Isaias 7:10-15
In those days the Lord spoke to Achaz, saying: Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God, either unto the depth of hell, or unto the height above. And Achaz said: I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord. And He said: hear ye therefore, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to be grievous to men, that you are grievous to my God also? Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign. Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and His Name shall be called Emmanuel. He shall eat butter and honey, that He may know to refuse the evil, and to choose the good.
Haydock
Verse 11. Above. Require it to thunder, (1 K. xii. 17.) or the earth to open. Num. xvi. 28. C.
Verse 12. Lord. He was afraid of being forced to relinquish his evil ways. S. Jer. — Though an idolater, he knew he ought not to tempt God.
Verse 14. Virgin, halma, (H.) one secluded from the company of men. Alma in Latin signifies “a holy person,” and in Punic “a virgin.” The term is never applied to any but “a young virgin.” If it meant a young woman, what sort of a sign would this be? S. Jer. — It was indeed above the sagacity of man to declare that the child to be born would be a boy, and live till the kings should be destroyed. But the prophet undoubtedly speaks of Jesus Christ, the wonderful, &c. (c. ix. 5.) as well as of a boy, who should prefigure him, and be an earnest of the speedy destruction of the two kings. He was to be born of Isaias, (c. viii. 4.) and of all the qualities belonging to the true Emmanuel, only that regards him, which intimates that the country should be delivered before he should come to years of discretion. v. 16. C. Diss. Bossuet — The Fathers generally apply all to Christ. — Called. Or shall be in effect. C. i. 26. C. — The king hardly trusted in God’s mercies, whereupon the incarnation of Christ, &c. is foretold. W.
Verse 15. Honey. Like other infants. C. — The new baptized received some to remind them of innocence. Tert. cor. 3. — Christ shall be true man. M.