Shaking hearts

Whose heart is shaken by the report of the invasion of Aram and Israel (Isaiah 7:2)? The antecedent is not Ahaz, but the “house of David.”

What is the “heart” of the house of David? Is it the temple, or perhaps even more specifically, the Most Holy Place? That would fit with the “forest” simile at the end of the verse (cf. Psalm 74). What quivers at the news is the dynasty of David, and specifically the forest of cedars that is the temple. The heart of David’s house will stand firm only if the Davidic house acts with trust in Yahweh. If Ahaz does not trust,. then the house will quiver until its heart is shaken to the ground, not one stone on another.