Isaiah 36:9

Egypt

⁷ But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ is He not the One whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before this altar’?

⁸ Now, therefore, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them!

For how can you repel a single officer among the least of my master’s servants when you depend on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?

¹⁰ So now, was it apart from the LORD that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The LORD Himself said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’”

¹¹ Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: For how can you repel a single officer among the least of my master’s servants when you depend on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?
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?
WEB: How then can you turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
ASV: How then canst 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?
DARBY: How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants? And thou reliest upon Egypt for chariots and for horsemen!
BLB: And how can you turn back the faces of one among a governor of the least servants of my lord, and place your trust in Egypt for chariot and horsemen?

ÅB: Hvordan skulle du da kunne drive tilbake en eneste stattholder, en av min herres ringeste tjenere? Derfor setter du din lit til Egypt og håper å få vogner og hestfolk derfra.
OTB: Hvordan kan du da avvise selv en eneste offiser av de minste av min herres tjenere, når du stoler på Egypt for vogner og ryttere?
B1930: Hvorledes skulde du da kunne drive tilbake en eneste stattholder, en av min herres ringeste tjenere? Derfor setter du din lit til Egypten og håper å få vogner og hestfolk derfra.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Isaiah 10:8
“Are not all my commanders kings?” he says.
Read in context
Isaiah 31:3
But the Egyptians are men, not God; their horses are flesh, not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, the helper will stumble, and the one he helps will fall; both will perish together.
Read in context
Isaiah 36:6
Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.
Read in context
Isaiah 30:16–17
“No,” you say, “we will flee on horses.” Therefore you will flee! “We will ride swift horses,” but your pursuers will be faster.
Read in context
Isaiah 30:7
Egypt’s help is futile and empty; therefore I have called her Rahab Who Sits Still.
Read in context
2 Kings 18:24
For how can you repel a single officer among the least of my master’s servants when you depend on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?
Read in context
Jeremiah 2:36
How unstable you are, constantly changing your ways! You will be disappointed by Egypt just as you were by Assyria.
Read in context
Isaiah 20:5
Those who made Cush their hope and Egypt their boast will be dismayed and ashamed.
Read in context