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Isaiah 7:10-17 ESV

OT

Isaiah 7:10-17

esv

The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask a a sign of the Lord your 1 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” 13 And he 1 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you b weary my God also? 14 Therefore the c Lord himself will give you a sign. d Behold, the e virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name f Immanuel. 1 15 He shall eat g curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 h For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be i deserted. 17 j The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father’s house such days as have not come since the day that k Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria.”

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Notes

Both Discourse analysis and Phrasing have "bubble-notes" on important words. Click the "bubble" to read more.

Main point summary

A few options: 1. The Lord will never forsake His covenant irrespective the unfaithfulness of His people but He will judge their sins. 2. God is faithful to His covenant with David and gave His people a sign to remind them of that. 3. The Lord wants His people to trust Him even if the circumstances look impossible.

Discourse Analysis

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Isaiah 7:10-17

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Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz,

וַיּוֹסֶף יְהוָה דַּבֵּר אֶל־אָחָז לֵאמֹר׃

“Ask a a sign of the Lord your 1 God;

שְׁאַל־לְךָ אוֹת מֵעִם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ הַעְמֵק שְׁאָלָה אוֹ הַגְבֵּהַּ לְמָעְלָה׃

let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.”

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But Ahaz said, “I will not ask,

וַיֹּאמֶר אָחָז לֹא־אֶשְׁאַל וְלֹא־אֲנַסֶּה אֶת־יְהוָה׃

and I will not put the Lord to the test.”

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And he 1 said,

וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁמְעוּ־נָא בֵּית דָּוִד הַמְעַט מִכֶּם הַלְאוֹת אֲנָשִׁים כִּי תַלְאוּ גַּם אֶת־אֱלֹהָי׃

“Hear then, O house of David!

Is it too little for you to weary men,

that you b weary my God also?

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Therefore the c Lord himself will give you a sign.

לָכֵן יִתֵּן אֲדֹנָי הוּא לָכֶם אוֹת הִנֵּה הָעַלְמָה הָרָה וְיֹלֶדֶת בֵּן וְקָרָאת שְׁמוֹ עִמָּנוּ אֵל׃

d Behold, the e virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and shall call his name f Immanuel. 1

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He shall eat g curds and honey

חֶמְאָה וּדְבַשׁ יֹאכֵל לְדַעְתּוֹ מָאוֹס בָּרָע וּבָחוֹר בַּטּוֹב׃

when he knows how to refuse the evil

and choose the good.

progression

h For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil

כִּי בְּטֶרֶם יֵדַע הַנַּעַר מָאֹס בָּרָע וּבָחֹר בַּטּוֹב תֵּעָזֵב הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה קָץ מִפְּנֵי שְׁנֵי מְלָכֶיהָ׃

and choose the good,

the land whose two kings you dread

will be i deserted.

j The Lord will bring upon you

יָבִיא יְהוָה עָלֶיךָ וְעַל־עַמְּךָ וְעַל־בֵּית אָבִיךָ יָמִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא־בָאוּ לְמִיּוֹם סוּר־אֶפְרַיִם מֵעַל יְהוּדָה אֵת מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר׃פ

and upon your people

and upon your father’s house

such days as have not come

since the day that k Ephraim departed from Judah—

ground

the king of Assyria.”

After the Lord spoke to Ahaz through Isaiah, that nothing will happen, and that he should not continue with his plans (coalition with Assyria), he spoke again to give him a sign. The sign is a mark of His covenant faithfulness and salvation to His people. They must repent from their unfaithfulness and trust their covenant keeping God.

The flow of the big idea: a boy will be the sign of salvation and judgement.

Sheol and highest heavens is a metaphor of entire universe.

Ahaz’s reply is quite ironic coming from someone who has no interest in God. He quotes Scripture ( Deut. 6:16 ) like Satan did in the desert to try and deceive the Lord. His so-called piety is hypocritical.

