New English Translation
Isaiah 37:3
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.
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 this, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the Lord’s temple. 2Eliakim the palace supervisor, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, clothed in sackcloth, sent 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 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 permanently. The sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from every face, and remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. Indeed, the Lord has announced it!
- Isaiah 33:2Lord, be merciful to us! We wait for you. Give us strength each morning! Deliver us when distress comes.
- 2 Kings 19:3“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 Chronicles 15:4Because of their distress, they turned back to the Lord God of Israel. They sought him and he responded to them.
- Psalms 50:15Pray to me when you are in trouble! I will deliver you, and you will honor me!”
- Psalms 91:15When he calls out to me, I will answer him. I will be with him when he is in trouble; I will rescue him and bring him honor.
- Psalms 116:3The ropes of death tightened around me, the snares of Sheol confronted me. I was confronted with trouble and sorrow.
- Jeremiah 30:7Alas, what a terrible time of trouble it is! There has never been any like it. It is a time of trouble for the descendants of Jacob, but some of them will be rescued out of it.
- 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!
- Revelation 3:19All those I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent!
- Psalms 95:8He says, “Do not be stubborn like they were at Meribah, like they were that day at Massah in the wilderness,
- 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 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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