Isaiah 7:16

Isaiah 7:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings.

Context of Isaiah 7:16

14For this reason the sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign. Look, this young woman is about to conceive and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him Immanuel. 15He will eat sour milk and honey, which will help him know how to reject evil and choose what is right. Here is why this will be so: Before the child knows how to reject evil and choose what is right, the land whose two kings you fear will be desolate. 17The Lord will bring on you, your people, and your father’s family a time unlike any since Ephraim departed from Judah – the king of Assyria!” 18At that time the Lord will whistle for flies from the distant streams of Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.

Isaiah 7:16 word by word

כִּ֠י בְּטֶ֨רֶם יֵדַ֥ע הַנַּ֛עַר מָאֹ֥ס בָּרָ֖ע וּבָחֹ֣ר בַּטּ֑וֹב תֵּעָזֵ֤ב הָאֲדָמָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתָּ֣ה קָ֔ץ מִפְּנֵ֖י שְׁנֵ֥י מְלָכֶֽיהָ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For before the childנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
• shall knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• to refuseמָאַסmâ'as · to rejectH3988
• the evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
• and chooseבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977
• the goodטוֹבţôb · goodH2896
• the landאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
• that thou abhorrestקוּץqûts · to loatheH6973
• shall beפָּנֶהpânîym · face ofH6440
• forsakenעָזַב‛âzab · to leave: forsakeH5800
• of bothשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• her kingsמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428

Cross-references for Isaiah 7:16

• Deuteronomy 1:39Also, your infants, who you thought would die on the way, and your children, who as yet do not know good from bad, will go there; I will give them the land and they will possess it.
• Jonah 4:11Should I not be even more concerned about Nineveh, this enormous city? There are more than one hundred twenty thousand people in it who do not know right from wrong, as well as many animals!”
• Isaiah 8:4for before the child knows how to cry out, ‘My father’ or ‘My mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.”
• Isaiah 9:11Then the Lord provoked their adversaries to attack them, he stirred up their enemies –
• Isaiah 17:1Here is a message about Damascus: “Look, Damascus is no longer a city, it is a heap of ruins!
• 2 Kings 15:29During Pekah’s reign over Israel, King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, including all the territory of Naphtali. He deported the people to Assyria.
• 2 Kings 16:9The king of Assyria responded favorably to his request; he attacked Damascus and captured it. He deported the people to Kir and executed Rezin.

Commentaries on Isaiah 7:16

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16The land that thou abhorrest - The land concerning which thou art so much “alarmed or distressed;” that is, the united land of Syria and Ephraim. It is mentioned here as the land,‘ or as one land, because they were united then in a firm alliance, so as to constitute, in fact, or for the purposes of invasion and conquest, one people or nation. The phrase, which thou abhorrest,‘ means properly, which thou loathest, the primary idea of the word - קוץ qûts…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-16Verses 10-16 Secret disaffection to God is often disguised with the colour of respect to him; and those who are resolved that they will not trust God, yet pretend they will not tempt him. The prophet reproved Ahaz and his court, for the little value they had for Divine revelation. Nothing is more grievous to God than distrust, but the unbelief of man shall not make the promise of God of no effect; the Lord himself shall give a sign. How great soever your…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-16By the time He knows enough: The crisis with the alliance of Syria and Israel against Judah occurred in 734 BC. By 732 BC, Damascus, the capital of Syria, was destroyed. Israel, the northern kingdom, was also defeated. to reject evil and choose good: This was to happen by age 12, when a child was considered an adult. In 722 BC, Israel went into exile. He will be eating curds and honey: The land would lose so many people that food would become easy to…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. For--The deliverance implied in the name "Immanuel," and the cessation of distress as to food (Is 7:14, 15), shall last only till the child grows to know good and evil; for ... the land that ... abhorrest ... forsaken of ... kings--rather, desolate shall be the land, before whose two kings thou art alarmed [Hengstenberg and Gesenius]. the land--namely, Syria and Samaria regarded as one (2Ki 16:9; 15:30), just two years after this prophecy, as it…Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 7:16

• Ahaz
• Isaiah
• Jesus Continued
• Pekah
• Syria

In the dictionaries

• Ahaz
• Confederate
• Fainthearted
• Hoshea
• Pekah
• Abhor
• Alliance
• Choose; Chosen
• Commentaries
• Damascus

Commentaries on Isaiah 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings