Isaiah 7:4
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.
Original Language Analysis
הִשָּׁמֵ֨ר
unto him Take heed
H8104
הִשָּׁמֵ֨ר
unto him Take heed
Strong's:
H8104
Word #:
3 of 20
properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e., guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc
אַל
H408
אַל
Strong's:
H408
Word #:
5 of 20
not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (job 24:25) as a noun, nothing
וּלְבָבְךָ֙
H3824
אַל
H408
אַל
Strong's:
H408
Word #:
8 of 20
not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (job 24:25) as a noun, nothing
יֵרַ֔ךְ
not neither be fainthearted
H7401
יֵרַ֔ךְ
not neither be fainthearted
Strong's:
H7401
Word #:
9 of 20
to soften (intransitively or transitively), used figuratively
אַ֛ף
anger
H639
אַ֛ף
anger
Strong's:
H639
Word #:
16 of 20
properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire
וַאֲרָ֖ם
with Syria
H758
וַאֲרָ֖ם
with Syria
Strong's:
H758
Word #:
18 of 20
aram or syria, and its inhabitants; also the name of the son of shem, a grandson of nahor, and of an israelite
Cross References
Isaiah 35:4Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.Isaiah 30:15For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.Deuteronomy 20:3And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;Lamentations 3:26It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.Zechariah 3:2And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?Matthew 24:6And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.Amos 4:11I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.Isaiah 41:14Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.2 Chronicles 20:17Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.1 Samuel 17:32And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
Historical Context
Despite Syria and Israel's current aggression, both would soon fall to Assyria (Damascus in 732 BC, Samaria in 722 BC). God's perspective saw their imminent demise.
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's view of our threatening 'firebrands' differ from our fearful perspective?
- What does the command for quietness teach about faith's posture amid crisis?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
God's command 'Take heed, and be quiet; fear not' addresses anxiety with faith. The dismissive description of enemies as 'two tails of smoking firebrands' reduces seemingly powerful threats to spent embers—fierce appearance but no lasting heat. This perspective transformation reflects faith seeing reality from God's viewpoint rather than circumstances. The command for quietness (Hebrew 'shaqat'—be calm, rest) anticipates Psalm 46:10 ('Be still and know that I am God').