Isaiah 36:6

Isaiah 36:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.
• New International Version (NIV)Look, I know you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Behold, 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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Look! You are trusting in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.

Context of Isaiah 36:6

4The chief adviser said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: “What is your source of confidence? 5Your claim to have a strategy and military strength is just empty talk. In whom are you trusting, that you would dare to rebel against me? Look, you must be trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed staff. If someone leans on it for support, it punctures his hand and wounds him. That is what Pharaoh king of Egypt does to all who trust in him! 7Perhaps you will tell me, ‘We are trusting in the Lord our God.’ But Hezekiah is the one who eliminated his high places and altars and then told the people of Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship at this altar.’ 8Now make a deal with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, provided you can find enough riders for them.

Isaiah 36:6 word by word

הִנֵּ֣ה בָטַ֡חְתָּ עַל־מִשְׁעֶנֶת֩ הַקָּנֶ֨ה הָרָצ֤וּץ הַזֶּה֙ עַל־מִצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִסָּמֵ֥ךְ אִישׁ֙ עָלָ֔יו וּבָ֥א בְכַפּ֖וֹ וּנְקָבָ֑הּ כֵּ֚ן פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם לְכָֽל־הַבֹּטְחִ֖ים עָלָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Lo, thou trustestבָּטַחbâţach · to trustH982
• in the staffמִשְׁעֶ֫נֶתmish‛ênâh mish‛eneth · staffH4938
• of this brokenרָצַץrâtsats · to crushH7533
• reedקָנֶהqâneh · branch: stemH7070
• on Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
• whereon if a manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• leanסָמַךְsâmak · to supportH5564
• it will goבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• into his handכַּףkaph · palmH3709
• and pierceנָקַבnâqab · to pierceH5344
• Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
• kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428

Cross-references for Isaiah 36:6

• Isaiah 20:5Those who put their hope in Cush and took pride in Egypt will be afraid and embarrassed.
• Isaiah 30:1“The rebellious children are as good as dead,” says the Lord, “those who make plans without consulting me, who form alliances without consulting my Spirit, and thereby compound their sin.
• Isaiah 31:3The Egyptians are mere humans, not God; their horses are made of flesh, not spirit. The Lord will strike with his hand; the one who helps will stumble and the one being helped will fall. Together they will perish.
• 2 Kings 17:4The king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was planning a revolt. Hoshea had sent messengers to King So of Egypt and had not sent his annual tribute to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria arrested him and imprisoned him.
• 2 Kings 18:21Now look, you must be trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed staff. If a man leans for support on it, it punctures his hand and wounds him. That is what Pharaoh king of Egypt does to all who trust in him.
• Jeremiah 37:5At that time the Babylonian forces had temporarily given up their siege against Jerusalem. They had had it under siege, but withdrew when they heard that the army of Pharaoh had set out from Egypt.)
• Ezekiel 29:6Then all those living in Egypt will know that I am the Lord because they were a reed staff for the house of Israel;

Commentaries on Isaiah 36:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6The staff of this broken reed - A weakened, faithless ally. On Egypt - The Bodl. MS. adds מלך melech, the king of Egypt; and so perhaps the Chaldee might read. It will go into his hand, and pierce it - Will take subsidy after subsidy, and do nothing for it.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Lo, thou trustest - It is possible that Sennacherib might have been apprised of the attempt which had been made by the Jews to secure the cooperation of Egypt (see the notes at Isaiah 30:1-7; Isaiah 31:1 ff), though he might not have been aware that the negotiation was unsuccessful. In the staff of this broken reed - The same comparison of Egypt with a broken reed, or a reed which broke while they were trusting to it, occurs in Ezekiel 29:6-7. Reeds were…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him: Isaiah argued the same case, pointing to the Lord as the only reliable source of help (Isaiah 31:1–3, 7; 39:7). A kind of reed that breaks easily grows near the Nile (see Ezekiel 29:6–7).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. It was a similar alliance with So (that is, Sabacho, or else Sevechus), the Ethiopian king of Egypt, which provoked the Assyrian to invade and destroy Israel, the northern kingdom, under Hoshea.Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 36:6

• Confidence
• Egyptians
• Reed

In the dictionaries

• Egypt
• Pharaoh
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Pharaoh, king of Egypt
• Cane
• Destroy
• Hezekiah
• Isaiah
• Sennacherib
• Bible, the

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