2 Kings 19:3

KJV

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.

KJV (with Strong's)

And they said {H559} unto him, Thus saith {H559} Hezekiah {H2396}, This day {H3117} is a day {H3117} of trouble {H6869}, and of rebuke {H8433}, and blasphemy {H5007}: for the children {H1121} are come {H935} to the birth {H4866}, and there is not strength {H3581} to bring forth {H3205}.

Complete Jewish Bible

They said to him, "This is what Hizkiyahu says: 'Today is a day of trouble, rebuke and disgrace. Children are ready to be born, but there is no strength to bring them to birth.

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.

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.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
King Hezekiah, facing the existential threat of the Assyrian invasion and the deeply offensive blasphemies of Sennacherib's commander, sends a desperate and poignant message to the prophet Isaiah. This verse powerfully encapsulates Judah's dire predicament, expressing an overwhelming sense of national distress, profound humiliation, and spiritual outrage. The king's vivid and universally relatable metaphor of a child at the point of birth but without the strength to be delivered conveys the absolute helplessness of Judah and their utter reliance on divine intervention for salvation.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is strategically placed at a pivotal moment in the narrative of 2 Kings, immediately following the Assyrian Rabshakeh's audacious and blasphemous challenge to King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem. The Rabshakeh's messages, detailed in [2 Kings 18:17-35](/2_kings/18-17-35 "2 Kings 18:17-35 - The Rabshakeh's Taunts Against Jerusalem"), were designed not only to undermine Judah's military resolve but, more critically, to mock and discredit Yahweh Himself. Hezekiah's immediate and profound response to this spiritual and military crisis is recorded in [2 Kings 19:1](/2_kings/19-1 "2 Kings 19:1 - Hezekiah's Humble Response"), where he tears his clothes, covers himself with sackcloth, and enters the house of the Lord. Verse 3 represents Hezekiah's direct communication of his deep distress and the nation's desperate state to the prophet Isaiah through his trusted officials, setting the crucial stage for Isaiah's subsequent prophecy of comfort and assurance of divine deliverance, which commences in [2 Kings 19:6](/2_kings/19-6 "2 Kings 19:6 - Isaiah's Prophecy of Deliverance"). This account also finds a significant parallel in [Isaiah 37:3](/isaiah/37-3 "Isaiah 37:3 - Parallel Account in Isaiah").
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The events depicted in 2 Kings 19 unfolded around 701 BC during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah. The Assyrian Empire, under the formidable Sennacherib, was the preeminent superpower of the ancient Near East, notorious for its ruthless military campaigns, effective siege warfare, and psychological intimidation tactics. By this point, Sennacherib had already systematically conquered numerous fortified cities throughout Judah, leaving Jerusalem isolated, besieged, and seemingly indefensible. The Rabshakeh's public speech was a meticulously calculated act of psychological warfare, intended to shatter the morale of Jerusalem's inhabitants by emphasizing their isolation, ridiculing their reliance on Egypt, and, most significantly, blaspheming Yahweh by asserting His inability to deliver His people, just as the gods of other conquered nations had proven powerless. Hezekiah's actions of tearing his clothes and wearing sackcloth were deeply ingrained cultural expressions in ancient Israel, signifying profound mourning, repentance, and extreme distress. These acts communicated a state of national emergency and humble supplication before God, acknowledging human powerlessness and seeking divine intervention.
