Isaiah 36:7

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ isn’t He the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, 'You must worship at this altar’?

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְכִי־תֹאמַ֣ר אֵלַ֔י אֶל־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ בָּטָ֑חְנוּ הֲלוֹא־ה֗וּא אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֵסִ֤יר חִזְקִיָּ֙הוּ֙ אֶת־בָּמֹתָ֣יו וְאֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתָ֔יו וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לִֽיהוּדָה֙ וְלִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם לִפְנֵ֛י הַמִּזְבֵּ֥חַ הַזֶּ֖ה תִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוֽוּ

Transliteration

And if wəḵî-ṯōʾmar to me, to YHWH ʾĕlōhênû we bāṭāḥnû, is it not hălôʾ-hûʾ that ʾăšer hēsîr ḥizqîyāhû ʾeṯ-bāmōṯāyw wəʾeṯ-mizbəḥōṯāyw and wayyōʾmer lîhûḏāh wəlîrûšālaim before lip̄nê ham-mizbēaḥ haz-zeh you shall tištaḥăwû

Grammar Details

• *wəḵî*: waw conjunction + particle - and if/and that
• *ṯōʾmar*: qal imperfect 2nd masculine singular - you say
• *YHWH ʾĕlōhênû*: divine name + noun + 1st person plural suffix - YHWH our God
• *bāṭāḥnû*: qal perfect 1st person plural - we have trusted
• *hălôʾ-hûʾ*: interrogative particle + negative particle + 3rd masculine singular pronoun - is it not he
• *ʾăšer*: relative particle - who/that
• *hēsîr*: hiphil perfect 3rd masculine singular - he has removed
• *ḥizqîyāhû*: proper noun - Hezekiah
• *ʾeṯ-bāmōṯāyw*: direct object marker + noun plural + 3rd masculine singular suffix - his high places
• *wəʾeṯ-mizbəḥōṯāyw*: waw conjunction + direct object marker + noun plural + 3rd masculine singular suffix - and his altars
• *wayyōʾmer*: waw-consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he said
• *lîhûḏāh wəlîrûšālaim*: preposition + proper noun + waw conjunction + preposition + proper noun - to Judah and to Jerusalem
• *lip̄nê*: preposition + construct noun - before
• *ham-mizbēaḥ haz-zeh*: definite article + noun + definite article + demonstrative pronoun - this altar
• *tištaḥăwû*: hishtaphel imperfect 2nd masculine plural - you shall worship/bow down

Word Meanings

• *bāmōṯ*: high places/cultic platforms
• *hēsîr*: removed/took away
• *mizbəḥōṯ*: altars/places of sacrifice
• *lip̄nê*: before/in front of
• *tištaḥăwû*: you shall worship/bow down/prostrate yourselves

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  But if you say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not He whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar?

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  But if thou say{H559} unto me, We trust{H982} in Jehovah{H3068} our God:{H430} is not that he, whose high places{H1116} and whose altars{H4196} Hezekiah{H2396} hath taken away,{H5493} and hath said{H559} to Judah{H3063} and to Jerusalem,{H3389} Ye shall worship{H7812} before{H6440} this altar?{H4196}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  But if thou say{H559}{(H8799)} to me, We trust{H982}{(H8804)} in the LORD{H3068} our God{H430}: is it not he, whose high places{H1116} and whose altars{H4196} Hezekiah{H2396} hath taken away{H5493}{(H8689)}, and said{H559}{(H8799)} to Judah{H3063} and to Jerusalem{H3389}, Ye shall worship{H7812}{(H8691)} before{H6440} this altar{H4196}?

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  But yf thou woldest saye to me: We trust in ye LORDE oure God: A goodly god, in dede: whose hie places & aulteres Ezechias toke downe, and commaunded Iuda and Ierusalem, to worshipe only before the aulter.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  But if thou say to me, We trust in the Lord our God. Is not that he, whose hie places & whose altars Hezekiah tooke downe, & said to Iudah & to Ierusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  But if thou wouldest say vnto me, We trust in the Lorde our God: Is not he that God whose hygh places & aulters Hezekia toke downe, and commaunded Iuda and Hierusalem to worship only before this aulter?

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: [is it] not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  But if you tell me, We trust in Yahweh our God: isn't that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, You shall worship before this altar?

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  `And dost thou say unto me, Unto Jehovah our God we have trusted? is it not He, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath turned aside, and saith to Judah and to Jerusalem, Before this altar ye do bow yourselves?

• American Standard Version (1901)

  But if thou say unto me, We trust in Jehovah our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?

• American Standard Version (1901)

  But if thou say unto me, We trust in Jehovah our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And if you say to me, Our hope is in the Lord our God; is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has taken away, saying to Judah and Jerusalem that worship may only be given before this altar?

• World English Bible (2000)

  But if you tell me, 'We trust in Yahweh our God,' isn't that he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, 'You shall worship before this altar?'"

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Perhaps you will tell me,‘We are trusting in the LORD our God.’ But Hezekiah is the one who eliminated his high places and altars and then told the people of Judah and Jerusalem,‘You must worship at this altar.’

Referenced Verses

• 2 Kgs 18:4-5 : 4 He removed the high places, broke the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and smashed the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been burning incense to it, calling it Nehushtan. 5 He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.
• 2 Kgs 18:22 : 22 But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ isn’t He the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?
• 1 Chr 5:20 : 20 They were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all their allies were handed over to them because they cried out to God during the battle, and He answered their prayers since they trusted in Him.
• 2 Chr 16:7-9 : 7 At that time, Hanani the seer came to King Asa of Judah and said to him, 'Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.' 8 Were not the Cushites and the Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the LORD roam throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. You have acted foolishly in this matter. From now on, you will face wars.
• 2 Chr 30:14 : 14 They removed the altars in Jerusalem, as well as all the incense altars, and threw them into the Kidron Valley.
• 2 Chr 31:1 : 1 When all this had been completed, all the Israelites who were present went out to the towns of Judah and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and demolished the high places and the altars throughout Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them completely. Then all the Israelites returned to their own cities, each to their own property.
• 2 Chr 32:7-8 : 7 "Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. 8 With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." The people regained confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
• 2 Chr 32:12 : 12 Hasn't the same Hezekiah removed his high places and altars, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, 'You must worship before one altar and burn sacrifices on it'?
• Ps 22:4-5 : 4 Yet you are holy, enthroned upon the praises of Israel. 5 In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.
• Ps 42:5 : 5 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the celebrating crowd.
• Ps 42:10-11 : 10 I say to God, my rock: 'Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?' 11 With crushing pain in my bones, my enemies taunt me, saying to me all day long, 'Where is your God?'
• 1 Cor 2:15 : 15 The spiritual person examines all things, but he himself is not subject to being examined by anyone.
• Deut 12:2-6 : 2 Completely destroy all the places where the nations you are dispossessing worshiped their gods—on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree. 3 Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn their Asherah poles with fire, cut down their carved idols, and obliterate the names of their gods from those places. 4 Do not worship the Lord your God in the same way that they worship their gods. 5 Instead, seek the place that the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put His name and make His presence dwell, and go there. 6 Bring there your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your special gifts, what you have vowed to give, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.
• Deut 12:13-14 : 13 Be careful not to offer your burnt offerings in just any place you see. 14 But offer them only at the place the Lord chooses in one of your tribal territories. There you are to offer your burnt offerings and perform everything I command you.