Isaiah 7

Isaiah 7:2

THe house] namely, the King and Princes of the blood royall, and chiefe Officers of the Crown and Court Syria] the King of Syria hath undertaken to besiege Jerusalem, being encouraged thereunto by the league which he had made with the King of the ten Tribes, the chiefe of which is the Tribe of Ephraim, and as sures himselfe that hee shall overcome by reason of the great assistance he hopes to have from thence.

Isaiah 7:3

Shear-Jashub] it should appear by Isa. 8. 12. and 10. 21. that this name which signifieth the remnant, shall be converted, or shall be re-established, was given to that childe for a signe of the deliverance of the rest of the people which should bee converted to God Upper poole] this was a great poole of water that came from the fountain Gihon, called the upper, as a King. 18. 17. because it was in the high Citie of Sion, neer the City of David on the south-side, Nehem. 3. 15. and to distingush it from the lower poole, Isai. 22. 9. which was in the lower part of the City on the east-side.

Isaiah 7:4

The two tails] a name of contempt, to shew that there was more smoak, that is to say, pride and outward appearance in them, then strength and power.

Isaiah 7:6

Vex it] the Italian, divide it; that is to say, Let each of us seize upon that part which lieth most conveniently for us, and let us see a King over the rest, which may be a vassall to us both The Sonne] one whose name is not mentioned elsewhere.

Isaiah 7:8

Damascus] I have bounded these Kingdoms, and have set a King over every one of them; and I will not suffer them to passe their bounds, nor take anothers countrey Within threescore] the common opinion is, That one must count these yeers, not from the time that Isaiah did foretell these things, but from the first prophecie of the latter ruine of the ten tribes, which might be Amos his Prophesie, 7. 8, 9 see a Kings 14. 27 about the eighteenth yeere of Jeroboam the son of Joash, after whom untill the last captivity of the ten Tribes, is just sixty five yeers.

Isaiah 7:9

Of Ephraim] namely, of the ten Tribes, whereof Ephraim was chiefe If ye will not beleeve] the Italian, Doe ye not beleeve it? the prophet reproveth the people because of their incredulitie Ye shall not] the Italian, it is because you are not certain of it; by some signe of the truth, or by Gods promise.

Isaiah 7:10

Spake again] namely, 〈…〉y Isa. ah.

Isaiah 7:11

Thy God] to whom thou makest a shew of being servant unto, as indeed thou oughtest truly to be, seeing thou art King over his people Or in the height] that is to say, on earth, or in heaven.

Isaiah 7:12

I will not ask] this did not proceed from any abundance or strength of saith, against which two vertues may be comitted, the sinne of tempting God; but it did proceed from hypocrisie, wherewith he covered the vain contempt of Gods promises, to which he gave no faith, nor did not desire to be confirmed in them.

Isaiah 7:13

Men] namely, with your tyrannies and unjust dealings, and especially the prophets with your persecutions My God] namely, by the refusall and contempt of his grace when it is profered you, see Psal. 78. 40. and 95. 10 Isa, 63: 10.

Isaiah 7:14

Therefore] seeing thou wilt desire none, the Lord shall give thee one of his own proper motion A signe] Christs birth was not the proper signe of this present deliverance, for that is set down, v. 16. But because that God would give a little childe for assurance of this deliverance, the Prophet upon this occasion saith, that another childe, that is to say, Christ, should be the cause and signe of eternall salvation; upon which are also grounded all the temporall deliverances of the Church, Isaiah 8:10. and besides he sets downe an infallible argument of the preservation of the Jewish nation, being that it was in a manner great with childe with Christ, and with Gods promises in him, Revel. 12. 2. and therefore could not perish before Christ were come into the world according to the prophecie, Genesis 49:10. A virgin] namely, the blessed Virgin, mother of the Lord Jesus, according to Gods first promise, Genesis 3:15. see Mich. 5. 3. Shall conceive] not by the work or operation of man, but after an unspeakable manner by the power of the holy Ghost, Luke 1:45. Shalt call] the Italian, thou shalt call; the propertie of the holy language sheweth that this speech is directed to the holy Virgin, as Luke 1:31. not onely because the women did ordinarily use to name the children, Genesis 4. 1, 25. and 16. 11. and 29. 32. and 30. 6, 8. 1 Samuel 4:21. but also to shew that she had good reason so to doe, being a mother without any father Immanuel] that is to say, God with us: not because Christ made any use of this name, but because the substance of the signification of it was in him, he being true God and true man, he having dwelt with men in the flesh, John 1:14. and remaining amongst them for ever in grace, spirit, power, and glory; and finally, he being the onely tye and conjunction of God with men.

Isaiah 7:15

Shall be eat] that is to say though he must be born miraculously, and not after the manner of other men, yet shall he be true man, as it shall appeare by the food he shall take, which shall be like to that of other children and by the properties belonging to a very man, growing in stature and knowledge, Luke 2:52.

Isaiah 7:16

For] that is to say, O Ahaz, I have set thee downe this argument, and foundation of eternall salvation; because there is some similitude between that signe, and the signe which God will presently give thee, of the present temporall deliverance, for they are either of them litle children, tender and growing up in yeeres Before] this is the proper signe of this present deliverance, as Isaiah 8:4. The child] namely, Shearjashub, the sonne of Isaiah whom he had brought with him to Ahaz, v. 3. see Isaiah 8:18. and likely he was at that time but very young; and according to this signe, these Kings dyed few yeeres after, 2 King. 15. 30. and 16. 9 The Land] namely, the Land of Syria and Israel which are thine open and rofessed enemies, shall lose their two Kings Shall be forsaken] see such another manner of speech, Isaiah 17:9.

Isaiah 7:17

The Lord] the prophecie of the evils which God would bring upon Ahaz, by meanes of the Assyrians, whom he called to assist him, but all in vaine, for they did contrariwise bring him into great distresse, 2 Cor. 28. 20, 22. and from thenceforth did alwaies infest the Land of Judea.

Isaiah 7:18

Shall hisse] that is to say, he shall cause Armies to come in, which shall be like Flies and Bees in number, Deuteronomy 1:44. Psal. 118. 12. from Egypt and Assyria, which Kingdomes warring often one against another, did lay waste the Land of Judea. Which lay between them, and did oftentimes take part with one against the other, see 2 King. 18. 21. & 33 29, 33, 34. & 24. 7 Jeremiah 37:5. Of the Rivers] namely, divere branches and channels of the River Nilus.

Isaiah 7:19

Desolate valleys] amongst the hills and valleys in the Land of Judea, spoiled, and made desolate, by the precedent warres.

Isaiah 7:20

Shave] that is to say, shall spoile, and destroy, see 5. 1 That is hired] this hath a reference to that which Ahaz did, when he hired the King of Assyria with a great sum of money to come and ayd him, 2 King. 16. 7, 8. which Assyrians did ever after afflict Judea. The River] namely, Euphrates. Of the feet] of the lower parts of the body, both great and small.

Isaiah 7:21

And it shall come to passe] a figurative comfort for the remainder of the Church, by a promise that Gods grace and blessing should not faile it, in these publique calamities, and desolations.

Isaiah 7:23

Every place] that is to say, fat and fruitfull places, shall be made Wildernesses, and Wildernesses shall become fruitfull, v. 25. that is to say, God shall spare, and helpe the weake and lowly, and shall destroy the great and mighty ones, see Jeremiah 39:10.

Isaiah 7:24

With A〈…〉] to h〈…〉 wilde 〈◊〉, which shall flie thither for refuge as into a Co〈…〉y overgrowne with woods and bushes.