English Standard Version
2 Kings 19:3
3They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth.
2 Kings 19:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
- New International Version (NIV)They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah: ‘This day is a day of trouble, and rebuke, and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth.
- New Living Translation (NLT)They told him, “This is what King Hezekiah says: Today is a day of trouble, insults, and disgrace. It is like when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to deliver the baby.
Context of 2 Kings 19:3
1As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. 2And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. 4It may be that the Lord your God heard all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the Lord your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left." 5When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah,
Read all of 2 Kings 192 Kings 19:3 word by word
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר חִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ יוֹם־צָרָ֧ה וְתוֹכֵחָ֛ה וּנְאָצָ֖ה הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֣י בָ֤אוּ בָנִים֙ עַד־מַשְׁבֵּ֔ר וְכֹ֥חַ אַ֖יִן לְלֵדָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Hezekiahחִזְקִיָּהוּchizqîyâh chizqîyâhû yechizqîyâh yechizqîyâhû · HezekiahH2396
- This dayיוֹםyôm · day: todayH3117
- of troubleצָרָהtsârâh · distressH6869
- and of rebukeתּוֹכֵחָהtôkêchâh tôkachath · rebukeH8433
- and blasphemyנְאָצָהne'âtsâh ne'âtsâh · contemptH5007
- for the childrenבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- are comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- to the birthמַשְׁבֵּרmishbêr · birthH4866
- not strengthכֹּחַkôach kôach · strengthH3581
- to bring forthיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
Cross-references for 2 Kings 19:3
- 2 Kings 18:29Thus says the king: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my hand.
- Psalms 39:11When you discipline a man with rebukes for sin, you consume like a moth what is dear to him; surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah
- Psalms 123:3Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.
- Jeremiah 30:5"Thus says the Lord: We have heard a cry of panic, of terror, and no peace.
- Hosea 5:15I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me.
- Hosea 6:1"Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
- Psalms 95:8do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
- Hebrews 3:15As it is said, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."
- Isaiah 26:17Like a pregnant woman who writhes and cries out in her pangs when she is near to giving birth, so were we because of you, O Lord;
- Isaiah 66:9Shall I bring to the point of birth and not cause to bring forth?" says the Lord; "shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?" says your God.
- Hosea 13:13The pangs of childbirth come for him, but he is an unwise son, for at the right time he does not present himself at the opening of the womb.
Commentaries on 2 Kings 19:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3The children are come to the birth - The Jewish state is here represented under the emblem of a woman in travail, who has been so long in the pangs of parturition, that her strength is now entirely exhausted, and her deliverance is hopeless, without a miracle. The image is very fine and highly appropriate. A similar image is employed by Homer, when he represents the agonies which Agamemnon suffers from his wound: - ̔ ̔ ' · ̔ ' ̔, · ' ̔ ͅ , , ̈́ ̔ · ̔ '…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The “trouble” consisted in rebuke” (rather, “chastisement,”) for sins at the hand of God, and “blasphemy” (rather, “reproach,”) at the hands of man. The children - i. e., “we are in a fearful extremity - at the last gasp - and lack the strength that might carry us through the danger.”Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-3Leaders often asked prophets like Isaiah for guidance during emergencies (2 Kings 3:11–12) or before battles (1 Kings 22:8–10). Isaiah was active during King Hezekiah’s rule (2 Kings 20:1, 14). The phrase day of distress describes the deep distress the king felt due to the insults and disgrace against God and his people. Hezekiah understood that they were powerless without God's help.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-52Ki 19:1-5. Hezekiah in Deep Affliction. 1-3. when king Hezekiah heard it, he rent his clothes--The rending of his clothes was a mode of expressing horror at the daring blasphemy--the assumption of sackcloth a sign of his mental distress--his entrance into the temple to pray the refuge of a pious man in affliction--and the forwarding an account of the Assyrian's speech to Isaiah was to obtain the prophet's counsel and comfort. The expression in which the…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 19:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Kings 19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- 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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Commentaries