Isaiah 7:22
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse paints a picture of profound desolation disguised as abundance. The "abundance of milk" doesn't speak to prosperity, but to a land emptied of people, where the few remaining animals have vast pastures all to themselves, yielding rich dairy. This makes butter and honey – typically delicacies or trade goods – the staple diet, highlighting how the survivors are left with only basic, natural provisions in a land stripped bare.
This verse describes a future ravaged by war, where the land, though overgrown with pasture due to depopulation, yields abundant milk. The surviving inhabitants will subsist on a simple diet of curds and honey, once delicacies but now the meager fare for those left behind in a desolate land. This stark reality follows prophecies of invasion and the decline of Judah's fortunes after King Ahaz's policies.
The land is devastated, yet the cows give extra milk? How can that be?
This verse paints a stark picture of destruction, paradoxically described with an 'abundance.' Normally, a large herd grazing on limited land would mean less milk per animal. But here, the few remaining cattle have vast, uncultivated pastures all to themselves. This isn't a sign of prosperity, but of emptiness – the land is so desolate that nature is reclaiming it, allowing the few animals left to thrive and produce exceptionally rich milk.
Butter and honey – sounds delicious, right? But in this context, it's a sign of deep hardship.
In ancient Israel, butter and honey weren't everyday staples for most people. They were considered delicacies, often enjoyed with bread or meat (think of Isaac offering them to Abraham in Genesis 18:8). However, for the few survivors in this devastated land, this simple fare becomes their main diet. It signifies a return to basic subsistence, a far cry from the richer foods that once characterized the land. The abundance of milk yields curds and butter, and wild honey is readily available, but this 'feast' is born out of scarcity and the collapse of normal agriculture and society.
This verse paints a stark picture of desolation and scarcity, where the 'staple' foods for those left behind are simple dairy products and honey. This contrasts sharply with the former abundance and highlights the devastating impact of the Assyrian invasions and the resulting depopulation of the land.
Late 8th Century BC
Assyrian Expansion
The Neo-Assyrian Empire under rulers like Tiglath-Pileser III and Shalmaneser V was aggressively expanding its territory, conquering neighboring kingdoms and imposing tribute.
c. 734 BC
Assyrian Campaign in Israel
Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria invades the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) and deports many of its citizens, weakening the region.
c. 733 BC
Assyria Conquers Damascus
The capital city of Aram-Damascus, a key ally of the Northern Kingdom, falls to the Assyrians. This leaves Judah vulnerable.
c. 732 BC— this verse
Syro-Ephraimite War
The Northern Kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) and its ally Syria (Aram) attempt to force King Ahaz of Judah into an anti-Assyrian alliance, leading to a siege of Jerusalem.
This passage highlights the simple, yet nourishing, sustenance of butter and honey as a blessing, mirroring the paradoxical abundance found even in scarcity described in Isaiah.
1 Samuel 14:25Here, honey is presented as a natural resource readily available in the land, a detail that echoes the abundance of wild honey mentioned in Isaiah's prophecy for those left behind.
Psalm 19:10This psalm praises the 'word of the LORD' as more desirable than honey, suggesting a spiritual parallel where even the most basic sustenance can point to God's provision and greater truths.
Isaiah 7:15This verse directly precedes the one in question and sets the context for Immanuel's diet of curds and honey, emphasizing the prophecy of a remnant surviving on simple fare.
cambridgeIsaiah 7:22: "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."
22 . butter and honey become the staple food of the country; in normal circumstances they were only eaten as delicacies along with bread and flesh ( Genesis 18:8 ; 2 Samuel 17:29 ). Immanuel is the representative of the young generation nourished on this frugal fare ( Isaiah 7:15 ).
barnesIsaiah 7:22: "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."
For the abundance of milk ... - On account, or by means of the great quantity of milk. This image also denotes that the land should be desolate, and abandoned by its inhabitants. Such a range would the cow and sheep have in the lands lying waste and uncultivated, that they would yield abundance of milk. For butter and ho…
This verse paints a picture of profound desolation disguised as abundance. The "abundance of milk" doesn't speak to prosperity, but to a land emptied of people, where the few remaining animals have vast pastures all to themselves, yielding rich dairy. This makes butter and honey – typically delicacies or trade goods – the staple diet, highlighting how the survivors are left with only basic, natural provisions in a land stripped bare.
This verse describes a future ravaged by war, where the land, though overgrown with pasture due to depopulation, yields abundant milk. The surviving inhabitants will subsist on a simple diet of curds and honey, once delicacies but now the meager fare for those left behind in a desolate land. This stark reality follows prophecies of invasion and the decline of Judah's fortunes after King Ahaz's policies.
This verse describes a future ravaged by war, where the land, though overgrown with pasture due to depopulation, yields abundant milk. The surviving inhabitants will subsist on a simple diet of curds and honey, once delicacies but now the meager fare for those left behind in a desolate land. This stark reality follows prophecies of invasion and the decline of Judah's fortunes after King Ahaz's policies.
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c. 732 BC
Ahaz Appeals to Assyria
King Ahaz of Judah, instead of trusting God, sends tribute to Assyria and requests military aid against the invading forces of Israel and Syria.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrian Empire, under Shalmaneser V and later Sargon II, completely destroys the Northern Kingdom of Israel and deports its remaining population.
"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." — This verse paints a picture of profound desolation disguised as abundance. The "abundance of milk" doesn't speak to prosperity, but to a land emptied of people, where the few remaining animals have v…
