Isaiah 36:20 kjv
Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
Isaiah 36:20 nkjv
Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their countries from my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?' "
Isaiah 36:20 niv
Who of all the gods of these countries have been able to save their lands from me? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?"
Isaiah 36:20 esv
Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?'"
Isaiah 36:20 nlt
What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the LORD can rescue Jerusalem from me?"
Isaiah 36 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 36:18 | "But beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ | Isa. 36:18 |
| 2 Kings 18:32 | “But lest Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, ‘Surely the LORD will de | 2 Kin. 18:32 |
| Jeremiah 5:17 | And you shall say, ‘You shall surely break it.’ Your jaws will break it. | Jer. 5:17 |
| Psalm 115:3 | Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases. | Ps. 115:3 |
| Psalm 115:4 | But their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. | Ps. 115:4 |
| Psalm 115:5 | They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; | Ps. 115:5 |
| Psalm 115:6 | They have ears, but do not hear; they have noses, but do not smell; | Ps. 115:6 |
| Psalm 115:7 | They have hands, but do not feel; they have feet, but do not walk; | Ps. 115:7 |
| Psalm 115:8 | Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them. | Ps. 115:8 |
| Isaiah 40:19 | What is the advantage of an image that a craftsman has shaped and a metal- | Isa. 40:19 |
| Isaiah 40:20 | He who is too impoverished for such an offering selects wood that does not ro | Isa. 40:20 |
| Isaiah 41:24 | Behold, you are worse than nothing, and your work is of nothing; it is an abom | Isa. 41:24 |
| Isaiah 41:29 | Behold, they are all a vain thing; their cast image is nothing; their molten | Isa. 41:29 |
| Jeremiah 10:11 | You shall say this to them: “The gods who did not make the heavens and the ear | Jer. 10:11 |
| Jeremiah 10:12 | He has made the earth by his power, he has set the world in his wisdom, and by h | Jer. 10:12 |
| Jeremiah 10:14 | Every goldsmith is put to shame by the images, for their molten images are f | Jer. 10:14 |
| Romans 1:22 | Claiming to be wise, they became fools, | Rom. 1:22 |
| Romans 1:23 | and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, | Rom. 1:23 |
| Romans 1:25 | They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served the cr | Rom. 1:25 |
| Acts 19:26 | And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great ma | Acts 19:26 |
Isaiah 36 verses
Isaiah 36 20 Meaning
This verse records Rabshakeh's continued deception, asserting that the gods of other nations failed to deliver them from Assyria. He is attempting to instill fear and doubt in Judah, claiming that their God, like those of conquered peoples, will also be powerless against the mighty Assyrian empire.
Isaiah 36 20 Context
This verse appears in Isaiah chapter 36, which is an account of Sennacherib's invasion of Judah during the reign of King Hezekiah. Rabshakeh, the Assyrian chief commander, is sent by Sennacherib to taunt Jerusalem and persuade them to surrender. He employs psychological warfare, using deceptive words to undermine their faith in God. The preceding verses show Rabshakeh boasting about Assyria's power and questioning Hezekiah's trust in the LORD.
Isaiah 36 20 Word Analysis
- Indeed (Hebrew: כִּ֤י, ki): This conjunction introduces the statement and can mean "for," "because," or "indeed," serving to emphasize the following claim.
- which (Hebrew: אֲשֶׁר, asher): A relative pronoun referring back to the gods of the nations previously mentioned.
- the gods (Hebrew: אֱלֹהֵ֥י, elohey): Plural form of "god," indicating multiple deities.
- of the nations (Hebrew: הַגּוֹיִ֥ם, hagoyim): Refers to the various Gentile nations conquered by Assyria.
- which (Hebrew: אֲשֶׁר, asher): Another relative pronoun, linking the nations to their gods.
- of these (Hebrew: אָבֽוֹת, avot): While typically meaning "fathers," in this context, it's used to signify "ancestors" or "predecessors," referring to the fathers of the nations and their gods. However, some translations and understanding consider this a misreading of the Hebrew or an archaic usage. A more direct reading, fitting the context, might infer "those nations" or "their fathers" who served these gods.
- delivered (Hebrew: הִצִּ֥ילוּ, hitzilu): From the root נָצַל (natzal), meaning "to save," "to deliver," or "to rescue."
- their land (Hebrew: אֶת־אַרְצָ֖ם, et-artzam): Referring to the land possessed by the nations mentioned.
- from the hand (Hebrew: מִיַּ֥ד, mi-yad): From the power or control.
- of the king (Hebrew: מֶֽלֶךְ, melech): Referring to the king of Assyria.
- of Assyria (Hebrew: אַשּֽׁוּר, Ashshur): The mighty Assyrian empire.
Group Analysis:
The core of Rabshakeh's argument is a false theological analogy: if the gods of other nations, which were unable to save their lands from Assyria, are comparable to the God of Israel, then Israel's God will also fail. This relies on a polytheistic worldview, where gods are territorial and can be defeated or superseded.
Isaiah 36 20 Bonus Section
Rabshakeh's words reflect a common misunderstanding of God's actions, attributing political and military outcomes solely to divine power rather than, for example, human sin or divine allowance for judgment or testing. The ensuing chapter (Isaiah 37) will detail Hezekiah's response and God's miraculous intervention, demonstrating the stark difference between powerless idols and the sovereign LORD of all creation. The reference to "fathers" can also subtly imply a generational failure or rejection of God by their ancestors, making their current plight seem predetermined, another manipulative tactic.
Isaiah 36 20 Commentary
Rabshakeh employs a tactic of fear and spiritual erosion. By listing the supposed failures of other gods to save their people and lands from Assyrian conquest, he seeks to convince the people of Jerusalem that their God is no different. He attempts to dismantle their confidence in the LORD by presenting a worldly, pragmatic argument: Assyria has a superior military power, and therefore, their gods must be superior, or perhaps Israel's God is simply indifferent or powerless. This is a direct assault on monotheism and the unique covenant relationship between Yahweh and Israel, twisting a historical reality of national defeats into a theological conclusion. The verse highlights the futility of idolatry and the superiority of the true God, as explored throughout the prophetic books.