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Isaiah 37:5 — Word Study

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WLCוַיָּבֹ֗אוּ עַבְדֵ֛י הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּ אֶל־ יְשַׁעְיָֽהוּ׃

BSASo the servantsʻebed [or slaves, attendants] of Kingmelek [ruler, monarch] HezekiahChizqîyâh [a righteous king of Judah] wentbôwʼ [came, approached] toʼêl [toward, in the direction of] IsaiahYᵉshaʻyâh [Jeshaiah, Jehovah has saved]

Word
Listen & take awayIsaiah 37
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 5 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (ye.sha'.Ya.hu) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Isaiah 37:5quick helps
In a sentenceThe servants of King Hezekiah approached the prophet Isaiah.
Who is speakingThe servants of King Hezekiah.
Where we areIn a moment of crisis, seeking guidance from the prophet.
The hard wordוַיָּבֹ֗אוּ
Take awayThe act of coming signifies a search for divine counsel.
4 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them › clause verbבּוֹא The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Isaiah 37:5

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — Hezekiah Seeks Helpgenerated

4Perhaps the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to defy the living God, and He will rebuke him for the words that the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up a prayer for the remnant that still survives.”
5So the servants of King Hezekiah went to Isaiah,
6who replied, “Tell your master that this is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid of the words you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.
7Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land, where I will cause him to fall by the sword.’”

Isaiah 37:5 describes a critical moment when King Hezekiah's servants approach the prophet Isaiah for guidance amidst the threats from Assyria. This passage illustrates the reliance on prophetic counsel in times of distress, reflecting the relationship between the monarchy and the prophetic office in ancient Israel.


Cross References


The Key Word וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ, vai.ya.Vo.'ugenerated

The verb בּוֹא (bo) means to come or go, encompassing a range of actions from entering a place to approaching someone. In this context, it indicates the servants' action of coming to Isaiah for assistance.

This verb is in the sequential imperfect tense, indicating an ongoing action in the past. It emphasizes the moment of approach, suggesting a sense of urgency and purpose in their visit.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as 'So the servants of King Hezekiah went to Isaiah,' which aligns closely with the KJV and ASV that also use 'went' to convey the action of the servants.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ governs the sentence, with the subject 'the servants of King Hezekiah' preceding it. This structure emphasizes the action of coming as the focal point of the verse.

The noun phrases 'the servants' and 'the king' are in construct form, indicating possession and relationship, while the prepositional phrase 'to Isaiah' shows the direction of their action.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ as ἦλθον, meaning 'they came.' This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew meaning, emphasizing the action of coming.

The translation aligns closely with the Hebrew, maintaining the focus on the act of approaching the prophet for guidance.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Isaiah 37:5 tells us that the servants of King Hezekiah went to see the prophet Isaiah. This visit was important because they were seeking guidance during a time of crisis, showing their dependence on prophetic insight.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

Why did the servants go to Isaiah?

The servants went to Isaiah to seek guidance and reassurance from the prophet during a time of threat from the Assyrian king.

What does the title 'king' signify in this context?

The title 'king' signifies Hezekiah's authority and leadership over Judah, as well as his role in seeking divine counsel.

What is the significance of the prophet Isaiah?

Isaiah was a key prophet during Hezekiah's reign, known for delivering God's messages and guidance to the people and their leaders.

How does this event reflect the relationship between the monarchy and the prophetic office?

This event illustrates the reliance of the monarchy on prophetic insight, highlighting the importance of divine guidance in leadership decisions.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways do I seek guidance in times of crisis, similar to how Hezekiah's servants sought Isaiah?
  2. How can I better understand the roles of leaders and prophets in my community?
  3. What does this passage teach about the importance of approaching others for help and guidance?
  4. How can I apply the lessons from Hezekiah's reliance on prophetic counsel in my own life?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Jerome comments on this passage, noting the humility of Isaiah as he is approached by the king's servants, emphasizing the role of the prophet in guiding God's people.

JeromeCOMMENTARY ON Isaiah 11:37.1-7 c. 347–420
“When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.” … Again he does not use the title of prophet, maintaining the humility with which he began.
Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 37 →

Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Isaiah 37:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. And delivered the above message to him from the king: these servants are mentioned Isaiah 37:2.

