Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

ISAIAH 7:15KJV
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Isaiah 7:15 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 7:15 mean?

Isaiah 7:15 says that the child will eat butter and honey so that he will know how to refuse evil and choose good. This verse connects the child’s diet with his ability to discern right from wrong.

The prophet Isaiah is speaking to King Ahaz of Judah during a time of political crisis. Isaiah is giving a sign from God involving a child, and this verse describes the child’s upbringing. Butter and honey were simple foods, often eaten in times of hardship or when the land was not cultivated, hinting at the conditions the people would face. The verse emphasizes the child’s moral awareness as he grows up in these circumstances.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 7:15

  • "Butter" (חֶמְאָה, ḥem'āh) refers to curds or a dairy product, not exactly modern butter. It suggests a basic, pastoral diet rather than luxury.
  • "Honey" (דְּבַשׁ, devash) in ancient Israel often meant wild honey or syrup from dates, again pointing to simple, natural foods.
  • "Know" (יָדַע, yada‘) means more than just intellectual knowledge; it includes understanding and the ability to make moral choices.
  • "Refuse" (מָאַס, ma'as) and "choose" (בָּחַר, bachar) are strong words for rejecting and selecting, highlighting an active decision between evil (רַע, ra‘) and good (טוֹב, tov).

Why Isaiah 7:15 matters

  • Isaiah 7:15 shows that the child’s ability to choose good over evil is tied to his upbringing and the conditions of the land, not just a sudden supernatural event.
  • The verse helps clarify that the sign to Ahaz is rooted in real historical circumstances—hard times are coming, but God is still at work.
  • This verse connects to the larger prophecy about Immanuel, showing that God’s presence is linked with both judgment and hope for the future.

Where else these words appear

“Butter” Hebrew H2529 · used in 9 verses

  • Genesis 18:8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
  • Judges 5:25 He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.
  • Job 29:6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

“honey” Hebrew H1706 · used in 54 verses

  • Genesis 43:11 And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
  • Deuteronomy 27:3 And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee.
  • Psalms 81:16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

“refuse” Hebrew H3988 · used in 69 verses

  • Leviticus 26:15 And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant:
  • Job 30:1 But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.
  • Isaiah 41:9 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.