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?
• New International Version (NIV)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?
• 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 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

7“But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar’?” ’ 8Now therefore, I urge you, give a pledge to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses—if you are able on your part to put riders on them! 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? 10Have I now come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land, and destroy it.’ ” 11Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people who are 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 10:8For he says, ‘Are not my princes altogether kings?
• 2 Kings 18:24How then will you repel one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen?
• Isaiah 36:6Look! 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.
• Isaiah 30:16And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses”— Therefore you shall flee! And, “We will ride on swift horses”— Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift!
• Deuteronomy 17:16But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’
• Proverbs 21:31The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But deliverance is of 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
• Destroy
• Governor
• Hezekiah
• Isaiah
• Sennacherib
• Bible, the
• Chronicles, Books of
• Chronology of the Old Testament
• Hezekiah (2)

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