God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 37:19
19They have thrown the gods from these countries into fires because these gods aren’t real gods. They’re only wooden and stone statues made by human hands. So the Assyrians have destroyed them.
Isaiah 37:19 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.
- New International Version (NIV)They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.
- English Standard Version (ESV)and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed.
- New King James Version (NKJV)and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them.
Context of Isaiah 37:19
17Turn your ear toward me, Lord, and listen. Open your eyes, Lord, and see. Listen to the entire message that Sennacherib sent to defy the living God. 18It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have leveled every country. They have thrown the gods from these countries into fires because these gods aren’t real gods. They’re only wooden and stone statues made by human hands. So the Assyrians have destroyed them. 20Now, Lord our God, rescue us from Assyria’s control so that all the kingdoms on earth will know that you alone are the Lord.” 21Then Isaiah, son of Amoz, sent a message to Hezekiah, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: You prayed to me about King Sennacherib of Assyria.
Read all of Isaiah 37Isaiah 37:19 word by word
וְנָתֹ֥ן אֶת־אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם בָּאֵ֑שׁ כִּי֩ לֹ֨א אֱלֹהִ֜ים הֵ֗מָּה כִּ֣י אִם־מַעֲשֵׂ֧ה יְדֵֽי־אָדָ֛ם עֵ֥ץ וָאֶ֖בֶן וַֽיְאַבְּדֽוּם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And have castנָתַןnâthan · to give: throwH5414
- their godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- into the fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- but the workמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
- of men’sאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- handsיָדyâd · handH3027
- woodעֵץ‛êts · tree: woodH6086
- and stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
- therefore they have destroyedאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
Cross-references for Isaiah 37:19
- Isaiah 10:9Isn’t Calno like Carchemish? Isn’t Hamath like Arpad? Isn’t Samaria like Damascus?’
- Isaiah 36:18Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you by saying to you, ‘The Lord will rescue us.’ Did any of the gods of the nations rescue their countries from the king of Assyria?
- Isaiah 46:1The god Bel bows down; the god Nebo stoops low. Their statues are seated on animals and cattle. The gods that you carry are burdens, a load for weary people.
- Exodus 32:20Then he took the calf they had made, burned it, ground it into powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.
- 2 Samuel 5:21The Philistines left their idols there, so David and his men carried the idols away.
- Isaiah 40:19Craftsmen make idols. Goldsmiths cover them with gold. Silversmiths make silver chains for them.
- Isaiah 41:7Craftsmen encourage goldsmiths. Metalsmiths encourage blacksmiths who work at their anvils. They say that their soldering is good. And they fasten things with nails so they won’t move.
- Isaiah 44:9All who make idols are nothing. Their precious treasures are worthless. Their own witnesses do not see or know anything, so they will be put to shame.
- Psalms 115:4Their idols are made of silver and gold. They were made by human hands.
- Jeremiah 10:3The religion of the people is worthless. Woodcutters cut down trees from the forest. The hands of craftsmen prepare them with axes.
- Hosea 8:6Samaria’s calf-shaped idol was made in Israel. Skilled workers made it. It is not a god. It will be smashed to pieces.
Commentaries on Isaiah 37:19
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19And have cast their gods into the fire - This appears to have been the usual policy of the Assyrians and Babylonians. It was contrary to the policy which the Romans afterward pursued, for they admitted the gods of other nations among their own, and even allowed them to have a place in the Pantheon. Their design seems not to have been to alienate the feelings of the vanquished, but to make them feel that they were a part of the same people. They supposed…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-20When Hezekiah received Sennacherib’s boastful threat, he went back to the temple and prayed for help. His prayer was different from Ahaz’s reaction to danger decades earlier (see Isaiah 7).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. cast ... gods into ... fire--The policy of the Assyrians in order to alienate the conquered peoples from their own countries was, both to deport them elsewhere, and to destroy the tutelary idols of their nation, the strongest tie which bound them to their native land. The Roman policy was just the reverse.Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 37:19
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 37
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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