“I dug wells and drank foreign waters, And with the soles of my feet I dried up All the streams of Egypt.”
Parallel translations
- WEB I have dug and drunk strange waters, and with the sole of my feet will I dry up all the rivers of Egypt.”
- KJV I have digged and drunk strange waters, and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of besieged places.
- BSB I have dug wells and drunk foreign waters. With the soles of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.”
- NKJV I have dug and drunk strange water, And with the soles of my feet I have dried up All the brooks of defense.”
- NLT I have dug wells in many foreign lands and refreshed myself with their water. With the sole of my foot I stopped up all the rivers of Egypt!’
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
Sennacherib boasts of digging wells, drinking foreign waters, and drying up Egypt's rivers with his feet. His claims reach the height of self-glorifying arrogance.
Overview
The quoted boast portrays Sennacherib as one who overcomes every natural obstacle by his own might. To dry up rivers 'with the sole of my feet' expresses delusional self-sufficiency. Such language usurps powers that belong to God alone (cf. Isaiah 37). The boast sets up God's reminder that Assyria's victories were granted, not self-achieved.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Exod 15:9The enemy said, ‘I will pursue. I will overtake. I will divide the plunder. My desire shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.’
- 1 Kgs 20:10Ben Hadad sent to him, and said, “The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria will be enough for handfuls for all the people who follow me.”
- 2 Sam 17:13Moreover, if he has gone into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there isn’t one small stone found there.”
- Isa 19:6The rivers will become foul. The streams of Egypt will be diminished and dried up. The reeds and flags will wither away.
- Dan 4:30The king spoke and said, Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?
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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 19:24 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.