Isaiah 36:5

Isaiah 36:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I say, sayest thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
• New International Version (NIV)You say you have counsel and might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me?
• New King James Version (NKJV)I say you speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words. Now in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me?

Context of Isaiah 36:5

3Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder, went out to him. 4The Rabshakeh said to them, “Tell Hezekiah that this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: What is the basis of this confidence of yours? You claim to have a strategy and strength for war, but these are empty words. In whom are you now trusting, that you have rebelled against me? 6Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 7But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ is He not the One whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before this altar’?

Isaiah 36:5 word by word

אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ אַךְ־דְּבַר־שְׂפָתַ֔יִם עֵצָ֥ה וּגְבוּרָ֖ה לַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה עַתָּה֙ עַל־מִ֣י בָטַ֔חְתָּ כִּ֥י מָרַ֖דְתָּ בִּֽי׃Read the interlinear

• You claimאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• a strategyעֵצָה‛êtsâh · counselH6098
• and strengthגְּבוּרָהgebûrâh · mightH1369
• for warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• butאַךְ'ak · surelyH389
• emptyדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• wordsשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lip: wordsH8193
• Inעַל‛al · uponH5921
• whomמִיmîy · who?H4310
• are you nowעַתָּ֫ה‛attâh · nowH6258
• trustingבָּטַחbâţach · to trustH982
• thatכִּיkîy · forH3588
• you have rebelledמָרַדmârad · to rebelH4775

Cross-references for Isaiah 36:5

• Proverbs 21:30There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.
• Proverbs 24:5A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.
• 2 Kings 18:7And the LORD was with Hezekiah, and he prospered wherever he went. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him.
• 2 Kings 24:1During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded. So Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years, until he turned and rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.
• Nehemiah 2:19But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
• Jeremiah 52:3For because of the anger of the LORD, all this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until He finally banished them from His presence. And Zedekiah also rebelled against the king of Babylon.
• Ezekiel 17:15But this king rebelled against Babylon by sending his envoys to Egypt to ask for horses and a large army. Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and yet escape?’

Commentaries on Isaiah 36:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5I say "Thou hast said" - Fourteen MSS. (three ancient) of Kennicott's and De Rossi's have it in the second person, אמרת amarta ; and so the other copy, 2 Kings 18:20. But they are but vain words - שפתים דבר debar sephathayim, a word of the lips. Thou dost talk about counsels, but thou hast none; about strength, but there is none with thee.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5I say, sayest thou - In 2 Kings 18:20, this is thou sayest;‘ and thus many manuscripts read it here, and Lowth and Noyes have adopted that reading. So the Syriac reads it. But the sense is not affected whichever reading is adopted. It is designed to show to Hezekiah that his reliance, either on his own resources or on Egypt, was vain. But they are but vain words - Margin, as Hebrew, A word of lips;‘ that is, mere words; vain and empty boasting. On whom…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5In whom are you now trusting: Judah had asked Egypt to help them (see Isaiah 30:1–5).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. counsel--Egypt was famed for its wisdom.Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Destroy
• Hezekiah
• Isaiah
• Sennacherib
• Bible, the
• Chronicles, Books of
• Chronology of the Old Testament
• Hezekiah (2)
• Shebna
• Text of the Old Testament

Commentaries on Isaiah 36

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings