Revised Literal Translation
Isaiah 36:9
9How 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?
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 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?
Context of Isaiah 36:9
7But if thou say to me, We trust in Yhwh our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar? 8Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them. 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? 10And am I now come up without Yhwh against this land to destroy it? Yhwh said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it. 11Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews’ language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.
Read all of Isaiah 36Isaiah 36:9 word by word
וְאֵ֣יךְ תָּשִׁ֗יב אֵ֠ת פְּנֵ֨י פַחַ֥ת אַחַ֛ד עַבְדֵ֥י אֲדֹנִ֖י הַקְטַנִּ֑ים וַתִּבְטַ֤ח לְךָ֙ עַל־מִצְרַ֔יִם לְרֶ֖כֶב וּלְפָרָשִֽׁים׃Read the interlinear
- 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 saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?
- 2 Kings 18:24How 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?
- Isaiah 36:6Lo, 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.
- Isaiah 30:16But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.
- Deuteronomy 17:16But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as Yhwh hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
- Proverbs 21:31The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of Yhwh.
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
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries