Isaiah 36:5

Complete Jewish Bible

I say: do mere words constitute strategy and strength for battle? In whom, then, are you trusting when you rebel against me like this?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
You think mere words are strategy and strength for war. Who are you now relying on that you have rebelled against me?

Hebrew Names Version
I say, [your] counsel and strength for the war are but vain words: now on whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?

King James Version
I say, sayest thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

English Standard Version
Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me?

New American Standard Bible
"I say, 'Your plan and strength for the war are only empty words.' Now on whom have you relied, that you have revolted against me?

New Century Version
You say you have battle plans and power for war, but your words mean nothing. Whom are you trusting for help so that you turn against me?

Amplified Bible
"I say, 'Your plan and strength for the war are only empty words.' Now in whom do you trust and on whom do you rely, that you have rebelled against me?

World English Bible
I say, [your] counsel and strength for the war are but vain words: now on whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?

Geneva Bible (1587)
I say, Surely I haue eloquence, but counsell and strength are for the warre: on whom then doest thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

Legacy Standard Bible
I say, ‘Your counsel and might for the war are only empty words.' Now in whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?

Berean Standard Bible
You claim to have a strategy and strength for war, but these are empty words. On whom are you now relying, that you have rebelled against me?

Contemporary English Version
Does he think he can plan and win a war with nothing but words? Who is going to help him, now that he has turned against the king of Assyria?

Darby Translation
Thou sayest, but it is a word of the lips, [There is] counsel and strength for war. Now on whom dost thou rely, that thou hast revolted against me?

Easy-to-Read Version
I tell you, if you are trusting in power and great battle plans, that is useless. Those are nothing but empty words. Now I ask you, who do you trust so much that you are willing to rebel against me?

George Lamsa Translation
Saying, I am an eloquent speaker, and have counsel and strength for war; now on whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?

Good News Translation
He demanded, "Do you think that words can take the place of military skill and might? Who do you think will help you rebel against Assyria?

Lexham English Bible
I said, ‘Only a word of lips! War has power and a plan!' Now, in whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?

Literal Translation
I say, Are only words of the lips counsel and strength for war? Now, in whom have you trusted that you rebelled against me?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thou thinkest (peradueture) that thou hast councel & power ynough, to mayntene this warre: or els wher to trustest thou, that thou castest thi self of fro me?

American Standard Version
I say, thy counsel and strength for the war are but vain words: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against me?

Bible in Basic English
You say you have a design and strength for war, but these are only words: now to whom are you looking for support, that you have gone against my authority?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
I said: It is but vain words; for counsel and strength are for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against me?

King James Version (1611)
I say, (sayest thou) (but they are but vaine words) I haue counsell and strength for warre: Now on whom doest thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
I sayde surely that thou trustest in vayne wordes, when counsayle and strength are necessarie to battayle: but nowe wherto trustest thou, that thou rebellest agaynst me?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Is war carried on with counsel and mere words of the lips? and now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

English Revised Version
I say, thy counsel and strength for the war are but vain words: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against me?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
ethir bi what councele ether strengthe disposist thou for to rebelle? on whom hast thou trist, for thou hast go awei fro me?

Update Bible Version
I say, [your] counsel and strength for the war are but vain words: now on whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?

Webster's Bible Translation
I say, [sayest thou] (but [they are but] vain words) [I have] counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

New English Translation
Your 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?

New King James Version
I say you speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words. Now in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me?

New Living Translation
Do you think that mere words can substitute for military skill and strength? Who are you counting on, that you have rebelled against me?

New Life Bible
Do you think that empty words are plans and strength for war? In whom do you trust, that you have turned against me?

New Revised Standard
Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? On whom do you now rely, that you have rebelled against me?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
I have said sayest thou - they are only words of the lips - Counsel and might have I for the war, - Now, upon whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against me?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Or with what counsel or strength dost thou prepare for war? on whom dost thou trust, that thou art revolted from me?

Revised Standard Version
Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? On whom do you now rely, that you have rebelled against me?

Young's Literal Translation
I have said: Only, a word of the lips! counsel and might [are] for battle: now, on whom hast thou trusted, that thou hast rebelled against me?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"I say, 'Your counsel and strength for the war are only empty words.' Now on whom do you rely, that you have rebelled against me?

