Isaiah 7 3

Isaiah 7:3 kjv

Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field;

Isaiah 7:3 nkjv

Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller's Field,

Isaiah 7:3 niv

Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer's Field.

Isaiah 7:3 esv

And the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field.

Isaiah 7:3 nlt

Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Take your son Shear-jashub and go out to meet King Ahaz. You will find him at the end of the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed.

Isaiah 7 verses

Isaiah 7 3 meaning

Isaiah 7:3 describes the divine command given to the prophet Isaiah during a critical period in Judah's history. The LORD instructs Isaiah to confront King Ahaz, who is fearful due to a foreign invasion, and to bring along his son, Shear-Jashub. The specific location for this meeting – the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the Washer's Field – emphasizes the strategic and public nature of the message. This meeting is God's initiative to offer King Ahaz a divine promise of protection and a call to trust in Him, rather than forming a political alliance. The presence of Shear-Jashub, whose name means "a remnant shall return," acts as a living prophetic sign of both impending judgment and future hope.

Isaiah 7 3 Context

Isaiah 7 opens during a tumultuous period known as the Syro-Ephraimitic War, around 734-732 BC. King Ahaz of Judah finds himself under siege by a powerful coalition: King Rezin of Aram (Syria) and King Pekah of Israel (Ephraim). Their objective was to depose Ahaz and install a puppet king, the son of Tabeel, to bring Judah into their anti-Assyrian alliance. Ahaz, deeply distressed and fearful, contemplated seeking aid from the formidable Assyrian Empire, a move that would ultimately compromise Judah's independence and worship of the LORD. Isaiah chapter 7, verse 3, marks the divine intervention into this crisis. The LORD, knowing Ahaz's panic and impending unwise decision, commands Isaiah to go meet the king with a message of reassurance and a call to faith. The specific location chosen, critical for Jerusalem's water supply and defense, highlights the immediate, tangible nature of the threat Ahaz faced and where strategic decisions would likely be made.

Isaiah 7 3 Word analysis

• Then the LORD: Signifies divine initiative and a direct, authoritative communication from Yahweh (יהוה, YHWH), the covenant God of Israel. It emphasizes that this instruction is not human but originates from the sovereign God who governs historical events.
• said to Isaiah: Highlights the prophet's role as a messenger, mouthpiece, and direct recipient of God's commands. Isaiah's name, "Yeshayahu" (יְשַׁעְיָהוּ), means "Yahweh is Salvation" or "The LORD saves," making his very name a living sermon about trust in God, contrasting sharply with Ahaz's fear and impending reliance on foreign powers.
• 'Go out to meet Ahaz,': A direct, imperative command, indicating a deliberate, face-to-face confrontation. God sends His prophet not just with words, but to personally engage the king at his point of greatest vulnerability and decision-making. It's an act of divine grace and urgent counsel.
• 'you and your son Shear-Jashub,':
  • you: Isaiah himself is part of the prophetic message, his presence lends authority.
  • and your son: The presence of Isaiah's son turns the encounter into a visual prophecy, a living parable. Children accompanying prophets were not uncommon as prophetic symbols.
  • Shear-Jashub: His name (שְׁאָר יָשׁוּב) literally means "a remnant shall return" or "only a remnant will return." This name carries a double meaning: a warning of judgment (many will be destroyed) but also a promise of hope (God will preserve a faithful remnant, or the people who dispersed will return). At this critical moment, it serves as a sign that while God will protect Jerusalem now if Ahaz trusts Him, persistent unbelief will eventually lead to exile and a future return of only a remnant.
• 'at the end of the conduit of the upper pool,': This describes a very specific, strategically important location in Jerusalem, at the outlet of the Upper Pool (possibly near the Mamilla Pool today, which fed into the Gihon Spring via a conduit). Jerusalem's water supply was vital for survival during a siege. Meeting there emphasizes the military and defensive considerations Ahaz was facing, and perhaps where he was inspecting his city's vulnerabilities. This precise location will later be where the Assyrian Rabshekah addresses the people during Sennacherib's invasion (Is 36:2).
• 'on the highway to the Washer's Field.': This public path, likely outside the city walls but leading to an area used by launderers, underscores the public nature of Ahaz's decisions and God's message. It implies Ahaz might have been out inspecting the city's defenses or water sources. The Washer's Field (possibly symbolizing a place of cleansing or defilement) suggests that this moment is a critical point where Ahaz's choices will "wash" (cleanse) or "soil" (defile) Judah's future.

Isaiah 7 3 Bonus section

The specific command for Isaiah to meet Ahaz at "the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the Washer's Field" indicates that the LORD was acutely aware of Ahaz's movements and anxieties. This implies God often positions His messengers (and messages) precisely where people are struggling with vital decisions. This encounter wasn't just a verbal message; it was a "divine appointment" designed to provide both reassurance and a stark warning, making the invisible choice (trust in God vs. trust in man) manifest. The irony lies in Ahaz, having received such a direct and visually impactful sign through Shear-Jashub, later refusing to ask for a sign from God (Is 7:12), highlighting the depth of his unbelief and unwillingness to genuinely consider God's counsel. The presence of Shear-Jashub underscores the principle that God often uses concrete, tangible means (prophets, their names, actions) to convey abstract spiritual truths.

Isaiah 7 3 Commentary

Isaiah 7:3 is a pivotal moment demonstrating God's proactive engagement with His people even in their fear and impending disobedience. Faced with an existential threat, King Ahaz was preparing to make a decision rooted in fear rather than faith—seeking aid from Assyria, which contradicted God's will. The LORD’s command to Isaiah, "Go out to meet Ahaz," shows divine initiative to offer an immediate alternative to Ahaz's misguided plans. The confrontation takes place at a location of critical strategic importance, the city's water supply, symbolizing the life and death situation Ahaz confronted and underscoring that God's intervention was directly relevant to Ahaz's immediate anxieties. The most dramatic element is the inclusion of Isaiah's son, Shear-Jashub, whose name, "A Remnant Shall Return," functions as a dynamic, living prophecy. It simultaneously carries a message of warning (only a remnant will survive if they persist in rebellion or rely on human strength) and hope (God will preserve a core of His people). This powerful, symbolic act serves to impress upon Ahaz that his present crisis is not outside God's control, and that his trust must be solely in the LORD. Ahaz's choice in this encounter would determine Judah's short-term survival and long-term faithfulness.