Isaiah 7:4-6

Say unto him, Take heed— The consolatory part of this discourse, concerning the deliverance of the city, extends from this to the 17th verse: in which we have, first, a promise of the deliverance of Ahaz and the people of Jerusalem from the impending evil;—from this to the 10th verse. Secondly, A confirmation of the promise by a certain sign given to Ahaz in the name of God; Isaiah 7:10. The promise of deliverance contains, first, a consolatory declaration applied to Ahaz, to raise his drooping mind; Isaiah 7:4. Secondly, The grounds of that consolation, namely, the disappointment of the expedition; Isaiah 7:7. The two kings are called, The two tails of these smoking fire-brands, because it is the nature of a fire-brand not long to preserve its flame, but soon to go out in smoke. These kings, therefore, are here properly and truly denoted as coming fresh, from the hot counsels taken in the heat of their flagrant indignation, and carrying about with them the signs of that indignation and fury: but for the comfort of Ahaz, they were only the tails of smoking fire-brands, their greatest part being already consumed; these kings having in the war of the former year very much exhausted their strength, and being at this time less capable of hurting, and themselves in a short time to perish. He calls Pekah the son of Remaliah a private person by way of contempt. Vitringa renders the 6th verse thus, Let us go up against Judah, and cut it in pieces, and divide it amongst us, and set up a king, &c. Vitringa is of opinion, that the son of Tabeal is the name of a Syrian idol, which signifies, the good god; like Rimmon, (see 2 Kings 5:18.) whom he imagines to be the same as Jupiter; and he is of opinion, that the design of the king of Assyria was not only to have divided the prey, but to have established the religion of his nation in Judaea.