; fear not' addresses anxiety with faith. The dismissive description of enemies as 'two tails of smoking firebrands' reduces seemingly powerful threats to spent embers—fierce appearance but no lasting heat. This perspective transformation reflects faith seeing reality from God's viewpoint rather than circumstances. The command for quietness (Hebrew 'shaqat'—be...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **Take heed, and be quiet . . .**—The prophet meets the fears of the king by words of comfort. The right temper for such a time was one of calm courage, waiting on the Lord (Isaiah 30:15).
**Neither be fainthearted.**—Literally, *let not thine heart be soft.*
**For the two tails of these smoking fire brands.**—The two powers that Ahaz dreaded were, in the prophet’s eyes, but as *the stumps of ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
32-34. From the folly of the sluggard learn wisdom (Pr 6:10, 11).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 7
The benefit of a good name; of death above life; of sorrow above vain mirth. (Eccl. 7:1-6) Concerning oppression, anger, and discontent. (Eccl. 7:7-10) Advantages of wisdom. (Eccl. 7:11-22) Experience of the evil of sin. (Eccl. 7:23-29)
**Verses 1-6** Reputation for piety and honesty is more desirable than all the wealth and pleasure in this world. It will do more good to go to a f...
Read full commentary →Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,
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KJV Study Commentary
The conspiracy of Syria, Ephraim, and Remaliah's son (Pekah) 'taking evil counsel' against Judah emphasizes human plotting that cannot thwart divine purposes. The phrase 'taken evil counsel' indicates deliberate malice, yet verse 7 declares God's verdict: 'It shall not stand.' This demonstrates the Reformed conviction that human counsel without divine approval is vanity (Psalm 2:1-4), and that God...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
32-34. From the folly of the sluggard learn wisdom (Pr 6:10, 11).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 7
The benefit of a good name; of death above life; of sorrow above vain mirth. (Eccl. 7:1-6) Concerning oppression, anger, and discontent. (Eccl. 7:7-10) Advantages of wisdom. (Eccl. 7:11-22) Experience of the evil of sin. (Eccl. 7:23-29)
**Verses 1-6** Reputation for piety and honesty is more desirable than all the wealth and pleasure in this world. It will do more good to go to a f...
Read full commentary →Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal: vex: or, waken
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KJV Study Commentary
The plot to 'vex' Judah and 'make a breach' to install the son of Tabeel as puppet king directly threatened Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:12-16). God's promise that David's throne would endure forever found ultimate fulfillment in Christ; this conspiracy challenged messianic line. The divine verdict 'It shall not stand' (v. 7) demonstrates God's sovereign protection of His covenant promises. No hum...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **Let us make a breach therein for us . . .**—The words imply an assault on the line of fortresses that defended Judah (2Chronicles 26:9-10; 2Chronicles 32:1). If they were won the issue of the war would be practically decided. Jerusalem itself does not appear to have been actually besieged.
**The son of Tabeal.**—The mode of description, as in the last verse, indicates that the man was of low...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 7
The benefit of a good name; of death above life; of sorrow above vain mirth. (Eccl. 7:1-6) Concerning oppression, anger, and discontent. (Eccl. 7:7-10) Advantages of wisdom. (Eccl. 7:11-22) Experience of the evil of sin. (Eccl. 7:23-29)
**Verses 1-6** Reputation for piety and honesty is more desirable than all the wealth and pleasure in this world. It will do more good to go to a f...
Read full commentary →Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.
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KJV Study Commentary
The divine declaration 'Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass' speaks with absolute authority. The dual negation emphasizes certainty—not only will the conspiracy fail to accomplish its purpose ('not stand'), it won't even begin ('neither...come to pass'). This prophetic certainty rests on God's sovereign control of history and His covenant faithfulness. The fo...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 25
Pr 25:1-28.
1. The character of these proverbs sustains the title (see Introduction).
**also--**refers to the former part of the book.
**copied out--**literally, "transferred," that is, from some other book to this; not given from memory.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 7-10** The event of our trials and difficulties is often better than at first we thought. Surely it is better to be patient in spirit, than to be proud and hasty. Be not soon angry, nor quick in resenting an affront. Be not long angry; though anger may come into the bosom of a wise man, it passes through it as a way-faring man; it dwells only in the bosom of fools. It is folly to cry out ...