Contextual Overview

¹ It was in the fourteenth year of King Hizkiyahu that Sancheriv king of Ashur advanced against all the fortified cities of Y'hudah and captured them. ² From Lakhish the king of Ashur sent Rav-Shakeh to Hizkiyahu in Yerushalayim with a large army. He positioned himself by the aqueduct from the Upper Pool, which is by the road to the Launderers' Field. ³ Elyakim the son of Hilkiyahu, who was in charge of the household, Shevnah the general secretary and Yo'ach the son of Asaf the foreign minister went out to meet him. ⁴ Rav-Shakeh addressed them: "Tell Hizkiyahu: ‘Here is what the great king, the king of Ashur, says: "What makes you so confident? ⁵ I say: do mere words constitute strategy and strength for battle? In whom, then, are you trusting when you rebel against me like this? ⁶ Look! Relying on Egypt is like using a broken stick as a staff — when you lean on it, it punctures your hand. That's what Pharaoh king of Egypt is like for anyone who puts his trust in him. ⁷ But if you tell me, ‘We trust in Adonai our God,' then isn't he the one whose high places and altars Hizkiyahu has removed, telling Y'hudah and Yerushalayim, ‘You must worship before this altar'? ⁸ All right, then, make a wager with my lord the king of Ashur: I will give you two thousand horses if you can find enough riders for them. ⁹ How then can you repulse even one of my master's lowest-ranked army officers? Yet you are relying on Egypt for chariots and riders! ¹⁰ Do you think I have come up to this land to destroy it without Adonai 's approval? Adonai said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it!' " ' "

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

vain words: Heb. a word of lips. I have counsel and strength for war. or, but counsel and strength are for the war. Proverbs 21:30, Proverbs 21:31, Proverbs 24:5, Proverbs 24:6

that: 2 Kings 18:7, 2 Kings 24:1, Nehemiah 2:19, Nehemiah 2:20, Jeremiah 52:3, Ezekiel 17:15

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 48:14 - How

Cross-References

Genesis 35:29
Then he breathed his last, died and was gathered to his people, an old man full of years; and his sons ‘Esav and Ya‘akov buried him.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I say, (sayest thou,) but they are but vain words,.... Or, "word of lips" f; meaning the following, which he suggests were only the fruit of his lips, not of his heart; or were vain and foolish, and without effect, and stood for nothing; so the first part of the words are Hezekiah's, "I say (sayest thou)"; and the latter, Rabshakeh's note upon them; though they may be understood as Hezekiah's, or what he is made to speak by Rabshakeh, as the ground of his confidence, namely, "word of lips"; that is, prayer to God, as Kimchi explains it; or eloquence in addressing his soldiers, and encouraging them to fight, either of which Rabshakeh derides, as well as what follows:

I have counsel and strength for war; as he had; he had wise ministers to consult, and was capable of forming a good plan, and wise schemes, and of putting them in execution, and of heartening men; though he did not put his confidence in these things, as Rabshakeh suggested,

2 Chronicles 32:3, the words may be rendered; "but counsel and strength are for war" g: what signifies words to God, or eloquence with men? this is all lip labour, and of little service; wisdom and counsel to form plans, and power to execute them, are the things which are necessary to carry on a war with success, and which, it is intimated, were wanting in Hezekiah; and therefore he had nothing to ground his confidence upon, within himself, or his people:

now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? which it does not appear he had, having paid the money agreed to for the withdrawment of his army; but this was a pretence for the siege of Jerusalem.

f דבר שפתים "verbum labiorum", Montanus; "vel, sermo labiorum", Vatablus. g עצה וגבורה למלחמה "consilium et fortitudo ad praelium", Montanus; "sed consilio et fortitudine opus ad praelium", Pagninus, i.e. "requiruntur", ut Grotius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I say, sayest thou - In 2 Kings 18:20, this is ‘thou sayest;’ and thus many manuscripts read it here, and Lowth and Noyes have adopted that reading. So the Syriac reads it. But the sense is not affected whichever reading is adopted. It is designed to show to Hezekiah that his reliance, either on his own resources or on Egypt, was vain.

But they are but vain words - Margin, as Hebrew, ‘A word of lips;’ that is, mere words; vain and empty boasting.

On whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? - Hezekiah had revolted from the Assyrian power, and had refused to pay the tribute which had been imposed on the Jews in the time of Ahaz 2 Kings 18:7.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Isaiah 36:5. I say - "Thou hast said"] Fourteen MSS. (three ancient) of Kennicott's and De Rossi's have it in the second person, אמרת amarta; and so the other copy, 2 Kings 18:20.

But they are but vain words — דבר שפתים debar sephathayim, a word of the lips. Thou dost talk about counsels, but thou hast none; about strength, but there is none with thee.