2 Nephi 17 – Commentary

Differences with the King James Version of Isaiah 7

And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, and (“and” KJV uses “that“) Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up towards Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

The rest is the same.

Commentary

• Ahaz is the King of Judah
• Rezim is the King of Syria (Iram)
• Pekah is the King of Isreal

Layman’s terms – In the days of King Ahaz – King Rezin and King Pekah took war against King Ahaz, as King Ahaz was the leader of Jerusalem.

King Ahaz was a wicked king who did not follow after the ways of his righteous father. ^{[source – https://www.gotquestions.org/King-Ahaz.html]}

The Northern Kingdom of Israel is sometimes referred to as Ephraim, named after the son of Joseph of Egypt to whom the the birthright was given (see Genesis 48:17-20; 1 Chronicles 5:1–2).^{[source 4 page 15]}

Syria and Israel are joining up with many other smaller kingdoms with the hope of creating a united front against the King of Assyria. They wanted to force Judah into this alliance but could not prevail over the forces of King Ahaz.^{[source 1]}

The name Shearjashub has the Hebrew meaning of “A Remnant shall Return”.

The Lord commanded Isaiah to take Shear-Jashub with him to meet King Azaz at the upper pool because the boy was to become a living symbol to the Jews and to the Israelites that a remnant would return to their land and their God. ^{[source 2 page 71]}

The term fire-brands is a reference to Samson in the Book of Judges.

A firebrand was a stick of firewood and could be used in a unique way to destroy the crops and vineyards of an enemy. To use them, foxes would be taken, have some sort of stick of wood tied to their tails, and then sent to run through the fields of the enemies starting fires as they fled. The phrase ‘two tails of these smoking firebrands’ refers to both Pekah and Rezin as being “foxes” or destroyers, and that the firebrands are not flaming fires, but are just smoking, suggests that their fire (or their strength) has been extinguished. ^{[source 4 page 15]}

Syria and Isreal (Ephraim) wish to install a puppet king.

The fact that the name of the puppet king is not given – only the “son of Tabeal” shows disdain for that person and literally means the “Not Good” son. ^{[source 1]}

Isaiah is telling King Rezin that this attempt by his enemies shall fail.

Damascus is the capital city of Syria led by King Rezin. Within 65 years, it shall be broken up. 2 Kings 16:9 records the fulfillment of this prophecy.^{[source 2 page 72]}

The capitol city of Israel (Ephraim) is Samaria led by King Pekah.^{[source 2 page 72]}

In 721 BC, King Sargon II carried away the people of Israel fulfilling the second part of the prophecy. ^{[source 2 page 72]}

Finally, King Ahaz is being told that if he does not believe the prophecies, his kingship will not last.

Isaiah is offering for King Ahaz to ask God for a sign or a miracle. But King Ahaz refuses. Not written here is the belief that Isaiah has not been giving prophesies to King Ahaz because Isaiah has been constrained not to do so because of the unbelief of King Ahaz.^{[source 1]} In verse 13, Isaiah is rebuking him for his refusal.

Verse 14 seems to cause contentions among scholars. Some proclaim that the Hebrew word “Almah” simply means young woman, not virgin. Avriham Gileadi proclaims that this prophesy has nothing to do with the prophecy of the birth of Christ. It is instead referring to the birth of Hezekiah.^{[source 1]}

While some teachers will say that this verse is about Hezakiah, I and the other LDS authors that I reference do not agree.

The first logical thought is to believe that Isaiah is jumping ahead over 700 years to the birth of Jesus Christ. And, well, this verse is indeed fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ, Mary being the virgin as the motherly child.

Matthew also proclaimed the virgin to be Mary and that this prophesy referred to the birth of Christ.

Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

But there is more to this verse in Isaiah than just the birth of Jesus. In fact, this verse apparently has two fulfillments. The first fulfillment happened during the life of Isaiah and King Ahaz. This fulfillment being the birth of Isaiah’s child Maher-shalal-hash-baz. However, this first fulfilment was more symbolic, less complete than that of the birth of Jesus Christ.

The first thing which must be addressed in describing the fulfillment is the term translated as Virgin, that being the Hebrew word “almah”.

The authors of Understanding Isaiah make the following statement about “almah”: The term virgin describes both, one who is physically untouched and one who is pure and undefiled by the world. Isaiah’s wife was a virgin in the latter sense, and Mary, Jesus’ mother, was a virgin in both senses. The Hebrew word ‘almah’ does indeed mean virgin.^{[source 2 page 75]}

The next issue which must be addressed are two other statements in following verses which require and demonstrate an initial fulfillment during the days of Isaiah and King Ahaz.

16 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.

and from the next chapter:

Moreover, the word of the Lord said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man’s pen concerning Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

2 And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.

3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived and bear a son. Then said the Lord to me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

Isaiah with the help of record keepers writes the name the that the child shall be called and records that he went unto his wife the prophetess and she concieved.

The name Maher-shalal-hash-baz is interpreted as “to speed, spoil, hasten, plunder” referencing what is going to happen to Israel and Judah in the near future. Because of the prophetic name, it could be said “Immanuel” or “God is with us”. And thus the prophesy is fulfilled.

However, the second fulfilment is the true fulfillment. For Jesus would be born of a full virgin – a virgin by all definitions. And Jesus, being the son of the eternal father literally now becomes “God With Us”. And because he was “God With Us”, he was able to heal the sick and the maimed, forgive sins, give us a new law, atone for our sins as the sinless unspotted lamb, rise from the dead, and unlock the gates of death to all mankind enabling the resurrection.

