Come, Follow Me 2024: (a) January 29-February 4, 1 Nephi 16-22; (b) February 19–25, 2 Nephi 6–10; (c) February 26–March 3, 2 Nephi 11–19; (d) March 4–10, 2 Nephi 20–25.
In my prior post, “Understanding Isaiah, Part 1,” I gave a few big-picture thoughts on some strategies to understand Isaiah. In this post, I will give a verse-by-verse discussion on one Isaiah chapter. The purpose of this is simply to demonstrate how the points I mentioned in my prior post can help us to understand Isaiah.
There are 66 chapters in Isaiah, and there is much more of the history of Israel that needs to be studied than what I wrote in my prior post. But hopefully, these two posts together can give a pattern for how to study and understand Isaiah.
The story
As I go verse-by-verse, I will be focusing only on what I call the “story.” This is what Isaiah’s people would have heard, or what they would have understood from Isaiah’s teachings. In my prior post, I talked about Isaiah’s “layered prophecies,” and all I will be doing in this post is looking at what I call the “base layer,” or the “story layer.” There may be additional symbolism, or prophecies of future times, that I don’t discuss. I believe that as we take the first step of understanding the meaning as it would have been heard in Isaiah’s time, we open up our minds to the possibilities of much greater meaning.
In our day, the parts of Isaiah that we understand the best are the prophesies of the Savior. That makes sense, because now in hindsight, we can clearly see their meaning. But we also have quite a bit of help. How many of us have heard Handle’s Messiah? The website for the Tabernacle Choire at Temple Square shows each movement and the corresponding scripture, and by looking at that it is evident that the great majority of the Messiah comes from Isaiah.1 The most famous is “Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace,” from Isaiah 9:6.
But what about Isaiah’s people, who lived in the 8th Century BC? They might not have understood it as we do. How did they understand it? As we consider Isaiah’s day, the circumstances of his time, and the troubles his people faced, we can understand the “story” of Isaiah.
2 Nephi 17 / Isaiah 7
The verses are taken from the Book of Mormon in 2 Nephi 17, and are quoted with their verse numbers in bold. My explanation is in normal font underneath each verse.
1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.
This refers to the division between the northern Kingdom of Israel, and the southern Kingdom of Judah. Jerusalem was the capital city of Judah. Ahaz was the king of the Kingdom of Judah, and Pekah was the king of the northern Kingdom of Israel. Ahaz’s reign started around 734 B.C.2 Syria was not part of Israel, but was a country north of Israel, with Rezin as its king. So in this verse, we are told that the Kingdom of Israel and Syria joined together to go to war against the Kingdom of Judah.
2 And it was told the house of David, saying: Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.
David was from the tribe of Judah,3 so the “house of David” is another reference to the Kingdom of Judah. In this context, “Ephraim” refers to the Kingdom of Israel, as the tribe of Ephraim was the instigator for the separation of the tribes, and Ephraim acted as the head of the Kingdom of Israel.4 The Kingdom of Judah learned that Syria had joined with (or was “confederate” with) the Kingdom of Israel. By saying “his heart was moved,” Isaiah is saying that the people of Judah were afraid of the threat from Syria and Israel.
3 Then said the Lord unto Isaiah: Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field;
Isaiah, as the Lord’s prophet, was commanded to speak with Ahaz, King of Judah. This mentions that Isaiah was supposed to take his son, Shearjashub. Isaiah seems so mysterious that these words sound like they’re supposed to be symbolic for something. That could be, but Shearjashub is believed to be a real person, and Isaiah’s actual son.5
The “conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field” would have been a well-known location for Isaiah’s people. Water is vital for human survival. With our modern engineering capabilities, we may take for granted that we have access to water in our homes. But ancient civilizations had a much more difficult time accessing good water. Jerusalem was developed upon a natural water source now called the Gihon Spring.6 The “upper pool” mentioned by Isaiah would have been near the Gihon Spring. The ancient inhabitants had to cut channels in the rock to direct the water.7
For the purposes of this post, the location and intricate understanding of the location is not important. It is sufficient to say this was an important geographical feature, known to Isaiah’s people. It provided the life-sustaining water for the city. Could it be that there was symbolism in the Lord wanting Ahaz to meet Isaiah at this place? Is the reference to this spring an indication that what Isaiah would be providing was as vital to the survival of the city as its water?
