Isaiah 37:18
New International Version
“It is true, LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands.

New Living Translation
“It is true, LORD, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations.

English Standard Version
Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands,

Berean Standard Bible
Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all these countries and their lands.

King James Bible
Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries,

New King James Version
Truly, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands,

New American Standard Bible
Truly, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the countries and their lands,

NASB 1995
“Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have devastated all the countries and their lands,

NASB 1977
“Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have devastated all the countries and their lands,

Legacy Standard Bible
Truly, O Yahweh, the kings of Assyria have laid waste to all the countries and their lands

Amplified Bible
It is true, O LORD, that the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the countries and their lands,

Christian Standard Bible
LORD, it is true that the kings of Assyria have devastated all these countries and their lands.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
LORD, it is true that the kings of Assyria have devastated all these countries and their lands.

American Standard Version
Of a truth, Jehovah, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the countries, and their land,

Contemporary English Version
It is true, our LORD, that Assyrian kings have turned nations into deserts.

English Revised Version
Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the countries, and their land,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
It is true, LORD, that the kings of Assyria have leveled every country.

Good News Translation
We all know, LORD, that the emperors of Assyria have destroyed many nations, made their lands desolate,

International Standard Version
It is true, LORD, that Assyrian kings have devastated all these countries,

Majority Standard Bible
Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all these countries and their lands.

NET Bible
It is true, LORD, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the nations and their lands.

New Heart English Bible
Truly, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the countries and their land,

Webster's Bible Translation
Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries,

World English Bible
Truly, Yahweh, the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the countries and their land,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Truly, O YHWH, kings of Asshur have laid waste all the lands and their land,

Young's Literal Translation
'Truly, O Jehovah, kings of Asshur have laid waste all the lands and their land,

Smith's Literal Translation
Indeed, O Jehovah, the kings of Assur laid waste all the lands, and their land;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For of a truth, O Lord, the kings of the Assyrians have laid waste lands, and their countries.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For truly, O Lord, the kings of the Assyrians have laid waste to countries and territories.

New American Bible
Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands.

New Revised Standard Version
Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Of a truth, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Truly LORD JEHOVAH, the Kings of Assyria have ravaged all lands and their own lands
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the countries, and their land,

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For of a truth, Lord, the kings of the Assyrians have laid waste the whole world, and the countries thereof,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Hezekiah's Prayer
17Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see. Listen to all the words that Sennacherib has sent to defy the living God. 18Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all these countries and their lands. 19They have cast their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods, but only wood and stone—the work of human hands.…

Cross References
2 Kings 19:17
Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste these nations and their lands.

2 Chronicles 32:13-14
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?

Isaiah 10:10-11
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?”

Jeremiah 10:3-5
For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman. / They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter. / Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.”

Jeremiah 50:2
“Announce and declare to the nations; lift up a banner and proclaim it; hold nothing back when you say, ‘Babylon is captured; Bel is put to shame; Marduk is shattered, her images are disgraced, her idols are broken in pieces.’

Jeremiah 51:17-18
Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them. / They are worthless, a work to be mocked. In the time of their punishment they will perish.

Psalm 115:4-8
Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; ...

Psalm 135:15-18
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there breath in their mouths. ...

Daniel 3:29
Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be cut into pieces and their houses reduced to rubble. For there is no other god who can deliver in this way.”

Daniel 11:36-37
Then the king will do as he pleases and will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will speak monstrous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must be accomplished. / He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers, nor for the one desired by women, nor for any other god, because he will magnify himself above them all.

Matthew 6:7
And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard.

Matthew 15:9
They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”

Mark 7:7
They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’

Acts 17:29
Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.

Romans 1:21-23
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. / Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, / and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.


Treasury of Scripture

Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries,

the kings

2 Kings 15:29
In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.

2 Kings 16:9
And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.

2 Kings 17:6,24
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…

nations.

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Asshur Assyria Assyrian Countries Destroyed Devastated Kings Laid Nations Peoples True. Truth Waste
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Asshur Assyria Assyrian Countries Destroyed Devastated Kings Laid Nations Peoples True. Truth Waste
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.














