Isaiah 36:18 kjv
Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, the LORD will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
Isaiah 36:18 nkjv
Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, "The LORD will deliver us." Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria?
Isaiah 36:18 niv
"Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, 'The LORD will deliver us.' Have the gods of any nations ever delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria?
Isaiah 36:18 esv
Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, "The LORD will deliver us." Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
Isaiah 36:18 nlt
"Don't let Hezekiah mislead you by saying, 'The LORD will rescue us!' Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria?
Isaiah 36 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 36:18 | "Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, 'The LORD will deliver us.'" ... 'Which of the gods of the nations...has delivered his country from the hand of the king of Assyria?'" | Isa 37:10 |
| Isa 37:10 | "'...Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, 'Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you...'" | 2 Kgs 19:10 |
| 2 Kgs 19:10 | "'...speak thus to Hezekiah... do not let your God whom you serve deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.'" | Jer 19:3; 32:28; 33:9 |
| Ps 7:15-16 | "He who conceives mischief, and what he is fruitful in, shall bring forth lies. He has dug a pit and sunk it, and has fallen into the very hole which he has dug." | Ps 7:15-16 |
| Ps 14:7 | "Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!" | Ps 14:7 |
| Ps 135:15-18 | "The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear..." | Isa 44:9-20; 46:1-2 |
| Isa 10:5-15 | Describes Assyria as a tool of God's wrath, but also emphasizes the pride of the Assyrian king. | Isa 10:5-15 |
| Jer 2:27-28 | Condemns Judah for turning from God to idols, calling stone their father and clay their mother. | Jer 2:27-28 |
| Jer 50:24-25 | God speaks of punishing Babylon, comparing her to flour being beaten in a threshing sledge. | Jer 50:24-25 |
| Ezek 29:18-20 | Prophecy against Egypt, where Nebuchadnezzar is promised the land as a reward for his service against it. | Ezek 29:18-20 |
| Dan 3:29 | King Nebuchadnezzar blesses the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, acknowledging His power. | Dan 3:29 |
| Dan 4:37 | Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges God's supreme sovereignty and power over earthly rulers. | Dan 4:37 |
| Acts 12:22-23 | The people praised Herod as a god, and an angel of the Lord struck him down because he did not give God the glory. | Acts 12:22-23 |
| 1 Cor 8:4-6 | Discusses that idols are nothing, and there is only one God. | 1 Cor 8:4-6 |
| 1 John 5:21 | "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." | 1 John 5:21 |
| Prov 26:4-5 | "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes." | Prov 26:4-5 |
| Ps 115:1-8 | Denounces idol worship, stating that those who make and trust idols become like them. | Ps 115:1-8 |
| Hab 2:6 | Describes how the covetous nations would be judged by a proverb. | Hab 2:6 |
| Isa 40:18-20 | Criticizes the making of idols from precious metals, which cannot speak or help. | Isa 40:18-20 |
| Isa 41:24 | "Behold, you are of less account than a drop of water, and your work of less value than a shard of pottery." | Isa 41:24 |
| Isa 44:24 | God declares Himself the Maker of all things, including the heavens and earth. | Isa 44:24 |
| Isa 46:6-7 | God mocks those who spend money to fashion idols from gold and silver that are lifeless. | Isa 46:6-7 |
Isaiah 36 verses
Isaiah 36 18 Meaning
The verse powerfully illustrates the arrogance and false confidence of the Assyrian king Hezekiah's enemies. They mocked God's ability to deliver Jerusalem, comparing him to other idols that failed their worshippers. Their boast stemmed from a perceived inability of any nation to resist Assyria, a power they believed was divinely ordained to conquer. This verse reveals their utter disregard for Yahweh and their reliance on human strength and supposed military invincibility.
Isaiah 36 18 Context
This verse is part of Isaiah chapter 36, which is an account paralleled in 2 Kings 18 and 2 Chronicles 32. It describes the historical event when the Assyrian king Sennacherib's army, led by his field commander (Rabshakeh), attacked Jerusalem during the reign of King Hezekiah. The Assyrians had already conquered many surrounding nations and their fortified cities. Rabshakeh's speech, as recorded in this chapter, is a deliberate propaganda campaign aimed at demoralizing the people of Jerusalem and Hezekiah. He directly addresses the people on the wall, belittling their faith in God and emphasizing Assyria's overwhelming military might. This specific verse is part of Rabshakeh's attempt to erode their confidence in Hezekiah's reliance on Yahweh, painting him as foolish and their trust in God as misplaced. The broader context of Isaiah's prophecy is the impending judgment on Judah for its unfaithfulness, but also God's sovereign plan to preserve a remnant and ultimately bring salvation through the Messiah.