Read full commentary →For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people. that: Heb. from a people
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KJV Study Commentary
The prophecy that 'the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin' establishes geopolitical hierarchy while implicitly denying Syria's ultimate authority over Judah. The follow-up '(and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people)' predicts Northern Kingdom's destruction—fulfilled when Assyria conquered Samaria (722 BC) and later deportations...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **The head of Syria is Damascus . . .**—The prediction of the failure of the alliance is emphasised. Each city, Damascus and Samaria, should continue to be what it was, the head of a comparatively weak kingdom, and should not be aggrandised by the conquest of Judah and Jerusalem. There is an implied comparison of the two hostile cities and their kings with Jerusalem and its supreme King, Jehov...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
2. God's unsearchableness impresses us with awe (compare Is 45:15; Ro 11:33). But kings, being finite, should confer with wise counsellors;
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 7-10** The event of our trials and difficulties is often better than at first we thought. Surely it is better to be patient in spirit, than to be proud and hasty. Be not soon angry, nor quick in resenting an affront. Be not long angry; though anger may come into the bosom of a wise man, it passes through it as a way-faring man; it dwells only in the bosom of fools. It is folly to cry out ...
Read full commentary →And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established. If: or, Do ye not believe? it is because ye are not stable
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KJV Study Commentary
The parallelism limiting Ephraim's head to Samaria and Samaria's head to Remaliah's son emphasizes human limitations, contrasting with Judah's divine protection. The pivotal statement 'If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established' (Hebrew word play: 'im lo ta'aminu ki lo te'amenu') makes faith prerequisite to security. Belief in God's promises, not political alliances, ensures stabil...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **If ye will not believe . . .**—The prophet reads the thoughts that were working in the king’s mind. He had no faith in these predictions terminating at a date which he was not likely to live to witness. By look, or possibly by words, he showed his incredulity, and Isaiah offers to meet it, in the consciousness of a Divine power that will not fail him. From Heaven to Hades, Ahaz may take his ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
3. Ye wisely keeping state secrets, which to common men are as inaccessible heights and depths.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 7-10** The event of our trials and difficulties is often better than at first we thought. Surely it is better to be patient in spirit, than to be proud and hasty. Be not soon angry, nor quick in resenting an affront. Be not long angry; though anger may come into the bosom of a wise man, it passes through it as a way-faring man; it dwells only in the bosom of fools. It is folly to cry out ...
Read full commentary →Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, Moreover: Heb. And the LORD added to speak
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KJV Study Commentary
The LORD's renewed initiative—'spoke again unto Ahaz'—demonstrates divine patience despite Ahaz's faltering faith. God graciously offers Ahaz opportunity to request a confirming sign, showing that He accommodates human weakness. This divine condescension reflects God's desire that His people walk by faith supported by evidence (John 20:29-31). The offer anticipates Gideon's fleece (Judges 6:36-40)...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
4-5. As separating impurities from ore leaves pure silver, so taking from a king wicked counsellors leaves a wise and beneficent government.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-16** Secret disaffection to God is often disguised with the colour of respect to him; and those who are resolved that they will not trust God, yet pretend they will not tempt him. The prophet reproved Ahaz and his court, for the little value they had for Divine revelation. Nothing is more grievous to God than distrust, but the unbelief of man shall not make the promise of God of no eff...
Read full commentary →Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. ask it: or, make thy petition deep
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KJV Study Commentary
The breadth of sign options—'ask it either in the depth, or in the height above'—emphasizes unlimited divine power and generosity. God essentially offers a blank check: any sign from Sheol's depths to heaven's heights. This comprehensive offer demonstrates that no confirmation is too difficult for omnipotent God. The invitation shows divine eagerness to strengthen faith, anticipating Jesus' teachi...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
4-5. As separating impurities from ore leaves pure silver, so taking from a king wicked counsellors leaves a wise and beneficent government.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-16** Secret disaffection to God is often disguised with the colour of respect to him; and those who are resolved that they will not trust God, yet pretend they will not tempt him. The prophet reproved Ahaz and his court, for the little value they had for Divine revelation. Nothing is more grievous to God than distrust, but the unbelief of man shall not make the promise of God of no eff...
