Beelzeiul,
which
some
interpret
as
=
'
lord
of
dung'].
Sometimes
such
terms
would
replace
those
used
without
offence
in
earlier
days;
thus,
in
a
proper
name
com-pounded
with
baal
(lord),
the
objectionable
word
would
be
replaced
by
bosheth
('shame'),
In
obedience
to
Ex
23"
etc.
3.
Images
represented
animals
(e.g.
the
golden
calves
and
the
serpent
Nehushtan)
and
human
forms
(cf.
Ezk
161"-,
Is
4413,
Ps
115»-8,
Wis
141s.
16.
20).
The
ephod
appears
to
have
been
some
sort
of
image,
but
was
perhaps
originally
the
robe
worn
by
the
image.
4.
The
materials
used
in
idol
manufacture
were
clay
(Wis
15",
Bel
'),
wood
(Is
44",
Wis
13"),
silver
and
gold
(Hos
8<,
Dn
3").
They
might
be
painted
(Wis
13"
15<),
dressed
up
(Jer
10',
Ezk
16"),
crowned
and
armed
(Bar
&'■
").
They
were
kept
In
shrines
(Jg
17',
Wis
131'
etc.),
and
secured
from
tumbling
down
(Is
41',
Jer
104).
Refreshments
(Is
65",
Jer
7")
and
kisses
(Hos
132,
1
K
19")
were
offered
to
them,
as
well
as
sacrifice
and
incense.
They
figured
In
processions
(cf.
ancient
sculptures,
and
Is
46',
Jer
10»).
See
also
art.
Idolatry.
H.
F.
B.
Compston.
IMAGINATION.
—
In
the
AV
Imagine
always
means
'contrive'
and
imagination
'contrivance.'
In
the
case
of
imagination
a
bad
Intention
is
always
present
(except
Is
26<
AVm),
as
in
Ro
1»
'they
.
.
.
became
vain
in
their
imaginations'
(RV
'reasonings');
2
Co
105
'casting
down
imaginations
and
every
high
thing
that
exalteth
itself
(RVm
'reasonings').
The
Greek
words
have
in
these
passages
the
same
evil
Intent
as
the
AV
word,
so
that
the
RV
renderings
are
not
so
good.
Coverdale
translates
Is
55'
'Let
the
ungodly
man
forsake
his
wayes,
and
the
unrightuous
his
ymagina-cions,
and
turne
agayne
unto
the
Lokdb.'
IMALOUE
(1
Mac
ll^').
—
An
Arab
prince
to
whom
Alexander
Balas
entrusted
his
youthful
son
Antiochus.
After
the
death
of
Alexander,
in
B.C.
145,
Imalcue
reluctantly
gave
up
the
boy
to
Tryphon,
who
placed
him
on
the
throne
of
Syria
as
Antiochus
vi.
in
opposition
to
Demetrius
11.
UHLA
(2
Ch
18'-
«)
or
IMLAH
(1
K
228-
»).—
The
father
of
Mlcaiah,
a
prophet
of
J"
in
the
days
of
Ahab.
IMMANTJEL.—
The
name
occurs
in
la
7"
8',
Mt
1=»,
and
is
a
Heb.
word
meaning
'God
is
with
us';
the
spelling
Emmanuel
comes
from
the
LXX
(see
Mt
1^
AV,
RVm).
Its
interpretation
involves
a
discussion
of
Is
7,
esp.
vv.i"-".
1.
Grammatical
difficulties.
—
The
RV
should
be
consulted
throughout.
The
exact
implication
of
the
word
'virgin'
or
'maiden'
(RVm)
is
doubtful
(see
art.
Vihqin);
it
is
sufficient
here
to
say
that
it
'Is
not
the
word
wliich
would
be
naturally
used
for
virgin,
if
that
was
the
point
which
it
was
desired
to
emphasize'
(Kirkpatrick,
Doctrine
of
the
Prophets,
p.
187).
The
definite
article
may
either
indicate
that
the
prophet
has
some
particular
mother
in
mind,
or
be
generic,
referring
to
the
class.
In
v."
the
renderings
of
RV
and
RVm
are
both
admissible,
but
the
former
is
more
prob-able;
in
V."
RV
should
be
followed,
AV
being
quite
misleading.
In
8'
there
may
be
no
reference
to
Immanuel
at
all;
a
very
slight
alteration
of
the
vowel
points
would
give
the
reading
'
...
of
the
land;
for
God
is
with
us';
the
refrain
occurs
in
v.".
2.
Historical
situation.
—
In
B.C.
735
the
kings
of
Syria
and
Ephraim
formed
an
alliance
against
Judah,
with
the
object
of
setting
Tabeel,
a
nominee
of
their
own,
on
the
throne
of
David,
and
forcing
the
Southern
Kingdom
to
join
in
a
confederacy
against
Assyria.
Ahaz
had
only
lately
come
to
the
throne,
and
the
kingdom
was
weak
and
demoralized
(2
K
16«).
The
purpose
of
Isaiah
was
to
calm
the
terror
of
the
people
(Is
7'),
and
to
restore
faith
in
Jehovah
(v.»).
But
the
policy
of
Ahaz
was
to
take
the
fatal
step
of
Invoking
the
aid
of
Assyria
itself.
