Isaiah Chapter 37

This is a B-Greek reading Group for the LXX Isaiah. This reading group is going through two chapters of the LXX Isaiah per week. Ken Penner, the B-Greek moderator for the "Septuagint and Pseudepigrapha Forum" is writing a commentary on the LXX Isaiah and is sharing his notes with those who wish to read the Isaiah LXX. Dive in, if you dare!
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Ken M. Penner
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Isaiah Chapter 37

Post by Ken M. Penner »

223. Hezekiah reacts to the embassy’s report (37:1-2)
1 Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἀκοῦσαι τὸν βασιλέα Ἑζεκίαν ἔσχισεν τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ σάκκον περιεβάλετο καὶ ἀνέβη εἰς τὸν οἶκον Κυρίου. 2 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Ἐλιακὶμ τὸν οἰκονόμον καὶ Σόμναν τὸν γραμματέα καὶ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῶν ἱερέων περιβεβλημένους σάκκους πρὸς Ἠσαίαν υἱὸν Ἀμὼς τὸν προφήτην,
224. The embassy consults Isaiah (37:3-4)
3 καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ Τάδε λέγει Ἑζεκίας Ἡμέρα θλίψεως καὶ ὀνειδισμοῦ καὶ ἐλεγμοῦ καὶ ὀργῆς ἡ σήμερον ἡμέρα, ὅτι ἥκει ὠδὶν τῇ τικτούσῃ, ἰσχὺν δὲ οὐκ ἔχει τοῦ τεκεῖν. 4 εἰσακούσαι Κύριος ὁ θεός σου τοὺς λόγους Ῥαψάκου, οὓς ἀπέστειλεν βασιλεὺς Ἀσσυρίων ὀνειδίζειν θεὸν ζῶντα καὶ ὀνειδίζειν λόγους, οὓς ἤκουσεν Κύριος ὁ θεός σου· καὶ δεηθήσῃ πρὸς Κύριον τὸν θεόν σου περὶ τῶν καταλελιμμένων τούτων.

225. Isaiah’s reply (37:5-7)
5 Καὶ ἦλθον οἱ παῖδες τοῦ βασιλέως Ἑζεκίου πρὸς Ἠσαίαν.

6 Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Ἠσαίας υἱὸς Ἀμώς Οὕτως ἐρεῖτε πρὸς τὸν κύριον ὑμῶν Τάδε λέγει Κύριος Μὴ φοβηθῇς ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων, ὧν ἤκουσας, ὧν ὠνείδισάν με οἱ πρέσβεις βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων.

7 Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐμβάλλω εἰς αὐτὸν πνεῦμα, καὶ ἀκούσας ἀγγελίαν ἀποστραφήσεται εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτοῦ καὶ πεσεῖται μαχαίρᾳ ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτοῦ.

226. Rapsakes returns (37:8)
8 Καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν Ῥαψάκης καὶ κατέλαβεν πολιορκοῦντα τὸν βασιλέα Λόμναν.
227. Rapsakes sends another warning to Hezekiah (37:8-13)
καὶ ἤκουσεν βασιλεὺς Ἀσσυρίων ὅτι 9 ἐξῆλθεν Θαράθα βασιλεὺς Αἰθιόπων πολιορκῆσαι αὐτόν· καὶ ἀκούσας ἀπέστρεψεν καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἀγγέλους πρὸς Ἑζεκίαν λέγων 10 Οὕτως ἐρεῖτε Ἑζεκία βασιλεῖ τῆς Ἰουδαίας Μή σε ἀπατάτω ὁ θεός σου, ἐφʼ ᾧ πεποιθὼς ἧς ἐπʼ αὐτῷ λέγων Οὐ μὴ παραδοθῇ Ἰερουσαλὴμ εἰς χεῖρας βασιλέων. 11 ἢ οὐκ ἤκουσας ἃ ἐποίησαν βασιλεῖς Ἀσσυρίων πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ὡς ἀπώλεσαν; 12 καὶ μὴ ἐρρύσαντο αὐτοὺς οἱ θεοὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν, οὓς οἱ πατέρες μου ἀπώλεσαν, τήν τε Γωζὰν καὶ Χαρὰν καὶ Ῥάφες, αἵ εἰσιν ἐν χώρᾳ Θεμά; 13 ποῦ εἰσιν οἱ βασιλεῖς Ἀμὰρ καὶ Ἀρφὰθ καὶ πόλεως Ἐμφαρίν, Ἀνάγ, Οὐγαυά;

