Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 7:21

And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep;

21, 22. The land having gone out of cultivation, the sparse population is reduced to the pastoral life of the desert. Cf. ch. Isa 5:14; Isa 5:17, Isa 32:12-14.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

In that day – In the time specified in the previous verses – in the judgments that should be brought upon the land by the Egyptians and Assyrians.

A man shall nourish – Hebrew Make to live: that is, he shall own, or feed.

A young cow – The Hebrew denotes a heifer that gives milk. The state which is denoted by this is that of great poverty. Instead of being engaged in agriculture, of possessing great resources in that time, a man should depend, for the subsistence of himself and his family, on what a single cow and two sheep would yield. Probably this is intended also as a description of the general state of the nation, that it would be reduced to great poverty.

And two sheep – Two here seems to be used to denote a very small number. A man, that is, the generality of people, would be so reduced as to be able to purchase and keep no more.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

This and the following verse contain either,

1. A mitigation of the foregoing calamity, or some comfort for the remainders of the people, after the public devastation; or rather,

2. A further declaration of the threatened desolation; which best agrees not only with the foregoing, but also with the following verses. So the sense of this verse is this, They who formerly used to keep great herds of cattle, and many flocks of sheep, shall esteem it a great happiness if they can keep but one cow and two sheep, to keep themselves from extremity of famine.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

21. nourishthat is, own.

young cowa heifergiving milk. Agriculture shall cease, and the land become onegreat pasturage.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And it shall come to pass in that day,…. Not in the days of Hezekiah, after the destruction of Sennacherib’s army, when there followed great fruitfulness and plenty, Isa 37:30 as Kimchi and Jarchi interpret it; but in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, after the destruction of Jerusalem, when some poor men were left in the land to till it, Jer 39:10 for of these, and not of rich men, are the following words to be understood:

[that] a man shall nourish a young cow and two sheep; this seems to denote both the scarcity of men and cattle, through the ravages of the army of the Chaldeans; that there should not be large herds and flocks, only a single cow, and two or three sheep; and yet men should be so few, and families so thin, that these would be sufficient to support them comfortably.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

“And it will come to pass in that day, that a man will keep a small cow and a couple of sheep; and it comes to pass, for the abundance of the milk they give he will eat cream: for butter and honey will every one eat that is left within the land.” The former prosperity would be reduced to the most miserable housekeeping. One man would keep a milch cow and two head of sheep (or goats) alive with the greatest care, the strongest and finest full-grown cattle having fallen into the hands of the foe ( , like in other places: shte , not shne , because two female sheep or goats are meant). But this would be quite enough, for there would be only a few men left in the land; and as all the land would be pasture, the small number of animals would yield milk in abundance. Bread and wine would be unattainable. Whoever had escaped the Assyrian razor, would eat thickened milk and honey, that and nothing but that, without variation, ad nauseam. The reason for this would be, that the hills, which at other times were full of vines and corn-fields, would be overgrown with briers.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

21. And it shall come to pass on that day. In these verses, down to the end of the chapter, the Prophet describes the state of a country torn and wasted; for he intends to present a striking and lively picture of such overwhelming distress that, wherever you turn your eyes, nothing is to be seen but the traces of frightful desolation. Some think that a mitigation of punishment is here promised, but we shall soon see that this does not agree with the context. Though he employs the appellation, a man, without any limitation, yet strictly it is of the richest men that he speaks; for he does not say that every one will have so many; but they who formerly were accustomed to rear a large number of oxen and sheep will be satisfied with having a few. He means, therefore, that all will be reduced to very deep poverty. Some think that the Hebrew word which the Prophet employs, יחיה, ( yechaiyeh,) he shall quicken, means “to deliver from death;” but the meaning which I have adopted is more natural and more generally approved.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

21, 22. From such spoliations, as well as removals of the population, agriculture ceases, and the land goes to rough pasturage. When cultivation in that land is neglected, the tendency is to briers and thorns and thistles. Tristram ( Nat. Hist. Bible, p. 423) says, “The combined heat and dryness of the climate seem to develop a tendency to form thorns even in groups where we should least expect them.”

Shall nourish a young cow and two sheep The idea is, amid great straits from invaders, a man shall do well if he shall be able to save alive this amount of stock. So the word “nourish” indicates that pasturage is abundant, and this shall secure milk, curds, etc., enough. One may preserve himself well if he may but save his stock. If these are taken from him, his peril is certain, because of the fewness of the people, and the neglect of tillage of the soil.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Isa 7:21-22. And it shall come to pass The prophet intends here to denote the extreme desertion of the land, and in consequence the great growth of the grass and food, which there shall not be sufficient cattle to eat. Certainly, therefore, the few men remaining might themselves eat the fat of the land, when there were scarcely any to share with them, and none to purchase of them. The subsequent verses set forth in strong terms the desolation of the land.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Isa 7:21 And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep;

Ver. 21. A man shall nourish two sheep. ] He that was wont to say, Mille meae Siculis errant in montibus agnae, a shall now be reduced to so great penury as to be glad of two sheep, and have scarce a young heifer left for his necessary subsistence, who was wont to have many ploughs going. They shall not now, as heretofore, “join house to house, and land to land”; they shall not keep race horses, or hunting dogs, &c.

a Virg. Eclog.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)