Isaiah 37:13 — Word Study
WLCאַיֵּ֤ה מֶֽלֶךְ־ חֲמָת֙ וּמֶ֣לֶךְ אַרְפָּ֔ד וּמֶ֖לֶךְ לָעִ֣יר סְפַרְוָ֑יִם הֵנַ֖ע וְעִוָּֽה׃
BSAWhereʼayêh [in what place, at what location] are the kingsmelek [rulers, monarchs] of HamathChămâth [an ancient city in Syria] ArpadʼArpâd [a city in northern Syria] SepharvaimÇᵉpharvayim [a city near the Euphrates River] HenaHênaʻ [a place in Mesopotamia] and IvvahʻIvvâh [a region in Assyria, meaning destruction]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אַיֵּ֤ה | where? | Particle |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | [is] [the] king of | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| חֲמָת֙ | Hamath | Noun proper |
| וּמֶ֣לֶךְ | and [the] king of | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular construct |
| אַרְפָּ֔ד | Arpad | Noun proper |
| וּמֶ֖לֶךְ | and [the] king of | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular construct |
| לָעִ֣יר | Lair | Noun common, feminine singular construct |
| סְפַרְוָ֑יִם | Sepharvaim | Noun proper |
| הֵנַ֖ע | Hena | Noun proper |
| וְעִוָּֽה׃ | and Ivvah | Conjunction, noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’” |
| KJV | Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? |
| ASV | Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah? |
| YLT | Where [is] the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?' |
| WEB | Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?’” |
| BBE | Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the town of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivva? |
All translations agree on the rendering of אַיֵּה as 'where?' in this verse.
The sentence consists of a main interrogative clause followed by a list of the kings, creating a direct inquiry.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Isaiah 37:13
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Challenge to Hezekiahgenerated
Isaiah 37:13 is part of a confrontation where King Hezekiah is faced with the Assyrian army's threats. The prophet Isaiah, speaking on behalf of God, questions the power of the foreign kings and their gods, implying that they are unable to save themselves or their people from destruction. This rhetorical questioning serves to highlight the futility of relying on these defeated rulers and their deities.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 10:9 | “Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? |
| 2 | Isaiah 36:19 | Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand? |
| 3 | Jeremiah 49:23 | Concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, for they have heard a bad report; they are agitated like the sea; their anxiety cannot be calmed. |
| 4 | 2 Kings 17:24–30 | Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns. |
| 5 | 2 Kings 18:34 | Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand? |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אַיֵּה, 'ai.Yehgenerated
The Hebrew word אַיֵּה (*'ayeh*) translates to 'where?' and is used to inquire about the location of someone or something. It appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often in rhetorical contexts to emphasize absence or defeat.
In this verse, it serves to question the whereabouts of the kings, implying their inability to respond or act in the face of adversity. The word's usage here adds a layer of irony, as the kings are expected to be powerful leaders but are instead absent.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree on the rendering of אַיֵּה as 'where?' in this verse, emphasizing the inquiry about the kings' locations.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb is אַיֵּה, where?, which governs the entire question about the kings. The structure is straightforward, listing the kings of various cities in a series, emphasizing their absence.
The sentence is structured as a single interrogative clause, with the kings' names following the main question, creating a clear and direct inquiry.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אַיֵּה as ποῦ, which also means 'where?' This choice retains the interrogative nature of the original Hebrew, emphasizing the same inquiry about the kings' whereabouts.
The translation reflects a direct correspondence with the Hebrew, maintaining the rhetorical questioning present in the original text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Isaiah 37:13 asks, 'Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?' This verse highlights the absence of these kings, suggesting they have been defeated and cannot help.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The question emphasizes their absence and defeat, highlighting the futility of relying on foreign powers.
The kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah were rulers of ancient cities that faced conquest.
This inquiry is made in the context of Hezekiah's confrontation with the Assyrian army, questioning the power of these defeated kings.
It reflects Isaiah's theme of God's sovereignty over nations and the impotence of earthly rulers.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does this verse teach about reliance on earthly powers versus divine help?
