Isaiah 37 27

Isaiah 37:27 kjv

Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.

Isaiah 37:27 nkjv

Therefore their inhabitants had little power; They were dismayed and confounded; They were as the grass of the field And the green herb, As the grass on the housetops And grain blighted before it is grown.

Isaiah 37:27 niv

Their people, drained of power, are dismayed and put to shame. They are like plants in the field, like tender green shoots, like grass sprouting on the roof, scorched before it grows up.

Isaiah 37:27 esv

while their inhabitants, shorn of strength, are dismayed and confounded, and have become like plants of the field and like tender grass, like grass on the housetops, blighted before it is grown.

Isaiah 37:27 nlt

That is why their people have so little power
and are so frightened and confused.
They are as weak as grass,
as easily trampled as tender green shoots.
They are like grass sprouting on a housetop,
scorched before it can grow lush and tall.

Isaiah 37 verses

Isaiah 37 27 Meaning

Isaiah 37:27 conveys God's divine judgment against Sennacherib and the Assyrian forces, declaring their complete and utter weakness despite their prior boasts and conquests. Their inhabitants, who symbolize the entire military and national might, would be rendered powerless, terrified, and disgraced. Their strength and glory, though seemingly formidable, are metaphorically equated to transient, shallow-rooted vegetation – common field plants, vulnerable young shoots, and flimsy roof grass – which is doomed to wither and die prematurely before reaching any significant growth or yield, illustrating their inherent futility and imminent destruction at God's hand.

Isaiah 37 27 Context

Isaiah 37 is set during the severe crisis when Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, besieged Jerusalem. Following a series of victories over neighboring nations and cities of Judah, Sennacherib sends a commander, Rabshakeh, to deliver a blasphemous message to King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem. Rabshakeh not only taunts Judah's military weakness but, more critically, mocks the Lord God, claiming He is no different from the gods of the other nations Assyria has conquered. This verse, therefore, is part of God's direct, prophetic response through Isaiah to Hezekiah's fervent prayer and faith in the face of this overwhelming threat and divine insult. God asserts His sovereignty and declares the impending downfall of the seemingly invincible Assyrian empire, highlighting the futility of human might against divine power. The entire chapter serves as a testament to God's immediate and miraculous intervention to protect His people and uphold His name.

Isaiah 37 27 Word analysis

• Therefore (וְכֵן, v'chen): This conjunction serves as a direct consequence or conclusion. It links God's profound knowledge of Sennacherib's every action and thought (as declared in Isa 37:28) to the inevitable feebleness and disgrace of the Assyrian forces. It signals divine judgment following the enemy's pride.
• their inhabitants (יֹשְׁבֵיהֶם, yoshveihem): Refers to the people or inhabitants within Sennacherib's conquered territories, or more broadly, the Assyrians themselves. The plural form implies a vast multitude, collectively rendered impotent. This stands in stark contrast to their perceived numerical and military strength.
• feeble (קִצְרֵי יָד, qitsrei yad): Literally "short of hand." This idiomatic expression denotes extreme weakness, impotence, and inability to act or defend oneself effectively. It suggests a paralysis of strength, where the mighty hand of war, typically a symbol of Assyrian power, becomes utterly incapacitated. It implies their previous effective actions and campaigns will cease.
• dismayed (חַתּוּ, chattu): To be terrified, panic-stricken, shattered, or broken down in spirit. This term conveys the psychological impact of divine judgment – a profound fear and loss of morale that strips away all courage and resolve from the once-boastful enemy. It highlights an internal collapse alongside external weakness.
• and put to shame (וְהוּבִישׁוּ, v'huvishu): Passive voice of "to shame" (בוש, bosh). It signifies being disgraced, humiliated, and brought to open dishonor. This directly counters the Assyrians' hubris and their intention to shame Jerusalem and its God. It emphasizes a reversal of fortune and a public exposure of their impotency.
• They were like plants in the field (וַיִּהְיוּ צֶמַח שָׂדֶה, vayyihiyu tzemakh sadeh): This initiates a series of similes comparing the Assyrian power to fragile, common vegetation. "Plants in the field" (tzemakh sadeh) emphasizes their generic nature, lack of roots for permanence, and vulnerability to environmental changes, contrasting with a fortified tree or robust crop. It conveys their ordinary, easily-destroyed quality.
• and like tender green shoots (וִירָק דֶּשֶׁא, virak deshe): "Tender green shoots" refers to very young, delicate vegetation that has just sprouted. This further underscores their extreme vulnerability and immaturity, suggesting that their supposed "growth" and power are nascent and not deeply established. They possess no substantial strength.
• like grass sprouting on the roof (חֲצִיר גַּגּוֹת, chatsir gagot): This specific image, common in ancient Israel (often dried and used as fuel), portrays rootless and superficial growth. Roof grass sprouts quickly from small pockets of dust, but lacks proper soil and moisture. It signifies extreme impermanence, as it quickly withers under the sun's heat. It's the most illustrative image of superficial, short-lived strength.
• and scorched (וּשְׁדִיפָה, u-shedifah): This verb means to be blighted, parched, or withered by scorching heat or drought. It is an act of destruction by natural elements. In this context, the "scorching" is metaphorical, representing God's destructive judgment and the speed with which it will utterly devastate their perceived strength.
• before it is grown (לִפְנֵי קָמָה, lifnei qamah): Literally "before it stands upright" or "before it ripens/matures." This highlights the prematurity of their destruction. The Assyrians will be wiped out before they can fully achieve their wicked aims or manifest their full destructive potential against Jerusalem. Their pride and aggression are cut short, never reaching fruition.

