Isaiah 36:19
Isaiah 36:19 in Multiple Translations
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? where are the gods of Samaria? and have they kept Samaria out of my hand?
Where were the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where were the gods of Sepharvaim? Were they able to save Samaria from me?
Where is the god of Hamath, and of Arpad? where is the god of Sepharuaim? or howe haue they deliuered Samaria out of mine hand?
Where [are] the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where the gods of Sepharvaim, that they have delivered Samaria out of my hand?
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
Where is the god of Emath and of Arphad? where is the god of Sepharvaim? have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
Why were the gods of Hamath and Arpad cities, and the gods of Sepharvaim unable to rescue Samaria from my power [MTY]?
Berean Amplified Bible — Isaiah 36:19
BAB
Word Study
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Isaiah 36:19 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
אַיֵּ֞ה
אֱלֹהֵ֤י
חֲמָת֙
וְ/אַרְפָּ֔ד
אַיֵּ֖ה
אֱלֹהֵ֣י
סְפַרְוָ֑יִם
וְ/כִֽי
הִצִּ֥ילוּ
אֶת
שֹׁמְר֖וֹן
מִ/יָּדִֽ/י
אַיֵּ֞ה
ʼayêh
H346
where?
Part
אֱלֹהֵ֤י
ʼĕlôhîym
H430
God
N-mp
חֲמָת֙
Chămâth
H2574
Hamath
N-proper
וְ/אַרְפָּ֔ד
ʼArpâd
H774
Arpad
Conj | N-proper
אַיֵּ֖ה
ʼayêh
H346
where?
Part
אֱלֹהֵ֣י
ʼĕlôhîym
H430
God
N-mp
סְפַרְוָ֑יִם
Çᵉpharvayim
H5617
Sepharvaim
N-proper
וְ/כִֽי
kîy
H3588
for
Conj | Conj
הִצִּ֥ילוּ
nâtsal
H5337
to rescue
V-Hiphil-Perf-3cp
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
Obj.
DirObjM
שֹׁמְר֖וֹן
Shômᵉrôwn
H8111
Samaria
N-proper
מִ/יָּדִֽ/י
yâd
H3027
hand
Prep | N-cs | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Isaiah 36:19
אַיֵּ֞ה
ʼayêh
H346
"where?"
Part
The Hebrew word for where, used to ask for the location of someone or something. It appears in various biblical contexts, including rhetorical questions.
Definition: 1) where? 1a) of persons, things 1b) rhetorical
Usage: Occurs in 40 OT verses. KJV: where. See also: Genesis 18:9; Isaiah 33:18; Psalms 42:4.
אֱלֹהֵ֤י
ʼĕlôhîym
H430
"God"
N-mp
The Hebrew word for God, elohim, refers to the one supreme God, and is sometimes used to show respect to judges or magistrates. It is also used to describe angels or mighty beings. This word is closely related to the name of the Lord, Yahweh, and is often translated as God or gods in the Bible.
Definition: This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God" Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
Usage: Occurs in 2246 OT verses. KJV: angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty. See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 22:12; Exodus 3:11.
חֲמָת֙
Chămâth
H2574
"Hamath"
N-proper
Hamath is an ancient city in Syria, mentioned in 2 Kings as a key location. It was a major city in the region, known for its fortress.
Definition: § Hamath = "fortress" the principle city of upper Syria in the valley of the Orontes
Usage: Occurs in 33 OT verses. KJV: Hamath, Hemath. See also: Numbers 13:21; 1 Chronicles 18:9; Isaiah 10:9.
וְ/אַרְפָּ֔ד
ʼArpâd
H774
"Arpad"
Conj | N-proper
Arpad was a city in northern Syria that was conquered by the Assyrians, as mentioned in the book of 2 Kings. The name Arpad means 'I shall be spread out' or 'supported'. It was an important city in ancient times. The city is also mentioned in the book of Isaiah.