Read full commentary →But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD.
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KJV Study Commentary
Ahaz's refusal—'I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD'—appears pious but masks unbelief and disobedience. By refusing God's explicit invitation, Ahaz disguises faithlessness as reverence. The phrase 'tempt the LORD' misapplies Deuteronomy 6:16's warning against testing God; here, God invited the test. This false piety enabled Ahaz to pursue preferred political solution (Assyrian alliance) ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **I will not ask . . .**—The king speaks as in the very accents of faith. He will not put Jehovah to any such test. Not, perhaps, without a sneer, he quotes almost the very formula of the Law: “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Exodus 17:2; Deuteronomy 6:16). Was the prophet going to forget his own teaching, and become a tempter to that sin? That which lay beneath this show of humble tr...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
6-7. Do not intrude into the presence of the king, for the elevation of the humble is honorable, but the humbling of the proud disgraceful (Lu 14:8-10).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-16** Secret disaffection to God is often disguised with the colour of respect to him; and those who are resolved that they will not trust God, yet pretend they will not tempt him. The prophet reproved Ahaz and his court, for the little value they had for Divine revelation. Nothing is more grievous to God than distrust, but the unbelief of man shall not make the promise of God of no eff...
Read full commentary →And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
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KJV Study Commentary
Isaiah's rebuke—shifting from addressing Ahaz personally to 'house of David'—elevates the stakes from personal choice to dynastic faithfulness. The accusation of wearying 'my God' (not just 'your God') emphasizes Ahaz's offense against divine patience. Refusing God's gracious offer exhausts divine forbearance. This introduces the Immanuel sign (v. 14) which, though immediately addressing Ahaz's cr...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **Is it a small thing for you to weary men . . .**—The thought that men may try the long-suffering of God till He is “weary to bear them,” is specially characteristic of Isaiah (Isaiah 1:14). We mark the changed note of “*my *God,” as compared with “the Lord *thy *God” in Isaiah 7:11. Ahaz has involved himself in a sentence of rejection. In the first part of the question Isaiah becomes the mo...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
6-7. Do not intrude into the presence of the king, for the elevation of the humble is honorable, but the humbling of the proud disgraceful (Lu 14:8-10).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-16** Secret disaffection to God is often disguised with the colour of respect to him; and those who are resolved that they will not trust God, yet pretend they will not tempt him. The prophet reproved Ahaz and his court, for the little value they had for Divine revelation. Nothing is more grievous to God than distrust, but the unbelief of man shall not make the promise of God of no eff...
Read full commentary →Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel . shall call: or, thou, O virgin, shalt call
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KJV Study Commentary
This is one of Scripture's most celebrated Messianic prophecies. The virgin birth ('almah' in Hebrew, speaking of a young woman of marriageable age, translated 'parthenos'—virgin—in the Greek Septuagint) would be an unprecedented sign from God. The name 'Immanuel' meaning 'God with us' points beyond the immediate historical context to the incarnation of Christ, where deity and humanity unite in on...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son . . .**—Better, *behold, the young woman, *or perhaps the *bride, shall conceive. *The first noun has the definite article in the Hebrew, and the word, though commonly used of the unmarried, strictly speaking denotes rather one who has arrived at marriageable age. “Bride,” in the old English and German sense of the word as applied to one who i...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
8. (Compare Pr 3:30).
**lest ... shame--**lest you do what you ought not, when shamed by defeat, or "lest thou art shut out from doing any thing."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-16** Secret disaffection to God is often disguised with the colour of respect to him; and those who are resolved that they will not trust God, yet pretend they will not tempt him. The prophet reproved Ahaz and his court, for the little value they had for Divine revelation. Nothing is more grievous to God than distrust, but the unbelief of man shall not make the promise of God of no eff...
