Isaiah 37:3 to tell him, "This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace; for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them.

◄ Isaiah 37:3 ►

New International Version
They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them.

New Living Translation
They told him, “This is what King Hezekiah says: Today is a day of trouble, insults, and disgrace. It is like when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to deliver the baby.

English Standard Version
They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth.

Berean Standard Bible
to tell him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace; for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them.

King James Bible
And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

New King James Version
And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah: ‘This day is a day of trouble and rebuke and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth.

New American Standard Bible
And they said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says: ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and humiliation; for children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to deliver them.

NASB 1995
They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke and rejection; for children have come to birth, and there is no strength to deliver.

NASB 1977
And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and rejection; for children have come to birth, and there is no strength to deliver.

Legacy Standard Bible
And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, reproof, and rejection; for children have come to the point of breaking forth, but there is no strength to give birth.

Amplified Bible
They said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says, ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke and disgrace; for children have come to birth, and there is no strength to deliver them.

Christian Standard Bible
They said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says: ‘Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace. It is as if children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to deliver them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says: ‘Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace, for children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to deliver them.

American Standard Version
And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of contumely; for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

Contemporary English Version
Isaiah, these are difficult and disgraceful times. Our nation is like a woman too weak to give birth, when it's time for her baby to be born.

English Revised Version
And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of contumely: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They said to him, "This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day filled with misery, punishment, and disgrace. We are like a woman who is about to give birth but doesn't have the strength to do it.

Good News Translation
This is the message which he told them to give to Isaiah: "Today is a day of suffering; we are being punished and are in disgrace. We are like a woman who is ready to give birth, but is too weak to do it.

International Standard Version
"Here is what Hezekiah says," they told him. "This day is a day of trouble, rebuke, and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth and there is no energy to deliver them.

Majority Standard Bible
to tell him, ?This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace; for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them.

NET Bible
"This is what Hezekiah says: 'This is a day of distress, insults, and humiliation, as when a baby is ready to leave the birth canal, but the mother lacks the strength to push it through.

New Heart English Bible
They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, 'This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of rejection; for the children have come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring forth.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they said to him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

World English Bible
They said to him, “Hezekiah says, ‘Today is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of rejection; for the children have come to the birth, and there is no strength to give birth.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
and they say to him, “Thus said Hezekiah: A day of distress, and rebuke, and despising, [is] this day; for sons have come to the birth, and there is not power to bear.

Young's Literal Translation
and they say unto him, 'Thus said Hezekiah, A day of distress, and rebuke, and despising, is this day; for come have sons unto the birth, and power there is not to bear.

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will say to him, Thus said Hezekiah, A day of straits and chastisement and reproach, this day; for the sons came even to the breaking forth and not strength to bring forth.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they said to him: Thus saith Ezechias: This day is a day of tribulation, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And they said to him: “Thus says Hezekiah: This day is a day of tribulation, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy. For the sons have arrived at the time for birth, but there is not enough strength to bring them forth.

New American Bible
“Thus says Hezekiah: A day of distress and rebuke, a day of disgrace is this day! Children are due to come forth, but the strength to give birth is lacking.

New Revised Standard Version
They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And they said to him, Thus says Hezekiah: This is a day of distress and of rebuke and of anger; for the children have come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they said to him: "Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This is a day of trouble and of rebuke and of passion today, because birth pains of the children have arrived and there is no power for the birth

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And they said unto him: 'Thus saith Hezekiah: This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of contumely; for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
To-day is a day of affliction, and reproach, and rebuke, and anger: for the pangs are come upon the travailing woman, but she has not strength to bring forth.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Isaiah's Message of Deliverance
…2And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz 3to tell him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace; for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them. 4Perhaps the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to defy the living God, and He will rebuke him for the words that the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up a prayer for the remnant that still survives.”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

2 Kings 19:3
to tell him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace; for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them.

Isaiah 36:22
Then Hilkiah’s son Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and Asaph’s son Joah the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they relayed to him the words of the Rabshakeh.

2 Kings 18:37
Then Hilkiah’s son Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and Asaph’s son Joah the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they relayed to him the words of the Rabshakeh.

Hosea 13:13
Labor pains come upon him, but he is an unwise son. When the time arrives, he fails to present himself at the opening of the womb.

Micah 4:9-10
Why do you now cry aloud? Is there no king among you? Has your counselor perished so that anguish grips you like a woman in labor? / Writhe in agony, O Daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor. For now you will leave the city and camp in the open fields. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies!

2 Chronicles 32:20-21
In response, King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out to heaven in prayer, / and the LORD sent an angel who annihilated every mighty man of valor and every leader and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons struck him down with the sword.

Jeremiah 4:31
For I hear a cry like a woman in labor, a cry of anguish like one bearing her first child—the cry of the Daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands to say, “Woe is me, for my soul faints before the murderers!”

Jeremiah 6:24
We have heard the report; our hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped us, pain like that of a woman in labor.

Jeremiah 30:6-7
Ask now, and see: Can a male give birth? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor and every face turned pale? / How awful that day will be! None will be like it! It is the time of Jacob’s distress, but he will be saved out of it.

Matthew 24:8
All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Mark 13:8
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, as well as famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

John 16:21
A woman has pain in childbirth because her time has come; but when she brings forth her child, she forgets her anguish because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.

Romans 8:22
We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time.

1 Thessalonians 5:3
While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

Revelation 12:2
She was pregnant and crying out in the pain and agony of giving birth.

Treasury of Scripture

And they said to him, Thus said Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

his day

Isaiah 25:8
He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

Isaiah 33:2
O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.

2 Kings 19:3
And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

blasphemy.

