Isaiah 7 · Verse 12

Isaiah 7:12

But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.
Isaiah 7:12, King James Version

Isaiah 7:12 in other translations

BSBBut Ahaz replied, “I will not ask; I will not test the LORD.”
WEBBut Ahaz said, “I won’t ask. I won’t tempt the LORD.”
ASVBut Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt Jehovah.
YLTAnd Ahaz saith, ‘I do not ask nor try Jehovah.'
DARBYAnd Ahaz said, I will not ask, and will not tempt Jehovah.
BBEBut Ahaz said, I will not put the Lord to the test by making such a request.
WebsterBut Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD.

What does Isaiah 7:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. neither ... tempt--hypocritical pretext of keeping the law (De 6:16); "tempt," that is, put God to the proof, as in Mt 4:7, by seeking His miraculous interposition without warrant. But here there was the warrant of the prophet of God; to have asked a sign, when thus offered, would not have been a tempting of God. Ahaz' true reason for declining was his resolve not to do God's will, but to negotiate with Assyria, and persevere in his idolatry (2Ki 16:7, 8, 3, 4, 10). Men often excuse their distrust in God, and trust in their own devices, by professed reverence for God. Ahaz may have fancied that though Jehovah was the God of Judea and could work a sign there, that was no proof that the local god of Syria might not be more powerful. Such was the common heathen notion (Is 10:10, 11; 36:18-20).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Isaiah 7:10-16

Secret disaffection to God is often disguised with the colour of respect to him; and those who are resolved that they will not trust God, yet pretend they will not tempt him. The prophet reproved Ahaz and his court, for the little value they had for Divine revelation. Nothing is more grievous to God than distrust, but the unbelief of man shall not make the promise of God of no effect; the Lord himself shall give a…

Read the full comment on Isaiah 7:10-16 →

Isaiah 7:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֖אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
אָחָ֑ז'a.ChazAhazH271
לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
אֶשְׁאַ֥ל'esh.'AlI will askH7592
וְלֹֽא\־ve.lo'-and notH3808
אֲנַסֶּ֖ה'a.na.SehI will put to [the] testH5254
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
יְהוָֽה\׃Yah.wehYahwehH3068

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 7:12

  • 2 Kings 16:15

    And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king’s burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.

  • Acts 5:9

    Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.

  • Ezekiel 33:31

    And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.

  • Malachi 3:15

    And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

  • Deuteronomy 6:16

    Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.

  • 2 Chronicles 28:22

    And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord: this is that king Ahaz.

  • 1 Corinthians 10:9

    Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I will not ask.
2Ki 16:15; 2Ch 28:22
neither.
Eze 33:31
tempt.
De 6:16; Mal 3:15; Ac 5:9; 1Co 10:9

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 7:11

    Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.

  • Isaiah 7:12

    But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord.

  • Isaiah 7:13

    And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?

Read all of Isaiah 7

Isaiah 7:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y respondió Achâz: No pediré, y no tentaré á Jehová.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Achaz dit: Je ne le demanderai pas, et je ne tenterai pas l’ Éternel.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Ahas sprach: Ich will nicht fordern und will Jehova nicht versuchen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et dixit Achaz: Non petam, et non tentabo Dominum.