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Read the Bible

World English Bible

Isaiah 7:11

Ask a sign of Yahweh your God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Isaiah;   Pekah;   Syria;   Scofield Reference Index - Christ;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ephraim, Tribe of;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ahaz;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Immanuel;   Miracles;   Virgin;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Magic;   Sheol;   Temptation, Test;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Immanuel;   Pekah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Hell;   Immanuel;   Miracles, Signs, Wonders;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Alliance;   Aram, Aramaeans;   Damascus;   Immanuel;   Isaiah, Book of;   Magic, Divination, and Sorcery;   Messiah;   Rezin;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Immanuel;   Messiah;   Pekah;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ahaz;   Decease, in the Old Testament and Apocyphra;   Hades;   Messiah;   Prophecy;   Sign;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Assyria;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Damascus;   Sheol;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
"Ask a sign for yourself from Yahweh your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven."
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Require to thy selfe a token of the Lorde thy God, whether it be towarde the depth beneath, or toward the height aboue.
Darby Translation
Ask for thee a sign from Jehovah thy God; ask for it in the deep, or in the height above.
New King James Version
"Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above."
Literal Translation
Ask a sign from Jehovah your God; make deep the request, or make it high above.
Easy-to-Read Version
and said, "Ask for a sign from the Lord your God to prove to yourself that this is true. You can ask for any sign you want. The sign can come from a place as deep as Sheol or as high as the skies."
King James Version (1611)
Aske thee a signe of the Lord thy God; aske it either in the depth, or in the height aboue.
King James Version
Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
requyre a token of the LORDE thy God, whether it be towarde the depth beneth or towarde ye hight aboue.
Amplified Bible
"Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God [one that will convince you that God has spoken and will keep His word]; make your request as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven."
American Standard Version
Ask thee a sign of Jehovah thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
Bible in Basic English
Make a request to the Lord your God for a sign, a sign in the deep places of the underworld, or in the high heavens.
Update Bible Version
Ask a sign of Yahweh your God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
Webster's Bible Translation
Ask thee a sign from the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the hight above.
New English Translation
"Ask for a confirming sign from the Lord your God. You can even ask for something miraculous."
Contemporary English Version
"Ask me for proof that my promise will come true. Ask for something to happen deep in the world of the dead or high in the heavens above."
Complete Jewish Bible
"Ask Adonai your God to give you a sign. Ask it anywhere, from the depths of Sh'ol to the heights above."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Aske a signe for thee of the Lorde thy God: aske it, either in the depth beneath or in the height aboue.
George Lamsa Translation
Ask for yourself a sign of the LORD your God; ask something in the depth, or in the height above.
Hebrew Names Version
Ask a sign of the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
'Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God: ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.'
New Living Translation
"Ask the Lord your God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want—as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead."
New Life Bible
"Ask for something special to see from the Lord your God. Ask for it to be as deep as the place of the dead or as high as heaven."
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Ask for thyself a sign of the Lord thy God, in the depth or in the height.
English Revised Version
Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.
Berean Standard Bible
"Ask for a sign from the LORD your God, whether from the depths of Sheol or the heights of heaven."
New Revised Standard
Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Ask thee a sign, of Yahweh thy God, - Go down deep for a request, Or ascend on high!
Douay-Rheims Bible
Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God, either unto the depth of hell, or unto the height above.
Lexham English Bible
"Ask for a sign for yourself from Yahweh God; make it deep as Sheol or make it high as above."
English Standard Version
"Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven."
New American Standard Bible
"Ask for a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven."
New Century Version
"Ask for a sign from the Lord your God to prove to yourself that these things are true. It may be a sign from as deep as the place of the dead or as high as the heavens."
Good News Translation
"Ask the Lord your God to give you a sign. It can be from deep in the world of the dead or from high up in heaven."
Christian Standard Bible®
"Ask for a sign from the Lord your God—from the depths of Sheol to the heights of heaven."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and seide, Axe thou to thee a signe of thi Lord God, in to the depthe of helle, ethir in to heiythe aboue.
Revised Standard Version
"Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven."
Young's Literal Translation
`Ask for thee a sign from Jehovah thy God, Make deep the request, or make [it] high upwards.'

Contextual Overview

10 Yahweh spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 Ask a sign of Yahweh your God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. 12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt Yahweh. 13 He said, "Listen now, house of David: Is it a small thing for you to weary men, that you will weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 Butter and honey shall he eat, when he knows to refuse the evil, and choose the good. 16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land whose two kings you abhor shall be forsaken.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a sign: Isaiah 37:30, Isaiah 38:7, Isaiah 38:8, Isaiah 38:22, Judges 6:36-40, 2 Kings 20:8-11, Jeremiah 19:1, Jeremiah 19:10, Jeremiah 51:63, Jeremiah 51:64, Matthew 12:38-40, Matthew 16:1-4

ask it either in the depth: or, make thy petition deep

Reciprocal: Genesis 15:8 - General Genesis 24:14 - thereby Exodus 7:9 - Show Judges 6:17 - show 1 Samuel 14:10 - this shall be a sign 1 Kings 13:3 - General 2 Kings 19:29 - a sign Proverbs 25:3 - heaven John 6:30 - What

