Isaiah 7:2
King James Version (KJV)
And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.
Translations
Isaiah 7:2 - Amplified Bible
And the house of David [Judah] was told, Syria is allied with Ephraim [Israel]. And the heart [of Ahaz] and the hearts of his people trembled {and} shook, as the trees of the forest tremble {and} shake with the wind.
Isaiah 7:2 - American Standard Version
And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind.
Isaiah 7:2 - Bible in Basic English
And word came to the family of David that Aram had put up its tents in Ephraim. And the king's heart, and the hearts of his people, were moved, like the trees of the wood shaking in the wind.
Isaiah 7:2 - Darby Bible
And it was told the house of David saying, Syria is allied with Ephraim. Then his heart and the heart of his people shook, as the trees of the forest are shaken with the wind.
Isaiah 7:2 - English Standard Version
When the house of David was told, "Syria is in league with and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.
Isaiah 7:2 - King James Version
And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.
Isaiah 7:2 - La Biblia de las Americas
Y se dio aviso a la casa de David, diciendo: Los arameos han acampado en Efraìn. Y se estremeciò el corazòn del rey y el corazòn de su pueblo como se estremecen los árboles del bosque ante el viento.
Isaiah 7:2 - The Message
Isaiah 7:2 - New American Standard Bible
When it was reported to the house of David, saying, "The Arameans have camped in Ephraim," his heart and the hearts of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake with the wind.
Isaiah 7:2 - Nueva Biblia Latinoamericana de Hoy
Cuando se dio este aviso a la casa de David: "Los Arameos han acampado en Efraìn," se estremeciò el corazòn del rey y el corazòn de su pueblo como se estremecen los árboles del bosque ante el viento.
Isaiah 7:2 - World English Bible
It was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. His heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind.
Isaiah 7:2 - Young's Living Translation
And it is declared to the house of David, saying, `Aram hath been led towards Ephraim,` And his heart and the heart of his people is moved, like the moving of trees of a forest by the presence of wind.
Isaiah 7:2 - Additional Comments
Ephraim, along with Manasseh, were formed from the family of Joseph, and these were 2 of the 10 tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel. Ephraim had already been occupied by Syria, which was north of Israel, and Syria and Israel had joined forces.
Even though Ahaz and the nation had forsaken God, and were paying for their transgressions, God did not utterly forsake them, since He promised He would not take it away (Psalm 89:30-33).
They had made God their enemy, and did not know how to become reconciled, and therefore their fears weighed heavy on them. They were easily swayed in any direction because of their fears (as trees in the wind are).
Their status is described well in Lev 26:36 - "'And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; the sound of a shaken leaf shall cause them to flee; they shall flee as though fleeing from a sword, and they shall fall when no one pursues."
Those without the foundation that God gives should be afraid. This may even apply to Christians if they are living outside of abiding with Him. If you abide with Him, He will give you the courage to do what He wants.
Story: There was a test conducted by a university where 10 students were placed in a room. Three lines of varying length were drawn on a card. The students were told to raise their hands when the instructor pointed to the longest line. But 9 of the students had been instructed beforehand to raise their hands when the instructor pointed to the second longest line. One student was the stooge. The usual reaction of the stooge was to put his hand up, look around, and realizing he was all alone, pull it back down. This happened 75% of the time, with students from grade school through high school. It takes courage to not fit in, to act on what you know is true.
Story: In the operating room of a large hospital, a young nurse was completing her first full day of responsibilities. "You've only removed 11 sponges, doctor," she said to the surgeon. "We used 12."
"I removed them all," the doctor declared. "We'll close the incision now."
"No," the nurse objected. "We used 12 sponges."
"I'll take full responsibility," the surgeon said grimly. "Suture!"
"You can't do that!" blazed the nurse. "Think of the patient."
The surgeon smiled, lifted his foot, and showed the nurse the 12th sponge. "You'll do," he said.
Ask: Why is this an example of courage?
Ask: Why is this an example of behavior we should emulate?
Ask: Does anyone have an example of something similar that they did or heard about?
It takes courage to do what God asks. For example, in the next few verses we see what God is telling Isaiah to say to Ahaz, who was not obedient to God. It doesn't talk about Isaiah's courage, but it shows it. Isaiah took these tremendously bold words to Ahaz. Note in verse 7 God gives Ahaz something to help alleviate his fears. But, Ahaz would not obey.
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