Read full commentary →Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
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KJV Study Commentary
The child Immanuel eating 'butter and honey' when knowing to 'refuse the evil, and choose the good' describes the timeline until Syria and Israel's threat ends. Butter and honey may indicate either plenty after crisis (land flowing with milk and honey) or scarcity requiring simple diet. The age of moral discernment (knowing good from evil) suggests approximately 2-3 years, providing timeline for p...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know . . .**—Better, *till he know, *or, *when he shall know**. . .** .*—By a strange inversion of the familiar associations of the phrase (Exodus 3:17; Deuteronomy 31:20), probably, as the prophet spoke them, not without a certain touch of the irony of paradox, the words describe a time, not of plenty, but of scarcity. (Comp. Isaiah 7:22.) Fields ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
9-10. (Compare Mt 5:25, Margin).
**secret--**that is, of your opponent, for his disadvantage, and so you be disgraced, not having discussed your difficulties with him.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-16** Secret disaffection to God is often disguised with the colour of respect to him; and those who are resolved that they will not trust God, yet pretend they will not tempt him. The prophet reproved Ahaz and his court, for the little value they had for Divine revelation. Nothing is more grievous to God than distrust, but the unbelief of man shall not make the promise of God of no eff...
Read full commentary →For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
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KJV Study Commentary
The promise that 'before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings' provides specific timeline: within 2-3 years, both Rezin and Pekah would fall. This prophecy was fulfilled precisely—Damascus fell 732 BC (Rezin killed), and Pekah was assassinated 732 BC (2 Kings 15:30). Historical fulfillment vindicates propheti...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) F**or before the child shall know . . .**—The words imply the age of approaching manhood, and predict the downfall of Pekah and Rezin, as the longer period of Isaiah 7:8 predicted the entire downfall and annihilation of one of the two kingdoms which they represented. The words “good and evil” are better taken of moral choice (Genesis 3:5; Deuteronomy 1:39) rather than (with some critics, who ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
9-10. (Compare Mt 5:25, Margin).
**secret--**that is, of your opponent, for his disadvantage, and so you be disgraced, not having discussed your difficulties with him.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-16** Secret disaffection to God is often disguised with the colour of respect to him; and those who are resolved that they will not trust God, yet pretend they will not tempt him. The prophet reproved Ahaz and his court, for the little value they had for Divine revelation. Nothing is more grievous to God than distrust, but the unbelief of man shall not make the promise of God of no eff...
Read full commentary →The LORD shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father's house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.
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KJV Study Commentary
The warning that the LORD 'shall bring upon thee...days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria' introduces dark irony: Ahaz's chosen solution (Assyrian alliance) becomes his judgment. By trusting Assyria instead of God, Ahaz invites oppression worse than the divided kingdom. This demonstrates that seeking security apart from God brings greater d...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **The Lord shall bring upon thee . . .**—The prophet’s language shows that he reads the secret thoughts of the king’s heart. He was bent on calling in the help of the king of Assyria. Isaiah warns him (reserving the name of the king, with all the emphasis of suddenness, for the close of his sentence) that by so doing he is bringing on himself a more formidable invasion than that of Syria and ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11. a word fitly--**literally, "quickly," as wheels roll, just in time. The comparison as apples ... silver gives a like sense.
**apples, &c.--**either real apples of golden color, in a silver network basket, or imitations on silver embroidery.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-25** Let those who will not believe the promises of God, expect to hear the alarms of his threatenings; for who can resist or escape his judgments? The Lord shall sweep all away; and whomsoever he employs in any service for him, he will pay. All speaks a sad change of the face of that pleasant land. But what melancholy change is there, which sin will not make with a people? Agriculture...