Isaiah 36 18 Word Analysis
- "Beware": (Hebrew: "Hiskallu" - הִשָּׂכְלוּ) - Literally "Take heed," "Be prudent," "Guard yourselves." It's an imperative, a strong warning.
- "lest Hezekiah": (Hebrew: "pen-Hezekiyahu" - פֶּן-חִזְקִיָּ֫הוּ) - "Lest," "perhaps," indicating a potential danger. Hezekiah is presented as a deceptive figure.
- "persuade you": (Hebrew: "pattê' etkem" - פַּתֶּה אֶתְכֶם) - "To entice," "to beguile," "to lead astray." Suggests a misleading influence.
- "saying": (Hebrew: "lemōr" - לֵאמֹר) - "Saying," introduces the direct speech of Hezekiah as perceived by the Assyrians.
- "The LORD": (Hebrew: "Yhwh" - יְהוָה) - The personal covenant name of God. Acknowledged, but framed with contempt.
- "your God": (Hebrew: "Elohekem" - אֱלֹהֵיכֶם) - Possessive, implying a relational aspect that the Assyrians reject as futile.
- "will deliver us": (Hebrew: "yoshî'ênû" - יוֹשִׁיעֵֽנוּ) - "He will save us," "He will rescue us." The core of Hezekiah's faith that is being mocked.
- "from the hand of the king of Assyria?": (Hebrew: "miyyadh melek-'Asshûr" - מִיַּד־מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר) - A rhetorical question highlighting Assyria's perceived power as overwhelming and inescapable.
- "Has not each": (Hebrew: "halo' gō'ê hā-'arēṣ" - הֲלֹא גּוֹיֵ֤ הָאָרֶץ) - "Has not every nation..." emphasizes the supposed universality of Assyria's success.
- "gods of the nations": (Hebrew: "elohey hag-gôyim" - אֱלֹהֵי֙ הַגּוֹיִ֔ם) - Referring to the deities of conquered peoples.
- "in any wise delivered their land": (Hebrew: "hōṣî' ʾērōṣäm" - הוֹצִ֤יאָה אֶרְצָם) - "Freed their land," questioning the effectiveness of other gods in the face of Assyrian power.
- "from the hand of the king of Assyria?": (Hebrew: "miyyadh melek-'Asshûr" - מִיַּד־מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר) - Repeats the assertion of Assyria's invincibility and divine sanction for conquest.
Group Analysis:The phrase "gods of the nations" and the question about them delivering their land directly challenges the exclusivity and power of Yahweh. The Assyrians frame their argument around the consistent failure of other national deities, using this as a premise to dismiss the possibility of Yahweh being any different or more powerful. They elevate the "king of Assyria" to an almost divine status by his repeated victories, presenting his "hand" as the ultimate power against which no other god can stand.
Isaiah 36 18 Bonus Section
The Assyrian propaganda technique is to employ doubt and fear by creating a false equivalence. They assume that if other gods failed, then Yahweh will too. This is a spiritual and psychological warfare tactic designed to isolate Jerusalem, severing their perceived divine connection. Rabshakeh’s speech is remarkably consistent with ancient Near Eastern conquest rhetoric, which often included boasting about military victories and denigrating the gods of conquered nations. This Assyrian belief system reflects a polytheistic understanding where each nation's god had limited jurisdiction. Their success in war was seen as proof of their god's superior power or favor. This particular verse demonstrates their limited theological framework and their blindness to the universal sovereignty of the God of Israel, who was not bound to a specific geographical location but was the Creator of all nations. The ultimate failure of Assyria, as detailed in the following chapter, demonstrates the truth of Isaiah's prophecy and the unreliability of human strength and idolatry compared to the living God.
Isaiah 36 18 Commentary
This verse reveals a classic conflict between faith and pagan rationalism. The Assyrian official, Rabshakeh, articulates a worldview rooted in the perceived strength of military empires and the impotence of gods who cannot protect their people from conquest. He cites the consistent pattern of Assyrian victories as empirical evidence against Judah's trust in Jehovah. The targeting of Hezekiah's persuasion highlights the enemy's awareness of spiritual leadership and their strategy to undermine it by questioning divine protection. The core message is that reliance on Yahweh is foolish if that God cannot demonstrate superiority over the military powers of the day. The Assyrian perspective is that divine power is demonstrated solely through earthly dominance.