The Meaning of Isaiah 36:8 Explained

Isaiah 36:8

KJV: Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

YLT: 'And now, negotiate, I pray thee, with my lord the king of Asshur, and I give to thee two thousand horses, if thou art able to put for thee riders on them.

Darby: And now engage, I pray thee, with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

ASV: Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now therefore give pledges,  I pray thee, to my master  the king  of Assyria,  and I will give  thee two thousand  horses,  if thou be able  on thy part to set  riders  upon them. 

What does Isaiah 36:8 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Judah was so inferior militarily that the commander felt safe offering his enemy2 ,000 horses. He believed that the Judeans did not have enough cavalry soldiers to ride them. His offer was the equivalent of giving one"s rival a long lead in a foot race.

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 36

1  Sennacherib invades Judah
2  Rabshakeh, sent by Sennacherib, solicits the people to revolt
22  His words are told to Hezekiah

What do the individual words in Isaiah 36:8 mean?

Therefore now give a pledge I urge you to my master the king of Assyria and I will give you two thousand horses if you are able to put on your part riders on them
וְעַתָּה֙ הִתְעָ֣רֶב נָ֔א אֶת־ אֲדֹנִ֖י הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֑וּר וְאֶתְּנָ֤ה לְךָ֙ אַלְפַּ֣יִם סוּסִ֔ים אִם־ תּוּכַ֕ל לָ֥תֶת לְךָ֖ רֹכְבִ֥ים עֲלֵיהֶֽם

וְעַתָּה֙  Therefore  now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
הִתְעָ֣רֶב  give  a  pledge 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: עָרַב 
Sense: to pledge, exchange, mortgage, engage, occupy, undertake for, give pledges, be or become surety, take on pledge, give in pledge.
נָ֔א  I  urge  you 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
אֲדֹנִ֖י  my  master 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אַשּׁ֑וּר  of  Assyria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשּׁוּר  
Sense: the second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians.
וְאֶתְּנָ֤ה  and  I  will  give 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אַלְפַּ֣יִם  two  thousand 
Parse: Number, md
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
סוּסִ֔ים  horses 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: סוּס 
Sense: swallow, swift.
תּוּכַ֕ל  you  are  able 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָכֹל  
Sense: to prevail, overcome, endure, have power, be able.
לָ֥תֶת  to  put 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לְךָ֖  on  your  part 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
רֹכְבִ֥ים  riders 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: רָכַב  
Sense: to mount and ride, ride.
עֲלֵיהֶֽם  on  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.