Isaiah 7:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah.

NIV: Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.

NASB: and say to him, ‘Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stumps of smoldering logs, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah.

CSB: Say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Don’t be afraid or cowardly because of these two smoldering sticks, the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram, and the son of Remaliah.

NLT: Tell him to stop worrying. Tell him he doesn’t need to fear the fierce anger of those two burned-out embers, King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: and say to him: ‘Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah.

Isaiah has received instruction from the Lord to find King Ahaz at a crucial moment in Judah's history (Isaiah 7:3). The armies of allied Syria and Israel have come to attack Judah. They have already destroyed tens of thousands of Ahaz's people (2 Chronicles 28). These two nations are now making their way toward Jerusalem to put the city under siege (Isaiah 7:1). Ahaz and his citizens are terrified.

God tells the king of Judah, essentially, to "calm down." The Lord describes these two kings as "smoldering stumps of firebrands." In other words, they are like a stick that has been pulled from a campfire, but will soon go out. They are a threat that will not last.

It's true that both kings are fiercely angry. The Lord names these two kings. Rezin is the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah is the king of the northern ten tribes of Israel. Despite their anger, both will soon be gone from power. The Lord does not want Ahaz to respond to their coming attack with fear or foolishness. It won't be long before they are not a problem.

Isaiah 7:1–9 describes the terror of Judah's King Ahaz and his people at the news that Israel and Syria have teamed up to defeat him. The Lord tells Isaiah to take his son and find Ahaz in a specific place. Isaiah reveals to Ahaz that what he fears will not happen. Syria and Israel will not conquer Jerusalem and divide up Judah and put someone else on Ahaz's throne. Instead, Israel will cease to be a people within 65 years. Ahaz must be firm in his faith in the Lord if he wishes to have any foundation.

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).