Isaiah 37 3

Isaiah 37:3 kjv

And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

Isaiah 37:3 nkjv

And they said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah: 'This day is a day of trouble and rebuke and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth.

Isaiah 37:3 niv

They told him, "This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them.

Isaiah 37:3 esv

They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, 'This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth.

Isaiah 37:3 nlt

They told him, "This is what King Hezekiah says: Today is a day of trouble, insults, and disgrace. It is like when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to deliver the baby.

Isaiah 37 verses

Isaiah 37 3 Meaning

Isaiah 37:3 relays King Hezekiah's desperate message to the prophet Isaiah. It articulates Judah's dire situation during the Assyrian siege, characterizing it as a day of extreme distress, divine judgment, and profound national humiliation, primarily due to Assyrian blasphemy against God. The core meaning is powerfully conveyed through the metaphor of a birth that has reached full term, but the mother lacks the strength to deliver, symbolizing utter helplessness, imminent peril, and the complete inability to bring about any solution or new beginning.

Isaiah 37 3 Context

Isaiah 37:3 occurs during the Assyrian invasion of Judah under King Sennacherib around 701 BC. Following the Assyrian capture of numerous Judean fortified cities and a demand for tribute, King Hezekiah of Judah found himself in a desperate situation. The immediate context of chapter 37 involves the Assyrian general Rabshekah's blasphemous taunts and psychological warfare against Jerusalem's inhabitants and against Yahweh Himself (Isa 36). Rabshekah confidently declared that Judah's God was no more capable of delivering His people than the gods of the nations Assyria had already conquered. In response, a delegation from Hezekiah, filled with despair and having torn their clothes, delivers this message to the prophet Isaiah. Hezekiah's words express the utter hopelessness of Judah, seeing no human solution to their predicament, and acknowledging the spiritual assault that has been made against their God.

Isaiah 37 3 Word analysis

• And they said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah:" This introduction signals a direct, authoritative message from the king to the prophet, emphasizing the official and urgent nature of the plea.

• This day: Implies the present, immediate crisis is profound and without precedent in its current form for the nation. It highlights the acute urgency and overwhelming nature of the situation.

• is a day of trouble (צרﬨ, tsarath): Tsarath signifies distress, anguish, tribulation, or tribulation. It speaks to the crushing external pressure and severe affliction experienced by Judah due to the Assyrian siege.

• of rebuke (תּוֹכחﬨ, tokeḥath): Tokeḥath means reproof, correction, or rebuke. It suggests an awareness of divine displeasure or judgment upon the nation, not just mere hardship. It acknowledges the possibility that their predicament is a consequence or a test from God.

• and of disgrace (נאצה, nᵊ’atsah): Nᵊ’atsah denotes contempt, scorn, or blasphemy. This term points directly to Rabshekah's specific taunts and mockery, which targeted not only Hezekiah but more importantly, Yahweh Himself (Isa 37:4, 23). It implies that God's name has been openly defied and mocked, demanding a divine response to uphold His honor.

• for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth: This is a vivid and critical metaphor.

  • children have come to the point of birth: The Hebrew mishbar (מִשְׁבָּר) literally refers to the "breaking forth" or the "place of breaking," thus "birth canal" or "delivery stool." It implies that the crucial moment for a new beginning or deliverance is imminent, the problem has fully matured, and a decision or action is required immediately. Everything is prepared for a successful outcome.
  • but there is no strength to bring them forth: This phrase signifies complete powerlessness and inability to act or to resolve the crisis. The necessary resources, courage, or divine intervention are entirely absent from their perspective. It suggests that without intervention, the outcome will be tragic: the 'children' (representing potential solutions, new life, or future hope for Judah) will perish, and the 'mother' (Judah) is at the point of death. The situation is beyond human remedy, highlighting utter futility and impending doom.

Isaiah 37 3 Bonus section

The metaphor of a failed birth here is a significant theological pivot. In many prophetic contexts (e.g., Mic 4:9-10; Isa 66:7-9), birth pangs precede a glorious deliverance or new era. However, in Isaiah 37:3, the 'no strength to bring forth' twist signifies the absolute antithesis of a hopeful new beginning through human effort, specifically underscoring that human agency alone, even from a relatively righteous king like Hezekiah, is utterly insufficient for this deliverance. It is a dramatic illustration of the biblical principle that salvation often comes only when human strength has completely failed, leaving all glory for God's intervention. This verse perfectly sets the scene for God to act sovereignly, not through Judah's strength, but through His own miraculous power.

Isaiah 37 3 Commentary

Isaiah 37:3 encapsulates Judah's darkest hour, conveying a profound sense of desperation and utter human impotence. Hezekiah's three-fold description—"trouble, rebuke, and disgrace"—moves from the general suffering to the specific divine implications and the ultimate insult against God's honor by Assyria. The core metaphor of a failed childbirth is incredibly potent, picturing a life-or-death scenario where the natural process cannot be completed. This imagery underscores that Judah's crisis is at its peak—the point of potential new life or national revival—yet they are utterly devoid of the capacity to bring it forth. This admission of complete human inadequacy sets the stage for the dramatic divine intervention that follows. It's a prayer of raw honesty and total reliance, recognizing that the situation has become utterly supernatural in its demand for a solution.