Words-group analysis

• "feeble, dismayed and put to shame": This triad describes the complete breakdown of the enemy. "Feeble" points to physical and strategic inability; "dismayed" to psychological and moral collapse; and "put to shame" to public disgrace and humiliation. Together, they form a comprehensive picture of abject defeat and impotency, revealing the reversal of their earlier formidable image.
• "like plants in the field, like tender green shoots, like grass sprouting on the roof": This progression of vegetal similes emphasizes increasing degrees of fragility and impermanence. From common field plants (insignificant) to tender green shoots (vulnerable) and finally to rootless roof grass (extremely temporary), the imagery powerfully conveys the utterly unsubstantial and easily destroyed nature of Assyrian might in God's eyes.
• "scorched before it is grown": This final phrase ties together the vegetal similes with a definitive statement of premature judgment. It underlines the futility of Assyrian aspirations; their "growth" towards conquest and domination will be stopped and utterly dried up by God's decree before it can yield any fruit. Their defeat is not merely a setback, but an ultimate, pre-emptive termination of their intended flourishing.

Isaiah 37 27 Bonus section

The imagery of grass on the roof is particularly evocative of the climate and building practices of ancient Israel. Houses often had flat roofs made of earth, which could sprout weeds and grass during rainy seasons. However, with the onset of the intense Middle Eastern dry season and sun, this vegetation would quickly shrivel and die due to lack of deep roots and water. This common, everyday observation made the metaphor intensely relatable and potent for the original audience, conveying rapid decay and utter worthlessness, often gathered and used as immediate kindling, signifying swift consumption. This passage effectively juxtaposes the seemingly insignificant power of these fleeting natural elements, which easily succumb to the environment, with the equally fleeting power of Sennacherib's mighty army in the face of the ultimate Creator, who commands both the environment and nations.

Isaiah 37 27 Commentary

This verse is a profound statement of divine judgment and the ephemeral nature of human power when it stands in defiance of God. It functions as a direct refutation of Sennacherib's boasts, shifting the perspective from his perceived might to his actual vulnerability in God's sovereign plan. The detailed agricultural metaphors emphasize the swift, rootless, and superficial quality of the enemy's strength, destined to wither and perish quickly. It illustrates that no human empire, no matter how powerful or seemingly insurmountable, can withstand the decree of the Almighty. The divine "scorching" implies a divinely-ordained destruction that interrupts the enemy's growth and ambition before full maturation, ensuring the preservation of God's chosen city and the vindication of His name.