4 And say unto him: Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be faint-hearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
From verse 1, we learned that Syria and Israel had joined together to war against Judah. So the “two tails of these smoking firebrands” refers to Israel and Syria. Isaiah was telling Ahaz not to worry about the “fierce anger” of those two nations. “Rezin” was the king of Syria, so the reference to him is simply a reference to Syria. And the “son of Remaliah” is Pekah, who was the king of Israel.
5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying:
Again, this refers to Syria’s and Israel’s alliance (or “confederacy”) against Judah. The reference to “Ephraim” is the Kingdom of Israel. The “son of Remaliah” is Pekah, the king of Israel. Why would he reference “Ephraim” and “the son of Remaliah”? Frankly, I have no idea. Is it simply poetic? Does it reference the entire kingdom’s “evil counsel” separately from the king’s personal feelings? I don’t know. But the big picture here is simply that Isaiah is advising Ahaz about how to respond to the threat of war from Syria and Israel (or Ephraim).
6 Let us go up against Judah and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, yea, the son of Tabeal.
Syria and Israel are the ones saying “let us go up against Judah.” It explains why they wanted to wage war against Judah: they wanted to set up a puppet king.
Syria and Israel were faced with the threat of Assyria. Because they were north of Judah, they had more to fear, as Assyria would reach them first. But that is overly simplistic. Assyria did not just immediately invade. It had made threats and demanded tributes from nations, and only when nations rebelled did Assyria decide to invade. In 2 Kings 15:19, we read about Assyria demanding tribute from Israel: “And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.” Menahem was the king of Israel beginning in approximately 772 BC.8 So long before Isaiah began warning about the Assyrian invasion, Israel was paying tribute to Assyria. (It should be noted that Samaria is identified as the capital of Israel. See 2 Kings 15:17, that point is relevant for later verses).
The kings of Israel and Syria complied and paid the tribute for a time, but then they rebelled and determined to fight against Assyria. They wanted Judah to join them in their fight, so when Ahaz refused, they wanted to place a puppet king over Judah. I don’t know who the “son of Tabeal” is, but that is apparently the person that they wanted to place as king over Judah.
7 Thus saith the Lord God: It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.
This is fairly simple: Isaiah told Ahaz that the plans of Syria and Israel to invade Judah would not happen.
8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus, Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken that it be not a people.
The city of Damascus was the capital of Syria, and Rezin was the king of Syria. Isaiah prophesied that within 65 years, Ephram, or the Kingdom of Israel, would no longer be a kingdom.
9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe surely ye shall not be established.
The city of Samaria was the capital of the Kingdom of Israel, which Isaiah frequently called Ephraim. And the king of Israel was Pekah, Remaliah’s son.
10 Moreover, the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying:
This is clear: Isaiah had more to say to Ahaz.
11 Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depths, or in the heights above.
Isaiah invited Ahaz to ask God for a sign. This is fascinating to me, as we are frequently told not to ask for signs. But Ahaz was a wicked man, and he had no interest in Isaiah’s counsel.9 There are many reasons that could potentially explain why Ahaz was invited to ask for a sign, but we see in the next verse that he had no interest in even that.
12 But Ahaz said: I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.
Ahaz stated that he would not tempt the Lord, but he was wicked, and likely had no interest in Isaiah’s warnings.
13 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?
Isaiah is still speaking to King Ahaz. When he refers to the “house of David,” he is talking to the Kingdom of Judah. Ahaz was the king of Judah, so Isaiah’s message to him was much more than one person talking with another. This was the Lord’s prophet speaking to the king as a representative of the whole kingdom.