- How can we apply the message of this verse to our lives today?
- In what ways do we see the absence of support in our own challenges?
- How does understanding the historical context of these cities enhance our reading of this verse?
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Isaiah 37:13 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWhere is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim,.... The same, as some think, with the gods or idols of those places, [See comments on Isaiah 36:19];
Read John Gill on Isaiah 37 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWhere is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? Hena ... Ivah - in Babylonia. From Ava colonists had been brought to Samaria (2 Kings 17:24).
Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 37 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(13) Where is the king of Hamath . . .—The question which had been asked in Isaiah 36:19 as to the gods of the cities named is now asked of their kings, and the implied answer is that they are in the dungeons of Nineveh. Hena, and Ivah.—The sites have not been identified, but Anah is found as the name of a city on the Euphrates, and Ivah may be the same as the Ava of 2 Kings 17:24.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 37 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges13. Hamath … Arphad … Sepharvaim] See ch. Isaiah 36:19. Hena and Ivah (R.V. more correctly, Ivvah) are not known. The latter is probably the same as Ava or Avva (2 Kings 17:24).
Read Cambridge on Isaiah 37 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe king of Hamath - (See the note at Isaiah 36:19). Hena and Ivah - Hena is mentioned in 2 Kings 18:34; 2 Kings 19:13.
Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 37 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible10-13. Sennacherib, in his arrogance and ignorance, again insults the God of Israel by lowering him to the grade of the national gods around, and boasts of the great things his predecessors had done.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Isaiah 37 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?’”
Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”
Where are the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”
Tyndale line
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?
Where is the King of Hamath, and the King of Arpad, and the King of the citie of Sepharuaim, Hena and Iuah?
Strictly literal
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?
Where [is] the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?'
Where [is] the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?”
Where is the king of Chamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvayim, of Hena', and 'Ivvah?
Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the cities of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?'”
From the Latin
Where is the king of Emath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Ana, and of Ava?
Simplified
Where today is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?’”
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the town of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivva?
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Dead Sea Scrolls both agree in the wording of this verse, with the scrolls providing a nearly complete match. The Septuagint presents a similar inquiry but with different word order, reflecting its own stylistic choices.
אַיֵּ֤ה מֶֽלֶךְ־ חֲמָת֙ וּמֶ֣לֶךְ אַרְפָּ֔ד וּמֶ֖לֶךְ לָעִ֣יר סְפַרְוָ֑יִם הֵנַ֖ע וְעִוָּֽה׃
6 of the 10 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
איה מלך חמת ומלך ארפד ומלך לעיר וספריים ונע ועוה ושומרון
11 words on the leather.
[איה] [מלך] [חמת] [ומלך] [ארפד] [ומלך] [לעיר] [ספרוים] [הנע] [ועוה]
nothing on the leather here — 10 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Isaiah 37:13
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word אַיֵּה (*'ayeh*) means "where?" and is used as an interrogative adverb. It can refer to the location of persons or things and may also be used rhetorically. The word is derived from a prolonged form of another root, but the entries do not provide further details on its usage in specific verses.
אַיֵּה 46 interr.adv. Where?
base
H346 אַיֵּה Where?
346 'ayeh ah-yay'
prolonged from 335; where?:--where.
see HEBREW for 0335
אַיֵּה (ay.yeh) — where?.
1) where?
1a) of persons, things
1b) rhetorical
Part — ParticleHTi
The Hebrew word מֶ֫לֶךְ (*melek*) means 'king.' It is derived from a root that suggests royalty. The term appears in various contexts, including references to specific kings and locations, such as the 'King's Highway' in Numbers 20:17 and the 'King's Valley' in Genesis 14:17. The lexicons note its Aramaic equivalent and mention its use in the context of individuals like Hammelech in Jeremiah.
מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king
base
H4428 מֶ֫לֶךְ king
4428 melek meh'-lek
from 4427; a king:--king, royal.
see HEBREW for 04427
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — king.
