Isaiah 7:15-16
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The verse emphasizes that this child will be nourished like any other, eating simple, common foods like curds and honey. This isn't about a luxurious diet; it's about the ordinary process of growth from infancy to the age where moral discernment begins.
He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet Isaiah, at God's command, offers King Ahaz a sign to bolster his faith against the looming threat of the Assyrian invasion. Ahaz, however, refuses to ask for a sign, showing his deep distrust. In response, God declares He will provide His own sign: a virgin will conceive and bear a son named Immanuel, meaning "God with us." This verse describes the child's early sustenance, pointing to the eventual return of peace and plenty, implying that by the time the child can discern right from wrong, the enemy kings will be gone.
Why would eating curds and honey be a sign from God? It sounds like a simple meal, but in Isaiah's day, it spoke volumes about the nation's well-being.
The mention of 'curds and honey' isn't just about a child's diet; it's a profound sign pointing to the nation's future.
A Taste of Plenty
The child Immanuel is God with us, yet this prophecy highlights his very human development. What does this tell us about Jesus?
While Immanuel is a divine sign, the prophecy emphasizes his genuine humanity through the description of his upbringing.
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Growing Like Us
Understand the original words
ra' · Hebrew Noun
An ethical or moral framework of what is detrimental, wicked, or contrary to God's will; it stands in opposition to that which is righteous or pleasing to God.
towb · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
That which conforms to the standards of God, is morally upright, or fulfills His purposes; it represents the path of obedience and divine wisdom.
raʿ · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
In a moral sense, this refers to that which is contrary to the will of God, or that which is ethically wicked, corrupt, or injurious to others. It stands in direct opposition to righteousness and holiness.
ṭôb · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
Refers to moral excellence, integrity, and that which aligns with the character, law, or purpose of God. It signifies what is upright, beneficial, and acceptable in the sight of the Lord.
The prophecy points to a child born during a time of severe crisis and potential national annihilation. The mention of 'butter and honey' signifies a return to abundance, but also a diet suitable for a young child, highlighting the Immanuel child's humanity and the nation's eventual deliverance.
c. 734 BC
Syro-Ephraimite War Begins
King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah of Israel invade Judah, attempting to depose King Ahaz and install their own ruler. This invasion plunges Judah into a crisis.
c. 733 BC
Siege of Jerusalem
The allied armies of Syria and Israel besiege Jerusalem, striking fear into King Ahaz and the people. The prophet Isaiah delivers messages of both judgment and hope.
c. 732 BC
Assyrian Intervention
King Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria intervenes at the request of Ahaz, conquering Damascus and parts of Israel, thereby ending the immediate threat to Judah but bringing Assyria into the region.
c. 732 BC— this verse
Immanuel Prophecy Delivered
In the midst of the Syro-Ephraimite crisis, Isaiah delivers the prophecy of Immanuel ('God with us') to King Ahaz, promising that the line of David will endure despite the present danger.
c. 730 BC
Fall of Northern Kingdom (partial)
Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III deports inhabitants from the northern, northernmost regions of Israel, a precursor to the kingdom's eventual destruction.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The capital city of Samaria falls to the Assyrian empire under King Sargon II, marking the end of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and intensifying the precarious situation for the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
This passage describes children as those who 'do not yet know good from evil,' directly paralleling the concept of moral discernment mentioned in Isaiah 7:15.
Jonah 4:11Similar to Deuteronomy, this verse uses the inability to 'discern between their right hand and their left' to describe those who lack understanding, including children, which echoes the developmental stage implied in Isaiah 7:15.
Matthew 1:23This verse directly quotes Isaiah 7:14 ('Behold, a virgin shall conceive...') and connects the Immanuel prophecy to the birth of Jesus, offering a fulfillment perspective to the sign given in Isaiah 7:15.
1 Samuel 14:26This passage highlights honey as sustenance found in the wilderness, providing a contextual link to the 'honey' mentioned in Isaiah 7:15, which may have been a staple food in times of scarcity or simplicity.
Matthew 3:4This verse describes John the Baptist eating 'locusts and wild honey,' directly referencing honey as food, and placing it within a context of prophetic simplicity and wilderness living.
barnesIsaiah 7:15: "Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good."
Butter and honey - The word rendered "butter" (חמאה chem'âh), denotes not butter, but thick and curdled milk. This was the common mode of using milk as an article of food in the East, and is still. In no passage in the Old Testament does butter seem to be meant by the word. Jarchi says, that this circumstance denotes a state of plenty, meaning that the land should yield its usual increase n…
jfbIsaiah 7:15: "Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good."
- Butter—rather, curdled milk, the acid of which is grateful in the heat of the East (Job 20:17).honey—abundant in Palestine (Jud 14:8; 1Sa 14:25; Mt 3:4). Physicians directed that the first food given to a child should be honey, the next milk [Barnabas, Epistle]. Horsley takes this as implying the real humanity of the Immanuel Jesus Christ, about to be fed as other infants (Lu 2:52). Isa 7…
The verse emphasizes that this child will be nourished like any other, eating simple, common foods like curds and honey. This isn't about a luxurious diet; it's about the ordinary process of growth from infancy to the age where moral discernment begins.
The prophet Isaiah, at God's command, offers King Ahaz a sign to bolster his faith against the looming threat of the Assyrian invasion. Ahaz, however, refuses to ask for a sign, showing his deep distrust. In response, God declares He will provide His own sign: a virgin will conceive and bear a son named Immanuel, meaning "God with us." This verse describes the child's early sustenance, pointing to the eventual return of peace and plenty, implying that by the time the child can discern right from wrong, the enemy kings will be gone.
The prophet Isaiah, at God's command, offers King Ahaz a sign to bolster his faith against the looming threat of the Assyrian invasion. Ahaz, however, refuses to ask for a sign, showing his deep distrust. In response, God declares He will provide His own sign: a virgin will conceive and bear a son named Immanuel, meaning "God with us." This verse describes the child's early sustenance, pointing to the eventual return of peace and plenty, implying that by the time the child can discern right from wrong, the enemy kings will be gone.
"He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted." — The verse emphasizes that this child will be nourished like any other, eating simple, common foods like curds and honey. This isn't about a luxurious diet; it's about the ordinary process of growth f…
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Last reviewed October 2026
