Isaiah 7:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test."

NIV: But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test."

NASB: But Ahaz said, 'I will not ask, nor will I put the Lord to the test!'

CSB: But Ahaz replied, "I will not ask. I will not test the Lord."

NLT: But the king refused. 'No,' he said, 'I will not test the Lord like that.'

KJV: But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.

NKJV: But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!”

Ahaz has been told to trust the Lord. He has been reassured, to not be afraid about the nearing threat from the kings of Syria and Israel (Isaiah 7:4–6). Though it is not discussed in this passage, the Lord wants Ahaz to trust Him instead of turning to the king of Assyria for help in fighting Judah's enemies (2 Kings 16:7–9).

To prove He is with Ahaz and His power is real, the Lord has commanded Ahaz to ask for a "sign." This means a miraculous, supernatural demonstration of the power of the Lord (Isaiah 7:11). Through Isaiah, the Lord has even emphasized that there will be no limits on the sign Ahaz can request. It could be anything that would bring Ahaz the peace of mind that God's power was at work in this moment for him and for Judah.

Yet Ahaz says no. His response is framed as if he has passed an experiment on his faith, saying he will not "put the Lord to the test." He quotes from Deuteronomy 6:16, where God commands Israel not to test Him. That passage, though, is about testing God's patience and mercy in rebellion fueled by doubt or faithlessness. Jesus also quotes this verse in answer to one of the temptations from Satan to demonstrate His supernatural power before God's timing (Luke 4:12).

Neither scenario applied to Ahaz. While asking God for miraculous proof expresses a lack of faith, Ahaz was not the one who made the request. Rather, God told him to ask for sign. That makes his refusal, and God's response, points to consider when understanding the passage. Taken together, it seems Ahaz isn't expressing faith, but stubbornness. What's implied in this passage is that the king's mind is already made up. He doesn't want to be distracted by supernatural displays of God's power through the prophet Isaiah. He wants to produce the answer himself. And he will do that by putting the fate of his nation in the hands of the powerful Assyrian king (2 Kings 16:7–9).

Isaiah 7:10–25 describes the Lord's response, through Isaiah, to King Ahaz's refusal to obey the Lord. He was told to ask for a sign to confirm the prophecy that Israel and Syria would fail to conquer Judah. Isaiah prophecies that a virgin will conceive and name her child Immanuel. Before the child is old enough to reject evil, Israel and Syria will be wiped out. Then the Lord will use the king of Assyria to harshly judge Judah, humiliate His own people, and empty the land of Judah's citizens.

Isaiah 7 begins with the threat of invasion from two of Judah's enemies: Israel and Syria. Judah's King Ahaz and his people are terrified. Speaking for the Lord, Isaiah tells Ahaz to not be afraid because it will not happen. Israel and Syria will soon be gone. Ahaz, though, refuses the Lord's command to ask for a sign. In response, Isaiah tells Ahaz that after Syria and Israel are destroyed, the Lord will use the king of Assyria to bring judgment on Judah through invading armies, emptying the land until little remains.

Isaiah 7 follows the description of Isaiah's commission as a prophet in Isaiah 6. Now the Lord tells him to go and speak to Judah's king Ahaz, who is terrified about an impending invasion from Syria and Israel. Isaiah promises this invasion will not happen. Instead, both nations will soon be destroyed. Ahaz refuses the Lord's command to ask for a sign to confirm His words. Isaiah tells Ahaz that after Israel and Syria are wiped out, the Lord will use the king of Assyria to bring harsh judgment against Judah in the form of relentless invading armies.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).