God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 37:3
3They said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day filled with misery, punishment, and disgrace. We are like a woman who is about to give birth but doesn’t have the strength to do it.
Isaiah 37:3 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 of 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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.
Context of Isaiah 37:3
1When King Hezekiah heard the message, he tore his clothes in grief, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the Lord’s temple. 2Then he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the scribe, and the leaders of the priests, clothed in sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz. They said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day filled with misery, punishment, and disgrace. We are like a woman who is about to give birth but doesn’t have the strength to do it. 4The Lord your God may have heard the words of the field commander. His master, the king of Assyria, sent him to defy the living God. The Lord your God may punish him because of the message that the Lord your God heard. Pray for the few people who are left.” 5So King Hezekiah’s men went to Isaiah.
Read all of Isaiah 37Isaiah 37:3 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 · dayH3117
- of troubleצָרָהtsârâh · distressH6869
- and of rebukeתּוֹכֵחָהtôkêchâh tôkachath · rebukeH8433
- and of 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 Isaiah 37:3
- Isaiah 25:8He will swallow up death forever. The Almighty Lord will wipe away tears from every face, and he will remove the disgrace of his people from the whole earth. The Lord has spoken.
- Isaiah 33:2O Lord, have pity on us. We wait with hope for you. Be our strength in the morning. Yes, be our savior in times of trouble.
- 2 Kings 19:3They said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day filled with misery, punishment, and disgrace. We are like a woman who is about to give birth but doesn’t have the strength to do it.
- 2 Chronicles 15:4But when they were in trouble, they turned to the Lord God of Israel. When they searched for him, he let them find him.
- Psalms 50:15Call on me in times of trouble. I will rescue you, and you will honor me.”
- Psalms 91:15When you call to me, I will answer you. I will be with you when you are in trouble. I will save you and honor you.
- Psalms 116:3The ropes of death became tangled around me. The horrors of the grave took hold of me. I experienced pain and agony.
- Jeremiah 30:7How terrible that day will be! There will be no other day like it. It will be a time of calamity for the descendants of Jacob, but they will be rescued from it.
- Hosea 5:15I will go back to my place until they admit that they are guilty. Then they will search for me. In their distress they will eagerly look for me.”
- Hosea 6:1Let’s return to the Lord. Even though he has torn us to pieces, he will heal us. Even though he has wounded us, he will bandage our wounds.
- Revelation 3:19I correct and discipline everyone I love. Take this seriously, and change the way you think and act.
- Psalms 95:8“Do not be stubborn like ⌞my people were⌟ at Meribah, like the time at Massah in the desert.
- Isaiah 26:17O Lord, when we are with you, we are like pregnant women ready to give birth. They writhe and cry out in their labor pains.
- Isaiah 66:9“Do I bring a mother to the moment of birth and not let her deliver?” asks the Lord. “Do I cause a mother to deliver and then make her unable to have children?” asks your God.
- Hosea 13:13They have the opportunity to live again, but they are not smart enough to take it. They are like a baby who is about to be born but won’t come out of its mother’s womb.
Commentaries on Isaiah 37:3
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3This is a day of rebuke - This may refer either to the reproaches of Rabsbakeh, or more probably to the fact that Hezekiah regarded the Lord as rebuking his people for their sins. The word which is used here (תוכחח tôkēchâh ), means more properly chastisement or punishment Psalm 149:7; Hosea 5:9. And of blasphemy - Margin, Provocation.‘ The word used here (נאצה ne'âtsâh ), means properly reproach or contumely; and the sense is, that God and his cause…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-38Jerusalem’s rescue from King Sennacherib of Assyria is a main event in Isaiah 1–39. The Lord promised to save his people. He would remain present with Jerusalem (see 7:14). He would also keep a remnant, a small group who would survive (see study note on Isaiah 10:20). Much of the land became empty and the population greatly reduced. This happened because Judah made a foolish alliance with Assyria (chapters 7–8). Even so, the Lord did not allow total…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. rebuke--that is, the Lord's rebuke for His people's sins (Psa 149:7; Ho 5:9). blasphemy--blasphemous railing of Rab-shakeh. the children, &c.--a proverbial expression for, We are in the most extreme danger and have no power to avert it (compare Ho 13:13).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 37:3
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
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