Read John Gill on Isaiah 37 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah. No JFB commentary on this verse.

Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 37 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(5) So the servants . . .—Literally, And . . . The Authorised Version suggests that there was only one coming of the messengers. Possibly. however, the words imply a withdrawal between the delivery of their message and their coming a second time to receive his answer.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 37 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

5. The verse is really subordinate to Isaiah 37:6,—“And when the servants … came … Isaiah said,” &c.

Read Cambridge on Isaiah 37 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

So the servants of King Hezekiah went to Isaiah,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

So the servants of King Hezekiah went to Isaiah,

NETBNew English Translation2006

When King Hezekiah’s servants came to Isaiah,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

RVARevised Version, American1894

So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

So the seruants of the King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And the servants of king Hezekiah come in unto Isaiah,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And the servants of King Hezekiah come to Isaiah,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah,

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And the servants of Ezechias came to Isaias.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

After Hezekiah's officials delivered his message to Isaiah,

BBEBible in Basic English1949

So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וַandclauseverbיָּבֹ֗אוּthey.camenoun phrase · subjectעַבְדֵ֛יthe.servantsnoun phrasenoun phraseהַofמֶּ֥לֶךְthe.kingחִזְקִיָּ֖הוּHezekiahprepositional phrase · prepositionalאֶלtoיְשַׁעְיָֽהוּIsaiah

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text reads וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ עַבְדֵ֛י הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּ אֶל־ יְשַׁעְיָֽהוּ׃, which is closely matched by the Dead Sea Scrolls, indicating consistency in the text. The Septuagint presents a similar structure but with different word order, reflecting its own linguistic style.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ עַבְדֵ֛י הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּ אֶל־ יְשַׁעְיָֽהוּ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיָּבֹ֗אוּἦλθονעַבְדֵ֛יπαῖδεςהַמֶּ֥לֶךְβασιλέωςאֶל־πρὸςיְשַׁעְיָֽהוּ׃ησαιαν

5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 1Qisaaa copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

ויבואו עבדי המלך יחוזקיה אל ישעיה

6 words on the leather.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Isaiah 37:5בּוֹאand they caand they cameבּוֹאעֶ֫בֶד[the] serva[the] servants עֶ֫בֶדמֶ֫לֶךְthe kingthe kingמֶ֫לֶךְחִזְקִיָּהוּHezekiahHezekiahחִזְקִיָּהוּאֶלtotoאֶליְשַׁעְיָ֫הוּIsaiahIsaiahיְשַׁעְיָ֫הוּעָבַדto serveto serveעָבַדמָלַךְto reignto reignמָלַךְחָזַקto strengtto strengthen: חָזַקיָשַׁעto saveto saveיָשַׁעשֶׁ֫מֶשׁsunsunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁאָמָהmaidservanmaidservantאָמָהשִׁפְחָהmaidservanmaidservantשִׁפְחָהנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּרNebuchadneNebuchadnezzarנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּראַשּׁוּרAsshurAsshurאַשּׁוּריְשַׁעְיָ֫הוּJeshaiahJeshaiahיְשַׁעְיָ֫הוּחָלָהbe weak: wbe weak: weakחָלָהפָּלַלto prayto prayפָּלַליִרְמְיָ֫הJeremiahJeremiahיִרְמְיָ֫האָמוֹץAmozAmozאָמוֹץדְּבֵלָהfig cakefig cakeדְּבֵלָה
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Isaiah 37:5

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and they came [the] servants of the king Hezekiah to Isaiah
וַיָּבֹ֗אוּvai.ya.Vo.'u and they came H935 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
2,573× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to go or come, and is used in many contexts, such as entering a place or approaching someone, as seen in the book of Genesis. It can also mean to abide or apply, and is translated in various ways in the KJV Bible. This term is related to the name Lebo Hamath.
Amplified meaning
came, approached
Tyndale gloss
Lebo
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

