The Meaning of Isaiah 37:26 Explained

Isaiah 37:26

KJV: Hast thou not heard long ago, how I have done it; and of ancient times, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps.

YLT: Hast thou not heard from afar? -- it I did, From days of old -- that I formed it. Now, I have brought it in, And it is to make desolate, Ruinous heaps -- fenced cities,

Darby: Hast thou not heard that long ago I did it, and that from ancient days I formed it? Now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps.

ASV: Hast thou not heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it of ancient times? now have I brought it to pass, that it should be thine to lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Hast thou not heard  long ago,  [how] I have done  it; [and] of ancient  times,  that I have formed  it? now have I brought  it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste  defenced  cities  [into] ruinous  heaps. 

What does Isaiah 37:26 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 37:26 mean?

Did not you hear long ago it [How] I made from times ancient that I formed it now I have brought it to pass that you should be for crushing [into] heaps Of ruins cities fortified
הֲלֽוֹא־ שָׁמַ֤עְתָּ לְמֵֽרָחוֹק֙ אוֹתָ֣הּ עָשִׂ֔יתִי מִ֥ימֵי קֶ֖דֶם וִיצַרְתִּ֑יהָ עַתָּ֣ה הֲבֵאתִ֔יהָ וּתְהִ֗י לְהַשְׁא֛וֹת גַּלִּ֥ים נִצִּ֖ים עָרִ֥ים בְּצֻרֽוֹת

הֲלֽוֹא־  Did  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שָׁמַ֤עְתָּ  you  hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
לְמֵֽרָחוֹק֙  long  ago 
Parse: Preposition-l, Preposition-m, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָחֹוק  
Sense: remote, far, distant, distant lands, distant ones.
עָשִׂ֔יתִי  [How]  I  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
מִ֥ימֵי  from  times 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
קֶ֖דֶם  ancient 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֶדֶם 
Sense: east, antiquity, front, that which is before, aforetime.
וִיצַרְתִּ֑יהָ  that  I  formed  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יׄוצֵר 
Sense: to form, fashion, frame.
עַתָּ֣ה  now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
הֲבֵאתִ֔יהָ  I  have  brought  it  to  pass 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וּתְהִ֗י  that  you  should  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Jussive, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְהַשְׁא֛וֹת  for  crushing 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁאָה 
Sense: crash, make a din or crash, crash into ruins, be in ruins, be desolated.
גַּלִּ֥ים  [into]  heaps 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גַּל 
Sense: heap, spring, wave, billow.
נִצִּ֖ים  Of  ruins 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: נָצָה 
Sense: (Qal) to fly.
עָרִ֥ים  cities 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
בְּצֻרֽוֹת  fortified 
Parse: Adjective, feminine plural
Root: בָּצַר 
Sense: to gather, restrain, fence, fortify, make inaccessible, enclose.