Isaiah 7:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In expressing that the onslaught from adversaries arises not from their own might but rather through God's allowance, the prophet states... These, he conveys, are their schemes; yet it is the divine will that dismantles all such plans. He then proceeds to declare, ‘But the Lord God speaks thus’ (This is what the Lord says), and does not conclude there. He includes ‘hosts’ to emphasize that when God intends to proclaim something significant, He calls attention to His immeasurable strength, His sovereign reign, and His wondrous and glorious authority.

The son of Aramel and the son of Romelius devised malevolent plans against you, saying, "Let us ascend into Judah, and after engaging with them, let us lead them astray, and install the son of Taveil as their ruler.” However, the Lord of hosts declares that this counsel shall not prevail and will not come to fruition. The Lord does not permit Ahaz to dismiss the reports of the deceitful schemes aimed at him, yet He also ensures that Ahaz is not overpowered by dread. Instead, after affirming the reality of the conspiracies orchestrated by the two kings, He assures him of support, transforming him so that he may become steadfast in faith and not succumb to idolatrous worship or the deceptions of false prophets, who speak many things of their own making but fail to convey the truth.

However, regarding the deceitful plans of this son of Aramel and the son of Romelius, the Lord declares, “The purpose of God is steadfast and eternal, while the schemes of those who resist the truth will ultimately fail and be crushed.”

The center of Aram is Damascus, which is also the chief city of Syria. Likewise, the principal city of Ephraim is Samaria; however, within sixty-five years, the kingdom of Ephraim will be left desolate, signifying that the people of Ephraim will be taken captive by the Assyrians.

The schemes devised by the united adversaries of the king of Judah and his realm will not come to fruition. This constitutes the latter portion of the message found within these three verses, while the earlier segment clarifies the nature of their schemes - the plans of the son of Aramel, also known as Rezin, king of Syria, and the son of Romelius, identified as Pekah, king of Israel. The Lord spoke to Ahaz, revealing that these kings conspired wickedly against him - in a gathering, they sought to execute their malevolent intentions towards Ahaz - saying, "Let us go up against Judah, and having consulted with them, let us turn him back to our will." This reflects their hope to negotiate with the people of Judah, persuading them to betray their rightful king and join their cause.