For before the boy knows enough to reject evil and choose good, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.
Parallel translations
- WEB For before the child knows to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land whose two kings you abhor shall be forsaken.
- KJV For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
- ESV For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted.
- NKJV For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings.
- NASB For before the boy knows enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be abandoned.
- NLT For before the child is that old, the lands of the two kings you fear so much will both be deserted.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Before the child reaches the age of discernment, the two enemy kings threatening Judah will be removed.
Overview
Isaiah assures Ahaz that the alliance of Syria (Rezin) and Israel (Pekah), which he so dreaded, would be broken within a few short years. Assyria did indeed crush both kingdoms soon after. This near-term fulfillment confirmed Isaiah's word and demonstrated that God, not political alliances, controls the rise and fall of nations.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Isa 8:4For before the boy knows how to cry ‘Father’ or ‘Mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.”
- Deut 1:39And the little ones you said would become captives—your children who on that day did not know good from evil—will enter the land that I will give them, and they will possess it.
- Isa 17:1–3This is the burden against Damascus: “Behold, Damascus is no longer a city; it has become a heap of ruins.
- 2 Kgs 15:29–30In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and he took the people as captives to Assyria.
- Hos 5:9Ephraim will be laid waste on the day of rebuke. Among the tribes of Israel I proclaim what is certain.
- Jonah 4:11So should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well?”
- 2 Kgs 16:9So the king of Assyria responded to him, marched up to Damascus, and captured it. He took its people to Kir as captives and put Rezin to death.
- Isa 9:11The LORD has raised up the foes of Rezin against him and joined his enemies together.
- Amos 1:3–5This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Damascus, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they threshed Gilead with sledges of iron.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 7:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.