228. Hezekiah prays for salvation (37:14-20)
14 Καὶ ἔλαβεν Ἑζεκίας τὸ βιβλίον παρὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων καὶ ἀνεγνοι αὐτὸ καὶ ἀνέβη εἰς οἴκον Κυρίου καὶ ἤνοιξεν αὐτὸ ἐναντίον Κυρίου, 15 καὶ προσηύξατο Ἑζεκίας πρὸς τὸν Κύριον λέγων,

16 Κύριε Σαβαώθ, θεὸς Ἰσραήλ, ὁ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῶν χερουβείν, σὺ θεὸς μόνος εἶ πάσης βασιλείας τῆς οἰκουμένης, σὺ ἐποίησας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν. 17 εἰσάκουσον, Κύριε, εἴσβλεψον, Κύριε, καὶ ἰδὲ τοὺς λόγους, οὓς ἀπέστειλεν Σενναχηρεὶμ ὀνειδίζειν θεὸν ζῶντα. 18 ἐπʼ ἀληθείας γὰρ ἠρήμωσαν βασιλεῖς Ἀσσυρίων τὴν οἰκουμένην ὅλην καὶ τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν 19 καὶ ἐνέβαλον τὰ εἴδωλα αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ πῦρ, οὐ γὰρ θεοὶ ἦσαν ἀλλὰ ἔργα χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων, ξύλα καὶ λίθοι, καὶ ἀπώλεσαν αὐτούς. 20 σὺ δέ, Κύριε ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν, σῶσον ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτοῦ, ἵνα γνῷ πᾶσα βασιλεία τῆν γῆν ὅτι σοι, θεὸς μόνος.

229. Isaiah confirms Hezekiah’s prayer (37:21)
21 Καὶ ἀπεστάλη Ἠσαίας υἱὸς Ἀμὼς πρὸς Ἑζεκίαν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Τάδε λέγει Κύριος ὁ θεὸς Ἰσραήλ Ἤκουσα ἃ προσηύξω πρός με περὶ Σενναχηρὶμ βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων.

230. God’s word about Sennacherib (37:22-25)
22 Οὗτος ὁ λόγος, ὃν ἐλάλησεν περὶ αὐτοῦ ὁ θεός

Ἐφαύλισέν σε καὶ ἐμυκτήρισέν σε παρθένος θυγάτηρ Σιών, ἐπὶ σοὶ κεφαλὴν ἐκίνησεν θυγάτηρ Ἰερουσαλήμ. 23 τίνα ὠνείδισας καὶ παρώξυνας; ἢ πρὸς τίνα ὕψωσας τὴν φωνήν σου; καὶ οὐκ ἦρας εἰς ὕψος τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου εἰς τὸν ἅγιον τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. 24 ὅτι διʼ ἀγγέλων ὠνείδισας Κύριον· σὺ γὰρ εἶπας Τῷ πλήθει τῶν ἁρμάτων ἐγὼ ἀνέβην εἰς ὕψος τῶν ὀρέων καὶ εἰς τὰ ἔσχατα τοῦ Λιβάνου καὶ ἔκοψα τὸ ὕψος τῆς κέδρου αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ κάλλος τῆς κυπαρίσσου καὶ εἰσῆλθον εἰς ὕψος μέρους τοῦ δρυμοῦ 25 καὶ ἔθηκα γέφυραν καὶ ἠρήμωσα ὕδατα καὶ πᾶσαν συναγωγὴν ὕδατος.
231. God has brought down mighty nations (37:26-27)
26 οὐ ταῦτα ἤκουσα πάλαι, ἃ ἐγὼ ἐποίησα; ἐξ ἀρχαίων ἡμερῶν συνέταξα γὰρ νῦν δὲ ἐπέδειξα ἐξερημῶσα ἔθνη ἐν ὀχυροῖς καὶ ἐνοικοῦντας ἐν πόλεσιν ὀχυραῖς· 27 ἀνῆκα τὰς χεῖρας, καὶ ἐξηράνθησαν καὶ ἐγένοντο ὡς χόρτος ξηρὸς ἐπὶ δωμάτων καὶ ὡς ἄγρωστις.
232. The survivors will be from Jerusalem (37:28-32)
28 νῦν δὲ τὴν ἀνάπαυσίν σου καὶ τὴν ἔξοδόν σου καὶ τὴν εἴσοδόν σου ἐγὼ ἐπίσταμαι· 29 ὁ δὲ θυμός σου, ὃν ἐνεθυμήθῃς, καὶ ἡ πικρία σου ἀνέβη πρός με, καὶ ἐμβαλῶ φιμὸν εἰς τὴν ῥῖνά σου καὶ χαλινὸν εἰς τὰ χείλη σου καὶ ἀποστρέψω σε τῇ ὁδῷ, ᾗ ἦλθες ἐν αὐτῇ. 30 τοῦτο δὲ σὺ τὸ σημεῖον παρὰ Κυρίου· φάγε τοῦτον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν ἃ ἔσπαρκας, τῷ δὲ ἐνιαυτῷ τῷ δευτέρῳ τὸ κατάλειμμα, τῷ δὲ τρίτῳ σπείραντες ἀμήσατε καὶ φυτεύσατε ἀμπελῶνας καὶ φάγεσθε τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῶν. 31 καὶ ἔσονται οἱ καταλελειμμένοι ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ φυήσουσιν ῥίζαν κάτω καὶ ποιήσουσιν σπέρμα ἄνω. 32 ὅτι ἐξ Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἔσονται οἱ καταλελειμμένοι καὶ οἱ σῳζόμενοι ἐξ ὄρους Σιών· ὁ ζῆλος Κυρίου Σαβαώθ ποιήσει ταῦτα.