1) king
Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)
הַמֶּלֶךְ (me.lekh) — `the king`.
'the king' or a name, Hammelech in KJV of Jer.36.26; 38.6- a man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;
father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";
§ A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;
father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.
King's (Highway) (Num.20.17)
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.
Another name of she.lach (שֶׁ֫לַח "Shelah" H7975A)
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — Milcom.
Another name of mo.lekh (מֹ֫לֶךְ "Molech" H4432)
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.
King's (Valley) (Gen.14.17)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
The Hebrew word חֲמָת (*Chamath*) refers to a location, specifically a city in upper Syria known as Hamath, which means 'fortress.' It is noted in the context of being a significant city in the valley of the Orontes. The term is associated with the root meaning of 'walled' and is mentioned in Amos 6:2 as 'great Hamath.'
חֲמָת, חֲמַת n.pr.loc. (√ dub.; fortress). It is called great Hamath by Am 6:2 (חֲמַת רַבָּה)
base
H2574 חֲמָת, חֲמַת (√ dub.; fortress)
2574 Chamath kham-awth'
from the same as 2346; walled; Chamath, a place in
Syria:--Hamath, Hemath.
see HEBREW for 02346
חֲמָת (cha.mat) — Hamath.
§ Hamath = "fortress"
the principle city of upper Syria in the valley of the Orontes
חֲמָת (cha.mat) — (Zobah)-Hamath.
Hamath = "fortress"
the principle city of upper Syria in the valley of the Orontes
Combined with tso.va (צוֹבָא "Zobah" H6678)
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
ha'-math (chamath; Hemath, Haimath; Swete also has Hemath): The word signifies a defense or citadel, and such designation was very suitable for this chief royal city of the Hittites, situated between their northern and southern capitals, Carchemish and Kadesh, on a gigantic mound beside the Orontes. In Am 6:2 it is named Great Hamath, but not necessarily to distinguish it from other places of the same name.
1. Early History:
The Hamathite is mentioned in Ge 10:18 among the sons of Canaan, but in historic times the population, as the personal names testify, seems to have been for the most part Semitic. The ideal boundary of Israel reached the territory, but not the city of Hamath (Nu 34:8;
Hamath
Fortress, the capital of one of the kingdoms of Upper Syria of the same name, on the Orontes, in the valley of Lebanon, at the northern boundary of Palestine (Num. 13:21; 34:8), at the foot of Hermon (Josh. 13:5) towards Damascus (Zech. 9:2; Jer. 49:23). It is called “Hamath the great” in Amos 6:2, and “Hamath-zobah” in 2 Chr. 8:3.
Hamath, now Hamah, had an Aramaean population, but Hittite monuments discovered there show that it must have been at one time occupied by the Hittites. It was among the conquests of the Pharaoh Thothmes III. Its king, Tou or Toi…
(fortress), the principal city of upper Syria, was situated in the valley of the Orontes, which it commanded from the low screen of hills which forms the water-shed between the source of the Orontes and Antioch. The Hamathites were a Hamitic race, and are included among the descendants of Canaan. (Genesis 10:18) Nothing appears of the power of Hamath until the time of David. (2 Samuel 8:9) Hamath seems clearly to have been included in the dominions of Solomon. (1 Kings 4:21-24) The "store-cities" which Solomon "built in Hamath," (2 Chronicles 8:4) were perhaps staples for trade. In the Assyrian inscriptions of the time of Ahab (B.C. 900) Hamath appears as a separate power, in…
A celebrated city of Syria. Hamath, like Jerusalem and Damascus, is one of the few places in Syria and Palestine which have retained a certain degree of importance from the very earliest ages to the present time. The name occurs in Ge 10:18, as the seat of a Canaanitish tribe; and it is often mentioned as the northern limits of Canaan in its widest extent, Nu 13:21; Jos 13:5; Jud 3:3. In David’s time, Toi king of Hamath was his ally, 2Sa 8:9,10.