Definition: § Arpad or Arphad = "I shall be spread out (or supported)" a city in northern Syria cited as an example of the Assyrian conquest
Usage: Occurs in 6 OT verses. KJV: Arpad, Arphad. See also: 2 Kings 18:34; Isaiah 36:19; Isaiah 10:9.
אַיֵּ֖ה
ʼayêh
H346
"where?"
Part
The Hebrew word for where, used to ask for the location of someone or something. It appears in various biblical contexts, including rhetorical questions.
Definition: 1) where? 1a) of persons, things 1b) rhetorical
Usage: Occurs in 40 OT verses. KJV: where. See also: Genesis 18:9; Isaiah 33:18; Psalms 42:4.
אֱלֹהֵ֣י
ʼĕlôhîym
H430
"God"
N-mp
The Hebrew word for God, elohim, refers to the one supreme God, and is sometimes used to show respect to judges or magistrates. It is also used to describe angels or mighty beings. This word is closely related to the name of the Lord, Yahweh, and is often translated as God or gods in the Bible.
Definition: This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God" Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
Usage: Occurs in 2246 OT verses. KJV: angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty. See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 22:12; Exodus 3:11.
סְפַרְוָ֑יִם
Çᵉpharvayim
H5617
"Sepharvaim"
N-proper
Sepharvaim was a city in Syria, possibly located near the Euphrates River above Babylon. The city was conquered by the king of Assyria and is mentioned in the book of 2 Kings, where it is associated with the worship of false gods.
Definition: Sepharvaim = "the two Sipparas" a city in Syria conquered by the king of Assyria 1a) perhaps near the modern 'Mosaib' and on the Euphrates above Babylon Also named: se.phar.vi (סְפַרְוִי "Sepharvaim" H5616)
Usage: Occurs in 6 OT verses. See also: 2 Kings 17:24; 2 Kings 19:13; Isaiah 36:19.
וְ/כִֽי
kîy
H3588
"for"
Conj | Conj
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Definition: 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
Usage: Occurs in 3910 OT verses. KJV: and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 42:15.
הִצִּ֥ילוּ
nâtsal
H5337
"to rescue"
V-Hiphil-Perf-3cp
To rescue means to snatch away or deliver from danger. It can also mean to strip or plunder, depending on the context, and appears in various forms throughout the Bible.
Definition: 1) to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder 1a)(Niphal) 1a1) to tear oneself away, deliver oneself 1a2) to be torn out or away, be delivered 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to strip off, spoil 1b2) to deliver 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to take away, snatch away 1c2) to rescue, recover 1c3) to deliver (from enemies or troubles or death) 1c4) to deliver from sin and guilt 1d) (Hophal) to be plucked out 1e) (Hithpael) to strip oneself Aramaic equivalent: ne.tsal (נְצַל "to rescue" H5338)
Usage: Occurs in 194 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] at all, defend, deliver (self), escape, [idiom] without fail, part, pluck, preserve, recover, rescue, rid, save, spoil, strip, [idiom] surely, take (out). See also: Genesis 31:9; Psalms 40:14; Psalms 7:2.
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
"Obj."
DirObjM
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Definition: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Usage: Occurs in 6782 OT verses. KJV: (as such unrepresented in English). See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 10:8; Genesis 19:21.
שֹׁמְר֖וֹן
Shômᵉrôwn
H8111
"Samaria"
N-proper
Samaria means watch mountain, a region in northern Palestine and the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel, located near Jerusalem. It was the kingdom of the 10 tribes of Israel after Solomon's death.
Definition: § Samaria = "watch mountain" 1) the region of northern Palestine associated with the northern kingdom of the 10 tribes of Israel which split from the kingdom after the death of Solomon during the reign of his son Rehoboam and were ruled by Jeroboam 2) the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel located 30 miles (50 km) north of Jerusalem and 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Shechem
Usage: Occurs in 101 OT verses. KJV: Samaria. See also: 1 Kings 13:32; 2 Kings 17:5; Isaiah 7:9.