* **Key Themes:** The central themes woven into this verse are **Extreme Desperation and Helplessness**, vividly articulated by Hezekiah's declaration and the powerful, agonizing birth metaphor. This highlights the inherent human inability to resolve crises of such overwhelming magnitude, thereby compelling a complete reliance on a higher, divine power. Furthermore, the theme of **Spiritual Crisis and God's Honor** is paramount; the Assyrian "blasphemy" transforms what might appear to be a purely military threat into a direct and profound challenge to Yahweh's sovereignty, reputation, and very character. Hezekiah astutely perceives that the conflict transcends a mere clash between Judah and Assyria, recognizing it as ultimately a confrontation between the living God and the impotent deities of the nations. Finally, the verse powerfully underscores the theme of **Seeking Divine Intervention**. Hezekiah's immediate and decisive action to send his officials to the prophet Isaiah demonstrates his unwavering faith and his conviction that only God's authoritative word and omnipotent power could provide the necessary, miraculous deliverance, setting the stage for a divine response that would dramatically vindicate God's name and save His people, as miraculously fulfilled in [2 Kings 19:35-36](/2_kings/19-35-36 "2 Kings 19:35-36 - God's Miraculous Deliverance").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Trouble (Hebrew, _tsârâh'_):** This Hebrew noun (H6869) denotes a state of deep distress, anguish, or affliction. It often carries the connotation of being in a "narrow" or "confined" place, from which escape seems impossible, thus emphasizing the overwhelming and suffocating nature of Judah's predicament. It speaks to the physical, emotional, and existential pressure of the Assyrian siege.
* **Rebuke (Hebrew, _tôwkêchâh'_):** While this Hebrew noun (H8433) can signify reproof or correction, in this specific context, it refers to the scornful taunts, insults, and derision hurled by the Assyrians. It captures the profound humiliation and psychological assault inflicted upon Judah, particularly the public shaming and direct challenging of their faith and their God.
* **Blasphemy (Hebrew, _nᵉʼâtsâh'_):** This Hebrew noun (H5007) signifies contempt, scorn, or reviling, specifically directed at God. It highlights the sacrilegious nature of the Assyrian challenge, where Yahweh's power, character, and very existence were openly mocked and defiled. This was not merely an insult to Judah, but a direct and egregious affront to the Lord Himself, elevating the crisis to a theological battle.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah":** This opening clause formally introduces the communication, establishing that Hezekiah, in his state of mourning and due to the gravity of the situation, sends his trusted officials (Eliakim, Shebna, and the elders of the priests, as noted in [2 Kings 19:2](/2_kings/19-2 "2 Kings 19:2 - Hezekiah's Officials Sent to Isaiah")) to convey his precise and urgent message to the prophet Isaiah. This highlights Hezekiah's profound respect for Isaiah's prophetic office and his immediate reliance on divine counsel in a moment of national catastrophe.
* **"This day [is] a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy":** Hezekiah's declaration succinctly and powerfully summarizes the multi-faceted nature of the crisis. "Trouble" refers to the existential military threat of the Assyrian army and the physical distress of the siege. "Rebuke" points to the humiliating and demoralizing taunts and insults of the Rabshakeh. Most critically, "blasphemy" underscores the ultimate spiritual dimension of the crisis, identifying the Assyrian challenge as a direct and unpardonable affront to God's honor and holy name. This tripartite description emphasizes the overwhelming, comprehensive, and spiritually grievous nature of their distress.
* **"for the children are come to the birth, and [there is] not strength to bring forth":** This profoundly powerful and vivid Hebrew idiom forms the heart of Hezekiah's desperate plea. It describes a situation of extreme, life-threatening crisis where a crucial and desperately needed outcome (the "birth" of deliverance or salvation) is imminent and urgent, yet the necessary strength, means, or ability to achieve it are utterly lacking. It conveys complete human impotence, a point of no return where failure and disaster are certain without external, supernatural intervention. The metaphor underscores Judah's absolute helplessness and their desperate need for God alone to act decisively.

