Книга пророка Исаии, Глава 7, стих 10. Толкования стиха

  Instead of in the depths or in the heights, Symmachus says: Ask for yourself a sign from the Lord your God, go down into Hades or up to heaven. And Aquila says: Request for yourself a sign from the Lord your God, go down into Hades or rise up above. And Theodotion says: Ask for yourself a sign from the Lord your God, go down into Hades or lift yourself up high. We will recognize that the mention about the sign in the depths or in the heights is from the books of Moses. For it was said concerning the signs which were in Egypt by Moses: “He sent out signs and wonders in your midst, O Egypt.” From the earth came frogs and locust and lice and flies, and from heaven came hail and fire and the three days of darkness. And someone could also say that the sign to Hezekiah was a sign from heaven, “when the sun stepped backward and the shadow ran the other way ten steps.” And indeed a sign from the depths was given to Saul, when, after his death, Samuel foretold his fate. Likewise Jonah acted as a “sign” from the depths, “from the belly of the fish,” when he went along and preached to the Ninevites, people of another tribe. Therefore Ahaz was bidden to ask for a sign, through which he would be saved and the people with him. God gave him the opportunity to choose the sign, and if he had asked for a sign from the depths, it would have been given to him (from the depths is not different from from Hades), or from the heights, and from the things raised up above them.

Отказ Ахаза от знамения. В удостоверение чинности своих слов пророк предлагает Ахазу просить знамения у Господа «в глубине или на высоте», т.е. в небесной и подземной сфере, согласно толкованию святых отцов. Но верующий Ахаз, надеющийся больше на помощь ассирийского царя, под благовидным предлогом нежелания искушать Господа, отказался просить знамения.