Read full commentary →And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The imagery of the LORD 'hissing' for Egypt (the fly) and Assyria (the bee) depicts God sovereignly summoning nations as instruments of judgment. The insect metaphors suggest both insignificance relative to God and capacity to inflict pain on Judah. This double threat—Egypt and Assyria competing for control—would make Judah a contested buffer zone. The imagery demonstrates God's control over forei...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **The Lord shall hiss for the fly . . .**—See for the phrase the Note on Isaiah 5:26. The legions of Egypt are represented by the flies that swarmed on the banks of the Nile (Exodus 8:24, and possibly Isaiah 18:1), those of Assyria by the bees of their forests and their hills (Deuteronomy 1:44; Psalm 118:12). The mention of Egypt indicates that some of the king’s counsellors were then, as aft...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
12. Those who desire to know and do rightly, most highly esteem good counsel (Pr 9:9; 15:31). The listening ear is better than one hung with gold.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-25** Let those who will not believe the promises of God, expect to hear the alarms of his threatenings; for who can resist or escape his judgments? The Lord shall sweep all away; and whomsoever he employs in any service for him, he will pay. All speaks a sad change of the face of that pleasant land. But what melancholy change is there, which sin will not make with a people? Agriculture...
Read full commentary →And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes. bushes: or, commendable trees
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KJV Study Commentary
The invading forces settling in 'desolate valleys' and 'holes of the rocks' and 'upon all thorns, and upon all bushes' depicts comprehensive occupation—no refuge remains. The imagery shows that when God commissions judgment, escape is impossible; invaders penetrate every hiding place. This fulfills covenant curse threats (Leviticus 26:36-37) and demonstrates that rebellion leaves no sanctuary exce...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **The desolate valleys . . .**—The Hebrew adjective has rather the meaning of *precipitous *or *steeply walled, *and the noun that of *torrent valley, *like the Arabic *wady. *The whole verse is a graphic description of the characteristic features of the scenery of Judah.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
13. Snow from mountains was used to cool drinks; so refreshing is a faithful messenger (Pr 13:17).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-25** Let those who will not believe the promises of God, expect to hear the alarms of his threatenings; for who can resist or escape his judgments? The Lord shall sweep all away; and whomsoever he employs in any service for him, he will pay. All speaks a sad change of the face of that pleasant land. But what melancholy change is there, which sin will not make with a people? Agriculture...
Read full commentary →In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard.
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KJV Study Commentary
The metaphor of the LORD hiring 'a razor...by them beyond the river...the king of Assyria' to shave Judah's head, beard, and feet depicts total humiliation. Shaving head and beard symbolized disgrace and mourning (2 Samuel 10:4-5); feet may be euphemism for genitals, suggesting complete nakedness and shame. Assyria, Judah's chosen ally (Ahaz's decision), becomes God's instrument of judgment—ultima...
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(20) **Shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired.**—Better, “with *the *razor.” The words find a parallel in the “made him naked” of 2Chronicles 28:19. The term “hired” applies to the tribute which Ahaz was about to pay to Tilgath-pilneser. He thought that he was securing an ally: he was but hiring a razor (there is, perhaps, the implied thought that the razor is in other hands than his) tha...
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**14. clouds--**literally, "vapors" (Jr 10:13), clouds only in appearance.
**a false gift--**promised, but not given.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-25** Let those who will not believe the promises of God, expect to hear the alarms of his threatenings; for who can resist or escape his judgments? The Lord shall sweep all away; and whomsoever he employs in any service for him, he will pay. All speaks a sad change of the face of that pleasant land. But what melancholy change is there, which sin will not make with a people? Agriculture...
Read full commentary →And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep;
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KJV Study Commentary
The preservation of 'a man' with 'a young cow, and two sheep' depicts drastic reduction: from agricultural abundance to bare subsistence. The small-scale farming suggests massive depopulation and economic collapse—only scattered survivors remain. Yet even in judgment, provision continues; the remnant survives. This pattern of preserved remnant pervades Isaiah (1:9; 10:20-22; 37:31-32), demonstrati...
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15. Gentleness and kindness overcome the most powerful and obstinate.
**long forbearing--**or, "slowness to anger" (Pr 14:29; 15:18).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-25** Let those who will not believe the promises of God, expect to hear the alarms of his threatenings; for who can resist or escape his judgments? The Lord shall sweep all away; and whomsoever he employs in any service for him, he will pay. All speaks a sad change of the face of that pleasant land. But what melancholy change is there, which sin will not make with a people? Agriculture...
