Verse

Isaiah 7:5

ESV Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying,
NIV Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah's son have plotted your ruin, saying,
NASB Because Aram, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has planned evil against you, saying,
CSB For Aram, along with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has plotted harm against you. They say,
NLT Yes, the kings of Syria and Israel are plotting against him, saying,
KJV Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,

What does Isaiah 7:5 mean?

The Lord is telling Isaiah to give a specific message to King Ahaz of Judah at a scary moment in his life (Isaiah 7:3). Two kings have allied to bring Ahaz down and put someone else on his throne (Isaiah 7:5–6). The armies of Israel and Syria caused destruction to tens of thousands of people in outer Judah (2 Chronicles 28), and now they are coming to put Jerusalem under siege.

Despite these terrifying circumstances, the Lord's message for Ahaz is simple: do not be afraid (Isaiah 7:4). He doesn't want the king's heart to flutter in fear. And he is giving the king instruction to not be foolish because of the frightening scenario. The two kings are full of anger and have planned evil against him, but they a merely a smoldering fire that will soon go out.

It may be that the kings and their armies would soon be called away to defend their homes from the Assyrians. Or perhaps God has something else planned for them. The king of Judah cannot know, but the message is clear: God wants Ahaz to trust Him and to relax instead of acting in desperation.
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