מִ/יָּדִֽ/י
yâd
H3027
"hand"
Prep | N-cs | Suff
In the Bible, 'yad' refers to an open hand, symbolizing power or direction. It can also mean strength or a part of something, like a side or a share. The word is used in many contexts, including anatomy and everyday life.
Definition: : hand/arm[anatomy] 1) hand 1a) hand (of man) 1b) strength, power (fig.) 1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.) 1d) (various special, technical senses) 1d1) sign, monument 1d2) part, fractional part, share 1d3) time, repetition 1d4) axle-trees, axle 1d5) stays, support (for laver) 1d6) tenons (in tabernacle) 1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure) 1d8) wrists
Usage: Occurs in 1446 OT verses. KJV: ([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, [idiom] enough, [phrase] fellowship, force, [idiom] from, hand(-staves, -y work), [idiom] he, himself, [idiom] in, labour, [phrase] large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, [idiom] mine, ministry, near, [idiom] of, [idiom] order, ordinance, [idiom] our, parts, pain, power, [idiom] presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, [phrase] swear, terror, [idiom] thee, [idiom] by them, [idiom] themselves, [idiom] thine own, [idiom] thou, through, [idiom] throwing, [phrase] thumb, times, [idiom] to, [idiom] under, [idiom] us, [idiom] wait on, (way-) side, where, [phrase] wide, [idiom] with (him, me, you), work, [phrase] yield, [idiom] yourselves. See also: Genesis 3:22; Exodus 7:19; Leviticus 14:22.
Study Notes — Isaiah 36:19
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Isaiah 36:19 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 36:19
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 36:19
- Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 36:19
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Isaiah 36:19
- Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 36:19
- Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 36:19
- Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 36:19
Context — Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem
17until I come and take you away to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
18Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?
19Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?
20Who among all the gods of these lands has delivered his land from my hand? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?” 21But the people remained silent and did not answer a word, for Hezekiah had commanded, “Do not answer him.”Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 10:9–11 | “Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? As my hand seized the idolatrous kingdoms whose images surpassed those of Jerusalem and Samaria, and as I have done to Samaria and its idols, will I not also do to Jerusalem and her idols?” |
| 2 | Jeremiah 49:23 | Concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, for they have heard a bad report; they are agitated like the sea; their anxiety cannot be calmed. |
| 3 | 2 Samuel 8:9 | When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, |
| 4 | 2 Kings 17:24 | Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns. |
| 5 | Isaiah 37:11–13 | Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the other countries, devoting them to destruction. Will you then be spared? Did the gods of the nations destroyed by my fathers rescue those nations—the gods of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and of the people of Eden in Telassar? Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’” |
| 6 | Numbers 34:8 | and from Mount Hor to Lebo-hamath, then extend to Zedad, |
| 7 | 2 Kings 17:5–7 | Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes. All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods |
| 8 | 2 Kings 18:10–12 | And at the end of three years, the Assyrians captured it. So Samaria was captured in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel. The king of Assyria exiled the Israelites to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes. This happened because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD their God, but violated His covenant—all that Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded—and would neither listen nor obey. |
Isaiah 36:19 Summary
In Isaiah 36:19, the king of Assyria is mocking the idea that the God of Judah can deliver His people from his powerful army, by asking where the gods of other cities he has conquered are, highlighting their inability to save their people, as seen in Isaiah 36:18. He is trying to make the point that if these other gods were powerless, then the God of Judah must be too. However, as believers, we know that our God is all-powerful and sovereign, as stated in Jeremiah 32:17 and Psalm 115:3, and that He can deliver us from any situation, no matter how difficult it may seem, as promised in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the context of Isaiah 36:19 and why is the king of Assyria asking these questions?
The king of Assyria is trying to convince the people of Judah that their God is no more powerful than the gods of other nations he has conquered, as seen in Isaiah 36:18, and is referencing the gods of Hamath, Arpad, and Sepharvaim to make his point, highlighting their inability to deliver Samaria from his hand.