The house of David is a name used for Judah. It reminds them who they are and where they come from. It reminds them of God’s covenant with David and the promised Messiah-King. God is faithful to His covenant promises. This should remind Ahaz that His attempted coalition with the Asyrrian king to save them from the Syrian invasion is counter to their identity. He should trust the covenant God of David.

Isaiah accuse Ahaz of treating God like a human being. Basically Isaiah says, “You are treating God like a human being, thinking you can twist His arm or lie to Him, that He doesn’t see the motives of your heart.”

The word virgin is quite controversial because the Hebrew word (alma) means young woman or marriageable girl. However, context and Scripture must guide us. The same word is used in Genesis 24:43 and Exodus 2:8 where it refers to an unmarried girl (virgin). Matthew 1:23 is today’s commentary on Is. 7:14 showing us that we must read it as a young girl that had no sexual relations before.

How should we interpret Immanuel? Does it only have a future significance? Looking at the text it points to a real boy in Ahaz’s day. Otherwise it would have no significance for them. And reading the whole Bible today, we know this also had a bearing on Christ. Many of the Mesianic Psalms had a similar double meaning. Even the sacrifice of Isaac had a double meaning for then and today. Abraham the Father taking his only son up the mountain to sacrifice him and then the Lord himself provides a lamb.

According to verse 21-22 , curds and honey were food of poverty, not plenty as some suggest. The “sign” would be born into the poverty of his people. This also has a double meaning for then and when Christ was born as the son of a carpenter. Jesus said, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

Before the boy can reach the age of accountability (twelve years) Rezin and Pekah will be defeated. This points most likely to Isaiah’s son and secondarily to Christ.

Ahaz’s unbelieving alliance with Assyria will result judgement for Syria, Israel and Judah.

The kingdom of Rezin was destroyed in 732 BC. Tiglath-pileser reduces the northern kingdom of Pekah in size in 733 BC., and it was totally defeated in 722 BC, about thirteen years after the Immanuel prophecy.

The Lord will bring the king of Assyria ( Tiglath-pileser) upon Judah as result of Ahaz' unbelief.

discourse

Phrasing

Isaiah 7:10-17

The Lord exhorts Ahaz to ask for a sign but he refuses

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz,

Setting

“Ask a sign of the Lord your God;

Instruction

let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.”

Clarification

But Ahaz said, “I will not ask,

Response

and I will not put the Lord to the test.”

Reason

And he said,

“Hear then, O house of David!

Audience

Is it too little for you to weary men,

Reasons

that you weary my God also?

The Lord himself will give Ahaz a sign

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

Anouncement

and shall call his name Immanuel.

Details

He shall eat curds and honey

when he knows how to refuse the evil

and choose the good.

The Lord will judge His people and their enemies for their sin

For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil

Purpose

and choose the good,

the land whose two kings you dread

Outcome

will be deserted.

The Lord will bring upon you

Results

and upon your people

and upon your father’s house

such days as have not come

since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—

the king of Assyria.”

The flow of the big idea: a boy will be the sign of salvation and judgement.

Sheol and highest heavens is a metaphor of entire universe.

Ahaz’s reply is quite ironic coming from someone who has no interest in God. He quotes Scripture ( Deut. 6:16 ) like Satan did in the desert to try and deceive the Lord. His so-called piety is hypocritical.

The house of David is a name used for Judah. It reminds them who they are and where they come from. It reminds them of God’s covenant with David and the promised Messiah-King. God is faithful to His covenant promises. This should remind Ahaz that His attempted coalition with the Asyrrian king to save them from the Syrian invasion is counter to their identity. He should trust the covenant God of David.

Isaiah accuse Ahaz of treating God like a human being. Basically Isaiah says, “You are treating God like a human being, thinking you can twist His arm or lie to Him, that He doesn’t see the motives of your heart.”

The word virgin is quite controversial because the Hebrew word (alma) means young woman or marriageable girl. However, context and Scripture must guide us. The same word is used in Genesis 24:43 and Exodus 2:8 where it refers to an unmarried girl (virgin). Matthew 1:23 is today’s commentary on Is. 7:14 showing us that we must read it as a young girl that had no sexual relations before.