Cross-References

Genesis 1:7
God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse, and it was so.
Genesis 6:17
I, even, I do bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is in the earth will die.
Genesis 7:5
Noah did everything that Yahweh commanded him.
Genesis 7:6
Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came on the earth.
Genesis 7:8
Clean animals, animals that are not clean, birds, and everything that creeps on the ground
Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep were burst open, and the sky's windows were opened.
Genesis 7:23
Every living thing was destroyed that was on the surface of the ground, including man, cattle, creeping things, and birds of the sky. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark.
Genesis 7:24
The waters prevailed on the earth one hundred fifty days.
2 Kings 7:2
Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if Yahweh should make windows in heaven, might this thing be? He said, Behold, you shall see it with your eyes, but shall not eat of it.
2 Kings 7:19
and that captain answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if Yahweh should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? and he said, Behold, you shall see it with your eyes, but shall not eat of it:

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God,.... For though Ahaz was a wicked man, yet the Lord was his God, as he was the God of the people of Israel in general, as a nation; and knowing his unbelief and diffidence of his word unto him, offers to confirm it by a sign or miracle:

ask it either in the depth, or in the height above, in earth, or in heaven: so the Targum,

"ask that a miracle may be done for thee upon earth, or that a sign may be shown thee in heaven;''

either that the earth might gape and open its mouth, as in the days of Moses; or that the sun might stand still, as in the times of Joshua; or that a dead man might be raised out of the depth of the earth; or that there might be some strange appearances in the heavens.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ask thee - Ask for “thyself;” ask a sign that shall be convincing to “thyself,” since thou dost not fully credit the words of the prophet. It is evident that the words of the prophet had made no impression on the mind of Ahaz. God, therefore, proposes to him to ask any “proof or demonstration” which he might select; anything that would be an indication of divine power that should put what the prophet had said beyond doubt. Had Ahaz put confidence in God, he would have believed what the prophet said without miraculous proof. But he had no such confidence. ‘The prophet, therefore, proposes that he should ask any miraculous demonstration that what he said would come to pass. This proposition was made, probably, not so much from respect to Ahaz as to leave him without excuse, and in order that “the people” might have the assurance that the city and kingdom were safe.

A sign - A demonstration that shall confirm the promise now made, and that shall be an evidence that Jerusalem shall be safe. The word used here, and translated “sign” - ‘owt - אות 'ôth - means “a flag,” or “a standard,” Numbers 2:2; “a memorial or pledge” of a covenant, Genesis 17:11; any “pledge, token, or proof” of a divine mission, Judges 6:17; or a miracle performed in attestation of a divine promise or message. This is its sense here. That which Isaiah had spoken seemed highly improbable to Ahaz, and he asked him to seek a proof of it, if he doubted, by any prodigy or miracle. It was customary for miracles or prodigies to be exhibited on similar occasions; see Isaiah 38:7, where the shadow on the dial of this same Ahaz was carried backward ten degrees, in proof of what the prophet Isaiah had spoken; compare 1 Samuel 2:27-34; 1 Kings 13:1-3; Exodus 3:12; Judges 6:36-40. That the word here refers to some event which could be brought about only by divine power, is evident from the whole connection. No mere natural occurrence could have satisfied Ahaz, or convey to the people a demonstration of the truth of what the prophet was saying. And if the prophet had been unable or unwilling to give a miraculous sign, where is the fitness of the answer of Ahaz? How could he be regarded as in any way tempting God by asking it, unless it was something which God only could do? And how could the prophet bring the charge Isaiah 7:13, that he had not merely offended men, but God also? It is clear, therefore, that Isaiah was conscious that he was invested by God with the power of working a miracle, and that he proposed to perform any miracle which Ahaz should suggest that would serve to remove his doubts, and lead him to put confidence in God.

Ask it either in the depth ... - He gave him his choice of a miracle - any sign or wonder in heaven, or on earth - above or below; a miracle in the sky, or from beneath the earth. Many of the versions understand the expression ‘the depth,’ as referring to “the grave,” or to the region of departed souls - “hades.” So the Vulgate, Aquila, Symmachus. The Chaldee reads it, ‘Seek that there may be a miracle to thee upon the earth, or a sign in the heavens.’ The literal meaning of the Hebrew is, ‘make low, ask for;’ that is, ask for a sign below; obtain, by asking for thyself; a miracle that shall take place below. It may refer to the earth, or to the region under the earth, since it stands in contrast with that which is above. If it refers to the region under the earth, it means that Isaiah would raise the dead to life if Ahaz desired it; if to the earth, that any wonder or miracle that should take place in the elements - as a tempest, or earthquake - should be performed.

The height above - The heaven, or the sky. So the Pharisees desired to see a sign from heaven, Matthew 16:1.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 7:11. In the depth - "Go deep to the grave"] So Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, and the Vulgate.


 
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