Isaiah 7:16 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The land that thou abhorrest, &c.— Distressed shall be that land, whose two kings thou art afraid of, or distressed by. The learned Vitringa seems to have proved beyond any doubt, not only the propriety of the interpretation given above, but also that the child spoken of in this verse, can be no other than he who is spoken of in the preceding verses. The connecting particle for, and the repetition of the words, refusing the evil and choosing the good, evidently demonstrate that the IMMANUEL is here meant; and, in order to enter into the immediate design of the prophet, we are to consider, that rapt, as it were, into future times, Isaiah proposes the Immanuel, a sign of salvation to the people of God, as if present; Behold, a virgin conceives—as if he understood him at this time conceived in the womb of the virgin, and shortly to be born; which is the only key to the right interpretation of this passage: and he says, that more time shall not elapse from his birth to his capability of discerning between good and evil, than from the present time to the desertion of the land of the two kings. If it be asked what interval of time is here implied:—the fourth verse of the next chapter seems to supply us with an answer: Before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father and my mother; which we learn from the event denotes a space somewhat less than three years. See Vitringa on the place, and his Observations, lib. 5: cap. 11. Dr. Kennicott differs from Vitringa, and, after some other celebrated writers, conceives that in this and the two foregoing verses we halve a two-fold prophesy; the former part referring to the Messiah, the latter to the son of Isaiah; and he would translate and paraphrase it thus: Isaiah 7:14. 'Nevertheless, the Lord himself will give to you a sign: God is mindful of his promise to your father, O house of David, and will fulfil the same in a wonderful manner: Behold, the virgin,—that one only woman who was to conceive whilst a virgin, shall conceive, and bear a son; who shall be called—that is to say, in Scripture language, who shall be, IMMANUEL "God with us." But this great personage, this God visible among men, introduced into the world thus in a manner which is without example, shall yet be truly man. He shall be born an infant, and as an infant shall he be brought up; For, Isaiah 7:15 butter and honey [rather, milk and honey,] shall he eat: He shall be fed with the common food of infants, which in the East was milk mixed with honey,—till he shall grow up to know how to refuse the evil, and choose the good.' Here then we find a comprehensive description of the Messiah: his divinity is marked by his being God; his residence upon earth as being God with us; and his humanity by his being born of a woman, and fed with the usual food of infants during his infant state. Now the 16th verse I conceive contains the second prophesy, which should be thus rendered; 'But before this child [pointing to his own son] shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that THOU abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.' Now that this verse contains a distinct prophesy appears from hence; First, the words preceding have been proved to be confined to the Messiah, whose birth was then distant above seven hundred years; whereas the words here are confined to some child who was not to arrive at years of discretion before the kings then advancing against Jerusalem should be themselves cut off. Secondly, Some end was undoubtedly to be answered by the presence of Isaiah's son, whom God commanded the prophet to take with him on this visit to Ahaz; and yet no use at all appears to have been made of this son, unless he be referred to in this sentence: And Thirdly, These prophesies are manifestly distinguished by being addressed to different persons. The first, plural, and addressed to the house of David, for the consolation of the pious in general; as it assured them not only of the preservation of that house, but of God's fidelity to his great promise: whereas the second prophesy is singular, and therefore addressed to the king in particular, as it foretold the speedy destruction of the two kings, his enemies. See Kennicott's Sermon on the text.