Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: 11 Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God; let it be deep as Sheol, or high as the sky! 12 But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the Lord!” 13 Then he said: Listen, house of David! Is it not enough that you weary human beings? Must you also weary my God? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel. 15 Curds and honey he will eat so that he may learn to reject evil and choose good; 16 for before the child learns to reject evil and choose good, the land of those two kings whom you dread shall be deserted.
Isaiah 7:10–16 is a prophetic passage where Isaiah speaks to King Ahaz of Judah during a time of political and spiritual crisis. This passage contains the famous prophecy of the virgin bearing a son, which Christians have traditionally understood as a reference to the coming of Christ.
Ahaz is described in 2 Kings 16 and 2 Chronicles 28 as a faithless king of the Southern Kingdom (ca. 735-715 BC) who adopted idolatrous practices and refused to trust in God, preferring instead to rely on foreign alliances for security. God, in his patience and desire for Ahaz to trust Him, invites Ahaz to ask for a sign to confirm His promise of deliverance from the political threats posed by Syria (Aram) and Israel, the Northern Kingdom, (cf. 2 Kings 16:5) which were conspiring against Judah. The depth (“Sheol”) and height (“the sky”) indicate the limitless scope of God’s power. Ahaz’s refusal to ask for a sign was not an act of holiness, despite his apparent reference to Deuteronomy 6:16, which warns against testing God. Instead, it was a manifestation of his disobedience and lack of trust in God. By rejecting the divine invitation, Ahaz masked his faithlessness with a façade of piety, as he preferred to rely on political alliances rather than place his confidence in God's promises.
Isaiah shifts the focus from Ahaz as an individual to the broader "house of David," invoking the covenant God made with David, which promised a lasting dynasty (2 Samuel 7:12–16). Ahaz’s refusal to trust God and his rejection of divine guidance and assurance placed the Davidic line’s role in jeopardy, though God’s ultimate plan to bring forth the Messiah would not be thwarted. Isaiah accuses Ahaz of exhausting the patience of his people and advisors through his lack of faith. By referring to God as “my God,” Isaiah underscores his own personal relationship with the Lord while distancing Ahaz from God due to his disobedience and unbelief.
Since Ahaz refused to ask for a sign (v. 12), God takes the initiative to provide one, demonstrating His faithfulness to His promises, regardless of human faithfulness. The sign affirms God’s commitment to protect Judah from its enemies, despite Ahaz’s lack of trust.
The Hebrew word almah refers to a young woman of marriageable age, without explicitly specifying virginity. However, in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures), almah is translated as parthenos, which means "virgin." This translation profoundly influenced the Christian understanding of this prophecy as a prediction of the virgin birth of Christ (cf. Mt. 1:23). From the Christian perspective, “the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son” points forward to Mary’s virginal conception of Jesus, as described in the Gospels (cf. Luke 1:31–35), fulfilling this prophecy in its ultimate sense.
The name Emmanuel, meaning "God is with us," emphasizes God’s presence with His people, offering reassurance of His protection and faithfulness. In Christ, God’s presence is realized fully, as His Incarnation is not merely a symbolic sign but the actual embodiment of God dwelling among His people (cf. Col. 2:9).
The reference to “curds and honey” suggests that the child’s birth and early years will occur during a time of hardship for Judah, likely due to the devastation caused by foreign invasions and a lack of cultivated crops (cf. Isaiah 7:22). The child’s moral development—his ability to “refuse evil and choose good”—marks a timeline for the prophecy’s fulfillment. While this initially points to a child born in Isaiah’s time, its ultimate fulfillment is in Jesus Christ, who perfectly discerns and chooses God’s will (cf. Hebrews 4:15).
Isaiah further predicts that the kingdoms whose alliance threatened Judah—Syria (Aram) and Israel (the Northern Kingdom)—will be defeated before the child reaches an age of moral discernment. This was historically fulfilled within a few years: Syria was defeated by Assyria in 732 BC, and Israel fell shortly thereafter (cf. 2 Kings 15:30; 16:9). This immediate fulfillment underscores God’s control over history and foreshadows the ultimate fulfillment of the prophecy in Christ.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the promise of Emmanuel, Your abiding presence with us. Strengthen our faith to trust in Your guidance and promises, even in times of uncertainty. May we always rejoice in the fulfillment of this prophecy through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen!
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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