14 Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign—Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
In this verse, we see an example of a layered prophecy. This is most definitely a prophecy of the miraculous birth of the Savior, but it also refers to an event in Isaiah’s day. Isaiah had invited Ahaz to ask for a sign that Judah would be saved from Syria and Israel, and when Ahaz would not ask, the Lord said he would give a sign. So in a layered prophecy, Isaiah said that the sign would be the birth of a child named Immanuel. In this layered prophecy, we see one statement prophesying of two separate events: (a) the first in Isaiah’s day, when the kingdom of Judah would be saved from the threat of Syria and Israel, and (b) the second is when the Son of God would condescend to be born on earth to save his people from sin and death. Isaiah’s prophecies of the Savior fit within the framework of the teachings to his people.
15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil and to choose the good.
This briefly describes the child of Isaiah’s prophecy growing until he has the capacity to know good from evil.
16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
The sign given to Ahaz was that this child to be born would grow, and even before this child knew the difference between good and evil, Syria and Israel would be destroyed.
17 The Lord shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father’s house, days that have not come from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah, the king of Assyria.
The tragedy that would come upon the land would be Assyria, It would be a terrible time that has not been known since the day that the kingdom of Israel split into the northern and southern kingdoms.
18 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
The Book of Mormon contains a principle that helps us understand this: “But, behold, the judgments of God will overtake the wicked; and it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished; for it is the wicked that stir up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed.”10 Did the Lord inspire Assyria to invade Israel? Was it God who later had Egypt come into the Holy Land and cause destruction in Jerusalem?
Another Isaiah verse demonstrates that it is not really God who inspires the wicked to violence: “What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it? Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes it brought forth wild grapes. And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard—I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and I will break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down; And I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.”11
It may be a subtle difference, but I do not believe that God inspires the wicked to do violence. Instead, he removes his protection when his people turn away from him. In other words, when people say they don’t want God in their lives, he complies with their desires. And so, as Mormon taught, the wicked then are effectively unrestrained.
The geography of the Holy Land is significant. Israel is a highway between major civilizations: Egypt on the south, and all the other middle-eastern nations to the north and east.12
This map (see the reference in note 11), shows that Israel was caught in a very challenging position. Because of the Red Sea and the Syrian Desert, Israel was the only overland route between the riches of Egypt and the other major nations of that area, such as Assyria, Babylon, and Persia.
As we talk about the history of Israel and its foreign conquerors, it seems to us that these nations would often target Israel, or that Israel itself was the objective. But in the context of history, Israel was really just in the way. It was the route to get from one large kingdom to another, and so when kingdoms like Syria, Israel/Ephraim, or Judah didn’t cooperate with those major powers, they were punished. And without God’s protection, they couldn’t withstand the military might of those foreign powers.
19 And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.
The foreign powers would come and swarm the land.
20 In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet; and it shall also consume the beard.
In the above map, you can see the Jordan River. The reference to “beyond the river” is the kingdom of Assyria who would come upon the land, and would strip it as cleanly as someone who is shaving a person’s head, feet, and beard.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, a man shall nourish a young cow and two sheep;
22 And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk they shall give he shall eat butter; for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.
These two verses make more sense when considered together. “In that day” is when the Assyrian nation comes and takes away the people of Ephraim. Assyria did not take everyone from the land when they invaded, so there were some left. But there would be so few people left that they would be able to partake of the abundance of the land. It’s a scene of tragedy and loneliness. The people remaining might have the abundance of the land, but they have nobody to share it with.
23 And it shall come to pass in that day, every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, which shall be for briers and thorns.
24 With arrows and with bows shall men come thither, because all the land shall become briers and thorns.
These are also best considered together. We are still talking about “in that day” when Assyria invades. A “silverling” is a unit of money, and so the “thousand vines” for a “thousand silverlings” likely refers to expensive vineyards, or agricultural lands that are very productive. But after the Assyrian invasion, they will be neglected and will grow nothing but briers and thorns. And with all the military and warring men who come with their bows and arrows, the land will be uninhabited, allowing briers and thorns to grow everywhere.
25 And all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns; but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and the treading of lesser cattle.
