Christian Standard Bible
Isaiah 36:7
7Suppose you say to me, ‘We rely on the Lord our God.’ Isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You are to worship at this altar’?
Isaiah 36:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But if thou say to me, We trust in the Lord our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?
- New International Version (NIV)But if you say to me, “We are depending on the Lord our God”—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar”?
- English Standard Version (ESV)But if you say to me, "We trust in the Lord our God," is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, "You shall worship before this altar"?
- New King James Version (NKJV)“But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar’?” ’
Context of Isaiah 36:7
5You think mere words are strategy and strength for war. Who are you now relying on that you have rebelled against me? 6Look, you are relying on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who grabs it and leans on it. This is how Pharaoh king of Egypt is to all who rely on him. Suppose you say to me, ‘We rely on the Lord our God.’ Isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You are to worship at this altar’? 8“Now make a deal with my master, the king of Assyria. I’ll give you two thousand horses if you’re able to supply riders for them! 9How then can you drive back a single officer among the least of my master’s servants? How can you rely on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?
Read all of Isaiah 36Isaiah 36:7 word by word
וְכִי־תֹאמַ֣ר אֵלַ֔י אֶל־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ בָּטָ֑חְנוּ הֲלוֹא־ה֗וּא אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֵסִ֤יר חִזְקִיָּ֙הוּ֙ אֶת־בָּמֹתָ֣יו וְאֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתָ֔יו וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לִֽיהוּדָה֙ וְלִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם לִפְנֵ֛י הַמִּזְבֵּ֥חַ הַזֶּ֖ה תִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוֽוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But if thou sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- to me, We trustבָּטַחbâţach · to trustH982
- in the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- not he, whose high placesבָּמָהbâmâh · high placeH1116
- and whose altarsמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
- Hezekiahחִזְקִיָּהוּchizqîyâh chizqîyâhû yechizqîyâh yechizqîyâhû · HezekiahH2396
- hath taken awayסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: removeH5493
- to Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- and to Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- Ye shall worshipשָׁחָהshâchâh · to bowH7812
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
Cross-references for Isaiah 36:7
- 2 Kings 18:5Hezekiah relied on the Lord God of Israel; not one of the kings of Judah was like him, either before him or after him.
- 1 Chronicles 5:20They received help against these enemies because they cried out to God in battle, and the Hagrites and all their allies were handed over to them. He was receptive to their prayer because they trusted in him.
- 2 Chronicles 16:7At that time, the seer Hanani came to King Asa of Judah and said to him, “Because you depended on the king of Aram and have not depended on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from you.
- 2 Chronicles 32:7“Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria or before the large army that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.
- Psalms 22:4Our ancestors trusted in you; they trusted, and you rescued them.
- Psalms 42:5Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.
- Deuteronomy 12:2Destroy completely all the places where the nations that you are driving out worship their gods — on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree.
- 2 Kings 18:4He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake that Moses made, for until then the Israelites were burning incense to it. It was called Nehushtan.
- 2 Chronicles 30:14They proceeded to take away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and they took away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.
- 2 Chronicles 31:1When all this was completed, all Israel who had attended went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, to the last one. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own possession.
- 2 Chronicles 32:12Didn’t Hezekiah himself remove his high places and his altars and say to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before one altar, and you must burn incense on it”?
- 1 Corinthians 2:15The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, and yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone.
Commentaries on Isaiah 36:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7But if thou say "But if ye say" - Two ancient MSS. have תאמרו tomeru in the plural number; so likewise the Septuagint, Chaldee, and the other copy, 2 Kings 18:22. Ye shall worship before this altar "To worship only before this altar" - See 2 Chronicles 32:12.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7But if thou say to me - If you shall make this plea, that you believe Yahweh will protect you in your revolt. The word thou‘ here refers to Hezekiah, or to the ambassadors speaking in his name. In 2 Kings 18:22, it is, but if ye say unto me;‘ that is, you ambassadors. The sense is substantially the same. Is it not he - This is given as a reason why they should not put their confidence in Yahweh. The reason is, that he supposed that Hezekiah had removed…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7We trust in the LORD our God: Ironically, the Assyrian chief of staff knew about Isaiah's message and used it to his advantage (Isaiah 26:4; 36:15; 37:10). Hezekiah showed his dedication to the Lord by tearing down the pagan shrines and altars (2 Kings 18:4). However, the Assyrians mistakenly thought Hezekiah had angered God by doing this.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. The Assyrian mistakes Hezekiah's religious reforms whereby he took away the high places (2Ki 18:4) as directed against Jehovah. Some of the high places may have been dedicated to Jehovah, but worshipped under the form of an image in violation of the second commandment: the "brazen serpent," also (broken in pieces by Hezekiah, and called Nehushtan, "a piece of brass," because it was worshipped by Israel) was originally set up by God's command. Hence the…Read the comment
In the dictionaries
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
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