Syro-Ephraimite War

Biblical Account

This war is recorded in 2 Kings 16:5–9, 2 Chronicles 28:5–21, and Isaiah 7:1–9. Second Kings 15:37 notes that Rezin and Pekah had already begun to move against Judah during the reign of Jotham. The name "Syro-Ephraimite War" does not appear in the Bible; it is a designation given by scholars. "Syria" refers to Aram, whose capital was Damascus, and "Ephraim," the name of the leading tribe of the north, stands for the northern kingdom of Israel as a whole.

Rezin king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah besieged Jerusalem but could not overcome it (2 Kings 16:5). The two kings sought to depose Ahaz and set up "the son of Tabeal" as king in his place (Isaiah 7:6). Ahaz sent the silver and gold from the treasuries of the temple and the royal palace to Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, and appealed for help. Assyria attacked Damascus and killed Rezin (2 Kings 16:7–9). Second Chronicles 28 records that Judah suffered a heavy defeat and that many people were carried off to Samaria, but that the captives were sent back at the urging of the prophet Oded.

The prophet Isaiah went to meet Ahaz, taking with him his son Shear-jashub (meaning "a remnant shall return"). He called the two kings "the two tails of these smoking firebrands" and told Ahaz not to fear, warning, "If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established" (Isaiah 7:4, 7:9). When Ahaz refused to ask for a sign, Isaiah gave the sign that a virgin would bear a son and call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). The name of Isaiah's son Maher-shalal-hash-baz in Isaiah 8 (generally interpreted to mean "the spoil speeds, the prey hastens") likewise has this crisis as its background.

Historical Background

In the mid-eighth century BC, Assyria under Tiglath-pileser III extended its power westward. Scholars commonly hold that Rezin and Pekah formed an anti-Assyrian coalition, tried to draw Judah into it, and attacked when Ahaz refused. The Bible, however, does not state their motive directly. Many date the war to approximately 734–732 BC, though scholarly estimates vary somewhat.

As a result of the war, Damascus fell. The northern kingdom of Israel lost Naphtali and other parts of the Galilee region to Assyria, and Pekah was assassinated by Hoshea (2 Kings 15:29–30). Judah became a tributary of Assyria. Ahaz set up an altar in the temple modeled on the altar at Damascus (2 Kings 16:10–16). These developments led to the subsequent fall of the northern kingdom of Israel.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

In the book of Isaiah, this event is portrayed as a contest between relying on great powers and trusting in God, and it is connected with the theme of the remnant. The New Testament applies prophecies from this period to Jesus. Matthew 1:22–23 connects Isaiah 7:14 to the birth of Jesus. Matthew 4:15–16 applies to Jesus' ministry in Galilee the words of Isaiah 9, which speak of light shining on the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, the region first overrun by Assyria.

Interpretations and Debates

• Fulfillment of the Immanuel sign: Isaiah 7:16 states that before the child knows to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land of the two kings will be forsaken. For this reason, some interpret the sign as referring to a child born at that time (such as Ahaz's son Hezekiah or a son of Isaiah). Others, following Matthew, read it as a direct prophecy of Jesus Christ. A dual-fulfillment view, which holds that the prophecy was fulfilled once in its own time and fully in Christ, is also widely held. Evangelical churches in Korea generally read the passage as a messianic prophecy, while historical-critical scholars give priority to its original historical context.
• The translation "virgin": The Hebrew word almah denotes a young woman of marriageable age. The Septuagint rendered it parthenos ("virgin"), and Matthew quotes this translation. This difference has long been the starting point for debates over translation.
• Textual issues: In the account of Elath in 2 Kings 16:6, the Hebrew names "Aram" and "Edom" are written with similar letters, so the passage is read differently in various manuscripts and translations.
• Some scholars also read Hosea 5:8 and the verses that follow in connection with this war.

In the Korean Church

Isaiah 7:14 is frequently used in sermons and Scripture readings during Advent and Christmas, and on these occasions this war is often presented as the background of the prophecy. Isaiah 7:9 is often cited in sermons on faith in times of crisis.