Burckhardt describes Hamath as "situated on both sides of the Orontes; a part of it is built on the declivity of a hill, and a part in the plain. The town is of considerable…
The Hebrew word מֶ֫לֶךְ (*melek*) means 'king.' It is derived from a root that suggests royalty. The term appears in various contexts, including references to specific kings and locations, such as the 'King's Highway' in Numbers 20:17 and the 'King's Valley' in Genesis 14:17. The lexicons note its Aramaic equivalent and mention its use in the context of individuals like Hammelech in Jeremiah.
מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king
base
H4428 מֶ֫לֶךְ king
4428 melek meh'-lek
from 4427; a king:--king, royal.
see HEBREW for 04427
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — king.
1) king
Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)
הַמֶּלֶךְ (me.lekh) — `the king`.
'the king' or a name, Hammelech in KJV of Jer.36.26; 38.6- a man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;
father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";
§ A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;
father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.
King's (Highway) (Num.20.17)
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.
Another name of she.lach (שֶׁ֫לַח "Shelah" H7975A)
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — Milcom.
Another name of mo.lekh (מֹ֫לֶךְ "Molech" H4432)
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.
King's (Valley) (Gen.14.17)
HC/Ncmsc — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular constructHC/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
אַרְפַּד (Arpad) refers to a city in northern Syria. The name is derived from a root meaning 'to spread out' and is associated with the Assyrian conquest. It is mentioned in various contexts, highlighting its significance in ancient geography.
אַרְפַּד n.pr.loc. city in northern Syria
base
H774 אַרְפַּד city in northern Syria
774 'Arpad ar-pawd'
from 7502; spread out; Arpad, a place in Syria:--Arpad,
Arphad.
see HEBREW for 07502
אַרְפַּד (ar.pad) — Arpad.
§ Arpad or Arphad = "I shall be spread out (or supported)"
a city in northern Syria cited as an example of the Assyrian conquest
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
Arpad
(Isa. 10:9; 36:19; 37:13), also Arphad, support, a Syrian city near Hamath, along with which it is invariably mentioned (2 Kings 19:13; 18:34; Isa. 10:9), and Damascus (Jer. 49:23). After a siege of three years it fell (B.C. 742) before the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser II. Now Tell Erfud.
the light of redemption
The Hebrew word מֶ֫לֶךְ (*melek*) means 'king.' It is derived from a root that suggests royalty. The term appears in various contexts, including references to specific kings and locations, such as the 'King's Highway' in Numbers 20:17 and the 'King's Valley' in Genesis 14:17. The lexicons note its Aramaic equivalent and mention its use in the context of individuals like Hammelech in Jeremiah.
מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king
base
H4428 מֶ֫לֶךְ king
4428 melek meh'-lek
from 4427; a king:--king, royal.
see HEBREW for 04427
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — king.
1) king
Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)
הַמֶּלֶךְ (me.lekh) — `the king`.
'the king' or a name, Hammelech in KJV of Jer.36.26; 38.6- a man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;
father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";
§ A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;
father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.
King's (Highway) (Num.20.17)
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.
Another name of she.lach (שֶׁ֫לַח "Shelah" H7975A)
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — Milcom.
Another name of mo.lekh (מֹ֫לֶךְ "Molech" H4432)
מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.
King's (Valley) (Gen.14.17)
HC/Ncmsc — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular constructHC/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
The Hebrew word עִיר (*'iyr*) has meanings related to both excitement and city. It can denote excitement, particularly of terror or rage, as well as refer to a city or town, indicating a place that is guarded or inhabited. The entries suggest a broad application, from fortified cities to simple encampments. There is a specific mention of a man named Ir in 1 Chronicles 4:12.
עִיר n.[m.] excitement;—of terror; of rage
base
עִיר 1092 n.f. city, town
city, town, abode of men
of fortress in a city
appar. fortified place, of any size
base
H5892a עִיר excitement;—of terror; of rage H5892b עִיר city, town . city, town, abode of men
. of fortress in a city
. appar. fortified place, of any size
5892 `iyr eer
or (in the plural) par {awr}; or ayar (Judges 10:4)
{aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a
watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or
post):--Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.
see HEBREW for 05782
עִיר (ir) — excitement.
