Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign:This phrase indicates divine intervention and assurance. In the context of
Isaiah 7, King Ahaz of Judah is facing the threat of invasion from Israel and Syria. Despite Ahaz's reluctance to ask for a sign, God offers one to demonstrate His sovereignty and faithfulness. This sign is not just for Ahaz but for the house of David, emphasizing God's commitment to His covenant with David's lineage.
Behold, the virgin will be with child:
The term "virgin" is significant, traditionally understood as a young woman of marriageable age. In the New Testament,Matthew 1:23 cites this prophecy, applying it to the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, highlighting the miraculous nature of His conception. This aligns with the Christian belief in the incarnation, where Jesus is both fully God and fully man. The Hebrew word "almah" can mean young woman, but the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, uses "parthenos," meaning virgin, reinforcing the miraculous aspect.
and give birth to a son:
The birth of a son signifies the continuation of a lineage and the fulfillment of God's promises. In the immediate context, this could refer to a child born during Isaiah's time, symbolizing hope and God's presence with His people. In the broader biblical narrative, it points to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, whose birth is central to the Christian faith.
and will call Him Immanuel:
"Immanuel" means "God with us," encapsulating the essence of the prophecy. In the historical context, it reassures the people of Judah of God's presence amidst their political turmoil. In the New Testament, this name is directly associated with Jesus, affirming His divine nature and His role as God dwelling among humanity. This concept is foundational to Christian theology, emphasizing God's intimate involvement in human history and His redemptive plan.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
IsaiahA major prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah is the author of the book bearing his name. He served as a prophet in Judah during the reigns of several kings, including Ahaz.
2.
AhazKing of Judah during the time of Isaiah's prophecy. He was known for his lack of faith and reliance on foreign alliances rather than trusting in God.
3.
ImmanuelMeaning "God with us," this name signifies the divine presence and is a prophetic reference to Jesus Christ in the New Testament.
4.
VirginThe Hebrew word used here is "almah," which traditionally means a young woman of marriageable age. In Christian theology, this is understood as a prophecy of the virgin birth of Jesus.
5.
JudahThe southern kingdom of Israel, where Isaiah prophesied and where King Ahaz reigned.
Teaching Points
The Significance of ProphecyIsaiah 7:14 is a cornerstone prophecy that points to the miraculous birth of Jesus, affirming the divine plan of salvation through Christ.
God's FaithfulnessDespite Ahaz's lack of faith, God provides a sign of His faithfulness and commitment to His covenant people, reminding us that God's promises are not dependent on human faithfulness.
The Virgin BirthThis doctrine is central to Christian belief, underscoring the divine nature of Jesus and His role as the Savior. It challenges us to trust in God's supernatural work in our lives.
Immanuel - God with UsThe name Immanuel assures us of God's presence in our lives. In times of trouble or doubt, we can find comfort in knowing that God is with us through Jesus Christ.
Trust in God's PromisesLike Ahaz, we face situations where our faith is tested.
Isaiah 7:14 encourages us to trust in God's promises and His timing, even when circumstances seem daunting.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Isaiah 7:14?
2.How does Isaiah 7:14 foreshadow the birth of Jesus Christ in Matthew 1:23?
3.What is the significance of the name "Immanuel" in Isaiah 7:14 for believers?
4.How can Isaiah 7:14 strengthen your faith in God's promises today?
5.How does Isaiah 7:14 connect to the prophecy in Micah 5:2?
6.How can you apply the message of Isaiah 7:14 in your daily life?
7.How does Isaiah 7:14 predict the virgin birth of Jesus?
8.Is the "virgin" in Isaiah 7:14 a mistranslation of "young woman"?
9.How do historical contexts influence the interpretation of Isaiah 7:14?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Isaiah 7?
11.Is the Hebrew word in Isaiah 7:14 more accurately translated as “young woman” rather than “virgin,” and how does this affect the prophecy?
12.Does prophecy have a dual or double fulfillment?
13.What distinguishes "prophecy" from "prophesy"?
14.How does Isaiah 7:14 align with scientific understanding of conception, especially if it implies a virgin birth?What Does Isaiah 7:14 Mean
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign• God takes the initiative with King Ahaz, who is wavering under threat from Syria and Israel (2 Kings 16:5–7).
• “The Lord Himself” underlines divine authorship; the sign does not arise from human ingenuity (Isaiah 37:30 shows a similar God-given sign).
• Scripture often pairs a sign with assurance of deliverance—think of Gideon asking, “Show me a sign that it is You” (Judges 6:17). Here, even Ahaz’s reluctance cannot cancel God’s gracious promise.
Behold, the virgin will be with child• “Behold” invites Judah—and us—to pause and marvel.
• The virgin conceiving marks a supernatural event, fulfilled literally in Mary (Matthew 1:22-23;Luke 1:26-35).
• This moment echoes the earliest gospel promise: a woman’s seed would crush the serpent (Genesis 3:15).
• God works in what seems impossible, so that the glory is unmistakably His (Romans 4:17-21).
and give birth to a son• The gender is specified: a son. Isaiah later amplifies this: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given” (Isaiah 9:6).
• Mary “gave birth to her firstborn Son” (Luke 2:7). The incarnation places the eternal Word in human flesh (John 1:14).
• The Son carries royal and redemptive significance—He is the heir to David’s throne and the Lamb who takes away sin (Psalm 2:7;John 1:29).
and will call Him Immanuel• Immanuel means “God with us.” Matthew applies the name directly to Jesus (Matthew 1:23), affirming His deity.
