Isaiah 7:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also?

NIV: Then Isaiah said, 'Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also?

NASB: Then he said, 'Listen now, house of David! Is it too trivial a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well?

CSB: Isaiah said, "Listen, house of David! Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men? Will you also try the patience of my God?

NLT: Then Isaiah said, 'Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn’t it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well?

KJV: 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?

NKJV: Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also?

The king of Judah has done a terrible thing. The Lord has promised Ahaz that the two kings who are now threatening him and Jerusalem will soon be out of the picture (Isaiah 7:8). He has also told Ahaz not to worry (Isaiah 7:4). Then God offered Ahaz the opportunity to see His power displayed. And to give him the assurance that God was with him and able to do as He promised (Isaiah 7:11). When people demand a miracle from God, that shows a lack of faith. Here, however, God is offering a sign and telling someone to choose the proof. So, declining the sign suggests he doesn't want confirmation of God's will.

Ahaz could have asked for literally anything as a sign. He could have asked for his enemies to immediately turn and flee. Or even for the sun to turn black for a moment or even for great wisdom, as Solomon did. Instead, Ahaz turned God down (Isaiah 7:12). He asked for no sign from God and quoted Deuteronomy 6:16 out of context to pretend he was being pious. In truth, the king was disobeying God's command.

This is a significant turning point in God's relationship with both Ahaz and the nation of the Judah. Isaiah's response represents God's heart. He tells the house of David to listen. The house of David may mean Ahaz and his court in Jerusalem or it may mean the actual line of King David in its current form of Ahaz.

Isaiah states essentially, that Ahaz's decisions have been exhausting him and perhaps his people in Jerusalem. Now, Ahaz's choices are even making even God feel weary. The Lord knows that Ahaz is refusing miraculous confirmation, not because of faith, but because he wants to ignore God and do things his own way. In modern language, Ahaz might as well have told God "don't confuse me with facts, my mind is made up."

Isaiah's word choice shows just how things have changed between the Lord and Ahaz. In Isaiah 7:11, Isaiah tells Ahaz to ask for a sign from "your God." Now he says Ahaz has wearied "my God," no longer identifying a mutual Lord. The king has slipped into a dangerous position.

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).