Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands,
Parallel translations
- WEB Truly, Yahweh, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands,
- BSB Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste these nations and their lands.
- NKJV Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands,
- NASB It is true, Lord; the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands,
- NLT “It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Hezekiah admits it is true that Assyria's kings have devastated many nations and their lands. He honestly acknowledges Assyria's real power.
Overview
The king concedes the factual basis of Sennacherib's boast: Assyria has indeed destroyed nations. This candor strengthens his argument, for the difference lies not in Assyria's weakness but in those nations' false gods. Faith does not deny hard realities but interprets them rightly before God. The next verse will explain why those gods could not save.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Job 9:2I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?
- 2 Kgs 17:24And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
- Luke 22:59And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean.
- Acts 4:27For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
- 2 Kgs 16:9And 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.
- Isa 7:17–18The LORD shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father’s house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria.
- 1 Chr 5:26And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day.
- 1 Cor 14:25And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
- 2 Kgs 17:6In 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.
- Dan 2:47The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
- Isa 10:9–11Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?
- Jer 26:15But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.
- Isa 5:9In mine ears said the LORD of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.
- Matt 14:33Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
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Christ at the center
Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.
How 2 Kings 19:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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