Isaiah 37:12
New International Version
Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver them—the gods of Gozan, Harran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar?

New Living Translation
Have the gods of other nations rescued them—such nations as Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Tel-assar? My predecessors destroyed them all!

English Standard Version
Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?

Berean Standard Bible
Did the gods of the nations destroyed by my fathers rescue those nations—the gods of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and of the people of Eden in Telassar?

King James Bible
Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar?

New King James Version
Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed, Gozan and Haran and Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?

New American Standard Bible
Did the gods of the nations which my fathers destroyed save them: Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar?

NASB 1995
Did the gods of those nations which my fathers have destroyed deliver them, even Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar?

NASB 1977
‘Did the gods of those nations which my fathers have destroyed deliver them, even Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar?

Legacy Standard Bible
Did the gods of those nations, which my fathers have brought to ruin, deliver them, even Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar?

Amplified Bible
Did the gods of the nations which my fathers destroyed rescue them—Gozan, Haran [of Mesopotamia], Rezeph, and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar?

Christian Standard Bible
Did the gods of the nations that my predecessors destroyed rescue them—Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the Edenites in Telassar?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Did the gods of the nations that my predecessors destroyed rescue them—Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the Edenites in Telassar?

American Standard Version
Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden that were in Telassar?

Contemporary English Version
The Assyrian kings before me destroyed the towns of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and everyone from Eden who lived in Telassar. What good did their gods do them?

English Revised Version
Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Did the gods of the nations which my ancestors destroyed rescue Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?

Good News Translation
My ancestors destroyed the cities of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and killed the people of Betheden who lived in Telassar, and none of their gods could save them.

International Standard Version
Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my ancestors save them—the nations of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden, who were in Tel-assar?

Majority Standard Bible
Did the gods of the nations destroyed by my fathers rescue those nations?the gods of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and of the people of Eden in Telassar?

NET Bible
Were the nations whom my predecessors destroyed--the nations of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden in Telassar--rescued by their gods?

New Heart English Bible
Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?

Webster's Bible Translation
Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden who were in Telassar?

World English Bible
Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the children of Eden who were in Telassar?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Did the gods of the nations deliver them whom my fathers destroyed—Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the sons of Eden, who [are] in Telassar?

Young's Literal Translation
Did the gods of the nations deliver them whom my fathers destroyed -- Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the sons of Eden, who are in Telassar?

Smith's Literal Translation
Did the gods of the nations deliver them which my fathers destroyed, Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the sons of Eden which were in Thelassar?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Have the gods of the nations delivered them whom my fathers have destroyed, Gozam, and Haram, and Reseph, and the children of Eden, that were in Thalassar?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Have the gods of the nations rescued those whom my fathers have conquered: Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the sons of Eden who were at Telassar?

New American Bible
Did the gods of the nations whom my fathers destroyed deliver them—Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the Edenites in Telassar?

New Revised Standard Version
Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my predecessors destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, even Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, the inhabitants of Eden, and them of Bedlassar?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Have their gods saved the nations, which my fathers killed with the sword Guzan and Kharan and Ratsaph and the children of Aden who were in Dalsar?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden that were in Telassar?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Have the gods of the nations which my fathers destroyed delivered them, both Gozan, and Charrhan, and Rapheth, which are in the land of Theemath?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Sennacherib's Blasphemous Letter
11Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the other countries, devoting them to destruction. Will you then be spared? 12Did the gods of the nations destroyed by my fathers rescue those nations— the gods of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and of the people of Eden in Telassar? 13Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’ ”…

Cross References
2 Kings 19:12
Did the gods of the nations destroyed by my fathers rescue those nations—the gods of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and of the people of Eden in Telassar?

2 Kings 18:33-35
Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? / Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand? / Who among all the gods of these lands has delivered his land from my hand? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”

Isaiah 36:18-20
Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? / Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand? / Who among all the gods of these lands has delivered his land from my hand? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”

2 Chronicles 32:13-15
Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Have the gods of these nations ever been able to deliver their land from my hand? / Who among all the gods of these nations that my fathers devoted to destruction has been able to deliver his people from my hand? How then can your God deliver you from my hand? / So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you, and do not let him mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand!”

Jeremiah 50:18
Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria.

Jeremiah 49:23-27
Concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, for they have heard a bad report; they are agitated like the sea; their anxiety cannot be calmed. / Damascus has become feeble; she has turned to flee. Panic has gripped her; anguish and pain have seized her like a woman in labor. / How is the city of praise not forsaken, the town that brings Me joy? ...

Nahum 3:8-10
Are you better than Thebes, stationed by the Nile with water around her, whose rampart was the sea, whose wall was the water? / Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were her allies. / Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity. Her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. They cast lots for her dignitaries, and all her nobles were bound in chains.

Ezekiel 31:3-9
Look at Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches that shaded the forest. It towered on high; its top was among the clouds. / The waters made it grow; the deep springs made it tall, directing their streams all around its base and sending their channels to all the trees of the field. / Therefore it towered higher than all the trees of the field. Its branches multiplied, and its boughs grew long as it spread them out because of the abundant waters. ...