Read full commentary →And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land. the land: Heb. the midst of the land
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse describes the desolation following judgment, where the remnant survives on simple pastoral provisions. The 'abundance of milk' suggests a return to pastoral simplicity after destruction, not prosperity. Butter (curds) and honey represent basic sustenance in a depopulated land where agriculture has ceased. From a Reformed perspective, this illustrates the principle that God's judgment pu...
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16-17. A comparison, as a surfeit of honey produces physical disgust, so your company, however agreeable in moderation, may, if excessive, lead your friend to hate you.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-25** Let those who will not believe the promises of God, expect to hear the alarms of his threatenings; for who can resist or escape his judgments? The Lord shall sweep all away; and whomsoever he employs in any service for him, he will pay. All speaks a sad change of the face of that pleasant land. But what melancholy change is there, which sin will not make with a people? Agriculture...
Read full commentary →And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns.
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KJV Study Commentary
The transformation of vineyards into brier-filled wasteland demonstrates the economic and agricultural devastation of divine judgment. In ancient Israel, vineyards represented prosperity and careful cultivation (cf. Isaiah 5:1-7). The valuation 'a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings' indicates premium vineyard land. The thorns and briers symbolize the curse of Genesis 3:18, a return to chaos ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **Where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings.**—The words seem to contain an allusive reference to Song of Solomon 8:11, and are therefore worth noting as bearing on the date of that book. There, however, the sum represents the annual produce of the vineyard, here the rent of the vines at a shekel each, a high rent apparently, and indicating a choice quality of vine. The cost...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
16-17. A comparison, as a surfeit of honey produces physical disgust, so your company, however agreeable in moderation, may, if excessive, lead your friend to hate you.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-25** Let those who will not believe the promises of God, expect to hear the alarms of his threatenings; for who can resist or escape his judgments? The Lord shall sweep all away; and whomsoever he employs in any service for him, he will pay. All speaks a sad change of the face of that pleasant land. But what melancholy change is there, which sin will not make with a people? Agriculture...
Read full commentary →With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns.
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KJV Study Commentary
The necessity of armed defense while traveling the land reveals complete societal breakdown. Arrows and bows weren't agricultural tools but weapons of war and hunting. The phrase 'all the land shall become briers and thorns' emphasizes total desolation—what God carefully cultivated would return to wilderness. This physical judgment mirrors spiritual reality: when God's people abandon Him, chaos en...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **With arrows and with bows shall men come thither . . .**—The words admit of two or three distinct interpretations: (1) the invaders shall march through the desolate vineyards shooting down any whom they found, or (2) the people shall carry bows as a protection against the invaders, or (3) the thickets of thorns and briars shall become coverts for the wolves and jackals, the hyena and the be...
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18. A false witness is as destructive to reputation, as such weapons to the body (Pr 24:28).
**beareth ... witness--**literally, "answereth questions," as before a judge, against his neighbor.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-25** Let those who will not believe the promises of God, expect to hear the alarms of his threatenings; for who can resist or escape his judgments? The Lord shall sweep all away; and whomsoever he employs in any service for him, he will pay. All speaks a sad change of the face of that pleasant land. But what melancholy change is there, which sin will not make with a people? Agriculture...
Read full commentary →And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.
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KJV Study Commentary
Hills once terraced for productive farming would become pasture for grazing animals, showing economic regression and depopulation. The 'digging with the mattock' refers to the intensive labor required for hillside cultivation in ancient Palestine. The fear of 'briers and thorns' prevents agricultural work, completing the cycle of judgment. This passage illustrates how God's discipline can be compr...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **And on all hills that shall be digged . . .**—Better, “*that are digged” *or *that used to be digged with the hoe. *The picture of devastation is completed. On the hill-sides, every inch of which was once brought under careful vine culture, “*Thou wilt not enter for fear of thorns and briars” i.e., *thou wilt not venture on the task of tilling the soil in face of such disarrangements. What ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
19. Treachery annoys as well as deceives.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-25** Let those who will not believe the promises of God, expect to hear the alarms of his threatenings; for who can resist or escape his judgments? The Lord shall sweep all away; and whomsoever he employs in any service for him, he will pay. All speaks a sad change of the face of that pleasant land. But what melancholy change is there, which sin will not make with a people? Agriculture...
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