Hence,
when
the
prophet
offered
him
a
sign
from
God,
he
refused
to
accept
It,
for
fear
of
committing
himself
to
the
prophet's
policy
of
faith
and
independence.
He
cloaked
his
refusal
in
words
of
apparent
piety.
A
sign
is,
however,
given
—
the
birth
of
a
child,
who
shall
eat
butter
and
honey
(i.e.
poor
pastoral
fare;
cf.
v.^z)
till
(?)
he
comes
to
years
of
discretion.
Before
that
time,
i.e.
before
he
Is
four
or
five
years
old,
Syria
and
Ephraim
shall
be
ruined
(v.").
But
Ahaz
and
his
own
kingdom
shall
become
the
prey
of
Assyria
(v.");
the
rest
of
the
chapter
consists
of
pictures
of
desolation.
The
interpretation
of
the
sign
is
by
no
means
clear.
Who
is
the
child
and
what
does
his
name
imply?
Is
the
sign
a
promise
or
a
threat?
It
should
be
noticed,
as
probably
an
essential
element
in
the
problem,
that
it
is
the
house
or
dynasty
of
David
which
is
being
attacked,
and
which
is
referred
to
throughout
the
chapter
(vv.^.
"•
").
3.
Who
is
the
childf
(see
Driver,
Isaiah,
p.
40
ff.).
(a)
The
traditional
interpretation
sees
in
the
passage
a
direct
prophecy
of
the
Virgin-birth
of
Christ,
and
nothing
else.
In
what
sense,
then,
was
it
a
sign
to
Ahaz?
The
view
runs
counter
to
the
modern
conception
of
prophecy,
which
rightly
demands
that
its
primary
interpretation
shall
be
brought
into
relation
to
the
ideas
and
circum-stances
of
its
age.
The
rest
of
the
chapter
does
not
refer
to
Christ,
but
to
the
troubles
of
the
reign
of
Ahaz;
is
it
legitimate
to
tear
half
a
dozen
words
from
their
context,
and
apply
them
arbitrarily
to
an
event
happening
generations
after?
(&)
It
is
suggested
that
the
maiden
is
the
wife
of
Ahaz
and
that
her
son
is
Hezekiah,
the
king
of
whom
Isaiah
rightly
had
such
high
hopes;
or
(c)
that
she
is
the
'prophetess,'
the
wife
of
Isaiah
himself.
In
both
cases
we
ask
why
the
language
is
so
needlessly
ambiguous.
The
chronological
difficulty
would
seem
to
be
fatal
to
(6),
Hezekiah
being
almost
certainly
several
years
old
in
735;
and
(c)
makes
the
sign
merely
a
duplication
of
that
given
in
8'.
It
becomes
a
mere
note
of
time
('
before
the
ctdld
grows
up,
certain
things
shall
have
happened');
it
leaves
unexplained
the
solemn
way
in
wtilch
the
birth
is
announced,
the
choice
of
the
name,
and
its
repetition
in
8*
(if
the
usual
reading
be
retained).
It
also
separates
this
passage
from
91-7
ni-9,
which
almost
certainly
stand
in
connexion
with
it.
Similar
objections
may
be
urged
against
the
view
(d),
which
sees
in
the
maiden
any
Jewish
mother
of
marriageable
age,
who
in
spite
of
all
appearances
to
the
contrary
may
call
her
child,
then
about
to
be
born,
by
a
name
indicating
the
Divine
favour,
in
token
of
the
coming
deliverance.
The
point
of
the
sign
is
then
the
mother's
faith
and
the
period
of
time
within
which
the
deUverance
shall
be
accomplished,
(e)
A
more
allegorical
version
of
this
interpretation
explains
the
maiden
as
Zion
personified,
and
her
'
son
'
as
the
coming
generation.
But
the
Invariable
word
for
Zion
and
countries
In
such
personifications
is
bethulah,
not
'
almah
(see
art.
Virgin).
(f)
There
remains
the
view
which
sees
in
the
passage
a
reference
to
a
Messiah
in
the
wider
use
of
the
term,
as
understood
by
Isaiah
and
his
contemporaries.
There
prgbably
already
existed
in
Judah
the
expectation
of
an
ideal
king
and
deliverer,
connected
with
the
house
of
David
(2
S
7'2-").
Now
at
the
moment
when
that
house
is
attacked
and
its
representative
proves
himself
unworthy,
Isaiah
announces
in
oracular
language
the
immediate
coming
of
that
king.
The
reference
in
8«,
and
the
passages
in
chs.
9.
11,
will
then
fall
into
their
place
side
by
side
with
this.
They
show
that
the
prophet's
thoughts
were
at
this
period
dwelling
much
on
the
late
and
the
work
of
the
'
wondrous
child,'
who
will,
in
fact,
be
a
scion
of
the
house
of
David
(9'
11>).
Strong
support
is
given
to
this
view
by
Mic
5'
('until
the
time
when
she
that
beareth
hath
brought
forth');
whether
the
passage
belong
to
Micah
himself,
a
con-temporary
of
Isaiah,
or
be
of
later
date,
it
is
cleariy
a
reference
to
Is
7,
and
is
of
great
Importance
as
an
indication
of
the
ideas
current
at
the
time.
With
regard
to
the
beliefs
of
the
time,
evidence
has
been
lately
brought
forward
(esp.
by
Jeremias
and
Gressmann)
showing
that
outside
Israel
(particularly
in
Egypt
and
