Isaiah 37 25

Isaiah 37:25 kjv

I have digged, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places.

Isaiah 37:25 nkjv

I have dug and drunk water, And with the soles of my feet I have dried up All the brooks of defense.'

Isaiah 37:25 niv

I have dug wells in foreign lands and drunk the water there. With the soles of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.'

Isaiah 37:25 esv

I dug wells and drank waters, to dry up with the sole of my foot all the streams of Egypt.

Isaiah 37:25 nlt

I have dug wells in many foreign lands
and refreshed myself with their water.
With the sole of my foot,
I stopped up all the rivers of Egypt!'

Isaiah 37 verses

Isaiah 37 25 Meaning

This verse is God's direct rebuttal and an assertion of His absolute sovereignty over Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, and his past military successes. God rhetorically asks Sennacherib if he has not understood that all his prior conquests—laying waste to fortified cities—were not by his own power or strategy, but were determined, planned, and orchestrated by God Himself from eternity past. It reveals that the Assyrian's seemingly independent actions were, in reality, instruments in God's overarching divine purpose, culminating in the current situation where Sennacherib threatens Judah.

Isaiah 37 25 Context

Isaiah 37 records a pivotal moment during Sennacherib's invasion of Judah. Having conquered many fortified cities in Judah, Sennacherib sends a taunting message to King Hezekiah, urging him to surrender, boasting of his own irresistible military might, and blasphemously claiming that no god, not even Judah's God, can save them. In despair, Hezekiah brings the letter before the LORD in the temple, and Isaiah, guided by God, sends a reply. Verses 21-35 contain God's oracle against Sennacherib. Verse 25 is a crucial part of this oracle, where God directly addresses Sennacherib's hubris. It follows God's condemnation of Sennacherib's insolent words against Him (vv. 23-24), countering the king's belief in his self-achieved prowess by asserting divine authorship over all past victories the Assyrian king claimed. This verse sets the stage for the imminent and miraculous downfall of Sennacherib, not by Judah's strength, but by God's direct intervention.

Isaiah 37 25 Word analysis

• Have you not heard (הֲלֹֽא־שָׁמַ֡עְתָּ / halo-shamaʿta): A rhetorical question from God, not seeking information but emphasizing that Sennacherib should have known or recognized this truth. It challenges his perceived intelligence and wisdom, implying a profound spiritual blindness. It directly refutes his claim of independent power and success.

• how I determined it long ago (מֵֽרָח֞וֹק עֲשִׂיתִ֤יהָ / merachoq asitihah):

  • merachoq: "From afar," "long ago," "from a distant time." This Hebrew term signifies a deep past, an ancient, almost primordial determination. It denotes eternity.
  • asitihah: "I made it," "I did it," "I appointed it." The first-person singular verb emphatically declares God's agency. It indicates active formulation and execution. This phrase reveals God's meticulous and specific planning of events before they occur.

• and formed it of ancient times (מִֽימֵי־קֶ֣דֶם יְצַרְתִּ֗יהָ / mim-yemey-qedem yetzartihah):

  • mim-yemey-qedem: "From days of old," "from ancient times." Reinforces the concept of timelessness and immemorial antiquity. It speaks to the eternal nature of God's counsel.
  • yetzartihah: "I formed it," "I fashioned it," "I molded it." This verb often relates to creation (e.g., God forming Adam from dust), signifying careful and intentional design. It implies God's role as the master craftsman of history, shaping outcomes according to His divine will.

• I have now brought it to pass (עַתָּ֤ה הֲבֵֽאתִיהָ֙ / ʿattah hevetihah):

  • ʿattah: "Now," "at this present time." Contrasts with "long ago" and "ancient times," showing the actualization and execution of God's eternal plan in the immediate historical context.
  • hevetihah: "I have brought it," "I have caused it to come." This signifies God's direct and current involvement in manifesting His pre-determined plan into reality. It demonstrates that the past victories of Assyria were not just predetermined but actively brought about by God.

• that you should be for laying waste (וּתְהִ֗י הָאׇל֙ לַהֲשֵׁ֣א / u't'hiy ha'ol l'hasha):

  • u't'hiy ha'ol l'hasha: This complex phrase translates roughly as "and it should be for causing to lay waste."
  • It defines Sennacherib's purpose in God's plan. Sennacherib wasn't the initiator or primary actor; he was merely the agent. "You" here refers to Assyria and its king.

• fortified cities into ruinous heaps (בִּצָּרֹ֗ות גַּלִּים֙ / biv'tzarot gallim):

  • biv'tzarot: "Fortified cities," "walled cities." Represents the might and security of human endeavor, yet rendered vulnerable by God's plan.
  • gallim: "Heaps," "mounds of ruins." This vividly describes the total devastation and desolation wrought by the Assyrian army, an action directly attributed to God's predetermined will.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "Have you not heard how I determined it long ago, and formed it of ancient times?": This pairing of phrases ("long ago" and "ancient times," "determined" and "formed") is a common Hebrew poetic device known as synonymous parallelism. It intensifies the concept of God's eternal, unchangeable, and deliberate planning. It serves as a severe rebuke to Sennacherib, reminding him of God's pre-eminence and the vast scope of His temporal dominion over history, long before Sennacherib even existed.
  • "I have now brought it to pass, that you should be for laying waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps.": This connection explicitly links God's eternal plan to its present, concrete manifestation. Sennacherib's "successes" are portrayed not as demonstrations of his own prowess but as the direct outcome of God's active, current involvement in unfolding His predetermined purpose. Assyria is relegated to the role of a passive instrument, a tool for divine judgment against other nations, rather than an independent conqueror.

Isaiah 37 25 Bonus section

This passage is a prime example of a polemic against the pride and self-exaltation of earthly kings and the false belief in their absolute autonomy. Sennacherib's boasts of invincibility and his blasphemous claims against Yahweh (Isa 37:10-13, 23) are shattered by this divine revelation. God is effectively saying, "Your greatest achievements are but my errands." This divine "backstory" to Assyria's conquests reshapes the entire narrative from human-centric to God-centric. The language "formed it" (יצָרְתִּֽיהָ / yetzartihah) often used in creation (Gen 2:7, Ps 139:16) emphasizes God's direct, intimate involvement in shaping these historical outcomes, much like a potter shaping clay. The divine purpose here extends beyond merely foreknowledge to active causation. It reminds us that no power on earth operates outside the comprehensive will and permissive decree of God, even when the agent's intent is diametrically opposed to righteousness.

Isaiah 37 25 Commentary

Isaiah 37:25 serves as a profound theological declaration, establishing God's ultimate sovereignty over history and human affairs, especially regarding the rise and fall of nations. It's a direct challenge to the human tendency, particularly among powerful rulers like Sennacherib, to attribute success to their own strength, wisdom, or gods. God asserts that the Assyrian military machine, which appeared to be an unstoppable force driven by its own ambition, was merely an axe in the hand of the divine woodcutter. Every victory, every conquered city laid waste, was part of God's meticulously crafted plan, determined "long ago" and "from ancient times." This verse underscores that human history is not a series of random events or clashes of wills, but a purposeful unfolding of God's eternal decree. It reveals that even the most powerful and ruthless human agents, who act from their own perceived free will and evil intent, are unwittingly serving as instruments in God's larger redemptive and judicial purposes. This is a critical reminder that God's power extends beyond His people's direct obedience; He uses even the wicked to fulfill His overarching plan, without condoning their sin. This concept offers immense comfort to believers facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, knowing that God is ultimately in control.