Butter and Honey represent nomadic living.^{[source 1]}

The prophecy of destruction by Assyria against the two kings (King Rezim of Syria and King Pekah of Israel) was fulfilled while Maher-shalal-hash-baz was still under 8 years old. ^{[source 2 page 76]}

These three verses are all prophecies of the destruction that will come upon King Ahaz and the land of Judah. The term hiss for the fly and for the bee refer to the land being swarmed by the Assyrians. Flies can carry plagues with them – bees attack. ^{[source 5 page 189]}

Beards were a sign of dignity in ancient Israel. Shaving is what is done to captives and slaves in humiliation. The Lord will hire the Assyrians to do this to Israel and Judah. ^{[source 6 page 20]}

The number of animals and the number of people will be small; nevertheless, the animals will be adequate for them. But in general, they will be living in a wasteland.

As the lands were previously cultivated, they now longer shall be but will become hunting grounds instead. And the animals will use those lands for grazing.

Commentary Sources

1. The website Isaiah Explained – by Avriham Gileadi.
2. The book Understanding Isaiah by Donald and Jay Parry, and Tina Peterson published by Deseret Book Company, 1998.
3. The book Annotated Edition – The Book of Mormon published by David R. Hocking and Rod Meldrum, 2018.
4. The book The Book of Isaiah – Annotated Edition eBook published by David R. Hocking, 2020.
5. Verse by Verse – The Book of Mormon by D. Kelly Ogden and Andrew C. Skinner, published by Deseret Book Company, 2011.
6. Isaiah Made Easier by David J Ridges, Second Edition, published by Cedar Fort, Inc., 2009.
7. Commentary of the Book of Mormon – writings from George Reynolds and Janne Sjodahl.
8. My own understanding.

Isaiah Explained

This video file was downloaded from the website at Isaiah Explained – Avraham Gileadi. He has a very detailed commentary to this chapter.

The website Isaiah Explained has this type of detailed description for all chapters of Isaiah.

Commentary from George Reynolds and Janne M. Sjodahl taken from Commentary on the Book of Mormon published in 1955:

VERSE 1. Jerusalem Threatened. Isaiah was an historian as well as a prophet. Here he records the fact that two kings, Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, king of Israel, formed an alliance against Ahaz, king of Judah, for the purpose of in vading Jerusalem.

VERSE 2. His Heart was Moved. The rumor of their movements caused a panic in Jerusalem. In the graphic language of the prophet, the hearts of the king and the people were ” moved, ” swaying back and forth, as trees in the wind.

VERSE 6. A Breach Therein for Us. Isaiah reveals to Ahaz that the plot of the two kings was nothing to be afraid of, for more than one reason. The first was this, that it was merely a personal scheme, by which they hoped to benefit themselves. It was ” for us.”

VERSE 8. The Head of Syria. Is Resin.

VERSE 9. The Head of Ephraim. Is Pekah, the son of Remaliah. Neither had the nation they governed with them in this selfish enterprise. In fact, there was no Syria, no Ephraim; only two smoking firebrands ( v. 4 ), who assumed an authority to speak for those nations which they did not have. The Prophet was commissioned to tell Ahaz that the Lord had decided that their plot would not succeed. ( v. 7 ) That was another reason why he need not fear.

VERSE 11. Ask Thee a Sign. The Prophet was commissioned to offer Ahaz some miraculous evidence of the truth of this message.

VERSE 12. I Will Not Ask. Ahaz refused to accept this gracious offer, on the alleged ground that he was afraid of offending the Lord. Perhaps he had al ready made some arrangement with the Assyrians.

VERSE 14. The Sign. Isaiah, then, declared that the Lord would, nevertheless, give him a sign: Behold, a virgin – a young wife, possibly the wife of the Prophet – would become the mother of a son, whom she would call Immanuel, meaning, “God is with us.”

VERSE 16. The Land That Thou Abhorrest. Syria and the land of Ephraim. Both would be overrun by the Assyrians before the child would be old enough to discern between evil and good. This prophecy was literally fulfilled in the days of Ahaz, but it had another fulfilment in the person of our Lord. According to Matthew ( 1: 20-24 ), Joseph, when thinking of leaving Mary secretly, without causing a public scandal, had a dream, in which an angel appeared to him and explained that he had no cause against Mary. The evangelist adds that, all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet, saying: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel.” A most notable instance of the double application of a prophetic utterance!

VERSE 17. The King of Assyria. The Prophet, in this and the following verses, predicts trouble over Judah. Ahaz felt it when Tiglath – Pileser, the Assyrian king exacted a heavy tribute without rendering any service. ( 2 Chron. 28: 19-21 )

VERSES 18-20. Egypt and Assyria. The attack of Syria and Ephraim on Judah gave Tiglath – Pileser a welcome opportunity to plan the conquest of Egypt, which was also attempted by Shalmaneser, Sargon and Sennacherib. During the reign of Sennacherib the Assyrians came as bees over Judah, the ally of Egypt, and ( in 614 B.C. ) the Egyptians attacked Judah.

VERSES 21-22. A Young Cow and Two Sheep. The country would be re duced to almost a desert, in which the remaining inhabitants would depend on a few animals for a living. Comp. v. 15.

VERSE 23. Silverlings. Pieces of silver, used as a medium of exchange.

VERSES 24-25. With Arrows and Bows. The land would be so desolate that even where there once were well tended vineyards, there were ” briers and thorns, ” and it would be necessary to go armed on account of the wild animals. In once expensive vineyards oxen and cattle would graze.