Truly, O LORD
This phrase begins with an acknowledgment of truth and reverence. The Hebrew word for "truly" is "אָמְנָם" (omnam), which conveys a sense of certainty and affirmation. It is a declaration of faith and recognition of God's sovereignty. The use of "O LORD" (YHWH) is significant, as it invokes the covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal and unchanging nature. This phrase sets the tone for a prayerful acknowledgment of God's supreme authority and the reality of the situation faced by the people of Judah.

the kings of Assyria
The Assyrian Empire was a dominant force in the ancient Near East, known for its military prowess and expansionist policies. The "kings of Assyria" refers to a succession of rulers who led the empire during its peak. Historically, Assyria was feared for its brutal conquests and efficient administration. The mention of these kings highlights the formidable threat they posed to the surrounding nations, including Judah. This context underscores the gravity of the situation and the need for divine intervention.

have laid waste
The phrase "have laid waste" translates from the Hebrew "הֶחֱרִיבוּ" (hecheribu), meaning to destroy or devastate. This term vividly describes the destructive campaigns of the Assyrian army, which left cities in ruins and populations decimated. The historical record corroborates the Assyrian practice of employing scorched earth tactics, leaving a trail of desolation in their wake. This phrase captures the extent of the devastation wrought by Assyria, emphasizing the dire circumstances faced by those who opposed them.

all these countries
This phrase refers to the numerous nations and territories that fell victim to Assyrian aggression. The Assyrian Empire expanded through a series of military campaigns, subjugating a wide array of peoples and lands. The historical context reveals that Assyria's reach extended across the Fertile Crescent, including parts of modern-day Iraq, Syria, and Israel. The mention of "all these countries" serves to illustrate the vastness of Assyria's conquests and the widespread impact of their military dominance.

and their lands
The term "lands" (אֲרָצוֹת, aratzot) signifies not only the physical territories but also the cultural and economic aspects of the regions conquered by Assyria. The destruction of lands involved the dismantling of local governance, economies, and social structures. This phrase highlights the comprehensive nature of Assyrian conquests, which affected every facet of life in the subjugated regions. It underscores the totality of the threat faced by Judah and the need for divine deliverance.

(18) Of a truth, Lord . . .--The facts of Rabshakeh's induction are admitted, but the inference denied, on the ground that the cases were not parallel. The gods of the nations had been cast into the fire (an alternative to their being taken as trophies for the temples of Asshur and Ishtar), but this could never happen to Jehovah, of whom there was no graven image, and He would show that He alone was ruler of the earth and of the heavens.

Verse 18. - Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations. This was a stubborn fact, which it was impossible to deny. From the time of Asshur-izir-pal at any rate, about B.C. 880, Assyria had pursued for nearly two centuries a steady career of conquest, reducing the nations which were her neighbors, almost without exception, and gradually spreading her power from the tract immediately about Nineveh to the Persian Gulf on the south, the great plateau of Iran on the east, the Armenian Mountains (Niphates and Taurus) on the north, and on the west to Cilicia and the Mediterranean. Her progress towards the west alone is marked in Scripture, since there alone she came in contact with God's people. Under Pul (about B.C. 760) she attacked Samaria (2 Kings 15:19); under Tiglath-Pileser II. she carried off a portion of the ten tribes (2 Kings 15:29); under the same monarch she subjugated Damascus (2 Kings 16:9); under Shalmaneser she besieged (2 Kings 17:5), and under Sargon took, Samaria (2 Kings 17:6); under Sargon also she invaded Philistia and captured Ashdod (ch. 20:1). Now she was bent on subduing Judaea, and so preparing the way for the reduction of Egypt. Humanly speaking, it was most unlikely that the small and weak state of Judaea would be able to resist her. But God was all-powerful, and might be pleased to cast down, as he had been pleased to exalt (Isaiah 10:5-19). Hence Hezekiah's appeal.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Truly,
אָמְנָ֖ם (’ā·mə·nām)
Conjunction
Strong's 551: Verily, truly

O LORD,
יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

the kings
מַלְכֵ֥י (mal·ḵê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Assyria
אַשּׁ֛וּר (’aš·šūr)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 804: Ashshur

have laid waste
הֶחֱרִ֜יבוּ (he·ḥĕ·rî·ḇū)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2717: To parch, to desolate, destroy, kill

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

these countries
הָאֲרָצ֖וֹת (hā·’ă·rā·ṣō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 776: Earth, land

and their lands.
אַרְצָֽם׃ (’ar·ṣām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 776: Earth, land


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 37:18 Truly Yahweh the kings of Assyria have (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 37:17
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