Isaiah 7 22

Isaiah 7:22 kjv

And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.

Isaiah 7:22 nkjv

So it shall be, from the abundance of milk they give, That he will eat curds; For curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land.

Isaiah 7:22 niv

And because of the abundance of the milk they give, there will be curds to eat. All who remain in the land will eat curds and honey.

Isaiah 7:22 esv

and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey.

Isaiah 7:22 nlt

Nevertheless, there will be enough milk for everyone because so few people will be left in the land. They will eat their fill of yogurt and honey.

Isaiah 7 verses

Isaiah 7 22 meaning

Isaiah 7:22 describes the state of Judah after a period of significant devastation caused by war. Despite the apparent abundance of milk for making curds, and the availability of wild honey, this sustenance is a stark indicator of a land reduced to pasture, with farmland desolate and its population severely diminished. The verse portrays a remnant surviving on simple, uncultivated resources, highlighting the profound judgment upon the land and its inhabitants, a direct consequence of their unfaithfulness and reliance on human alliances rather than God. It signifies a primitive and basic mode of survival, contrasting sharply with the previous agricultural prosperity.

Isaiah 7 22 Context

Isaiah 7:22 is set within the larger prophecy to King Ahaz of Judah during the Syro-Ephraimite War (c. 734-732 BC). Judah was threatened by the alliance of King Rezin of Aram (Syria) and King Pekah of Israel (Ephraim), who sought to depose Ahaz. Isaiah brings God's message of reassurance, urging Ahaz to trust in the Lord and not to fear. Ahaz refuses a sign from God, leading Isaiah to prophesy the birth of "Immanuel" (God with us) in verse 14, indicating God's presence, though also a sign of judgment.

The verses immediately preceding verse 22 (Isa 7:21-25) describe the dire consequences that will befall the land and its people within the timeframe of a young child growing up. The agricultural landscape of Judah, known for its fields and vineyards, will be ravaged. What once supported a large, thriving population with cultivated crops (grain, wine, oil) will become overgrown with briars and thorns. The prophecy details a drastic shift from intensive farming to a primitive pastoral existence. Verse 22 specifically illustrates the resulting economy and lifestyle of the few survivors in this devastated, wild landscape.

Isaiah 7 22 Word analysis

• And because of the abundance: This phrase sets up a seemingly paradoxical condition. The "abundance" refers not to a general prosperity, but specifically to the milk yield relative to a significantly reduced population. Fewer people mean fewer mouths to feed from the same number (or slightly reduced number) of dairy animals, making the milk supply abundant for the survivors. It signifies an economy of scarcity in other areas.
• of milk: Hebrew: חָלָב (ḥālāv). A primary source of sustenance. In this context, it shifts from being one part of a varied agricultural diet to a dominant source due to the loss of cultivated crops.
• that they yield: Refers to the cows/livestock that will survive. Their continued presence highlights a shift from tilled fields to pasture land.
• he will eat curds: Hebrew: חֶמְאָה (ḥemʾāh), meaning "curdled milk" or "butter." Here, it points to curds or cheese. This is a basic, easy-to-prepare food derived directly from milk, requiring minimal processing and no agriculture. It signifies a primitive and limited diet.
• for everyone who is left: Hebrew: כֹּל הַנִּשְׁאָר (kol hannišʾār), meaning "all the remnant." This is a crucial element, explicitly pointing to a greatly diminished population. The previous judgments (war, famine) would have reduced the numbers significantly. Only a "remnant" will remain.
• in the midst of the land: Refers to those remaining within the geographical boundaries of Judah. This emphasizes their sparse distribution and isolation in a land transformed from cultivated fields to wild pastures and woodlands.
• will eat curds and honey: This phrase summarizes the new diet. It contrasts starkly with the traditional "land flowing with milk and honey" which promised agricultural prosperity. Here, the "milk and honey" are symbols of survival in a desolate, wild land.

Words-group analysis

• "abundance of milk... eat curds": This phrase-group reveals the fundamental change in Judah's economy. Once sustained by varied agriculture, the land now reverts to pasture. Milk, in its simplest form (curds), becomes a staple, not due to an increase in cattle, but a drastic decrease in human population and arable land. It's an "abundance" born of depopulation, not prosperity.
• "everyone who is left... eat curds and honey": This emphasizes the survival of a small, chosen remnant and their reduced, primal diet. "Left" indicates severe judgment and culling of the population. Their sustenance is from wild resources (honey) and livestock (curds), indicating the abandonment of traditional farming methods like tilling and sowing, due to insecurity and desolation. This signals a collapse of settled agricultural life into a more nomadic or survivalist existence.

Isaiah 7 22 Bonus section

This verse subtly reverses the traditional imagery of a "land flowing with milk and honey" (e.g., Ex 3:8). The original promise was one of immense cultivated fertility, supporting a thriving nation. Here, while "milk and honey" are still present, they signify the opposite: a desolate land returning to wilderness, where only the simplest forms of sustenance—derived from pasture and wild foraging—can be had by a drastically reduced population. It's a land "flowing" with these elements not through agricultural blessing, but through the breakdown of agricultural civilization. This contrast highlights the severity of God's judgment and the consequences of Ahaz's lack of faith, transforming a covenant blessing into a sign of impoverished survival.

Isaiah 7 22 Commentary

Isaiah 7:22 vividly portrays the desolate aftermath of divine judgment upon Judah. What sounds like a positive image of "milk and honey"—traditionally a symbol of the Promised Land's bounty—is inverted here. Instead of abundance born from cultivation, it signifies survival amidst ruin. The "abundance of milk" refers to the sufficiency for a sparse population due to the widespread depopulation from war and its consequences. With farms overgrown with briars (as described in adjacent verses), livestock will graze freely, providing milk for simple curds. Wild honey, gathered from the untamed land, supplements this basic diet. This sustenance reflects a regression from an advanced agricultural society to a more primitive pastoral existence, where people live off what nature and a few animals can provide without intensive labor or large-scale farming. It's a stark image of humble survival for a decimated remnant, serving as a powerful sign of God's disciplinary hand against unfaithfulness.