How should we interpret Immanuel? Does it only have a future significance? Looking at the text it points to a real boy in Ahaz’s day. Otherwise it would have no significance for them. And reading the whole Bible today, we know this also had a bearing on Christ. Many of the Mesianic Psalms had a similar double meaning. Even the sacrifice of Isaac had a double meaning for then and today. Abraham the Father taking his only son up the mountain to sacrifice him and then the Lord himself provides a lamb.

According to verse 21-22 , curds and honey were food of poverty, not plenty as some suggest. The “sign” would be born into the poverty of his people. This also has a double meaning for then and when Christ was born as the son of a carpenter. Jesus said, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

Before the boy can reach the age of accountability (twelve years) Rezin and Pekah will be defeated. This points most likely to Isaiah’s son and secondarily to Christ.

Ahaz’s unbelieving alliance with Assyria will result judgement for Syria, Israel and Judah.

The kingdom of Rezin was destroyed in 732 BC. Tiglath-pileser reduces the northern kingdom of Pekah in size in 733 BC., and it was totally defeated in 722 BC, about thirteen years after the Immanuel prophecy.

The Lord will bring the king of Assyria ( Tiglath-pileser) upon Judah as result of Ahaz' unbelief.

phrasing

Introduction Isaiah 7:14 is part of a bigger picture. It is located in a periscope from verse 10-17. This is the boundary of the passage around it that I have chosen after a careful study of chapter 7. These notes will focus on information that influences the interpretation of Isaiah 7:14. Like, thought pattern, structure, historical context, literary context, key words and phrases, and the redemptive historical context of Isaiah. First Observations My initial observations after reading the text a couple of times in different versions. Zoom in to at least 150% to read my notes. The Big Picture of the Book Isaiah is the first major prophetic book. It contains prophecies of Isaiah between 740-680 BC. He spoke for about 20 years to both the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah). He continued to minister to Judah after Israel succumbed to the Assyrians in 722 BC. It is regarded as the “gospel of the Old Testament.” Some scholars call it the 5th gospel. It contains some of the most critical prophecies about Christ, like Isaiah 53, the suffering servant, and Isaiah 7:14, Immanuel, God with us. Isaiah was married and had two sons (Isaiah 7:3 and 8:3). He lived in Jerusalem (Isaiah 7:3; 22:1; 37:2; 38:5; 39:3). The time period of His ministry is covered in 2 Kings 15-21 and 2 Chronicles 26-33. He was a contemporary of the prophets Hosea and Micah. It was about 700 years since Israel entered the promised land. The first 400 years they were ruled by Judges and for 120 years thereafter by Saul, David, and Solomon. Around 917 BC Israel had a civil war and splitted in two kingdoms, Israel (north) and Judah (south) up until Isaiah’s time. Up to Isaiah the northern kingdom had 18 kings, all of them wicked and rebellious. Judah had 11 kings, mixed between good and bad. In Isaiah’s time Israel was caught up in wars between Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon. Isaiah’s ministry began when Assyria was about to overpower Israel. Judah was threatened by surrounding nations, like Syria, Israel and Assyria. The book can be divided into three major units. First, chapter 1-39, when Uzziah, Jotham and Hezekiah was king over Judah. Isaiah saw the rise of Assyria, the fall of Samaria (722 BC) and the ceasing of Jerusalem by Sennacherib (701 BC). The book is also built around three Messianic pictures. The King (chapters 1-37), the Servant (chapters 38-55) and the Anointed Conqueror (chapters 56-66). The three parts of the book form a theological unit on three levels. First, on a historical level we see how God is involved with His people through their ups and downs. He guides them through the Assyrian threat, the Babylonian rule, the trauma of the exile, the deliverance from captivity, and the restoration to Jerusalem. God’s grace is with his sinful people. Second, on a literary level we see a transition from one part of the book to the next. Chapter 1-39 ends with a reference to the Babylonians and chapters 40-55 begins with it. Chapters 56-66 takes the themes of chapters 40-55 and reinterpret them in a Messianic context. Third, on a thematic level we see the holiness of God plays a big role in all three