The Meaning of Isaiah 39:7 Explained

Isaiah 39:7

KJV: And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.

YLT: and of thy sons who come forth from thee, whom thou begettest, they take, and they have been eunuchs in a palace of the king of Babylon.'

Darby: And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, whom thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.

ASV: And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, whom thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And of thy sons  that shall issue  from thee, which thou shalt beget,  shall they take away;  and they shall be eunuchs  in the palace  of the king  of Babylon. 

What does Isaiah 39:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Some of Hezekiah"s descendants would also be taken (captive) to Babylon. It is very probable that at the time of the events in chapters36-39 Hezekiah had no children. His Song of Solomon ,, Prayer of Manasseh , began reigning when he was12years old, and Hezekiah died a year later, in686 B.C. Thus, Isaiah"s announcement here may have sparked a hope-in Hezekiah"s mind-for some descendants. As usual, God"s promise of judgment contained some hope. This prediction of Hezekiah"s descendants became true of the king"s physical seed: his son Manasseh ( 2 Chronicles 33:11), King Jehoiachin ( 2 Kings 24:12), and King Zedekiah ( 2 Kings 25:7). It also became true of many of Hezekiah"s people, his children in that sense, when Nebuchadnezzar carried three deportations of Judahites off to Babylon (cf. 2 Kings 24:12-16; 2 Chronicles 33:11; Daniel 1:3-4; Daniel 1:6).

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 39

1  Merodach-baladan, sending to visit Hezekiah, has notice of his treasures
3  Isaiah, understanding thereof, foretells the Babylonian captivity

What do the individual words in Isaiah 39:7 mean?

And [some] of your sons who will descend from you whom you will beget they shall take away and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon
וּמִבָּנֶ֜יךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יֵצְא֧וּ מִמְּךָ֛ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תּוֹלִ֖יד יִקָּ֑חוּ וְהָיוּ֙ סָרִיסִ֔ים בְּהֵיכַ֖ל מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶֽל

וּמִבָּנֶ֜יךָ  And  [some]  of  your  sons 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יֵצְא֧וּ  will  descend 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
מִמְּךָ֛  from  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
תּוֹלִ֖יד  you  will  beget 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
יִקָּ֑חוּ  they  shall  take  away 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
וְהָיוּ֙  and  they  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
סָרִיסִ֔ים  eunuchs 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: סָרִיס  
Sense: official, eunuch.
בְּהֵיכַ֖ל  in  the  palace 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הֵיכָל  
Sense: palace, temple, nave, sanctuary.
מֶ֥לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
בָּבֶֽל  of  Babylon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.