Isaiah 37:12

Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, [as] Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which [were] in Telassar?

Have the gods {H430} of the nations {H1471} delivered {H5337} them which my fathers {H1} have destroyed {H7843}, as Gozan {H1470}, and Haran {H2771}, and Rezeph {H7530}, and the children {H1121} of Eden {H5729} which were in Telassar {H8515}?

Have the gods of the nations delivered them? No, my ancestors destroyed them - Gozan, Haran, Retzef and the people of 'Eden who were in Tel'asar.

Did the gods of the nations destroyed by my fathers rescue those nations—the gods of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and of the people of Eden in Telassar?

Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden that were in Telassar?

Commentary

Isaiah 37:12 is a direct quote from the threatening letter sent by Sennacherib, the powerful king of Assyria, to King Hezekiah of Judah. This verse encapsulates the Assyrian monarch's arrogant challenge to Hezekiah's faith in the Lord, emphasizing the supposed futility of trusting in any god against the might of the Assyrian empire.

Context

This verse is found within the dramatic account of Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem during Hezekiah's reign. After conquering many cities in Judah, Sennacherib sends a letter designed to intimidate Hezekiah and cause the people of Judah to surrender without a fight. The Assyrian king boasts of his ancestors' conquests, listing cities and regions like Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the children of Eden in Telassar, whose gods were powerless to save them from Assyrian destruction. This historical context highlights the immense pressure and fear Jerusalem was under, facing an empire that had seemingly never met its match. For more on the initial challenge, see Isaiah 36:1.

Key Themes

  • Assyrian Arrogance and Boastfulness: Sennacherib's words are filled with pride in his military might and a deep disdain for the deities of conquered nations. He believes his power is absolute, unmatched by any god or army. This hubris sets the stage for divine intervention.
  • The Impotence of Idols: The core of Sennacherib's argument is that if the gods of other powerful nations could not deliver their people, why should Judah's God be any different? This challenges the very notion of divine protection and highlights the widespread practice of idolatry in the ancient world. The Bible consistently teaches the powerlessness of man-made idols.
  • A Challenge to Faith: Sennacherib's letter is not merely a military threat but a spiritual one. He aims to undermine Hezekiah's trust in the Lord, portraying Him as just another regional deity unable to withstand Assyria's might. This forces Hezekiah and Judah to confront where their true hope lies.

Linguistic Insights

The names of the cities mentioned – Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and Telassar (home to the 'children of Eden') – are significant. These were real, strategically important locations in Mesopotamia and Syria, known to have been conquered by Assyrian kings. Their inclusion serves to underscore the historical reality and the vastness of the Assyrian empire's destructive reach, making Sennacherib's boast seem undeniably true from a human perspective.

Related Scriptures

This verse is mirrored in 2 Kings 19:12, which records the same historical event. The immediate response to this threatening letter is Hezekiah's profound prayer to the Lord, found in Isaiah 37:15-20, where he appeals to God's unique sovereignty over all the earth. The ultimate outcome, God's miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem, is detailed in Isaiah 37:36, powerfully refuting Sennacherib's claims.

Practical Application

Isaiah 37:12 reminds us that challenges to our faith often come in the form of seemingly insurmountable worldly powers or problems that mock our trust in God. Like Sennacherib, the world may boast of its conquests and question the efficacy of our faith. However, this passage ultimately teaches that no earthly power, no matter how great, can stand against the sovereignty and power of the true God. When faced with overwhelming odds, our response should be like Hezekiah's: to bring our fears and the enemy's boasts before the Lord in prayer, trusting that He alone can deliver.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Genesis 11:31

    And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.

  • 2 Kings 18:11

    And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor [by] the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:

  • 2 Kings 17:6

    In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor [by] the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

  • Acts 7:2

    And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,

  • 2 Kings 19:12

    Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed; [as] Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which [were] in Thelasar?

  • Genesis 29:4

    And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence [be] ye? And they said, Of Haran [are] we.

  • Isaiah 46:5

    ¶ To whom will ye liken me, and make [me] equal, and compare me, that we may be like?
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