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

ISAIAH 7:11KJV
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Isaiah 7:11 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 7:11 mean?

Isaiah 7:11 describes God, through the prophet Isaiah, inviting King Ahaz to ask for a sign—any sign at all—from the LORD his God, whether something as deep as the depths or as high as the heavens. This shows God’s willingness to prove His promise to Ahaz in a dramatic and unmistakable way.

In this scene, Isaiah is speaking to King Ahaz of Judah during a time of national crisis, when Jerusalem is threatened by enemy kings. God, through Isaiah, offers Ahaz a miraculous sign to assure him that God will protect Judah. The invitation to ask for a sign “in the depth, or in the height above” emphasizes that there are no limits to what God can do to confirm His word.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 7:11

  • “Sign” (אוֹת, ’ot, H226) means a miraculous proof or signal from God. Here, it is not just any sign, but one that would unmistakably show God’s power and faithfulness.
  • “Depth” (עֹמֶק, ‘omeq, H6009) and “height” (גָּבֹהַּ, gavohah, H1361) together stress the range of possibilities—God is offering Ahaz a sign from anywhere, whether from the deepest places or the highest heavens. This highlights the total freedom and power of God to act.

Why Isaiah 7:11 matters

  • Isaiah 7:11 clears up the idea that God is reluctant to give signs; here, God actually urges Ahaz to request one, showing His patience and desire to reassure.
  • The verse reveals how God meets people in their doubts, offering concrete proof when faith is weak, especially in moments of fear or crisis.
  • This invitation sets up the tension in the story, as Ahaz refuses to ask for a sign, which leads to God choosing a sign Himself—the prophecy of Immanuel in the following verses.

Where else these words appear

“depth” Hebrew H6009 · used in 9 verses

  • Psalms 92:5 O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.
  • Isaiah 30:33 For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.
  • Jeremiah 49:30 Flee, get you far off, dwell deep, O ye inhabitants of Hazor, saith the LORD; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath taken counsel against you, and hath conceived a purpose against you.

“height” Hebrew H1361 · used in 33 verses

  • 1 Samuel 10:23 And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.
  • Psalms 113:5 Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high,
  • Ezekiel 17:24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.

“sign” Hebrew H226 · used in 77 verses

  • Genesis 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
  • Numbers 17:10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.
  • Job 21:29 Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,

“above” Hebrew H4605 · used in 134 verses

  • Genesis 6:16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
  • Numbers 4:30 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.
  • 2 Chronicles 5:8 For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.