Isaiah 7:4-6

7:4 Tell him, ‘Make sure you stay calm! ¹  Don’t be afraid! Don’t be intimidated ²  by these two stubs of smoking logs, ³  or by the raging anger of Rezin, Syria, and the son of Remaliah. 7:5 Syria has plotted with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah to bring about your demise. ⁴  7:6 They say, “Let’s attack Judah, terrorize it, and conquer it. ⁵  Then we’ll set up the son of Tabeel as its king.” ⁶ 

¹ tn Heb “guard yourself and be quiet,” but the two verbs should be coordinated.

² tn Heb “and let not your heart be weak”; ASV “neither let thy heart be faint.”

³ sn The derogatory metaphor indicates that the power of Rezin and Pekah is ready to die out.

⁴ tn This sentence opens with the conjunction יַעַן כִּי (ya’an ki, “because”). Consequently some take vv. 5-6 with what precedes, as another reason why Ahaz might be tempted to fear (see v. 4). However, it is more likely that vv. 5-6 give the basis for the Lord’s announcement in vv. 7-9. The conjunction יַעַן כִּי here introduces the basis for judgment (as in 3:16; 8:6; 29:13), which is then followed by the formal announcement of judgment.

⁵ tn Heb “and let us break it open for ourselves”; NASB “make for ourselves a breach in its walls”; NLT “fight our way into.”

⁶ tn Heb “and we will make the son of Tabeel king in its midst.”