Psalm 95:8
Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

for the

Isaiah 26:17,18
Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD…

Isaiah 66:9
Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.

Hosea 13:13
The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son; for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children.

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Bear Birth Blasphemy Children Contumely Deliver Despising Disgrace Distress Forth Hezekiah Hezeki'ah Point Power Punishment Ready Rebuke Rejection Reviling Shame Strength Trouble

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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.

Berean Study Bible

This is what Hezekiah says
Hezekiah, the king of Judah, is a central figure in this narrative. His name in Hebrew, "חִזְקִיָּהוּ" (Chizqiyahu), means "Yahweh strengthens." This reflects his reliance on God during times of crisis. Historically, Hezekiah was known for his religious reforms and his efforts to centralize worship in Jerusalem, emphasizing his commitment to the God of Israel. His words here are a direct communication to the prophet Isaiah, seeking divine intervention.

This day is a day of distress
The term "distress" in Hebrew is "צָרָה" (tsarah), which conveys a sense of trouble or adversity. This reflects the dire situation faced by Judah as the Assyrian army, led by Sennacherib, threatened Jerusalem. The historical context is crucial here, as the Assyrian Empire was a dominant force, known for its military prowess and brutal conquests. The "day of distress" signifies a moment of acute crisis for the nation.

rebuke
The Hebrew word for "rebuke" is "תּוֹכֵחָה" (tokhechah), which can also mean correction or chastisement. This suggests that the distress faced by Judah may be seen as a form of divine correction. In the broader scriptural context, God often uses nations to discipline His people, calling them back to faithfulness. Hezekiah's acknowledgment of rebuke indicates a recognition of the need for repentance and divine mercy.

and disgrace
"Disgrace" in Hebrew is "חֶרְפָּה" (cherpah), meaning reproach or shame. This term captures the humiliation that Judah faced under the threat of Assyrian domination. In the ancient Near Eastern context, military defeat was often seen as a sign of a nation's gods being weaker than those of the conquerors. For Judah, this disgrace was not just political but also spiritual, challenging their faith in Yahweh.

for children have come to the point of birth
This metaphorical phrase uses the imagery of childbirth to describe a critical juncture. In Hebrew culture, childbirth was a significant event, often fraught with danger but also hope. The phrase suggests that Judah is on the brink of a new beginning or deliverance, yet the outcome is uncertain. It reflects the tension between impending disaster and the potential for divine intervention.

but there is no strength to deliver them
The lack of strength to deliver, "כֹּחַ" (koach) in Hebrew, underscores the helplessness of Judah in the face of overwhelming odds. This phrase highlights human limitations and the need for divine assistance. In the biblical narrative, it serves as a reminder that true strength and deliverance come from God alone. Hezekiah's plea is an appeal for God's power to manifest in their time of need.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) The children are come to the birth.--The bold language of the text stands where we should use an adjective of which we half forget the meaning. Things had come to such a pass that all plans and counsels were literally abortive. (Comp. Isaiah 26:17-18, and Hosea 13:13 for a like simile.)

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 3. - A day... of rebuke; rather, of reproof, or punishment (comp. Psalm 149:7 and Hosea 5:9). That God should have allowed such an insulting embassy to come and go in safety was a mode of reproving his people, and to some extent punishing them for their sins. Even Hezekiah himself deserved reproof for having so long placed his reliance upon Egypt (Isaiah 20:5, 6; Isaiah 30:1-4; Isaiah 36:6, 9), though now apparently he had turned to Jehovah, and relied on him only (Isaiah 36:7, 15). Blasphemy. So Delitzsch. Mr. Cheyne suggests "contumely," and Dr. Kay "contempt." But the meaning "blasphemy," which Mr. Cheyne confesses to "suit the context," is required in all the other passages where (substantially) the same word occurs (Nehemiah 9:18, 26; Ezekiel 35:12). Hezekiah calls the day one "of blasphemy," on account of Rabshakeh's impious utterances (Isaiah 36:15, 18, 20). The children are come to the birth, etc. This was a proverbial phrase for a time of extreme difficulty (see Hosea 13:13), and is not to be pressed as embodying at all a close analogy. Judah was in sore trouble, and was expecting deliverance. It seemed now as if she would not have strength to go through the crisis, but would perish through weakness.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

to tell
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ (way·yō·mə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

him,
אֵלָ֗יו (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

“This is what
כֹּ֚ה (kōh)
Adverb
Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now

Hezekiah
חִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ (ḥiz·qî·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2396: Hezekiah -- 'Yah has strengthened', a king of Judah, also several other Israelites

says:
אָמַ֣ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

Today
יוֹם־ (yō·wm-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3117: A day

is a day
הַיּ֣וֹם (hay·yō·wm)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

of distress,
צָרָ֧ה (ṣā·rāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6869: Tightness, a female rival

rebuke,
וְתוֹכֵחָ֛ה (wə·ṯō·w·ḵê·ḥāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8433: Chastisement, correction, refutation, proof

and disgrace;
וּנְאָצָ֖ה (ū·nə·’ā·ṣāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5007: Contempt

for
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

children
בָנִים֙ (ḇā·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1121: A son

have come
בָ֤אוּ (ḇā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to the point of
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

birth,
מַשְׁבֵּ֔ר (maš·bêr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4866: The orifice of the womb

but there is no
אַ֖יִן (’a·yin)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

strength
וְכֹ֥חַ (wə·ḵō·aḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3581: A small reptile (of unknown species)

to deliver them.
לְלֵדָֽה׃ (lə·lê·ḏāh)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

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OT Prophets: Isaiah 37:3 They said to him Thus says Hezekiah (Isa Isi Is)