233. Sennacherib will turn back the way he came (37:33-34)
33 Διὰ τοῦτο οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ἐπὶ βασιλέα Ἀσσυρίων Οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθῃ εἰς τὴν πόλιν ταύτην οὐδὲ μὴ βάλῃ ἐπʼ αὐτὴν βέλος οὐδὲ μὴ ἐπιβάλῃ ἐπʼ αὐτὴν θυρεὸν οὐδὲ μὴ κυκλώσῃ ἐπʼ αὐτὴν χάρακα, 34 ἀλλὰ τῇ ὁδῷ, ᾗ ἦλθεν, ἐν αὐτῇ ἀποστραφήσεται· τάδε λέγει Κύριος.

234. God will shield Jerusalem (37:35)
35 Ὑπερασπιῶ ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης τοῦ σῶσαι αὐτὴν διʼ ἐμὲ καὶ διὰ Δαυὶδ τὸν παῖδά μου.

235. Lord’s angel kills the Assyrian army (37:36)
36 Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἄγγελος Κυρίου καὶ ἀνεῖλεν ἐκ τῆς παρεμβολῆς τῶν Ἀσσυρίων ἑκατὸν ὀγδοήκοντα πέντε χιλιάδας, καὶ ἐξαναστάντες πρωῒ εὗρον πάντα τὰ σώματα νεκρά.
236. Sennacherib turns back and is killed (37:37-38)
37 καὶ ἀποστραφεὶς ἀπῆλθεν Ἐνναχηρειμ βασιλεὺς Ἀσσυρίων καὶ ᾤκησεν ἐν Νινευή. 38 καὶ ἐν τῷ αὐτὸν προσκυνεῖν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Κωασαρὰκ τὸν πάτραρχον αὐτοῦ, Ἀνδραμέλεχ καὶ Σαράσα οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπάταξαν αὐτὸν μαχαίρας, αὐτοὶ δὲ διεσώθησαν εἰς Ἀρμενίαν· καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν Ναχορδὰν ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἀντʼαὐτοῦ.
Ken M. Penner
Professor and Chair of Religious Studies, St. Francis Xavier University
Co-Editor, Digital Biblical Studies
General Editor, Lexham English Septuagint
Co-Editor, Online Critical Pseudepigrapha pseudepigrapha.org
Ken M. Penner
Posts: 881
Joined: May 12th, 2011, 7:50 am
Location: Antigonish, NS, Canada
Contact:

Isaiah Chapter 37 Translation

Post by Ken M. Penner »

223. Hezekiah reacts to the embassy’s report (37:1-2)
37.1 And it so happened, that when king Ezekias heard it, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went up to the house of Lord. 2 And he sent Eliakim the manager and Somnas the secretary and the elders of the priests, wearing sackcloth, to Esaias son of Amos the prophet.
224. The embassy consults Isaiah (37:3-4)
3 And they said to him, Thus says Ezekias, Today is a day of oppression and reproach and reproving and wrath, because pangs have come to the woman giving birth, but she does not have the strength to give birth! 4 May Lord your god hear the words of Rapsakes, which the king of the Assyrians sent to reproach a living God and to reproach with words that Lord your god heard, and you shall pray to Lord your god about these that are left behind.

225. Isaiah’s reply (37:5-7)
5 And the servants of the king came to Esaias.

6 And Esaias son of Amos said to them, Thus you shall say to your lord: 'Thus says Lord, Do not be frightened by the words that you heard, with which the ambassadors of Assyrians' king reproached me.

7 Look, I am casting a spirit into him, and when he hears a message he will return to his country and he will fall by the sword in his own land.

