John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 7:21

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall keep alive a young cow, and two sheep;" — Isaiah 7:21 (ASV)

And it shall come to pass on that day. In these verses, down to the end of the chapter, the Prophet describes the state of a country torn and wasted. He intends to present a striking and vivid picture of such overwhelming distress that, wherever you turn your eyes, nothing is to be seen but the traces of frightful desolation.

Some think that a mitigation of punishment is promised here, but we will soon see that this does not agree with the context.

Although he uses the term a man without any limitation, he is strictly speaking of the richest men. He does not say that everyone will have so many; instead, those who formerly were accustomed to raising a large number of oxen and sheep will be satisfied with having only a few. Therefore, he means that all will be reduced to very deep poverty.

Some think that the Hebrew word the Prophet uses, יחיה (yechaiyeh), translated as he shall quicken, means “to deliver from death.” However, the meaning I have adopted is more natural and more generally approved.