• God’s presence, once housed in tabernacle and temple, now dwells in a Person (Colossians 2:9).
• The promise stretches to the end of the age: “Surely I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20) and culminates in, “the dwelling place of God is with man” (Revelation 21:3).
• Isaiah himself repeats the reassurance a chapter later—“God is with us” (Isaiah 8:10)—showing the title’s ongoing comfort for the faithful remnant.
summaryIsaiah 7:14 announces a divine sign rooted in history yet reaching its full brilliance in the birth of Jesus. The Lord personally gives the sign; a virgin conceives; a Son is born; He bears the title Immanuel. The verse assures Judah then—and believers now—that God keeps His promises, intervenes supernaturally, and comes to dwell with His people in the person of His Son.
(14)
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son . . .--Better,
behold, the young woman,or perhaps the
bride, shall conceive.The first noun has the definite article in the Hebrew, and the word, though commonly used of the unmarried, strictly speaking denotes rather one who has arrived at marriageable age. "Bride," in the old English and German sense of the word as applied to one who is about to become a wife, or is still a young wife, will, perhaps, best express its relation to the two Hebrew words which respectively and distinctively are used for "virgin" and for "wife." In
Psalm 68:26, the Authorised Version gives "damsels." The mysterious prophecy which was thus delivered to Ahaz has been very differently interpreted.
Verse 14. -
Therefore. To show that your perversity cannot change God's designs, which will be accomplished, whether you hear or whether you forbear.
The Lord himself;
i.e. "the Lord himself, of his own free will, unasked."
Will give you a sign. "Signs" were of various kinds. They might be actual miracles performed to attest a Divine commission (
Exodus 4:3-9); or judgments of God, significative of his power and justice (
Exodus 10:2); or memorials of something in the past (
Exodus 13:9, 16); or pledges of something still future. Signs of this last-mentioned kind might be miracles (
Judges 6:36-40;
2 Kings 20:8-11), or prophetic announcements (
Exodus 3:12;
1 Samuel 2:34;
2 Kings 19:29). These last would only have the effect of signs on those who witnessed their accomplishment.
Behold. "A forewarning of a great event" (Cheyne).
A virgin shall conceive. It is questioned whether the word translated "virgin," viz. '
almah, has necessarily that meaning; but it is admitted that the meaning is borne out by every other place in which the word occurs m the Old Testament (
Genesis 24:43;
Exodus 2:8;
Psalm 68:25;
Proverbs 30:19;
Song of Solomon 1:3;
Song of Solomon 6:8). The LXX., writing two centuries before the birth of Christ, translate by
παρθένος. The rendering "virgin" has the support of the best modern Hebraists, as Lowth, Gesenins, Ewald, Delitzsch, Kay. It is observed with reason that unless '
almah is translated "virgin," there is no announcement made worthy of the grand prelude: "The Lord himself shall give you a sign - Behold!" The Hebrew, however, has not "a virgin," but "the virgin" (and so the Septuagint,
ἡ παρθένος), which points to some special virgin, pro-eminent above all others.
And shall call; better than the marginal rendering,
thou shalt call. It was regarded as the privilege of a mother to determine her child's name (
Genesis 4:25;
Genesis 16:11;
Genesis 29:32-35;
Genesis 30:6-13, 18-21, 24;
Genesis 35:18, etc.), although formally the father gave it (
Genesis 16:15;
2 Samuel 12:24;
Luke 1:62, 83).
Immanuel. Translated for us by St. Matthew (
Matthew 1:23) as "God with us" (
μεθ ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός). (Comp.
Isaiah 8:8, 10.)
Isaiah 7:15Verse 15. -Butter and honey shall he eat. His fare shall be of the simplest kind (comp. ver. 22).That he may know; rather,till he shall know (Rosenmüller);i.e. till he come to years of discretion. (The rendering of the Revisers of 1885, "when he knoweth," is less satisfactory.)- Note on the general purport of the Immanuel prophecy. Few prophecies have been the subject of so much controversy, or called forth such a variety of exegesis, as this prophecy of Immanuel. Rosenmüller gives a list of twenty-eight authors who have written dissertations upon it, and himself adds a twenty-ninth. Yet the subject is far from being exhausted. It is still asked:
(1) Were the mother and son persons belonging to the time of Isaiah himself, and if so, what persons? Or, . . .
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Therefore
לָ֠כֵן(lā·ḵên)
Adverb
Strong's 3651:So -- thus
the Lord
אֲדֹנָ֥י(’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136:The Lord
Himself
ה֛וּא(hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931:He, self, the same, this, that, as, are
will give
יִתֵּ֨ן(yit·tên)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414:To give, put, set
you a sign:
א֑וֹת(’ō·wṯ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 226:A signal, as a, flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence
Behold,
הִנֵּ֣ה(hin·nêh)
Interjection
Strong's 2009:Lo! behold!
the virgin
הָעַלְמָ֗ה(hā·‘al·māh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5959:A young woman, a virgin
will be with child
הָרָה֙(hā·rāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 2030:Pregnant
and will give birth
וְיֹלֶ֣דֶת(wə·yō·le·ḏeṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 3205:To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage
to a son,
בֵּ֔ן(bên)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1121:A son
and she will call
וְקָרָ֥את(wə·qā·rāṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7121:To call, proclaim, read
Him
שְׁמ֖וֹ(šə·mōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8034:A name
Immanuel.
אֵֽל׃(’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6005:Immanuel -- 'with us is God', the name of a child
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OT Prophets: Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you (Isa Isi Is)