parts (Is. 6:3; 40:5; 60:1-3). In chapters 1-39 the focus is on the judgement of Jerusalem. In chapters 40-55 the focus is on the restoration of Jerusalem. Chapters 55-66 explains the problems in Jerusalem after the return from captivity, but also gives the hope of a new Jerusalem where peace and prosperity will rule. In chapters 1-39 we see several promises of Jerusalem’s restoration (11:12-16). Chapters 40-55 elaborates further on this and 56-66 shows us how it culminates in the new Jerusalem. On a theological level Isaiah explains to us the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile. Chapters 1-39 explains why the exile happened - Judah was unfaithful to God’s covenant. Chapters 40-66 shows that God will make a new beginning with a remnant that already played an important role in chapters 1-39. Outline of the surrounding chapters 1:1-20 Judah will be judged for her wickedness but a remnant will be saved. 1:21-31 Jerusalem became a whore that will be judged but a remnant will be redeemed. 2:1-5 Messianic hope: The promise of a new Jerusalem and a call for Israel to walk in the light 2:6-22 Messianic hope: The Lord will have a day of judgement against all the wickedness of Israel and his enemies and at the end of time. 3:1-4:1 The Lord will judge Judah and Israel for their unfaithfulness through famine, poor leaders, political unrest, rebellion, and oppression. 4:2-6 Messianic hope: On the great day of the Lord he will send His branch to cleanse His people and restore His presence in their midst. 5:1-7 The Lord cared for His people but they became like a fruitless vineyard and now He will remove His care from them. 5:8-30 The Lord is angry with the wicked among His people and will punish them through exile. 6:1-7 Isaiah’s revelation of God’s holiness, his sinfulness and those around him. 6:8-13 Isaiah is called and commissioned by the Lord as a prophet to pronounce judgement over His people. 7:1-9 Isaiah is sent to king Ahaz to encourage him amidst the Syrian-Israel threat and to trust the Lord and not to rely on his own plans. 7:10-17 The Lord gave Ahaz a sign of His covenant faithfulness and salvation irrespective his refusal to take it. 8:1-10 The sign of Isaiah 7:14 was born and Judah will be judged because of their refusal to listen to the Lord. 8:11-22 A call to fear the Lord and listen to His prophet and not to listen to the mediums. 9:1-7 Messianic hope: The Lord will restore His people through a boy that will become the King of Israel 9:8-10:4 Judah and Israel did not return to the Lord and their arrogance and pride will be judged through the surrounding nations. Boundaries of the text There are a couple of reasons why I selected verses 10-17 as the boundary for this pericope. Firstly, there is a change in subject that begins at verse 10. Verse 1-9 deals with the Syrian-Isreal plot and the Lord's conversation with Ahaz through Isaiah about it. The Lord exhorts Ahaz to trust Him that nothing will happen. Verse 10 begins with the Lord speaking again with Ahaz, but now exhorts Him to ask for a sign of His faithfulness to the house David - covenant faithfulness - “nothing will happen.” Verse 10-17 then deals with the conversation between the Lord and Ahaz about the sign of Immanuel. Verse 17 is also a transition verse between the first and second part of this chapter. Some translations set the boundary at verse 16 and others at verse 17. Verse 17 connects with both passages (1-16 and 18-25). First, verse 17 is a continuation of the Lord's judgement upon Judah because of their unfaithfulness. In verse 13, 14 and 17, the Lord addresses Ahaz in the first person (you). This is continued in verse 17 with “upon you and upon your people.” But we also see in verse 17 the term, "the day," which is repeated four times hereafter as "in that day." This chapter can therefore be broken up into three parts: 1) vv. 1-9, 10-17 and 18-25. Key Verse(s) of the Passage The key verse of this pericope (vv. 10-17) is verse 14 that deals with the sign of Immanuel. God is faithful to His covenant with David irrespective of the failure of king Ahaz. The sign of His covenant faithfulness is a boy, called Immanuel, who will be born to a “virgin.” The word Immanuel means “God with us.” This is both a sign of God’s grace and judgement. Exegetical Outline Title: The Lord gave Ahaz a sign of His presence with His people 1. The Lord exhorts Ahaz to ask for a sign but he refuses (vv. 10-13) 2. The Lord himself will give Ahaz a sign (vv. 14-15) 3. The Lord will judge His people and their enemies