Isaiah 7:16

"He shall eat butter and honey when he knows to refuse the evil and choose the good."

Key Reflection

In first-century Israel, eating butter and honey was often associated with a time of prosperity and blessing, as these were staples in times of plenty. The prophecy in Isaiah 7:16 suggests that those who have learned to discern between good and evil will enjoy a life of abundance and blessing, contrasting sharply with the looming threat of judgment on the wicked described earlier in the chapter.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

The land that thou abhorrest -The land concerning which thou art so much “alarmed or distressed;” that is, the united land of Syria and Ephraim. It is mentioned here as ‘the land,’ or as one land, because they were united then in a firm alliance, so as to constitute, in fact, or for the purposes of invasion and conquest, one people or nation. The phrase, ‘which thou abhorrest,’ means properly, which thou loathest, the primary idea of the word -קוץqûts- being to feel a nausea, or to vomit. It then means to fear, or to feel alarm; and this, probably, is the meaning here. Abaz, however, evidently looked upon the nations of Syria and Samaria with disgust, as well as with alarm.

Related Verses

More from Isaiah 7

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