בּוֹא (bo) is a Hebrew verb meaning to come or go in, with a wide range of applications including entering, arriving, and bringing in. It can refer to both physical movement and abstract concepts like events coming to pass. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal (to come), Hiphil (to cause to come), and Hophal (to be brought). There is no significant disagreement among lexicons regarding its meanings.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בּוֹא 2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go

Qal

come in

come (approach, arrive)

go, i.e. walk, associate with

go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

Hiph.

cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

Hoph.

be brought in (of pers. and things)

be brought

be introduced, put

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H935 בּוֹא come in, come, go in, go .. come in

. come (approach, arrive)

. go, i.e. walk, associate with

. go from speaker, but with limit of motion given

. . cause to come in, bring in (conduct, lead, obj. persons and animals)

. cause to come, bring, bring near, etc. (animate obj.)

. . be brought in (of pers. and things)

. be brought

. be introduced, put

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

935 bow' bo

a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of

applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, +

besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, X

certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out,

upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,

(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be

fallen, fetch, + follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war),

grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade, lead, lift (up), mention,

pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well) stricken

(in age), X surely, take (in), way.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): come.

: come/go_in

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

1a5) to go

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to lead in

1b2) to carry in

1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon

1b4) to bring to pass

1c) (Hophal)

1c1) to be brought, brought in

1c2) to be introduced, be put

לְב֥וֹא (bo) — Lebo-(Hamath).

This name means to go in, enter

Combined with cha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574)

בּוֹא (bo) — to come (in): towards.

: towards/entrance

1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to enter, come in

1a2) to come

1a2a) to come with

1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy)

1a2c) to come to pass

1a3) to attain to

1a4) to be enumerated

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they came [the] servants of the king Hezekiah to Isaiah
עַבְדֵ֛י'av.Dei [the] servants of H5650 Noun common · masculine plural construct
801× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a servant or slave, often in the context of serving God or a human master. It can also describe a prophet or Levite. The KJV translates it as bondage, bondman, or servant.
Amplified meaning
or slaves, attendants
Tyndale gloss
servant/slave
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עֶ֫בֶד (*ebed*) means 'slave' or 'servant' and encompasses various roles, including household servants, subjects, and worshippers of God. It can also refer to Israel as a collective servant of God and is used in polite address among equals. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to work' or 'to serve'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֶ֫בֶד 799 n.m. slave, servant

slave, servant of household

Subjects, of chief

Servants, worshippers of God

Servant of י׳, in a special sense

Israel as a people is servant of י׳

In polite address of equals or superiors the Hebrews used עַבְדְּךָ thy servant = 1 pers. sing., I

Phrases

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5650 עֶ֫בֶד slave, servant . slave, servant of household

. Subjects, of chief

. Servants, worshippers of God

. Servant of י׳, in a special sense

. Israel as a people is servant of י׳

. In polite address of equals or superiors the Hebrews used עַבְדְּךָ thy servant = 1 pers. sing., I

. Phrases

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5650 `ebed eh'-bed

from 5647; a servant:--X bondage, bondman, (bond-)servant,

(man-)servant.

see HEBREW for 05647

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֶ֫בֶד (e.ved) — servant/slave.

1) slave, servant

1a) slave, servant, man-servant

1b) subjects

1c) servants, worshippers (of God)

1d) servant (in special sense as prophets, Levites etc)

1e) servant (of Israel)

1f) servant (as form of address between equals)

Aramaic equivalent: a.vad (עֲבַד "servant/slave" H5649)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural construct
HNcmpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and they came [the] servants of the king Hezekiah to Isaiah
הַמֶּ֥לֶךְha.Me.lekh the king H4428 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
2,526× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a king or royal person, like King David or King Saul. It can also describe something related to a king, like the King's Valley in Genesis. The Bible often uses this word to talk about the rulers of Israel.
Amplified meaning
ruler, monarch
Tyndale gloss
King's
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מֶ֫לֶךְ (*melek*) means 'king.' It is derived from a root that suggests royalty. The term appears in various contexts, including references to specific kings and locations, such as the 'King's Highway' in Numbers 20:17 and the 'King's Valley' in Genesis 14:17. The lexicons note its Aramaic equivalent and mention its use in the context of individuals like Hammelech in Jeremiah.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4428 מֶ֫לֶךְ king

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4428 melek meh'-lek

from 4427; a king:--king, royal.

see HEBREW for 04427

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — king.

