Isaiah 37 12

Isaiah 37:12 kjv

Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar?

Isaiah 37:12 nkjv

Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed, Gozan and Haran and Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?

Isaiah 37:12 niv

Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver them?the gods of Gozan, Harran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar?

Isaiah 37:12 esv

Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?

Isaiah 37:12 nlt

Have the gods of other nations rescued them ? such nations as Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Tel-assar? My predecessors destroyed them all!

Isaiah 37 verses

Isaiah 37 12 Meaning

Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, through his messengers, challenged King Hezekiah of Judah. He questions if the gods of various nations his ancestors conquered could deliver their people, implicitly stating that Yahweh, the God of Judah, would be no different. This rhetorical question highlights the Assyrian empire's hubris and its profound underestimation of the unique power and sovereignty of the one true God, placing Him on par with impotent pagan deities.

Isaiah 37 12 Context

Isaiah 37:12 is embedded within the historical narrative of King Hezekiah's reign in Judah, specifically during the siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib, King of Assyria, around 701 BC. Following Assyria's devastating conquests of other nations and the northern kingdom of Israel (Samaria), Sennacherib dispatched his Rabshekah with a taunting message to demoralize Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem. The message directly challenged Yahweh's ability to protect Jerusalem, likening Him to the gods of the nations that Assyria had already destroyed. This verse comes from Sennacherib's second letter to Hezekiah, delivered after Hezekiah initially appealed to the Lord through the prophet Isaiah. This serves as the ultimate pagan challenge, setting the stage for Yahweh's direct intervention and miraculous deliverance.

Isaiah 37 12 Word analysis

• "Did the gods" (הַאֵלֵה - ha'eileh): This is a rhetorical question designed to diminish. Assyrian polytheism saw gods as extensions of national power, vulnerable to stronger gods or empires. This challenge aims to put Yahweh on the same fallible footing as these defeated deities.

• "of the nations" (הַגּוֹיִם - hagoyim): Refers to non-Israelite peoples. The term signifies their idolatrous worship and distinction from Yahweh's covenant people. Assyrian conquest meant the subjugation of both people and their patron deities.

• "deliver them," (הִצִּילוּם - hitz-tzilum): Meaning 'rescue' or 'save.' This is the core of Sennacherib's challenge, implying a god's failure if its people are conquered. It misrepresents Yahweh's nature, who uses nations as instruments and also delivers supernaturally.

• "which my fathers" (אֲבוֹתַי - avotai): Denotes Sennacherib's royal ancestors, previous Assyrian kings. This invokes the lineage of Assyrian military successes, giving historical weight and an aura of inevitability to the taunt.

• "have destroyed," (הִשְׁמִידוּ - hishmīdu): Means 'utterly annihilated' or 'wiped out.' It boasts of total conquest, suggesting permanence and comprehensive defeat for these nations and their gods.

• "as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph," (כּגוזן וחרן ורצף - K'Gozan v'Haran v'Retzeph): These are specific cities/regions in Mesopotamia and Syria. Assyria had indeed conquered and deported populations from these areas, illustrating their dominance. Gozan is notably where some Israelites were exiled after the fall of Samaria (2 Kgs 17:6).

• "and the children of Eden" (בְּנֵי־עֵדֶן - Bəney-`Edhen): Likely referring to an Aramean state known as Bit-Adini, rather than the biblical Garden of Eden. Their mention highlights the Assyrian empire's broad reach and numerous victories over established kingdoms.

• "which were in Telassar?" (אֲשֶׁר בְּתֵל־אֲשָּׂר - 'asher b'Tel-assar): Telassar might be a specific city or district, or a place where the "children of Eden" were resettled or came from. It adds another layer of specificity to the long list of Assyrian conquests, emphasizing the breadth of their subjugations.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "Did the gods of the nations deliver them": This phrase frames the fundamental theological conflict, placing Yahweh on par with finite, national deities whose power is seen as geographically and politically bound. It represents a worldview profoundly challenged by biblical monotheism.
  • "which my fathers have destroyed": This assertion claims continuous and overwhelming Assyrian might, attributing success to a lineage of powerful kings and implicitly, their own god Ashur. It serves to demoralize, suggesting that Judah's God will fare no better than others.
  • "as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar": This comprehensive list provides concrete examples of Assyrian military and religious supremacy. Each location serves as an undeniable testament to Assyrian conquest, intended to instil fear and demonstrate a consistent pattern of triumph.

Isaiah 37 12 Bonus section

Sennacherib's rhetorical strategy, while historically common for ancient Near Eastern monarchs, fundamentally misunderstands Yahweh's relationship with His people and the nations. Unlike the regional, immanent deities of the pagans whose power was often tied to their land or people, Yahweh is the transcendent Creator of all earth, using nations (even Assyria) as instruments in His divine plan (Isa 10:5). The defeat of Gozan or Haran's gods did not negate a universal, all-powerful deity, but exposed the futility of human-made idols. The mention of Gozan specifically is poignant as it's where people of the northern kingdom of Israel were exiled, underscoring Assyria's history with the Israelites, though not with Yahweh's protection over Jerusalem at this point. This passage emphasizes that divine action is not limited by human logic or imperial might, but operates according to God's own will and covenant faithfulness.

Isaiah 37 12 Commentary

Sennacherib's taunt in Isaiah 37:12 is a classic display of pagan hubris, rooted in a worldview where a nation's military strength directly reflects the power of its patron deity. He equates Yahweh with the numerous false gods he has already proven impotent by conquering their nations. This direct challenge to divine sovereignty and the uniqueness of Yahweh's power serves a crucial theological function in Isaiah's narrative. It sets up the stark contrast between human, limited, and boastful power, and the ultimate, limitless, and transcendent power of the true God. The list of conquered cities isn't just historical detail; it's a strategic psychological weapon aimed at convincing Judah that their God is just one among many, incapable of saving them from the Assyrian war machine. However, the subsequent divine intervention clearly demonstrates the folly of this comparison, establishing Yahweh not merely as stronger than other gods, but as the only living God.

• Trusting in human institutions, economic might, or personal strength as ultimate sources of security rather than God can be a modern parallel to Sennacherib's misplaced confidence.