Isaiah 7:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey.

NIV: And because of the abundance of the milk they give, there will be curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds and honey.

NASB: and because of the abundance of the milk produced he will eat curds, for everyone who is left within the land will eat curds and honey.

CSB: and from the abundant milk they give he will eat curds, for every survivor in the land will eat curds and honey.

NLT: Nevertheless, there will be enough milk for everyone because so few people will be left in the land. They will eat their fill of yogurt and honey.

KJV: And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.

NKJV: So it shall be, from the abundance of milk they give, That he will eat curds; For curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land.

Some commentators suggest that what Isaiah is describing in this and the previous verse (Isaiah 7:21) is meant to be positive. They think Isaiah is saying that life for those who survive and remain in the land after the Assyrians destroy or carry off everything else will be blessed by God with abundance.

Most commentators, though, insist that this happy scene of curds and honey reflects tragedy: evidence of God's judgment on Judah. Any man who able to maintain alive a young cow and two sheep or goats will have so much milk that he will have to curdle some to keep it from going bad. Curds and honey were thought to be especially good food. But having such abundance of these will come from the fact that so few people remain in the land. It's also possible that Isaiah is describing the lack of baby animals to consume the milk from their mothers in the immediate aftermath of the Assyrian's near-total destruction.

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).

Accessed 5/3/2024 4:15:49 AM