for their sin (vv. 16-17) Big Idea A few options: 1. The Lord will never forsake His covenant irrespective the unfaithfulness of His people but He will judge their sins. 2. God is faithful to His covenant with David and gave His people a sign to remind them of that. 3. The Lord wants His people to trust Him even if the circumstances look impossible. Literary Historical Context Role Players: Ahaz king of Judah. Rezin king of Syria and Pekah king of Israel When: In the days of Ahaz. The time of this chapter was around 735 BC. Ahaz was probably one of the worst kings of Judah, worshiping other gods and even sacrificing his own son to Molech (1 Kings 16:1-4). One good thing is that he was the father of Hezekiah that led great reforms in Judah. Ahaz was king over Judah roughly from 735-715 BC. He reigned for 16 years and was a contemporary of Micah and Isaiah. Isaiah counseled Ahaz during the Syria-Israel plot when Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, king of Israel, joined forces to attack Jerusalem. The Plot: Assyria’s was growing in dominance in the middle east. It was conquering nations around it. Israel and Syria were on its radar at the time of Isaiah. Israel and Syria formed a coalition to protect themselves against Assyria. They wanted Judah to join the coalition but Ahaz was not interested. In chapter 7, the beginning of Isaiah's ministry, they planned to invade Judah, overthrow Ahaz and put their own king (Tabeel) in place. This way their coalition can be strengthened by Judah to stand against Assyria. Ahaz was told by the Lord (through Isaiah) not to fear because their plans will not succeed. He will not allow His covenant with David to fail for through it the promised Messiah will come. Therefore, the Lord exhorts Ahaz to ask Him for a sign of His faithfulness - anything in the entire universe. Ahaz refuses, and instead makes his own plan. He forms an alliance with the enemy, the king of Assyria. This angered the Lord and resulted in His judgement over Judah. Redemptive Historical Context Ahaz is a successor of David in the Messianic line. Although a wicked king, God will not break his covenant with David. He will remain faithful to His covenant promises until the Messiah is revealed. He will have a remnant from Israel and the world to fulfill His promises to Abraham (in you the nations will be blessed). In this case, it is interesting to note that the name of Isaiah’s son, whom he had to take with when speaking to Ahaz, meant “A remnant shall return.” As the story of the Bible unfolds more details are revealed about Israel’s Messiah. Even here, in a very dark time of Judah, the Lord reveals something of Christ to someone as wicked as Ahaz. He used a real event to remind them of His covenant faithfulness and to keep the Messianic hope alive. He gave them a sign of salvation for them with a prophetic message for the future which was eventually fulfilled in Christ (Matt. 1:23). God uses prophets to speak to His people, reminding them of His covenant promises - calling them to repentance and back to covenant faithfulness. Isaiah was such a prophet, one of the major prophets, commissioned to speak to Judah when they were at their lowest. Preaching through Isaiah 7:10-17 one will have to place this passage in the historical redemptive picture of then. Showing what role it played in the history of salvation in the Old Testament, then building a bridge to us, showing how the lines continue to us, and then where we fit into this picture, and how it applies to us. One must make sure to interpret Immanuel in their context and also looking forward to the New Testamnt, and to us. It is important to place this text in the context of Isaiah’s time, showing how God’s dealings with them applies to God’s plan salvation then for them and then brings it to us. Also showing how God’s covenant promises applied to them and continued from there to the New Testament and then to us. Passage Genre Isaiah contains allegory, autobiography, narrative, oracles, poetry and prophecy. Chapter 7 is a mix of historical narrative, allegory, poetry and prophecy. This must be taken into consideration when interpreting the pericope. Verses 1-9 contains historical data about the setting of the chapter. From that we can derive the date, the setting, the role players and the plot of this pericope. This can be interpreted literally. Verses 10-17 is a mix of poetry, allegory and prophecy. This needs to be interpreted through the lens of Scripture - similar imagery and prophecy in the Bible. Also