Isaiah 10:9-11
“Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? / As my hand seized the idolatrous kingdoms whose images surpassed those of Jerusalem and Samaria, / and as I have done to Samaria and its idols, will I not also do to Jerusalem and her idols?”

Isaiah 14:24-27
The LORD of Hosts has sworn: “Surely, as I have planned, so will it be; as I have purposed, so will it stand. / I will break Assyria in My land; I will trample him on My mountain. His yoke will be taken off My people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.” / This is the plan devised for the whole earth, and this is the hand stretched out over all the nations. ...

Isaiah 30:28
His breath is like a rushing torrent that rises to the neck. He comes to sift the nations in a sieve of destruction; He bridles the jaws of the peoples to lead them astray.

Isaiah 46:9-10
Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. / I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’

Matthew 11:21-22
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. / But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

Luke 10:13-14
Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. / But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.

Acts 17:26
From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.


Treasury of Scripture

Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar?

the gods

Isaiah 36:20
Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

Isaiah 46:5-7
To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? …

Gozan

2 Kings 17:6
In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

2 Kings 18:11
And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:

2 Kings 19:12
Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed; as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Thelasar?

Haran.

Genesis 11:31
And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.

Genesis 12:14
And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.

Genesis 28:10
And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.

Eden.

Genesis 2:8
And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

Ezekiel 27:23
Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad, were thy merchants.

Ezekiel 28:13
Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

Telassar.

Genesis 14:1
And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations;

2 Kings 19:12
Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed; as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Thelasar?

Jump to Previous
Assar Children Deliver Delivered Destroyed Eden Fathers Forefathers Gods Gozan Haran Nations Rezeph Safe Tel Telassar Tel-Assar Thelassar
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Assar Children Deliver Delivered Destroyed Eden Fathers Forefathers Gods Gozan Haran Nations Rezeph Safe Tel Telassar Tel-Assar Thelassar
Isaiah 37
1. Hezekiah mourning, sends to Isaiah to pray for them
6. Isaiah comforts them
8. Sennacherib, going to encounter Tirhakah, sends a blasphemous letter to Hezekiah
14. Hezekiah's prayer
21. Isaiah's prophecy of the destruction of Sennacherib, and the good of Zion
36. An angel slays the Assyrians
37. Sennacherib is slain at Nineveh by his own sons.














Did the gods of the nations destroyed by my fathers rescue those nations—
This phrase reflects the Assyrian king Sennacherib's taunt against the God of Israel, comparing Him to the deities of other nations that Assyria had conquered. Historically, Assyria was a dominant empire known for its military prowess and conquests. The rhetorical question implies the futility of relying on these gods, as they were unable to protect their people. This highlights the common ancient Near Eastern belief in the power of national deities, which were often seen as protectors of their respective lands. Theologically, this sets the stage for demonstrating the uniqueness and supremacy of the God of Israel, who is not limited by geography or political power.

the gods of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph,
Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph were regions that had been conquered by the Assyrians. Gozan is often identified with the region around the Habur River in modern-day Syria. Haran is a city with biblical significance, known as the place where Abraham's family settled after leaving Ur (Genesis 11:31). Rezeph is less well-known but was another city under Assyrian control. The mention of these specific locations underscores the extent of Assyrian conquests and the perceived impotence of their gods. This serves as a contrast to the God of Israel, who is not bound by territorial limitations.

and of the people of Eden in Telassar?
The "people of Eden" here is not related to the Garden of Eden but refers to a region or people group in Mesopotamia. Telassar is thought to be a location within this region, though its exact identification remains uncertain. The mention of Eden and Telassar adds to the list of places that fell to Assyria, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of their conquests. This phrase also serves to highlight the Assyrian belief in their own invincibility and the ineffectiveness of other nations' gods. In a broader biblical context, this sets up a contrast with the God of Israel, who will demonstrate His power and faithfulness by delivering Jerusalem from Assyrian hands, as seen later in the chapter.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Gozan
A region in Mesopotamia, often associated with the exile of the Israelites. It represents a place of captivity and defeat.

2. Haran
An ancient city in Mesopotamia, known for its historical and religious significance. It was a center of moon worship and a place where Abraham once dwelled.

3. Rezeph
A lesser-known location, possibly a city or region in the Assyrian Empire, symbolizing the reach and power of Assyria.

4. Eden
Not the Garden of Eden, but a region or people group, possibly located in Mesopotamia, indicating a place of previous prosperity now under Assyrian control.

5. Telassar
A location associated with the people of Eden, possibly a city or region conquered by the Assyrians, representing the futility of relying on false gods.
Teaching Points
The Futility of Idolatry
The verse highlights the impotence of the gods of the nations conquered by Assyria. It serves as a reminder that reliance on anything other than the one true God is ultimately futile.