Who are the gods of Hamath, Arpad, and Sepharvaim mentioned in Isaiah 36:19?
The gods of Hamath, Arpad, and Sepharvaim were idols worshipped by the people of those cities, which the king of Assyria had already conquered, and are being used as examples of the powerlessness of false gods compared to the one true God of Israel, as stated in Deuteronomy 6:14-15.
What is the king of Assyria's goal in asking where the gods of these cities are?
The king of Assyria is trying to intimidate and deceive the people of Judah into believing that their God will not be able to deliver them from his hand, just as the gods of these other cities were unable to deliver their people, as seen in Isaiah 36:20.
How does this verse relate to the overall message of Isaiah?
This verse fits into the larger theme of Isaiah, which emphasizes the power and sovereignty of the one true God over all nations and idols, as seen in Isaiah 46:9-10, and serves as a warning to trust only in the Lord, as stated in Proverbs 3:5-6.
Reflection Questions
- What are some modern-day 'gods' that people put their trust in, and how can we apply the lesson of Isaiah 36:19 to our own lives?
- In what ways can we, like the people of Judah, be tempted to doubt God's power and deliverance in the face of overwhelming opposition?
- How can we, as believers, confidently trust in God's sovereignty and power, even when surrounded by seemingly insurmountable challenges, as encouraged in Psalm 23:4 and Romans 8:28?
- What does this verse reveal about the character of the king of Assyria and the nature of his relationship with God, and what can we learn from his example, as seen in 2 Kings 19:22-23?
Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 36:19
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad?.... What is become of them? where are they to be found? where's their power to protect and defend the people they presided over?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Isaiah 36:19
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Hamath and Arphad - (note Isaiah 10:9.) Sepharvaim - literally, the two scribes.
Ellicott's Commentary on Isaiah 36:19
(19) Hamath and Arphad . . .—See Note on Isaiah 10:9. Looking to the practice of the Assyrians, the question would have had for its answer, not the echoing “Where?” which it suggests to modern ears, but “They are to be seen in the Temples of Assyria, as trophies of its victories.” Sepharvaim.—The southernmost city of Mesopotamia, on the left bank of the Euphrates, probably the same as the “sun-city” Sippara, in which Xisuthros, the Noah of Chaldæan mythology, was said to have concealed the sacred books before the great flood (Records of the Past, vii. 143).
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Isaiah 36:19
Verse 19. Where are the gods] Many MSS. add the conjunction here also: And, or But, where are the gods, c. For other matters relative to this chapter, 2Kg 18:13, c. Of Sepharvaim] The other copy, 2Kg 18:34, adds, of "Henah and Ivah." Have they delivered] וכי vechi. The copulative is not expressed here by the Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, and three MSS. nor is it in any other copy. Ib. Houbigant reads הכי hachi, with the interrogative particle; a probable conjecture, which the ancient Versions above quoted seem to favour.
Cambridge Bible on Isaiah 36:19
19. On Hamath and Arphad, see ch. Isaiah 10:9. Sepharvaim has usually been identified with Sippar to the north of Babylon. Since, however, it is always mentioned along with Hamath and Arpad, it is more probable that a city in northern Syria is meant. Some consider it to be the same as Sibraim in Ezekiel 47:16 (between Damascus and Hamath). 2 Kings 18:34 adds Hena and Ivvah as in ch. Isaiah 37:13. and have they delivered] Others translate “how much less have they (the gods of Samaria) delivered.” The Hebrew is peculiar.
Barnes' Notes on Isaiah 36:19
Where are the gods of Hamath ... - In regard to these places, see the notes at Isaiah 10:9-11. Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? - Sepharvaim was probably in Mesopotamia.
Whedon's Commentary on Isaiah 36:19
19. Where are the gods — Rabshakeh had, in the previous verse, appealed to his success as to the petty northern nations. Their gods failed them, so will Jehovah, the Jews’ deity, fail them.