Isaiah 7:4
in Isaiah 7and say to him: Calm down and be quiet. Do not be afraid or disheartened over these two smoldering stubs of firewood—over the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither let thy heart be faint, because of these two tails of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
KJV
And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
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This verse in Isaiah 7
Commentary
10 notes on this verseThe Syriac omits וארם vearam, “and Syria;” the Vulgate reads מלך ארם melech aram, “king of Syria:” one or the other seems to be the true reading. I prefer the former: or, instead of וארם ובן vearam uben, read ופקח בן vepekach ben, and pekah son, MS.
This site's exposition
Go out with your son Shear-jashub
on Isaiah 7:3-6
The Lord sends Isaiah to meet Ahaz "at the end of the aqueduct," likely where the king was inspecting Jerusalem's water against a siege. Shear-jashub, whose name means a remnant shall return, is a sign walking beside his father: judgment is coming, and it will not be total.
This site's exposition
these two smoldering stubs of firewood
Rezin and Pekah look like a blaze to Ahaz, and Isaiah calls them the smoking ends of two sticks. Barnes explains the figure as fuel almost spent and harmless. The same verse names Pekah only as the son of Remaliah, which Barnes reads as contempt.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 3, 4 and following) And the Lord said to Isaiah: Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-Jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Fuller's Field. And say to him: Take heed, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah.
The Medieval Church1 voice
And you shall say to him. Here he sets out the promise: and first, he sets out strengthening; second, the reason for strengthening: of the two tails of these firebrands; third, the condemnation of the unbelieving, where it says, if you will not believe, you …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Nay, they are but tails of smoking firebrands, in a manner burnt out already; their force is spent; they have consumed themselves with the heat of their own anger; you may put your foot on them, and tread them out." The two kingdoms of Syria and Israel were now near expiring.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
And say unto him, take heed, and be quiet,....
The confirmation of this by a sign which God gave to Ahaz, when he refused to ask one, referring to Christ, and our redemption by him,
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Take heed, &c.--that is, See that thou be quiet (not seeking Assyrian aid in a fit of panic). tails--mere ends of firebrands, almost consumed themselves (about soon to fall before the Assyrians, Isa 7:8), therefore harmless. smoking--as about to go out; not blazing. son of Remaliah--Pekah, a usurper (2Ki 15:25).
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Take heed - Hebrew ‘Keep thyself;’ that is, from fear. Neither be fainthearted - Hebrew, ‘Let not thy heart be tender;’ that is, let it not be easily moved; be strong, fearless. For the tails ... - There is much beauty and force in this comparison. The “design” of Isaiah is to diminish the fear of Ahaz. Instead, therefore, of calling them “firebrands” - burning and setting on fire everything in their way - he calls them the “tails, that is, the ends,” or remains of firebrand - almost consumed themselves, and harmless. And instead of saying that they were “burning and blazing,” he says that they were merely “smoking” - the half-burned, decaying remains of what might have been once formidable. The prophet also is just about to announce their approaching destruction by the Assyrians; see Isa 7:8. He, therefore, speaks of them as already almost extinguished, and incapable of doing extensive injury. Son of Remaliah - Pekah, Isa 7:1. ‘It is by way of contempt that the king of Israel is not called by his own name. The Hebrews and Arabians, when they wish to speak reproachfully of anyone, omit his proper name and call him merely the son of this or that, especially when his father is but little known or respected. So Saul names David, in contempt, the son of Jesse; 1Sa 20:27, 1Sa 20:31.’ - “Hengstenberg.”
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ | veamarta | and you will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵ֠לָיו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הִשָּׁמֵ֨ר | hishamer | take care | H8104 → | 468 times |
| וְהַשְׁקֵ֜ט | vehashket | and show quietness | H8252 → | 41 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תִּירָ֗א | tira' | you be afraid | H3372 → | 315 times |
| וּלְבָבְךָ֙ | ulevavekha | and heart your | H3824 → | 252 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| יֵרַ֔ךְ | yerakh | it be weak | H7401 → | |
| מִשְּׁנֵ֨י | mishenei | from [the] two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| זַנְב֧וֹת | zanvot | [the] stumps of | H2180 → | 11 times |
| הָאוּדִ֛ים | haudim | <the> pieces of firewood | H181 → | |
| הָעֲשֵׁנִ֖ים | haashenim | <the> smoking | H6226 → | |
| הָאֵ֑לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| בָּחֳרִי־ | bochori- | by [the] heat of | H2750 → | |
| אַ֛ף | ʾaf | [the] anger of | H639 → | 276 times |
| רְצִ֥ין | retzin | Rezin | H7526 → | 11 times |
| וַאֲרָ֖ם | vaaram | and Aram | H758 → | 143 times |
| וּבֶן־ | uven- | and [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| רְמַלְיָֽהוּ׃ | remalyahu | Remaliah | H7425 → | 13 times |
וְאָמַרְתָּ֣and you will say
veamartaH559 →5305 times
אֵ֠לָיוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
הִשָּׁמֵ֨רtake care
hishamerH8104 →468 times
וְהַשְׁקֵ֜טand show quietness
vehashketH8252 →41 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תִּירָ֗אyou be afraid
tira'H3372 →315 times
וּלְבָבְךָ֙and heart your
ulevavekhaH3824 →252 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
יֵרַ֔ךְit be weak
yerakhH7401 →
מִשְּׁנֵ֨יfrom [the] two
misheneiH8147 →768 times
זַנְב֧וֹת[the] stumps of
zanvotH2180 →11 times
הָאוּדִ֛ים<the> pieces of firewood
haudimH181 →
הָעֲשֵׁנִ֖ים<the> smoking
haashenimH6226 →
הָאֵ֑לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
בָּחֳרִי־by [the] heat of
bochori-H2750 →
אַ֛ף[the] anger of
ʾafH639 →276 times
רְצִ֥יןRezin
retzinH7526 →11 times
וַאֲרָ֖םand Aram
vaaramH758 →143 times
וּבֶן־and [the] son of
uven-H1121 →4930 times
רְמַלְיָֽהוּ׃Remaliah
remalyahuH7425 →13 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 30:15For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “By repentance and rest you would be saved; your strength would lie in quiet confidence—but you were not willing.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 26:3–4
You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You.
- Isaiah 32:17
The work of righteousness will be peace; the service of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever.
- Isaiah 26:3–4
Through
Lamentations 3:26It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
it leads to
- Psalms 37:7
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men prosper in their ways, when they carry out wicked schemes.
- Psalms 37:34
Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will raise you up to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
- Psalms 130:5
I wait for the LORD; my soul does wait, and in His word I put my hope.
- Psalms 37:7
Through
Matthew 24:6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.
it leads to
- Mark 13:7–8
When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.
- Luke 21:9
When you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be alarmed. These things must happen first, but the end is not imminent.”
- Mark 13:7–8
Through
Isaiah 35:4Say to those with anxious hearts: “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With divine retribution He will come to save you.”
it leads to
- James 5:7–9
Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains.
- James 5:7–9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies13
On this verse
About Isaiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.