1) king

Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

הַמֶּלֶךְ (me.lekh) — `the king`.

'the king' or a name, Hammelech in KJV of Jer.36.26; 38.6- a man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

§ A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Highway) (Num.20.17)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

Another name of she.lach (שֶׁ֫לַח "Shelah" H7975A)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — Milcom.

Another name of mo.lekh (מֹ֫לֶךְ "Molech" H4432)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Valley) (Gen.14.17)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

King

Is in Scripture very generally used to denote one invested with authority, whether extensive or limited. There were thirty-one kings in Canaan (Josh. 12:9, 24), whom Joshua subdued. Adonibezek subdued seventy kings (Judg. 1:7). In the New Testament the Roman emperor is spoken of as a king (1 Pet. 2:13, 17); and Herod Antipas, who was only a tetrarch, is also called a king (Matt. 14:9; Mark 6:22).

This title is applied to God (1 Tim. 1:17), and to Christ, the Son of God (1 Tim. 6:15, 16;

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Called KING OF KINGS Ezr 7:12; Eze 26:7; Da 2:37

→ Divinely authorized De 17:15; 1Sa 9:16,17; 16:12; 1Ch 22:10; 2Ch 2:11,12; Pr 8:15; Da 2:21,37; 4:17; 5:20; Ho 8:4; 13:11

→ How chosen

By divine appointment, Saul 1Sa 10:1

and they came [the] servants of the king Hezekiah to Isaiah
חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּchiz.ki.Ya.hu Hezekiah H2396 Noun proper masculine
127× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Hezekiah was a king of Judah who served Jehovah and removed idolatrous practices. He was the son of Ahaz and Abijah, and a great-great-grandfather of Zephaniah the prophet. His name means Jehovah is my strength.
Amplified meaning
a righteous king of Judah
Tyndale gloss
Hezekiah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

חִזְקִיָּהוּ (Hizqiyahu) means "Jehovah is my strength" and refers primarily to Hezekiah, the 12th king of Judah, known for his religious reforms. The name is derived from the roots meaning 'to strengthen' and 'Jah' (a form of Jehovah). Hezekiah is noted for his lineage as a descendant of David and is mentioned in various contexts, including his role during the Divided Monarchy and the Exile.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

חִזְקִיָּהוּ, חִזְקִיָּה, יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ, יְחִזְקִיָּה n.pr.m. (י׳ hath strengthened, י׳ strengtheneth)

son of Ahaz, King of Judah

great-great-grandson pf proph. Zephaniah

man of royal Davidic line

head of a family of returned exiles

an Ephraimite, Ahaz’s time

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2396 חִזְקִיָּהוּ, חִזְקִיָּה, יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ, יְחִזְקִיָּה (י׳ hath strengthened, י׳ strengtheneth)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2396 Chizqiyah khiz-kee-yaw'

or Chizqiyahuw {khiz-kee-yaw'-hoo}; also Ychizqiyah

{yekh-iz-kee-yaw'}; or Ychizqiyahuw {yekh-iz-kee-yaw'-hoo};

from 2388 and 3050; strengthened of Jah; Chizkijah, a king of

Judah, also the name of two other Israelites:--Hezekiah,

Hizkiah, Hizkijah. Compare 3169.

see HEBREW for 02388

see HEBREW for 03050

see HEBREW for 03169

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

חִזְקִיָּהוּ (chiz.qiy.yah) — Hezekiah.

A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.16.20;

son of: Ahaz (H0271) and Abi (H0021);

brother of: Maaseiah (H4641J); married to Hephzibah (H2657);

father of: Manasseh (H4519H)

§ Hezekiah or Hizkiah or Hizkijah = "Jehovah is my strength"

1) 12th king of Judah, son of Ahaz and Abijah; a good king in that he served Jehovah and did away with idolatrous practices

2) great-great-grandfather of Zephaniah the prophet

3) son of Neariah, a descendant of David

4) head of a family of returning exiles in the time of Nehemiah

חִזְקִיָּהוּ (chiz.qiy.yah) — Hizkiah.

