John Gill Commentary Isaiah 7
John Gill Commentary
Isaiah 7
John Gill Commentary
Isaiah 7
"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 to Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it." — Isaiah 7:1 (ASV)
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 religiousancestors; and who are mentioned, not, as the Jewish writers F21 generally say, because it wasowing to their worthiness that the enemies of Ahaz could not prevail against him; but because it was underthese kings the prophet had prophesied: what is contained in the first five chapters were delivered in thetimes of Uzziah; and the vision in the sixth was in the times of Jotham, in the beginning of his reign; andwhat is said here, and in some following chapters, was in the time of Ahaz; so that this is mentioned to fixand carry on the date of the prophecy:
[that] Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah, the son ofRemaliah king
of Israel, went up towards Jerusalem to war against it ;
at the latter end of Jotham's reign, and the beginning of Ahaz's; these two separately came up against Judah,and greatly distressed and afflicted the kingdom, slew many, and carried others captive, (2 Kings 15:37) (2 Chronicles 28:5–7) but afterwards, in the third F23 or fourth F24 year of Ahaz, asit is said, they joined together to besiege Jerusalem, which this refers to, (2 Kings 16:5) :
but could not prevail against it ;
or "he could not"; that is, according to Aben Ezra, the king of Israel, Pekah, the son of Remaliah; but,according to Kimchi, it was Rezin king of Syria, who, he says, was the principal in the war, and broughtPekah along with him; but it may very well be understood of them both, since in (2 Kings 16:5) , the pluralnumber is used; "and they could not"; and so the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Oriental versions here.
FOOTNOTES:
- F21: Jarchi & Kimchi in loc. & Yalkut Simeoni, ex Bereshit Rabba, sect. 63. fol. 54. 4.
- F23: Yalkut Simeoni in loc.
- F24: Seder Olam Rabba, c. 23. p. 85. Jarchi in ver. 14.
"And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind." — Isaiah 7:2 (ASV)
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 ; marched it into the land of Israel, and there joined the king of Israel's army; others, as the Vulgate Latin version, "Syria rests upon Ephraim" F26 ; depends upon, trusts in, takes heart and encouragement from Ephraim, or the ten tribes, being his ally. The Septuagint version is, "Syria has agreed with Ephraim"; entered into a confederacy and alliance with each other; which is the sense of our version; and is confirmed by the Targum, which is, ``the king of Syria is joined with the king of Israel:''
and his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the
trees of the wood are moved with the wind ;
the metaphor denotes the strength and force of the confederate armies, comparable to a strong, blustering, boisterous wind; see (Isaiah 32:2) (Jeremiah 4:11Jeremiah 4:12) and the weakness of the king and people of Judah, who were like to trees shaken by the wind;
and also the fear they were possessed with, partly through consciousness of guilt, and partly through distrust of divine power and Providence; and also on account of what they had suffered already from these powerful enemies, when they attacked them singly; and therefore might much more dread them, as they were combined together against them; see (2 Chronicles 28:5–8) .
FOOTNOTES:
- F25: (hxn) "duxit exercitum", Tigurine version.
- F26: "Syria quievit super Ephraim", Forerius, Cocceius; "Syria acquiescit in Ephraimo", Piscator.
"Then said Jehovah unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear-jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, in the highway of the fuller`s field;" — Isaiah 7:3 (ASV)
Then said the Lord to Isaiah The prophet, the inspired penman of these prophecies, that go by his name; what follows, the Lord said to 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, and betakes himself to Jerusalem, his metropolis, and fortified city, where he might be more safe; or he had been out to reconnoitre the passes about Jerusalem, and give orders and directions for the strengthening and keeping of them:
you, and Shearjashub your son whose name signifies "the remnant shall return", and who was taken with the prophet, to suggest either that the remnant that were left of the former devastations by those two kings ought to return to the Lord by repentance; or that though the people of Judah should hereafter be carried captive by the Assyrians, yet a remnant should return again. The Targum interprets this not of Isaiah's natural son, but of his disciples; paraphrasing it thus, ``you, and the rest of your disciples, who have not sinned, and are turned from sin:''
at the end of the conduit of the upper pool for there was an upper pool and a lower one; see (Isaiah 22:9):
in the highway of the fuller's field where they washed and dried their garments, and whitened them; the pool, conduit, and field, being fit for their purpose.
"and say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither let thy heart be faint, because of these two tails of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah." — Isaiah 7:4 (ASV)
And say unto him, take heed, and be quiet
Or "keep" yourself, not within the city, and from fighting with his enemies, but from unbelief, fear, and dread; or, as the Septuagint version, "keep" yourself, "that you may be quiet" F1 ; 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) : fear not ;
this explains the former: neither be fainthearted ;
or "let your heart soft" F2 , and melt like wax, through dread and diffidence: for the two tails of these smoking firebrands :
meaning the two kings of Syria and Israel: and so the Targum,
Remaliah ;
this shows who are meant by the two firebrands, Rezin king of Syria, and Pekah king of Israel; and what by the smoke of them, their fierce anger; which, though it seemed to threaten with utter destruction, in the opinion of Ahaz and his court, was only like the smoke of a firebrand burnt to the end, weak and vanishing.
FOOTNOTES:
- F1: (jqvhw rmvh) (fulaxai) , Sept.; "observa ut sis quieto animo", Vatablus.
- F2: (Kry la) "ne mollescas", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
"Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have purposed evil against thee, saying," — Isaiah 7:5 (ASV)
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.
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