Isaiah 39 5

Isaiah 39:5 kjv

Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts:

Isaiah 39:5 nkjv

Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD of hosts:

Isaiah 39:5 niv

Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD Almighty:

Isaiah 39:5 esv

Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD of hosts:

Isaiah 39:5 nlt

Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Listen to this message from the LORD of Heaven's Armies:

Isaiah 39 verses

Isaiah 39 5 Meaning

Isaiah 39:5 conveys a pivotal moment where the prophet Isaiah directly delivers a message from God to King Hezekiah. This verse establishes that the ensuing pronouncement is not merely Isaiah's opinion but a definitive, authoritative word from the supreme divine power, "the LORD of hosts," demanding complete attention and recognition of its unchallengeable source. It marks a transition from human triumph to divine judgment.

Isaiah 39 5 Context

Isaiah chapter 39 is a pivotal bridge connecting the narratives of Hezekiah's personal crisis (chapters 36-38) with the grand themes of Babylon and future hope (chapters 40 onwards). Immediately prior to verse 5, King Hezekiah, recently miraculously healed and granted an extension of life, pridefully displayed his entire treasury, armory, and everything in his palace to Babylonian envoys. This act of ostentation, instead of giving glory to God for his recovery, represented a display of reliance on worldly wealth and power, potentially seeking an alliance apart from the Lord, and foolishly exposing Judah's vulnerability. Isaiah's words in verse 5 mark an abrupt transition from a king's boastful display to a prophet's somber divine pronouncement of inevitable judgment, initiating the foretelling of the Babylonian exile that would come centuries later.

Isaiah 39 5 Word analysis

• Then (וַיֹּאמֶר - va-yo’mer): This conjunctive phrase acts as a temporal and consequential marker, indicating a direct response or sequence of events. It signifies a significant turn in the narrative.
• said (אֹׅמר – 'amar): This Hebrew root means "to say" or "to speak." While common, in a prophetic context, it carries the weight of authority. Isaiah is not just conversing but declaring.
• Isaiah (יְשַׁעְיָהוּ - Yesha'yahu): The prophet's name itself means "The LORD is salvation." This creates a profound tension in this moment, as the "salvation" prophet is now delivering a word of judgment and impending exile, highlighting God's dual nature of justice and mercy.
• to Hezekiah (חִזְקִיָּהוּ - Hizqiyahu): King of Judah, whose name means "The LORD strengthens." Hezekiah's preceding actions—trusting in human wealth and power rather than the strength of the LORD—stand in stark contrast to the meaning of his name. This verse marks the beginning of a divine rebuke to him.
• Hear (שְׁמַע - shema): This imperative command goes beyond merely hearing with the ears. Shema in Hebrew culture implies attentive listening that leads to understanding, accepting, and ultimately, obeying. It’s a call to deeply heed the message.
• the word (דְּבַר - devar): Referring to God's speech, utterance, or decree. It emphasizes the content of what is spoken as having divine origin and therefore absolute authority and truth. This is not human advice but divine revelation.
• of the LORD (יְהוָה - YHWH): The sacred, covenant name of God, revealing His personal relationship with Israel. The use of this name stresses the reliability and the personal commitment behind the word being delivered.
• of hosts (צְבָאוֹת - Tseva'ot): Translates to "armies" or "heavenly hosts." This epithet for God (YHWH Tseva'ot) magnifies His supreme sovereignty, omnipotence, and His role as the commander of all creation, visible and invisible. It signifies an unchallengeable power and authority over all earthly and heavenly forces.
• Words-group: "Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah": This marks a solemn transition, where the divine perspective, through the prophet, takes precedence over the king's human display of wealth. It sets the stage for a pronouncement of immense gravity.
• Words-group: "Hear the word of the LORD": This is a direct command from the highest authority. The emphasis on "hear" (shema) combined with "the word of the LORD" underlines that the message must be fully absorbed and its divine source respected as absolutely true and immutable.
• Words-group: "the LORD of hosts": This composite title adds immeasurable weight to the "word." It underscores that the message originates from the supreme, all-powerful, and universal God who commands all forces, thereby making the ensuing prophecy undeniable and inevitable in its fulfillment.

Isaiah 39 5 Bonus section

The historical placement of Isaiah 39, almost verbatim with 2 Kings 20, is significant. While it concludes the historical narrative in Isaiah, it functions as a literary bridge. It explicitly introduces Babylon as the instrument of God's future judgment against Judah, thus setting the stage for the remaining chapters of Isaiah (40-66), which focus extensively on the Babylonian exile, Israel's comfort, and future redemption through the Messiah. This immediate transition from Hezekiah's earthly glory to the harsh reality of God's impending judgment on the nation serves as a powerful testament to the principle that human pride inevitably invites divine reckoning, especially when one ceases to glorify God alone. The "word of the LORD of hosts" ultimately transcends the immediate historical moment of Hezekiah's time and casts a long shadow over Judah's future.

Isaiah 39 5 Commentary

Isaiah 39:5 serves as a solemn preamble to a message of profound consequence. After King Hezekiah's display of his kingdom's wealth to Babylonian envoys, driven by pride rather than devotion to God, the prophet Isaiah confronts him not with a human opinion but with a direct, undeniable word from the Almighty. The phrase "Hear the word of the LORD of hosts" is an imperative demanding not mere passive listening, but a deep spiritual attention that apprehends, believes, and bows to divine truth. It's a reminder that even kings, with all their earthly power and glory, stand under the supreme authority of the sovereign God. The divine title "LORD of hosts" accentuates the power and unchallengeable nature of the coming judgment, signifying that what is about to be revealed is the decree of the Cosmic Commander, a decision from which there is no appeal. This verse tragically yet justly shifts the narrative from the personal triumphs of Hezekiah to the prophetic pronouncement of national captivity, directly linked to his presumptuous act.