taking into consideration what these metaphors meant in Isaiah's cultural context. A few examples that need to be looked at: “Let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” “He shall eat curds and honey.” “When he knows how to refuse evil and choose good.” “The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah.” Key words and Phrases “Deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” This is a metaphor that refers to the deepest part of the earth and the highest heavens. Basically the Lord says, “ask for any sign in the entire universe.” “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” Ahaz’s reply is quite ironic coming from someone who has no interest in God. He quotes Scripture (Deut. 6:16) like Satan did in the desert to try and deceive the Lord. His so-called piety is hypocritical. “O house of David.” The house of David is a name used for Judah. It reminds them who they are and where they come from. It reminds them of God’s covenant with David and the promised Messiah-King. God is faithful to His covenant promises. This should remind Ahaz that His attempted coalition with the Asyrrian king to save them from the Syrian invasion is counter to their identity. He should trust the covenant God of David. “Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also?” Basically Isaiah says, “You are treating God like a human being, thinking you can twist His arm or lie to Him, that He doesn’t see the motives of your heart.” “The virgin shall conceive and bear a son.” The word virgin is quite controversial because the Hebrew word (alma) means young woman or marriageable girl. However, context and Scripture must guide us. The same word is used in Genesis 24:43 and Exodus 2:8 where it refers to an unmarried girl (virgin). Matthew 1:23 is today’s commentary on Is. 7:14 showing us that we must read it as a young girl that had no sexual relations before. “Shall call his name Immanuel.” How should we interpret Immanuel? Does it only have a future significance? Looking at the text it points to a real boy in Ahaz’s day. Otherwise it would have no significance for them. And reading the whole Bible today, we know this also had a bearing on Christ. Many of the Mesianic Psalms had a similar double meaning. Even the sacrifice of Isaac had a double meaning for then and today. Abraham the Father taking his only son up the mountain to sacrifice him and then the Lord himself provides a lamb. The following explanation from Beale, Carson and Blomberg is helpful. “This same son is called “Immanuel” in 8:8, which is explained in 8:10 as “God with us,” accounting for Matthew’s linking the two portions of Isaiah together. In 8:18 Isaiah describes his two sons, Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz and Shear-Jashub (cf. 7:3), as “signs and symbols in Israel,” which description ties back in with the sign God promised in 7:11, 14. But in 9:1–7 the more distant future is in view, as exiles are once again restored to Galilee. In 9:6, another description of the birth of a wonderful child appears, one who can be called “Almighty God,” “Eternal Father,” and “Prince of Peace,” who will rule from David’s throne and establish universal justice forever—prophecies that scarcely could have been fulfilled in a mere earthly king.” (Carson & Beale) “The prophecy of a young woman (or virgin) giving birth to a child named “Immanuel” in Isa. 7:13–14 finds its first provisional fulfillment in the birth of Isaiah’s son (Isa. 8:3–4; cf. 8:8, 10, 18). Yet the greater fulfillment is predicted in Isa. 9:1–7, where the prophesied Davidic king is called “Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace,” and Matt. 1:22–23 shows this is fulfilled climactically in Jesus.” Beale, G. K.. Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament: Exegesis and Interpretation (Kindle Locations 4643-4646). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. “Isaiah’s prophecy of an upcoming birth (Isa 7:14) was fulfilled on two levels: in the immediate future, in our view (Isa 8:1–10), and in the distant future (Matt 1:23).” Klein, William W.,Blomberg, Craig L.,Hubbard, Jr., Robert L.. Introduction to Biblical Interpretation (p. 251). Zondervan Academic. Kindle Edition. “Curds and honey.” According to verse 21-22, curds and honey were food of poverty, not plenty as some suggest. The “sign” would be born into the poverty of his people. This also has a double meaning for then and when Christ was born as the son of a carpetter. Jesus said, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”