#### Literary Devices
The King James Version text of 2 Kings 19:3 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey the profound depth of Hezekiah's despair and the extreme gravity of Judah's situation. The most prominent device is the **Metaphor** found in the phrase, "the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth." This imagery, drawn from the excruciating, critical, and often life-or-death process of childbirth, serves as a poignant and universally relatable symbol for a crisis that has reached its absolute peak. It signifies a moment where the desired outcome (national survival and deliverance) is within grasp, yet utterly impossible to achieve through any human effort. This metaphor powerfully communicates a state of utter helplessness and impending doom without external, divine aid. Additionally, the verse effectively utilizes a **Tricolon** or a list of three escalating terms: "trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy." This rhetorical device builds intense emotional and theological crescendo, moving from general, pervasive distress ("trouble") to specific, public humiliation ("rebuke") and culminating in the most grievous offense, the direct affront to God's honor and name ("blasphemy"). This progression highlights the escalating nature of the crisis, culminating in its spiritual dimension, which ultimately necessitates immediate and miraculous divine intervention.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Hezekiah's desperate cry in 2 Kings 19:3 resonates deeply with the broader biblical narrative of God's people facing insurmountable odds, where human strength utterly fails, and only divine intervention can bring salvation. This moment of utter helplessness serves as a critical theological pivot point, emphasizing that God often allows His people to reach the absolute end of their own resources so that His omnipotent power and glorious character may be fully and unmistakably revealed. The "blasphemy" against God's holy name underscores the profound principle that God is fiercely jealous for His honor and will ultimately defend His reputation against all who defy or mock Him. This profound crisis, therefore, becomes a crucible of faith, an urgent call to prayer, and a dramatic demonstration of divine sovereignty over all earthly powers and empires. It powerfully teaches that even in the darkest and most impossible hours, when all human avenues are exhausted, God alone remains the ultimate and unfailing source of deliverance, capable of turning the tide against the most formidable and seemingly invincible foes.

* [Isaiah 37:3](/isaiah/37-3 "Isaiah 37:3 - Parallel Account of Hezekiah's Message to Isaiah")
* [Psalm 46:1](/psalm/46-1 "Psalm 46:1 - God Our Refuge and Strength in Trouble")
* [Deuteronomy 32:36](/deuteronomy/32-36 "Deuteronomy 32:36 - The Lord Will Vindicate His People")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Hezekiah's raw honesty and profound vulnerability in the face of an overwhelming and seemingly insurmountable crisis offer a powerful and enduring model for believers today. In our own lives, we frequently encounter situations that feel remarkably similar to a "day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy"—moments where our personal resources are utterly exhausted, our most diligent efforts seem futile, and the very foundations of our faith, values, or well-being are directly challenged. These can manifest as deeply personal crises, overwhelming societal pressures, or intense spiritual battles. Like Hezekiah, it is not a sign of weakness to acknowledge our utter helplessness; rather, it is an act of profound wisdom, genuine humility, and unwavering faith to recognize our human limitations and turn immediately and wholeheartedly to God. This verse powerfully reminds us that true strength is found not in misguided self-reliance or human ingenuity, but in humble, absolute dependence on the Almighty. It calls us to bring our deepest anxieties, our most impossible situations, and our most grievous hurts before the Lord, trusting implicitly that when human strength fails completely, God's infinite power is perfectly and gloriously displayed.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How do you typically respond when you feel utterly helpless, like Hezekiah describes, with no apparent human solution to your problems or the crises you face?**
* **In what specific ways do you perceive "blasphemy" or direct challenges to God's character, truth, and authority in your contemporary context, and how should believers respond to such affronts?**
* **What does Hezekiah's immediate and decisive action of sending to the prophet Isaiah teach us about the paramount importance of seeking spiritual counsel, divine wisdom, and God's authoritative Word in times of extreme crisis?**