A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.3.23;

son of: Neariah (H5294);

brother of: Elioenai (H0454B) and Azrikam (H5840)

§ Hezekiah or Hizkiah or Hizkijah = "Jehovah is my strength"

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Hezekiah

Whom Jehovah has strengthened. (1.) Son of Ahaz (2 Kings 18:1; 2 Chr. 29:1), whom he succeeded on the throne of the kingdom of Judah. He reigned twenty-nine years (B.C. 726-697). The history of this king is contained in 2 Kings 18:20, Isa. 36-39, and 2 Chr. 29-32. He is spoken of as a great and good king. In public life he followed the example of his great-granfather Uzziah. He set himself to abolish idolatry from his kingdom, and among other things which he did for this end, he destroyed the “brazen serpent,” which had been removed to Jerusalem, and had become an object of idolatrous worship (Num. 21:9). A great reformation was wrought in the kingdom of Judah in…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(the might of Jehovah). Twelfth king of Judah, son of the apostate Ahaz and Abi or Abijah, ascended the throne at the age of 25, B.C. 726. Hezekiah was one of the three most perfect kings of Judah. (2 Kings 18:5) Ecclus. 49:4. His first act was to purge and repair and reopen with splendid sacrifices and perfect ceremonial the temple. He also destroyed a brazen serpent, said to have been the one used by Moses in the miraculous healing of the Israelites, (Numbers 21:9) which had become an object of adoration. When the kingdom of Israel had fallen, Hezekiah invited the scattered inhabitants to a peculiar passover, which was continued for the unprecedented period of fourteen days. (2 Chronicles 29:30,31) At the head of a repentant…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A pious king of Judah, succeeded his father Ahaz about 726 B. C., and died about 698 B. C. His history is contained in 2Ki 18:12-21 2Ch 29:1-32:33. Compare Isa 36:1-38:22. His reign is memorable for his faithful efforts to restore the worship of Jehovah; for his pride and presumption towards the Assyrians; for the distractions of their invading host in answer to his prayer; for his sickness and humiliation, and the prolonging of his life fifteen years of peace. He was succeeded by the unworthy Manasseh.

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

strength of the Lord

and they came [the] servants of the king Hezekiah to Isaiah
אֶל־'el- to H413 Preposition
5,518× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Amplified meaning
toward, in the direction of
Tyndale gloss
to(wards)
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),

prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place

Where the limit is actually entered, into

Of direction towards anything

Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

Of rule or standard according to (rare)

Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place

. Where the limit is actually entered, into

. Of direction towards anything

. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

413 'el ale

(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});

a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but

occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or

among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,

against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,

by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,

over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,

with(-in).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶל (el) — to(wards).

1) to, toward, unto (of motion)

2) into (limit is actually entered)

2a) in among

3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)

4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)

5) in addition to, to

6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of

7) according to (rule or standard)

8) at, by, against (of one's presence)

9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
HR
and they came [the] servants of the king Hezekiah to Isaiah
יְשַׁעְיָֽהוּ׃ye.sha'.Ya.hu Isaiah H3470 Noun proper masculine
39× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Jeshaiah means 'Jehovah has saved' and is the name of several Israelites, including a son of Hananiah and a chief of the house of Elam, as mentioned in Nehemiah.
Amplified meaning
Jeshaiah, Jehovah has saved
Tyndale gloss
Jeshaiah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word יְשַׁעְיָ֫הוּ (*Ysha'yah*) means 'salvation of Yah' and refers primarily to Isaiah, the prophet, son of Amoz. It also denotes several other individuals, including Levites and descendants of Zerubbabel, who lived during the time of the Divided Monarchy. The name emphasizes the theme of divine salvation.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יְשַׁעְיָ֫הוּ n.pr.m. (salvation of Yah)

Isaiah, son of ’Amôṣ, the prophet

one of the children of Jeduthun

a Levite ancestor of one of David's treasurers

base

יְשַׁעְיָה n.pr.m. (salvation of Yah)

grandson of Zerubbabel

chief of the sons of Elam, who went up with Ezra

chief of sons of Merari in time of Ezra

a Benjamite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3470a יְשַׁעְיָ֫הוּ(salvation of Yah) . Isaiah, son of ’Amôṣ, the prophet

