Behold, their valiant ones cry outside; the ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.
Parallel translations
- KJV Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.
- BSB Behold, their valiant ones cry aloud in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly.
- NKJV Surely their valiant ones shall cry outside, The ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.
- NASB Behold, their brave men cry out in the streets, The ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.
- NLT But now your brave warriors weep in public. Your ambassadors of peace cry in bitter disappointment.
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
Judah's bravest men and its peace envoys are reduced to weeping, showing how hopeless the situation looks before God intervenes.
Overview
The verse pictures the despair of Hezekiah's day, when even valiant warriors cry out and diplomats sent to secure peace with Assyria weep at their failure (cf. 2 Kings 18:14-16). Human strength and negotiation have come to nothing. The bleakness sets the stage for God's promised deliverance, reminding believers that human resources fail where God alone can save.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Isa 36:22Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
- 2 Kgs 18:18When they had called to the king, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder came out to them.
- 2 Kgs 18:37Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, came with Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him Rabshakeh’s words.
- Isa 36:3Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder came out to him.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Isaiah sees him most clearly: the virgin's son Immanuel, the child on David's throne, the shoot from Jesse, the light to the nations, and above all the Suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions (ch. 53).
How Isaiah 33:7 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.