God's Sovereignty Over Nations
The historical context underscores God's control over the rise and fall of nations. Believers can trust in God's ultimate authority and plan, even when worldly powers seem overwhelming.

Faith in the True God
The Assyrian king's challenge is an opportunity to affirm faith in the God of Israel, who is not like the powerless idols of other nations. Believers are encouraged to place their trust in God alone.

Historical Lessons for Modern Faith
The events remind us that history is filled with examples of God's faithfulness and the failure of false gods. This encourages believers to learn from the past and apply these lessons to their faith journey.(12) Gozan . . .--The induction drawn from the enumeration of conquered nations is continued. Strictly speaking, Sargon, the father of Sennacherib, was the founder of a new dynasty; but the "fathers" are, as commonly in the formulae of Eastern kings, the predecessors of the reigning king. The position of Gozan is defined by 2Kings 17:6 as being on the Habor, or Khab-r, which flows into the Tigris from the east, above Mosul. Haran is probably identical with Abraham's resting-place (Genesis 11:31), and the Charran of Josephus and St. Stephen's speech (Acts 7:4). "Rezeph" is identified with the Rhesepher of Ptolemy (Isaiah 5:13; Isaiah 5:6) below Thapeacus, between the 'Euphrates and Tadmor (= Palmyra). Telassar is probably an altered form of Tel-Assur (the hill of Assur), and was probably a new name given to a conquered city, after the manner in which Shalmaneser records that he gave names to cities that he had taken belonging to Akhuni, the son of Adini (Records of the Past, iii. 87, v. 30). In the patronymic we may trace the sons of Eden of this verse. In Amos 1:5 we have a Beth-Eden named as connected with Damascus; and in Ezekiel 27:23 an "Eden" connected with Haran and Asshur, as carrying on traffic with Tyre. The latter is probably identical with that named by Sennacherib. . . . Verse 12. - My fathers. The Assyrian monarchs call all those who have preceded them upon the throne their "fathers," without intending to claim any blood-relation-ship. Sargon, Sennacherib's father, though a usurper and the first king of a new dynasty, frequently speaks of "the kings his fathers" ('Records of the Past,' ch. 7. pp. 39, 51, etc.). Gozan... Haran ... Rezeph... Telassar. "Gozan" is, beyond all doubt, the region known to the Greeks as Gauzanitis, which was the eastern portion of Upper Mesopotamia, or the country about the sources of the Khabour river. The Assyrian conquest of this tract is indicated by the settlement of the Israelites in the region (2 Kings 17:6; 2 Kings 18:11; 1 Chronicles 5:26). "Harsh" is the well-known "city of Nahor" (Genesis 24:10), called in Acts 7:2 "Charran," and by the Greeks and Romans, Carrhae. It has now recovered its old designation, and is known as Hurrah. "Rezeph" was in the neighborhood of Haran, and is mentioned as belonging to Assyria as early as B.C. 775 ('Eponym Canon,' p. 82). It had probably revolted and been reduced at a later date. "Telassar," "the Hill of Asshur," is not mentioned in the Assyrian inscriptions, but was probably the Assyrian name of a town on or near the Euphrates, in the country of the Bent-Eden, which was not far from Carche-mish (see 'Records of the Past,' ch. 3. pp. 90-92). The children of Eden. The Assyrian inscriptions mention a "Bit-Adini" (comp. Amos 1:5), and a chief who is called "the son of Adini;" both belonging to the Middle Euphrates region. The "children of Eden" (Beni-Eden) were probably the people of the tract about Bit-Adini.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Did the gods
אֱלֹהֵ֤י (’ĕ·lō·hê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

of the nations
הַגּוֹיִם֙ (hag·gō·w·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

my fathers
אֲבוֹתַ֔י (’ă·ḇō·w·ṯay)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1: Father

destroyed
הִשְׁחִ֣יתוּ (hiš·ḥî·ṯū)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7843: Perhaps to go to ruin

rescue them—
הַהִצִּ֨ילוּ (ha·hiṣ·ṣî·lū)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5337: To strip, plunder, deliver oneself, be delivered, snatch away, deliver

[the gods of]
אוֹתָ֜ם (’ō·w·ṯām)
Direct object marker | third person masculine plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

Gozan,
גּוֹזָ֖ן (gō·w·zān)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1470: Gozan -- a city and area in Mesopotamia

Haran,
חָרָ֑ן (ḥā·rān)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 2771: Haran -- 'crossroads', a city in northern Mesopotamia

Rezeph,
וְרֶ֥צֶף (wə·re·ṣep̄)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7530: Rezeph -- a place destroyed by Assyr

and the people
וּבְנֵי־ (ū·ḇə·nê-)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Eden
עֶ֖דֶן (‘e·ḏen)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5729: Eden -- a territory conquered by Assyr

in Telassar?
בִּתְלַשָּֽׂר׃ (biṯ·laś·śār)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 8515: Telassar -- a city in Mesopotamia


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 37:12 Have the gods of the nations delivered (Isa Isi Is)
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