The Meaning of Isaiah 37:12 Explained

Isaiah 37:12

KJV: 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?

YLT: Did the gods of the nations deliver them whom my fathers destroyed -- Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the sons of Eden, who are in Telassar?

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

ASV: 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?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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? 

What does Isaiah 37:12 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 37

1  Hezekiah mourning, sends to Isaiah to pray for them
6  Isaiah comforts them
8  Sennacherib, going to encounter Tirhakah, sends a blasphemous letter to Hezekiah
14  Hezekiah's prayer
21  Isaiah's prophecy of the destruction of Sennacherib, and the good of Zion
36  An angel slays the Assyrians
37  Sennacherib is slain at Nineveh by his own sons

What do the individual words in Isaiah 37:12 mean?

have delivered those the gods of the nations whom have destroyed my fathers - Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who [were] in Telassar
הַהִצִּ֨ילוּ אוֹתָ֜ם אֱלֹהֵ֤י הַגּוֹיִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִשְׁחִ֣יתוּ אֲבוֹתַ֔י אֶת־ גּוֹזָ֖ן וְאֶת־ חָרָ֑ן וְרֶ֥צֶף וּבְנֵי־ עֶ֖דֶן אֲשֶׁ֥ר ؟ בִּתְלַשָּֽׂר

הַהִצִּ֨ילוּ  have  delivered 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָצַל  
Sense: to snatch away, deliver, rescue, save, strip, plunder.
אוֹתָ֜ם  those 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֱלֹהֵ֤י  the  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הַגּוֹיִם֙  of  the  nations 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הִשְׁחִ֣יתוּ  have  destroyed 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁחַת  
Sense: to destroy, corrupt, go to ruin, decay.
אֲבוֹתַ֔י  my  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
גּוֹזָ֖ן  Gozan 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גֹּוזָן  
Sense: the Mesopotamian city on or near the middle of the Euphrates where exiled Israelites were settled.
חָרָ֑ן  Haran 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: חָרָן 
Sense: a son of Caleb by his concubine Ephah.
וְרֶ֥צֶף  and  Rezeph 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: רֶצֶף  
Sense: a place conquered by Assyria.
וּבְנֵי־  and  the  sons 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עֶ֖דֶן  of  Eden 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֶדֶן  
Sense: a place conquered by Assyria; probably located in the northwest of Mesopotamia.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  who  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
؟ בִּתְלַשָּֽׂר  in  Telassar 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּלַאשָּׂר 
Sense: a city conquered and held by the Assyrians located apparently in Mesopotamia.