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?
• 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?
• New Living Translation (NLT)Do you think that mere words can substitute for military skill and strength? Who are you counting on, that you have rebelled against me?

Context of Isaiah 36:5

3And there came out to him Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder. 4And the Rabshakeh said to them, "Say to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours? Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? 6Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man 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 it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, "You shall 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• I sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• vainשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lip: wordsH8193
• wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• counselעֵצָה‛êtsâh · counselH6098
• and strengthגְּבוּרָהgebûrâh · mightH1369
• for warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• now on whom dost thou trustבָּטַחbâţach · to trustH982
• that thou rebellestמָרַדmârad · to rebelH4775

Cross-references for Isaiah 36:5

• Proverbs 21:30No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the Lord.
• Proverbs 24:5A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
• 2 Kings 18:7And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him.
• 2 Kings 24:1In his days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him.
• Nehemiah 2:19But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?"
• Jeremiah 52:3For because of the anger of the Lord it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
• Ezekiel 17:15But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he thrive? Can one escape who does such things? Can he break the 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