### FAQ

**What is the significance of the phrase "the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth"?**

Answer: This phrase is a powerful and vivid Hebrew idiom (often referred to as a "birth pangs" metaphor) used to describe a situation of extreme, life-threatening crisis and utter helplessness. It paints a graphic picture of a woman in labor, with the child fully developed and ready to be born, but lacking the necessary strength to complete the delivery, leading to certain death for both mother and child without immediate intervention. Metaphorically, it means that the desired outcome (in this case, Judah's deliverance from the Assyrian threat) is desperately close and absolutely necessary, but the means or power to achieve it are completely absent. It signifies a point of no return, where failure and potential national demise are imminent without external, supernatural intervention. The idiom emphasizes that Judah had exhausted all their own strength and options, leaving them entirely dependent on God's miraculous power. This same critical idiom is found in other prophetic books, such as [Hosea 13:13](/hosea/13-13 "Hosea 13:13 - Ephraim's Folly and the Birth Metaphor"), reinforcing its meaning of a desperate, critical juncture demanding divine action.

**Why does Hezekiah emphasize "blasphemy" in his description of the crisis?**

Answer: Hezekiah's emphasis on "blasphemy" (Hebrew: נְאָצָה, _nᵉʼâtsâh'_) elevates the crisis beyond a mere military or political threat to a profound spiritual and theological one. The Assyrian Rabshakeh had not only mocked Judah's military capabilities and political alliances but had directly challenged and reviled Yahweh Himself, asserting that He was no different from the powerless gods of other conquered nations (as vividly seen in [2 Kings 18:33-35](/2_kings/18-33-35 "2 Kings 18:33-35 - Rabshakeh's Challenge to Yahweh")). By highlighting this blasphemy, Hezekiah effectively makes the crisis God's own battle. He appeals directly to God's honor, reputation, and covenant faithfulness, implying that if Judah falls, it would be perceived by the nations as a failure of Yahweh, not just of His people. This strategic framing of the crisis as an affront to God's holy name is crucial, as it provides the theological basis for God's swift, decisive, and miraculous intervention, demonstrating His absolute sovereignty and vindicating His holy name before all the earth.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Hezekiah's desperate plea in [2 Kings 19:3](/2_kings/19-3 "2 Kings 19:3 - Hezekiah's Desperate Plea"), marked by utter helplessness and a fervent cry for divine intervention in the face of overwhelming odds and blatant blasphemy, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Just as Judah was at a point of "birth" without the strength to bring forth deliverance, humanity stood condemned under the weight of sin, utterly powerless to save itself from the bondage of spiritual death and eternal separation from God. The "trouble" and "rebuke" experienced by Hezekiah foreshadow the ultimate suffering, scorn, and humiliation endured by Christ, the Suffering Servant, who was [despised and rejected by men](/isaiah/53-3 "Isaiah 53:3 - The Suffering Servant"). The "blasphemy" against God's name, which so grieved Hezekiah, finds its chilling parallel in the false accusations, mockery, and reviling hurled at Jesus, the very Son of God, during His trial and crucifixion, where He was challenged to save Himself if He truly was the [Son of God](/matthew/27-40 "Matthew 27:40 - Mockery of Jesus on the Cross"). Yet, it was precisely in this moment of ultimate human weakness and apparent defeat on the cross that God's greatest strength and humanity's eternal salvation were miraculously "brought forth." The Lamb of God, who [takes away the sin of the world](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"), embraced this profound helplessness, not through His own lack of divine power, but through His perfect obedience to the Father's will. His death, appearing as the ultimate act of weakness in human eyes, was the very strength that birthed eternal life, reconciliation, and redemption for all who believe. God's strength was made perfect in Christ's ultimate weakness, echoing the New Testament truth that [God's power is made perfect in weakness](/2_corinthians/12-9 "2 Corinthians 12:9 - God's Strength in Weakness"). Through Christ's glorious resurrection, God definitively vindicated His name and demonstrated His sovereign power over sin, death, and all the forces of evil, bringing forth the ultimate deliverance that Hezekiah could only dimly anticipate.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Jeremiah 30:5

For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.

Jeremiah 30:7

Alas! for that day [is] great, so that none [is] like it: it [is] even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

Hebrews 3:15

While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

Hebrews 3:16

For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

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.

Isaiah 26:17

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 26:18

We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.