226. Rapsakes returns (37:8)
8 And Rapsakes returned and overtook the king beseiging Lomna.
227. Rapsakes sends another warning to Hezekiah (37:8-13)
And the king of the Assyrians heard that 9 Tharatha, the king of the Ethiopians had gone out to besiege him. And when he heard this, he returned and sent messengers to Ezekias, saying, 10 Thus you shall say to Ezekias, king of Ioudaia: Do not let your god, in whom you might trust trick you, saying, Certainly Jerusalem will not be handed over into the hands of kings. 11 Or did you not hear the things that the king of the Assyrians did, how they destroyed all the land? 12 And did the gods of the nations rescue them that my fathers destroyed: Goza and Charan and Raphes, which are in the country of Thema? 13 Where are the kings of Amar and Arphath and the city of Empharin, Anag, Ougaua?’”

228. Hezekiah prays for salvation (37:14-20)
14 And Ezekias received the document from the messengers and read it and went up into the house of Lord and opened it before Lord. 15 And Ezekias prayed to Lord, saying,

16 O Lord Sabaoth, God of Israel, seated on the cherubin, you alone are god of every kingdom of the inhabited world; you made the sky and the land. 17 Listen, Lord, look, Lord, and see the words that Sennachereim sent to reproach a living god. 18 For in truth the king of the Assyrians has desolated the whole inhabited world and their country, 19 and has thrown their idols into the fire, for they were not gods but rather works of people's hands, pieces of wood and stones, and they destroyed them. 20 But you, Lord, our god, save us from his hand, so that every kingdom might know the land, because it is yours, only God.

229. Isaiah confirms Hezekiah’s prayer (37:21)
21 And Esaias son of Amos was sent to Ezekias, and he said to him, Thus says Lord, the god of Israel, I heard the things that you prayed to me concerning Sennacherim the king of the Assyrians.

230. God’s word about Sennacherib (37:22-25)
22 This is the word that God spoke concerning him:

Virgin daughter Sion has disparaged you and mocked you; daughter Jerusalem has shaken her head at you. 23 Whom did you reproach and provoke? Or against whom did you raise your voice? And you did not lift your eyes to the height, to the holy one of Israel! 24 Because you reproached Lord through messengers, for you said, I went up to the top of the mountains and to the furthest parts of Lebanon by the great number of the chariots, and I cut the top of its cedar and the beauty of the cypress, and I entered into the height of part of the forest, 25 and I put up a bridge and I desolated waters and every gathering of water.
231. God has brought down mighty nations (37:26-27)
26 Did I not hear these things long ago, things that I did? I appointed them from ancient days, but now I have revealed them, I have desolated nations that are in secure places and that dwell in secure cities. 27 I have enfeebled their hands and they have withered, and they have become like dry grass on top of houses, and like wild grass.
232. The survivors will be from Jerusalem (37:28-32)
28 But now I know your repose and your going out and your coming in. 29 And your anger that you pondered, and your bitterness has come up to me, and I will put a muzzle on your nose and a bit on your lips and I will turn you back on the way in which you came. 30 And you are this sign from Lord: this year eat what you planted, and in the second year eat the remainder, and on the third, after sowing, reap and plant vineyards and you will eat from their fruit 31 and those left behind will be in Ioudaia; they will put down a root below and they will make seed above, 32 because those left behind will be from Jerusalem, and those saved, from Mount Sion. The zeal of Lord Sabaoth will do these things.

233. Sennacherib will turn back the way he came (37:33-34)
33 Because of this, thus says Lord against the king of the Assyrians: Certainly he will not enter into this city and he will shoot no an arrow against it and he will set no a shield against it and he will surround it with no a stockade. 34 Instead, by the way in which he came, he will return by it. Thus says Lord.

234. God will shield Jerusalem (37:35)
35 I will shield this city to save it, because of me and because of David my servant.

235. Lord’s angel kills the Assyrian army (37:36)
36 And Lord’s messenger went out and slayed a hundred eighty-five thousand of the camp of the Assyrians, and when they got up in the morning, they found all the bodies dead.
236. Sennacherib turns back and is killed (37:37-38)
37 And Ennachereim, king of the Assyrians, turned back and went away and lived in Nineue. 38 And when he was worshipping in the house of Koasarak his tutelary god, Andramelech and Sarasa his sons struck him with swords, but they escaped into Armenia; and Nachordan his son reigned in his place.
Ken M. Penner
Professor and Chair of Religious Studies, St. Francis Xavier University
Co-Editor, Digital Biblical Studies
General Editor, Lexham English Septuagint
Co-Editor, Online Critical Pseudepigrapha pseudepigrapha.org
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