Isaiah 36 · Verse 5

Isaiah 36:5

I say, sayest thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
Isaiah 36:5, King James Version

Isaiah 36:5 in other translations

BSBYou claim to have a strategy and strength for war, but these are empty words. In whom are you now trusting, that you have rebelled against me?
WEBI say that your counsel and strength for the war are only vain words. Now in whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?
ASVI say, thy counsel and strength for the war are but vain words: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against me?
YLTI have said: Only, a word of the lips! counsel and might are for battle: now, on whom hast thou trusted, that thou hast rebelled against me?
DARBYThou sayest, but it is a word of the lips, There is counsel and strength for war. Now on whom dost thou rely, that thou hast revolted against me?
BBEYou say you have a design and strength for war, but these are only words: now to whom are you looking for support, that you have gone against my authority?
WebsterI say, sayest thou (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

What does Isaiah 36:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
5. counsel--Egypt was famed for its wisdom.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 I say "Thou hast said" - Fourteen MSS. (three ancient) of Kennicott's and De Rossi's have it in the second person, אמרת amarta; and so the other copy, 2Kgs 18:20. But they are but vain words - דבר שפתים debar sephathayim, a word of the lips. Thou dost talk about counsels, but thou hast none; about strength, but there is none with thee.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Isaiah 36:5 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙'a.Mar.tiI sayH559
אַךְ\־'akh-onlyH389
דְּבַר\־de.var-a word ofH1697
שְׂפָתַ֔יִםse.fa.Ta.yimlipsH8193
עֵצָ֥ה'e.Tzah[are] a planH6098
וּגְבוּרָ֖הu.ge.vu.Rahand strengthH1369
לַמִּלְחָמָ֑הla.mil.cha.Mahfor <the> warH4421
עַתָּה֙'a.TahnowH6258
עַל\־'al-onH5921
מִ֣יmiwhom?H4310
בָטַ֔חְתָּva.Tach.tado you relyH982
כִּ֥יkithatH3588
מָרַ֖דְתָּma.Rad.tayou have rebelledH4775
בִּֽי\׃Biagainst me

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 36:5

  • 2 Kings 18:7

    And the Lord was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.

  • Ezekiel 17:15

    But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?

  • Proverbs 21:30-31

    There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord.

  • Proverbs 24:5-6

    A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

  • Jeremiah 52:3

    For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

  • Nehemiah 2:19-20

    But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

  • 2 Kings 24:1

    In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
vain words. Heb. a word of lips. I have counsel andstrength for war. or, but counsel and strength are for the war.
Pr 21:30,31; 24:5,6
that.
2Ki 18:7; 24:1; Ne 2:19,20; Jer 52:3; Eze 17:15

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 36:4

    And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

  • Isaiah 36:5

    I say, sayest thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

  • Isaiah 36:6

    Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.

Read all of Isaiah 36

Isaiah 36:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Digo, alegas tú, (empero palabras vanas) que tengo consejo y fortaleza para la guerra. Ahora bien, ¿en quién confías que te rebelas contra mí?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Tu dis (ce ne sont que paroles des lèvres): Le conseil et la force sont là pour la guerre. Maintenant, en qui te confies-tu que tu te révoltes contre moi?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Ich sage: Nur ein Wort der Lippen ist Rat und Macht zum Kriege. Nun, auf wen vertraust du, daß du dich wider mich empört hast?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		aut quo consilio vel fortitudine rebellare disponis? super quem habes fiduciam, quia recessisti a me?