The Meaning of Isaiah 37:4 Explained

Isaiah 37:4

KJV: It may be the LORD thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.

YLT: 'It may be Jehovah thy God doth hear the words of Rabshakeh with which the king of Asshur his lord hath sent him to reproach the living God, and hath decided concerning the words that Jehovah thy God hath heard, and thou hast lifted up prayer for the remnant that is found.'

Darby: It may be Jehovah thy God will hear the words of Rab-shakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which Jehovah thy God hath heard. Therefore lift up a prayer for the remnant that is left.

ASV: It may be Jehovah thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which Jehovah thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

It may be the LORD  thy God  will hear  the words  of Rabshakeh,  whom the king  of Assyria  his master  hath sent  to reproach  the living  God,  and will reprove  the words  which the LORD  thy God  hath heard:  wherefore lift up  [thy] prayer  for the remnant  that is left. 

What does Isaiah 37:4 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 37

1  Hezekiah mourning, sends to Isaiah to pray for them
6  Isaiah comforts them
8  Sennacherib, going to encounter Tirhakah, sends a blasphemous letter to Hezekiah
14  Hezekiah's prayer
21  Isaiah's prophecy of the destruction of Sennacherib, and the good of Zion
36  An angel slays the Assyrians
37  Sennacherib is slain at Nineveh by his own sons

What do the individual words in Isaiah 37:4 mean?

It may be that will hear Yahweh your God - the words of the Rabshakeh whom has sent the king of Assyria his master to reproach the God living and will rebuke the words which has heard your God therefore lift up [your] prayer for the remnant that is left
אוּלַ֡י יִשְׁמַע֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ אֵ֣ת ׀ דִּבְרֵ֣י רַב־ שָׁקֵ֗ה אֲשֶׁר֩ שְׁלָח֨וֹ מֶֽלֶךְ־ אַשּׁ֤וּר ׀ אֲדֹנָיו֙ לְחָרֵף֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים חַ֔י וְהוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ בַּדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁמַ֖ע אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ וְנָשָׂ֣אתָ תְפִלָּ֔ה בְּעַ֥ד הַשְּׁאֵרִ֖ית הַנִּמְצָאָֽה

אוּלַ֡י  It  may  be  that 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אוּלַי  
Sense: perhaps, peradventure.
יִשְׁמַע֩  will  hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
יְהוָ֨ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֵ֣ת ׀  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
דִּבְרֵ֣י  the  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
שָׁקֵ֗ה  the  Rabshakeh 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רַב־שָׁקֵה  
Sense: chief cupbearer, chief of the officers?.
אֲשֶׁר֩  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
שְׁלָח֨וֹ  has  sent 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אַשּׁ֤וּר ׀  of  Assyria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשּׁוּר  
Sense: the second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians.
אֲדֹנָיו֙  his  master 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
לְחָרֵף֙  to  reproach 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: חָרַף 
Sense: to reproach, taunt, blaspheme, defy, jeopardise, rail, upbraid.
אֱלֹהִ֣ים  the  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
חַ֔י  living 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
וְהוֹכִ֙יחַ֙  and  will  rebuke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָכַח  
Sense: to prove, decide, judge, rebuke, reprove, correct, be right.
בַּדְּבָרִ֔ים  the  words 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
שָׁמַ֖ע  has  heard 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְנָשָׂ֣אתָ  therefore  lift  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
תְפִלָּ֔ה  [your]  prayer 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּפִלָּה  
Sense: prayer.
הַשְּׁאֵרִ֖ית  the  remnant 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁאֵרִית  
Sense: rest, residue, remainder, remnant.
הַנִּמְצָאָֽה  that  is  left 
Parse: Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.