. one of the children of Jeduthun

. a Levite ancestor of one of David's treasurers

H3470b יְשַׁעְיָה(salvation of Yah) . grandson of Zerubbabel

. chief of the sons of Elam, who went up with Ezra

. chief of sons of Merari in time of Ezra

. a Benjamite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3470 Ysha`yah yesh-ah-yaw'

or Yshayahuw {yesh-ah-yaw'-hoo}; from 3467 and 3050; Jah has

saved; Jeshajah, the name of seven Israelites:--Isaiah,

Jesaiah, Jeshaiah.

see HEBREW for 03467

see HEBREW for 03050

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יְשַׁעְיָ֫הוּ (ye.sha.yah) — Isaiah.

A prophet living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.19.2;

son of: Amoz (H0531);

father of: Shear-jashub (H7610), Maher-shalal-hash-baz (H4122)

Also named: Hēsaias (Ἡσαΐας "Isaiah" G2268)

§ Isaiah or Jesaiah or Jeshaiah = "Jehovah has saved"

1) the major prophet, son of Amoz, who prophesied concerning Judah and Jerusalem during the days of kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah; author of the prophetic book by his name; tradition has it that he was sawn asunder in the trunk of a carob tree by king Manasseh and that this is the incident referred to in Heb 11:37

2) one of the 6 sons of Jeduthun

3) son of Rehabiah, a descendant of Moses through Gershom, and an ancestor of a Levite treasurer in the time of David

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

i-za'-ya, i-zi'-a:

1. Name

2. Personal History

3. Call

4. Literary Genius and Style

5. Traditions concerning His Martyrdom

6. Period

7. Analysis and Contents

8. Isaiah's Prophecies Chronologically Arranged

9. The Critical Problem

(1) The History of Criticism

(2) The Disintegration of "Deutero-Isaiah"

(3) Recent Views

(4) The Present State of the Question

(5) Reasons for Dissecting the Book

(6) Arguments for One Isaiah

(a) The Circle of Ideas

(b) The Literary Style

(c) Historical References

(d) The Predictire Element

(e) Cyrus a Subject of Prediction

LITERATURE

Of all Israel's celebrated prophets, Isaiah is the king. The writings which bear his name are among the profoundest in all literature. One great theme--salvation by faith--stamps them all. Isaiah is the Paul of the Old Testament.

1. Name:

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Isaiah

(Heb. Yesh’yahu, i.e., “the salvation of Jehovah”). (1.) The son of Amoz (Isa. 1:1; 2:1), who was apparently a man of humble rank. His wife was called “the prophetess” (8:3), either because she was endowed with the prophetic gift, like Deborah (Judg. 4:4) and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14-20), or simply because she was the wife of “the prophet” (Isa. 38:1). He had two sons, who bore symbolical names.

He exercised the functions of his office during the reigns of Uzziah (or Azariah), Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (1:1). Uzziah reigned fifty-two years (B.C. 810-759), and Isaiah must have begun his career a few years before Uzziah’s death, probably B.C. 762. He lived till…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

the prophet, son of Amoz. The Hebrew name signifies Salvation of Jahu (a shortened form of Jehovah), He prophesied concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, (Isaiah 1:1) covering probably 758 to 698 B.C. He was married and had two sons. Rabbinical tradition says that Isaiah, when 90 years old, was sawn asunder in the trunk of a carob tree by order of Manasseh, to which it is supposed that reference is made in (Hebrews 11:37)

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The son of Amoz, (not Amos,) one of the most distinguished of the Hebrew prophets. He began to prophesy at Jerusalem towards the close of the reign of Uzziah, about the year 759 B. C., and exercised the prophetical office some sixty years, under the three following monarchs, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, Isa 1:1. Compare 2Ki 15:1-20:21 2Ch 26:1-32:33. The first twelve chapters of his prophecies refer to the kingdom of Judah; then Isa 13:1-23:18, directed against foreign nations, except Isa 22:1-23, against Jerusalem. In Isa 24:1-35:10, which would seem to belong to the…

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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