1) excitement, anguish
1a) of terror
עִיר (ir) — city.
1) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)
1a) city, town (a place of waking, guarded)
1a) city, town
עִיר (ir) — City (of On).
Combined with on (אֹן "On" H0204)
This name means city, town
Another name of on (אֹן "On" H0204)
עִיר (ir) — Ir-.
#A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.4.12;
son of: Tehinnah (H8468)
HNcfsc — Noun common · feminine singular constructHNcfsc
סְפַרְוַ֫יִם (sepharvaim) refers to a city in Syria that was conquered by the Assyrian king, often identified with Sippara, located between Baghdad and Babylon. The term is dual, suggesting it represents 'the two Sipparas.' It may be near modern Mosaib, situated on the Euphrates River.
סְפַרְוַ֫יִם n.pr.loc. city conquered by king of Assyr.;—usu. identif. with Sippara (on a canal), between Bagdad and Babyl., a city in two parts
base
H5617 סְפַרְוַ֫יִם city conquered by king of Assyr.;—usu. identif. with Sippara (on a canal), between Bagdad and Babyl., a city in two parts
5617 Cpharvayim sef-ar-vah'-yim
(dual)
סְפַרְוַ֫יִם (se.phar.va.yim) — Sepharvaim.
Sepharvaim = "the two Sipparas"
a city in Syria conquered by the king of Assyria
1a) perhaps near the modern 'Mosaib' and on the Euphrates above Babylon
Also named: se.phar.vi (סְפַרְוִי "Sepharvaim" H5616)
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
sef-ar-va'-im, se-far-va'-im (cepharwayim: Sephpharouaim, Seppharoudim, Seppharoun, Seppharoumain, Eppharouaim, Sepphareim, the first two being the forms in manuscripts Alexandrinus and Vaticanus respectively, of the passages in Kings, and the last two in Isaiah):
1. Formerly Identified with the Two Babylonian Sippars:
This city, mentioned in 2Ki 17:24; 18:34; 19:13; Isa 36:19; 37:13, is generally identified with the Sip(p)ar of the Assyrians-Babylonian inscriptions (Zimbir in Sumerian), on the Euphrates, about 16 miles Southwest of Bagdad. It was one of the two great seats of the worship of the Babylonian sun-god Samas, and also of the goddesses Ishtar and Anunit, and seems to have had two principal districts, Sippar of Samas, and Sippar of Anunit, which, if the identification…
Sepharvaim
Taken by Sargon, king of Assyria (2 Kings 17:24; 18:34; 19:13; Isa. 37:13). It was a double city, and received the common name Sepharvaim, i.e., “the two Sipparas,” or “the two booktowns.” The Sippara on the east bank of the Euphrates is now called Abu-Habba; that on the other bank was Accad, the old capital of Sargon I., where he established a great library. (See SARGON.) The recent discovery of cuneiform inscriptions at Tel el-Amarna in Egypt, consisting of official despatches to Pharaoh Amenophis IV. and his predecessor from their agents in Palestine, proves that in the century before the Exodus an active literary intercourse was carried on between these nations, and that the medium of the correspondence was the Babylonian language and script. (See…
(the two Sipparas) is mentioned by Sennacherib in his letter to Hezekiah as a city whose king had been unable to resist the Assyrians. (2 Kings 19:13; Isaiah 37:13) comp. 2Kin 18:34 It is identified with the famous town of Sippara., on the Euphrates above Babylon, which was near the site of the modern Mosaib. The dual form indicates that there were two Sipparas, one on either side of the river. Berosus celled Sippara "a city of the sun;" and in the inscriptions it bears the same title, being called Tsipar sha Shamas , or "Sippara of the Sun" --the sun being the chief object of worship there. Comp. (2 Kings 17:31)
When Shalmaneser king of Assyria carried away Israel from Samaria to beyond the Euphrates, he sent people in their stead into Palestine, among whom were the Sepharvaim, 2Ki 17:24,31. That Sepharvaim was a small district under its own king, is apparent from 2Ki 19:13; Isa 37:13. It may, with most probability, be assigned to Mesopotamia, because it is named along with other places in that region, and because Ptolemy mentions a city of a similar name, Sipphara, as the most southern of Mesopotamia.
