New English Translation
2 Kings 19:3
3“This is what Hezekiah says: ‘This is a day of distress, insults, and humiliation, as when a baby is ready to leave the birth canal, but the mother lacks the strength to push it through.
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.
- 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 2 Kings 19:3
1When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the Lord’s temple. 2He sent Eliakim the palace supervisor, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, clothed in sackcloth, with this message to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz: “This is what Hezekiah says: ‘This is a day of distress, insults, and humiliation, as when a baby is ready to leave the birth canal, but the mother lacks the strength to push it through. 4Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all these things the chief adviser has spoken on behalf of his master, the king of Assyria, who sent him to taunt the living God. When the Lord your God hears, perhaps he will punish him for the things he has said. So pray for this remnant that remains.’” 5When King Hezekiah’s servants 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 18:29This is what the king says: ‘Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you, for he is not able to rescue you from my hand!
- Psalms 39:11You severely discipline people for their sins; like a moth you slowly devour their strength. Surely all people are a mere vapor. (Selah)
- Psalms 123:3Show us favor, O Lord, show us favor! For we have had our fill of humiliation, and then some.
- Jeremiah 30:5Yes, here is what he says: “You hear cries of panic and of terror; there is no peace in sight.
- Hosea 5:15Then I will return again to my lair until they have suffered their punishment. Then they will seek me; in their distress they will earnestly seek me.
- Hosea 6:1“Come on! Let’s return to the Lord! He himself has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us! He has injured us, but he will bandage our wounds!
- Psalms 95:8He says, “Do not be stubborn like they were at Meribah, like they were that day at Massah in the wilderness,
- Hebrews 3:15As it says, “Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks! Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
- Isaiah 26:17As when a pregnant woman gets ready to deliver and strains and cries out because of her labor pains, so were we because of you, O Lord.
- Isaiah 66:9“Do I bring a baby to the birth opening and then not deliver it?” asks the Lord. “Or do I bring a baby to the point of delivery and then hold it back?” asks your God.
- Hosea 13:13The labor pains of a woman will overtake him, but the baby will lack wisdom; when the time arrives, he will not come out 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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