Isaiah 36:9

Isaiah 36:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
• English Standard Version (ESV)How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master's servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
• New King James Version (NKJV)How then will you repel one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen?
• New Living Translation (NLT)With your tiny army, how can you think of challenging even the weakest contingent of my master’s troops, even with the help of Egypt’s chariots and charioteers?

Context of Isaiah 36:9

7But if you say to me, “We are depending on the Lord our God”—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar”? 8“ ‘Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them! How then can you repulse one officer of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen? 10Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this land without the Lord? The Lord himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.’ ” 11Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”

Isaiah 36:9 word by word

וְאֵ֣יךְ תָּשִׁ֗יב אֵ֠ת פְּנֵ֨י פַחַ֥ת אַחַ֛ד עַבְדֵ֥י אֲדֹנִ֖י הַקְטַנִּ֑ים וַתִּבְטַ֤ח לְךָ֙ עַל־מִצְרַ֔יִם לְרֶ֖כֶב וּלְפָרָשִֽׁים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• How then wilt thou turn awayשׁוּבshûb · to return: turn backH7725
• the faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
• of oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• captainפֶּחָהpechâh · governorH6346
• of the leastקָטָןqâţân qâţôn · smallH6996
• of my master’sאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• and put thy trustבָּטַחbâţach · to trustH982
• on Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
• for chariotsרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariotH7393
• and for horsemenפָּרָשׁpârâsh · horsemanH6571

Cross-references for Isaiah 36:9

• Isaiah 10:8‘Are not my commanders all kings?’ he says.
• 2 Kings 18:24How can you repulse one officer of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?
• Isaiah 36:6Look, 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.
• Isaiah 30:16You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’ Therefore you will flee! You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’ Therefore your pursuers will be swift!
• Deuteronomy 17:16The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.”
• Proverbs 21:31The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.

Commentaries on Isaiah 36:9

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9How then wilt thou turn away the face - The most unimportant captain in the army of Assyria commands more horsemen than this, and how can you expect to oppose even him, much more how can you be able to resist all the mighty army of the Assyrians? One captain of the least - The word captain‘ here (פחת pachat construct state from פחה pechâh ) denotes a prefect or governor of a province less than a satrap, an officer who was under the satrap, and subject to…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-22The Assyrian chief of staff tried to use intimidation to negotiate a peaceful settlement. In his first speech (Isaiah 36:4–10), he correctly argued that Egypt could not rescue them but incorrectly accused Hezekiah of misplaced trust in the Lord. Interestingly, the Assyrian did not view the contest as between the gods of Assyria and the Lord, but rather between Sennacherib (the great king) and the Lord.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. captain--a governor under a satrap; even he commands more horsemen than this.Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Egypt
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Destroy
• Governor
• Hezekiah
• Isaiah
• Sennacherib
• Bible, the
• Chronicles, Books of
• Chronology of the Old Testament

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