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Isaiah 30:7,15
For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strengthis to sit still…

Exodus 14:13,14
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever…

2 Chronicles 20:17
Ye shall notneed to fight in thisbattle: set yourselves, stand yestill, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORDwill be with you.

fear not

Isaiah 8:11-14
For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, …

Isaiah 35:4
Say to themthat are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will comewith vengeance,even Godwith a recompence; he will come and save you.

Isaiah 41:14
Fear not, thou worm Jacob,and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

neither be faint-hearted.

Deuteronomy 20:3
And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;

1 Samuel 17:32
And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

the two tails

Isaiah 7:8
For the head of Syriais Damascus, and the head of Damascusis Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.

Isaiah 8:4
For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.

2 Kings 15:29,30
In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria…

Calm down and be quiet.
Here, God is advising King Ahaz to remain composed and not to act out of fear or panic. The call to calmness and silence suggests trust in God's sovereignty and control over the situation. This echoes other biblical instances where God calls His people to trust Him, such as inPsalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God." It highlights the importance of faith and reliance on God rather than human strategies or alliances.

Do not be afraid or disheartened
Fear and discouragement are natural human responses to threats, but God commands Ahaz to resist these emotions. This directive is consistent with God's frequent encouragement to His people throughout Scripture, such as inJoshua 1:9, where God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous. It underscores the theme of divine assurance and the call to trust in God's protection and promises.

over these two smoldering stubs of firewood—
This metaphor describes the perceived threat from Rezin, king of Aram, and Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel. By referring to them as "smoldering stubs," God diminishes their power and threat, indicating that their plans will not succeed. This imagery suggests that their strength is waning and that they are on the verge of being extinguished, providing reassurance to Ahaz and Judah.

over the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram
Rezin and Aram (Syria) were significant threats to Judah at this time, having formed an alliance with the northern kingdom of Israel. Their anger and aggression were real and intimidating, but God's message through Isaiah is that their fury is ultimately powerless against His will. This reflects the biblical theme that human wrath cannot thwart God's purposes, as seen inPsalm 2:1-4.

and of the son of Remaliah.
Pekah, the son of Remaliah, was the king of Israel who joined forces with Rezin against Judah. His mention here highlights the political alliance against Ahaz. However, by referring to him simply as "the son of Remaliah," the text subtly undermines his authority and significance, emphasizing that he is merely a human leader subject to God's overarching plan. This aligns with the biblical narrative that God raises and deposes kings according to His will, as seen inDaniel 2:21.

• Isaiah is sent to King Ahaz of Judah as Syrian (Aram) forces under Rezin and Israelite forces under Pekah (the “son of Remaliah”) close in on Jerusalem (2 Kings 16:5;2 Chronicles 28:5–6).

• God’s covenant promise to David’s line (2 Samuel 7:16) is at stake; the prophetic word assures that Judah will not be destroyed (Isaiah 7:7).

• The verse sits inside a larger sign-oracle culminating in the virgin-conceived Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14), anchoring hope in God’s presence.

“Calm down and be quiet” (Isaiah 7:4) calls Ahaz to choose faith over panic.

• Similar calls appear inPsalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God,” andIsaiah 30:15, “In repentance and rest you will be saved.”

• The king is told to quiet his inner turmoil and hush his political scheming (cf.2 Kings 16:7–9, where he had already sought Assyria’s help).

• The command affirms that steady trust, not frantic alliances, secures God’s people (Isaiah 26:3).

• Fear is the reflex of unbelief (Deuteronomy 20:3;Matthew 14:31).

• God’s word routinely begins with “Do not fear” when He takes charge (Genesis 15:1;Luke 2:10).

• Here, the reassurance draws on God’s covenant faithfulness: He will shield Jerusalem because His own promises rest on it (Isaiah 37:35).

• “Disheartened” points to emotional collapse.Proverbs 24:10 warns, “If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!”

• God counters despair by lifting eyes to His greater reality (Psalm 27:1–3).

• Ahaz’s sagging spirit must be replaced with confidence in the Lord, whose zeal accomplishes salvation (Isaiah 9:7).

• Rezin and Pekah look fearsome, yet God calls them half-burned sticks—spent, smoking, powerless to reignite.

•Psalm 37:20 portrays the wicked as “like the splendor of the meadows, they will vanish.”

• Within two years both kings are removed: Rezin by Assyria (2 Kings 16:9) and Pekah by assassination (2 Kings 15:30).

• The image teaches believers to assess threats through God’s lens rather than through their apparent heat.

• Human wrath seems overwhelming, yet it cannot override divine sovereignty (Psalm 76:10;Acts 4:27–28).

• By naming the coalition, God shows He knows every detail; nothing escapes His oversight (Isaiah 40:26).

• The prophecy demotes these kings from menacing rulers to mere embers, reinforcing that God alone decides outcomes (Proverbs 21:1).

Isaiah 7:4 is God’s personal call to King Ahaz—and to every believer—to replace panic with trust. The verse dissects fear: still your heart, refuse intimidation, and see hostile powers as burnt-out sticks under God’s control. History confirms the promise: Rezin and Pekah vanished, but the line of David endured, ultimately producing Immanuel, “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14;Matthew 1:23). When threats loom, Scripture invites the same response: calm down, be quiet, and rest in the Lord who keeps His word.

Neither be fainthearted.--Literally,let not thine heart be soft.

For the two tails of these smoking fire brands.--The two powers that Ahaz dreaded were, in the prophet's eyes, but asthe stumps of two smoking torches.Their flame was nearly out. It would soon be extinguished.

The son of Remaliah.--There is a touch of scorn in the omission of the king's name. So men spoke scornfully of Saul as "the son of Kish" (1Samuel 10:11), and Saul himself of David as "the son of Jesse" (1Samuel 20:30). It pointed out the fact that Pekah was after all but an upstart adventurer, who had made his way to the throne by rebellion and murder.