Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 1:23

23 Behold a Virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted, is God with us.

By these great Acts of Divine Providence, that which was spoken, and Prophesied of by Isaiah, ch. 7.14. speaking by Inspiration from God, was fulfilled: Tho things are said in the Evangelists, to be fulfilled when the Types have had their accomplishment in the Antitype, and when something cometh to pass much like, or bearing some Proportion to something which before happened in the World (as I shall shew hereafter) yet I take the Sense of being fulfilled, here to be literally fulfilled; believing so much of that Prophecy as is here quoted, did literally concern Christ, and none but him. But we must take heed of interpreting the Particle that as signifying the end of Gods Action in this great work of Providence; for the End for which God sent his Son into the World, was before expressed, to save his People from their sins, not to fulfil a Prophecy. That here only signifies the consequent of that Act of divine Providence, and the Sense is but only this: By all this which was done, was fulfilled that which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet, &c. But the Iews so much Clamouring against the Application of that Text, Isaiah 7.14. to Christ; and some learned Interpreters thinking the fulfilling mentioned to be no more then the fulfilling of a Type in the Antitype, it will be necessary that we make it appear that it was literally fulfilled. To which I know of but two Prejudices. 1. That it could be no relief to Ahaz, nor to the Iews against their Sense and Fear of their present Danger, to tell them that Christ should be born of a Virgin eight hundred years after. 2. That whereas v. 16. it is added. Before the Child shall know to refuse the Evil, and chuse the Good, the Land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her Kings. Supposing those two Kings, to be Pekah King of Israel, and Rezin King of Syria, who were at that time joyned in a Siege against Ierusalem, or at least preparing for it, and the Child mentioned v 16. to be the Son of a Virgin promised, v. 14. it could be no relief to Ahaz, nor any great News for the Prophet to have told Ahaz that they should both leave the Country before eight hundred years were Elapsed. Let us therefore first consider the History to which that Prophecy related, Isaiah 7.1. we are told that in the time of Ahaz, Rezin the King of Syria and Pekah the Son of Remaliah the King of Israel went up towards Ierusalem to War against it, v. 2. And it was told the House of David (that is Ahaz) saying, Syria is Confederate with Ephraim; and his Heart was moved, and the Heart of his People, as the Trees of the Wood are moved with the W[illegible: 1 letter]nd. The expedient which Ahaz thought upon in this Distress, was to get Tiglah Peleser, the King of Assyria, to joyn with, and help him (which he afterward did) hiring him with the Silver and Gold found in the House of the Lord, and in the Treasures of the Kings House, as we find 2 Kin. 1.6, 7. This Conjunction with Idolaters, was what the Lord had forbidden, and had often declared his abhorrence of. To prevent it, v. 3. he sends his Prophet Isaiah to him, Isa. 7.3. Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear-jashub thy Son at the end of the upper Pool in the High-way of the Fullers Field. And say unto him. Fear not, neither be Faint-hearted, &c. In short, he assureth him in the Name of the Lord, That the Counsel of these two Kings should not stand, nor come to pass, v. 7. that within threescore, and five years Israel should not be a People, &c. Ahaz knew not how to believe this. Isaiah offereth him from God to ask a Sign for the Confirmation of his word, either in the heighth, or in the depth. Ahaz refuseth it under pretence that he would not Tempt the Lord, as if it had been a tempting God to have asked a Sign at his Command, at this the Lord was angry as appeareth by the Prophets reply, v. 13. And he said, Hear ye now you House of David, is it a small thing for you to weary Men, but will you weary my God also? Then he goeth on. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a Sign. Behold a Virgin, &c. There was nothing more ordinary in the Prophets, then to Comfort the People of God amongst the Iews in their Distresses, with the Promise of the Messias, this we find they often did with reference to the Captivity of Babylon and in other Causes of Distress and Trouble. And certainly that is the design of the Prophet here, in these words: Behold a Virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son and shall call his Name Immanuel. Ahaz had refused to believe the Promise, God gave him, to defeat the Counsel of these two Kings, he had refused to ask a Sign, for the Confirmation of Gods word. Well (saith the Prophet) God▪ shall give you that fear him a Sign, he shall in his own time send you the Messias, whose name shall be called Immanuel, and he shall be born of a Virgin. Nor yet doth he leave Ahaz and his people Comfortless, as to their present Distress, for saith he v. 16. Before the Child shall know to refuse the Evil, and to chuse the Good, the Land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her Kings. The Hebrew is [non-Latin text not transcribed] which I think were better translated: This Child, then the Child, for [non-Latin text not transcribed] seems not to be a Relative (referring to the Child mentioned in v. 14.) but a Demonstrative referring to the Son of Isaiah Shear-jashub, whom God v. 3. Commanded the Prophet going to meet Ahaz to carry with him, (who probably) was a very young Child saith the Prophet. Here is a little Child whom God hath Commanded me to bring with me, before this Child be much older, this Land which thou art so much afraid of, shall be quitted of both those Kings, who have now some Possession of it, for at this time, 2 Kin. 16.6. Rezin had taken Elath a City of Iudah; and doubtless he, and Pekah had taken divers places, for they were come up to Ierusalem it self. And indeed if this be not the Sense, it is very hard to conceive, to what purpose God Commanded Isaiah to take Shear-jashub with him. Isa. 7.3. When he went upon this Errand. So that v. 14. remains as a Prophecy respecting the Messiah only, and given not for any relief of unbelieving Ahas as to his present Distress, but for some relief to Gods People among the Iews, with reference to their Posterity: This will appear a much more probable Sense than theirs, who think that Mahershalal-hashbaz is the Son mentioned, v. 14. whom we read of, Isa. 8.3. who was born to Isaiah of the Prophetess, who some think was at this time a Virgin, and was a Type of Christ, for the Scripture doth not tell us whether that Prophetess was a Virgin, or a Widow, neither was it any great wonder, that a Virgin being married should conceive, and bear a Son. Nor had this been any relief to Ahaz, as to his present Distress, for this Virgin (if she were such) was yet to be married, to conceive and bear a Son, so that according to that Notion, we must allow three or four years, before Ahaz could have expected relief. This is further advantaged by that passage, Isa. 8.18. Behold I and the Children which the Lord hath given me are for Signs. Not the Child but the Children. Shear-jashub, was for a Sign of Gods deliverance of the Iews from those two Kings, Maher-Shalal-hashbaz, was for a Sign of the Destruction of the Israelites, within five years, and also of Syria, which fell out afterward thus, v. 14. remains a litteral Prophecy of Christ. For the Jewish interpretation of it, concerning Hezekiah (born fifteen years after) it is too ridiculous to be mentioned.

Marginal references: Or, his [illegible: 1 word] shall be called.