הֵנַע (Hena) refers to a location, likely in Mesopotamia, with uncertain details. It is mentioned as a city that was troubled or reduced by Assyrian kings before Sennacherib's time. The entries suggest it may derive from a foreign source, but specifics about its meaning or significance are limited.
הֵנַע n.pr.loc. site unknown
base
H2012 הֵנַע site unknown
2012 Hena` hay-nah'
probably of foreign derivation; Hena, a place apparently in
Mesopotamia:--Hena.
הֵנַע (he.na) — Hena.
§ Hena = "troubling"
a city in Mesopotamia which the Assyrian kings reduced shortly before the time of Sennacherib
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
he'-na (hena`; Ana): Named in 2Ki 19:13, as one of the cities destroyed by Sennacherib along with Sepharvaim. It does not appear in a similar connection in 17:24. The text is probably corrupt. No reasonable identification has been proposed. Cheyne (Encyclopaedia Biblica, under the word) says of the phrase "Hena and Ivah" that "underlying this is a witty editorial suggestion that the existence of cities called h-n-` and `-w-h respectively has passed out of mind (compare Ps 9:6 (7)), for hena` we`iwwah, clearly means `he has driven away and overturned' (so Targum, Symmachus)." He would drop out h-n-`. Hommel (Expositors Times, IX, 330) thinks that here we have divine names; Hena standing for the Arabic star-name al-han`a, and Ivvah for al-`awwa'u.
See IVAH.
W. Ewing
Hena
One of the cities of Mesopotamia destroyed by sennacherib (2 Kings 18:34; 19:13). It is identified with the modern Anah, lying on the right bank of the Euphrates, not far from Sepharvaim.
(troubling), a city the Assyrian kings had reduced shortly before the time of Sennacherib. (2 Kings 19:13; Isaiah 37:13) At no great distance from Sippara (now Mosaib) is an ancient town called And or Anah , which may be the same as Hena. It is 20 miles from Babylon on the Euphrates.
עַוָּה (‘Ivvah) refers to a city in Assyria that was conquered by the Assyrians. The name is associated with the idea of 'ruin' and appears in 2 Kings 17:24. It is also linked to the term for the Avvites, a related group mentioned in the context.
עַוָּה, עִוָּה n.pr.loc. city conquered by Assyrians
base
H5755 עַוָּה, עִוָּה city conquered by Assyrians
5755 `Ivvah iv-vaw'
or eAvvae (2 Kings 17:24) {av-vaw'}; for 5754; Ivvah or
Avva, a region of Assyria:--Ava, Ivah.
see HEBREW for 05754
עַוָּה (iv.vah) — Ivvah.
Ava or Ivah = "ruin"
a city conquered by the Assyrians
Also named: av.vim (עַוִּים "Avvite" H5761I)
Conj | N-proper — Conjunction · noun properHC/Npl
iv'-a (`iwwah; Aba (= Ava), Aua, 2Ki 18:34, Oudou, 2Ki 19:13, apparently due to a misreading): The name is wanting in the Massoretic Text and Septuagint of Isa 36:19.
Ivvah was a city apparently conquered by the Assyrians, and is mentioned by them, in the verses quoted, with Hamath and Arpad, Sepharvaim and Hena. It has been assimilated with the Avva of 2Ki 17:24 as one of the places whence Sargon brought captives to Samaria, and identified with Hit on the Euphrates, between Anah and Ramadieh, but this seems improbable, as is also the suggestion that it is Emma, the modern `Imm, between Antioch and Aleppo. Hommel (Expository Times, April, 1898, 330) upholds the view that…