Bible Strands
Isaiah 7:9
The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you do not stand firm in your faith, then you will not stand at all.’”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Isaiah delivers this oracle to King Ahaz during the Syro-Ephraimite coalition's threat against Judah, directly addressing the king's fear of the northern alliance.
The words — The Hebrew noun רֹאשׁ (rosh) functions as a political designation, identifying Samaria as the administrative center of Ephraim and Pekah, the son of Remaliah, as its ruling authority.
The thread — The verse's conditional warning about unbelief connects to the broader biblical theme of covenant reliance, which the New Testament later clarifies as the necessary posture for approaching God and maintaining spiritual standing (Hebrews 11:6; Romans 11:20).
Why it lands — The text declares that political collapse will follow the king's refusal to trust God's promise, requiring the reader to recognize that human stability depends entirely on divine faithfulness rather than military or diplomatic maneuvering.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.
Cross-references
- Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
- Romans 11:20 That is correct: They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.
- 2 Chronicles 20:20 Early in the morning they got up and left for the Wilderness of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, “Hear me, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be upheld; believe in His prophets, and you will succeed.”
- 1 John 5:10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him; whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given about His Son.
- Acts 27:25 So take courage, men, for I believe God that it will happen just as He told me.
- Isaiah 8:6 “Because this people has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoiced in Rezin and the son of Remaliah,
- Isaiah 30:12 Therefore this is what the Holy One of Israel says: “Because you have rejected this message, trusting in oppression and relying on deceit,
- 1 Kings 16:24 He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city there, calling it Samaria after the name of Shemer, who had owned the hill.
- Acts 27:11 But contrary to Paul’s advice, the centurion was persuaded by the pilot and by the owner of the ship.
- 2 Kings 15:27 In the fifty-second year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twenty years.