A mattock is an agricultural tool for loosening the ground. Because of all the people who have been taken, agricultural ground will be left vacant, and will instead be used for the grazing of cattle.
Another example
This chapter demonstrates how studying the places and kings mentioned by Isaiah can help us understand Isaiah’s words in the context of his history. There is one other verse from Isaiah that is perhaps my favorite. It is a reference to the Savior that doesn’t even mention his name:
2 Nephi 19:1 (Isaiah 9:1) Nevertheless, the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, and afterwards did more grievously afflict by the way of the Red Sea beyond Jordan in Galilee of the nations.
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
The reference to the “land of” Zebulun and Naphtali requires us to look at the inheritances of the tribes, as shown on Bible map 3, showing the division of the 12 tribes:13
Zebulun and Naphtali are in the north, and so were the first part of Israel to be invaded by Assyria. They were the first to feel the tragedy and darkness of that war, which would have included many of them being taken away by Assyria.
Zebulun and Naphtali are in Galilee. The city of Nazareth, where the Savior grew up, was located in Zebulun. Although when we think about the Holy Land we often think about Jerusalem, Jesus spent the majority of his life in Galilee. His disciples were Galileans, and most of his mortal ministry occurred in Galilee. in referring to Zebulun and Naphtali, Isaiah is prophesying of the Savior’s life and mission.
These areas that were the first to experience such darkness during the Assyrian invasion, were the first to experience the light when the Son of God came to walk the earth. It’s a beautiful prophecy, and it can be filled with meaning for us. No matter what darkness we face, or how terrible things are, the Savior will always be there to bring his light.
Conclusion
I love reading Isaiah. So much of it is like a puzzle for me. By reading about the places, the people, the events, I find the story in Isaiah. And when I can understand the story, it helps me to relate to it.
The story of the scattering of Israel, then its gathering millennia later, are told by Isaiah with symbolism and layered prophecy. The Lord did not forget his people, and he will gather them. And so it is with us. No matter where we are, or how far we may feel from him, he will always seek to gather us. He keeps his promises, no matter whether it’s over thousands of years, or within the context of our lives.
References
- “George Frideric Handel: Messiah Oratorio Libretto with Scripture Links,” https://www.thetabernaclechoir.org/messiah/libretto-with-scripture-links.html?lang=eng#. ↩︎
- “Chronology of the Old Testament,” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bible-chron/old-testament?lang=eng&id=p209#p209. See also Bible Dictionary, “Ahaz,” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/ahaz?lang=eng&id=title1#title1. ↩︎
- Guide to the Scriptures, “David,” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/gs/david?lang=eng&id=title1#title1. ↩︎
- Bible Dictionary, “Ephraim,” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/ephraim?lang=eng&id=title1#title1; “Israel, Kingdom of,” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/israel-kingdom-of?lang=eng&id=title1#title1. ↩︎
- “The Establishment of Zion (Isaiah 1-12),” from Old Testament Student Manual Kings-Malachi, 144, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/old-testament-student-manual-kings-malachi/chapter-13?lang=eng&id=title42#title42. ↩︎
- “Water Works: The reliable water source provided by Gihon Spring was important to Jerusalem’s early development,” National Geographic website, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/water-works/. ↩︎
- Arthur Chrysler, “The Upper Pool,” Biblical Archaeology Truth, http://www.biblicalarchaeologytruth.com/the-upper-pool.html#. ↩︎
- Chronology of the Old Testament, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bible-chron/old-testament?lang=eng&id=p185#p185. ↩︎
- 2 Kings 16:1-4. ↩︎
- Mormon 4:5. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 15:4-6 / Isaiah 5. ↩︎
- Goodman, Patrick. “Neo-Assyrian Empire c. 912 – 612 BCE.” World History Encyclopedia. Last modified March 05, 2021. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/13557/neo-assyrian-empire-c-912—612-bce/. ↩︎
- Bible Maps, “3. The Division of the 12 Tribes,” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bible-maps/map-3?lang=eng. ↩︎