Isaiah 37:13
New International Version
Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad? Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?”

New Living Translation
What happened to the king of Hamath and the king of Arpad? What happened to the kings of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?”

English Standard Version
Where 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?’”

Berean Standard Bible
Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”

King James Bible
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?

New King James Version
Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?’ ”

New American Standard Bible
Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?’”

NASB 1995
Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?’”

NASB 1977
‘Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?’”

Legacy Standard Bible
Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?’”

Amplified Bible
Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad [of northern Syria], the king of the city of Sepharvaim, [the king of] Hena, or [the king of] Ivvah?’”

Christian Standard Bible
Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, or Ivvah? ’ ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, or Ivvah?’”

American Standard Version
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?

Contemporary English Version
The kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah have all disappeared.

English Revised Version
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the cities of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?'"

Good News Translation
Where are the kings of the cities of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?"

International Standard Version
Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sephar-vaim, or of Hena, or of Ivvah, or of Samaria?'"

Majority Standard Bible
Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah???

NET Bible
Where are the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?'"

New Heart English Bible
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?'"

Webster's Bible Translation
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?

World English Bible
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?’”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Where [is] the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?”

Young's Literal Translation
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?'

Smith's Literal Translation
Where the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king to the city of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivah?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Where is the king of Emath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Ana, and of Ava?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Where is the king of Hamath and the king of Arpad, or the king of the city of Sepharvaim, or of Hena and Ivvah?”

New American Bible
Where are the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, or a king of the cities Sepharvaim, Hena or Ivvah?”

New Revised Standard Version
Where 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?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Where is the king of Hamath and the king of Arphad and the king of the city of Sepharvim and of Dena and of Aka?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Where are the King of Khamath and the King of Raphad, and the King and city Sepharvaim, and Dana and Dava?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Where are the kings of Emath? and where is the king of Arphath? and where is the king of the city of Eppharuaim, and of Anagugana?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Sennacherib's Blasphemous Letter
12Did 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? 13Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”

Cross References
2 Kings 19:13
Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”

Isaiah 36:18-20
Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? / Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand? / Who among all the gods of these lands has delivered his land from my hand? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”

2 Chronicles 32:13-15
Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Have the gods of these nations ever been able to deliver their land from my hand? / Who among all the gods of these nations that my fathers devoted to destruction has been able to deliver his people from my hand? How then can your God deliver you from my hand? / So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you, and do not let him mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand!”

Jeremiah 49:23-27
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. / Damascus has become feeble; she has turned to flee. Panic has gripped her; anguish and pain have seized her like a woman in labor. / How is the city of praise not forsaken, the town that brings Me joy? ...

Nahum 3:8-10
Are you better than Thebes, stationed by the Nile with water around her, whose rampart was the sea, whose wall was the water? / Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were her allies. / Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity. Her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. They cast lots for her dignitaries, and all her nobles were bound in chains.

Ezekiel 31:3-9
Look at Assyria, a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches that shaded the forest. It towered on high; its top was among the clouds. / The waters made it grow; the deep springs made it tall, directing their streams all around its base and sending their channels to all the trees of the field. / Therefore it towered higher than all the trees of the field. Its branches multiplied, and its boughs grew long as it spread them out because of the abundant waters. ...

Isaiah 10:9-11
“Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? / As my hand seized the idolatrous kingdoms whose images surpassed those of Jerusalem and Samaria, / and as I have done to Samaria and its idols, will I not also do to Jerusalem and her idols?”

Isaiah 14:24-27
The LORD of Hosts has sworn: “Surely, as I have planned, so will it be; as I have purposed, so will it stand. / I will break Assyria in My land; I will trample him on My mountain. His yoke will be taken off My people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.” / This is the plan devised for the whole earth, and this is the hand stretched out over all the nations. ...

Isaiah 30:31-33
For Assyria will be shattered at the voice of the LORD; He will strike them with His scepter. / And with every stroke of the rod of punishment that the LORD brings down on them, the tambourines and lyres will sound as He battles with weapons brandished. / For Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its funeral pyre is deep and wide, with plenty of fire and wood. The breath of the LORD, like a torrent of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze.

Isaiah 31:8-9
“Then Assyria will fall, but not by the sword of man; a sword will devour them, but not one made by mortals. They will flee before the sword, and their young men will be put to forced labor. / Their rock will pass away for fear, and their princes will panic at the sight of the battle standard,” declares the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

Isaiah 33:7-9
Behold, their valiant ones cry aloud in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly. / The highways are deserted; travel has ceased. The treaty has been broken, the witnesses are despised, and human life is disregarded. / The land mourns and languishes; Lebanon is ashamed and decayed. Sharon is like a desert; Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.

Isaiah 34:1-4
Come near, O nations, to listen; pay attention, O peoples. Let the earth hear, and all that fills it, the world and all that springs from it. / The LORD is angry with all the nations and furious with all their armies. He will devote them to destruction; He will give them over to slaughter. / Their slain will be left unburied, and the stench of their corpses will rise; the mountains will flow with their blood. ...

Isaiah 35:4-10
Say to those with anxious hearts: “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With divine retribution He will come to save you.” / Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. / Then the lame will leap like a deer and the mute tongue will shout for joy. For waters will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. ...

Isaiah 40:15-17
Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are considered a speck of dust on the scales; He lifts up the islands like fine dust. / Lebanon is not sufficient for fuel, nor its animals enough for a burnt offering. / All the nations are as nothing before Him; He regards them as nothingness and emptiness.

Isaiah 41:11-13
Behold, all who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will be reduced to nothing and will perish. / You will seek them but will not find them. Those who wage war against you will come to nothing. / For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand and tells you: Do not fear, I will help you.


Treasury of Scripture

Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?

Hamath

Isaiah 19:9
Moreover they that work in fine flax, and they that weave networks, shall be confounded.

Isaiah 36:19
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

Hena.

2 Kings 17:24,30,31
And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof…

2 Kings 18:34
Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?

2 Kings 19:13
Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivah?

Jump to Previous
Arpad Arphad City Hamath Hena Ivah Ivvah Sepharvaim Sepharva'im
Jump to Next
Arpad Arphad City Hamath Hena Ivah Ivvah Sepharvaim Sepharva'im
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.














Where is the king of Hamath
The phrase "Where is the king of Hamath" challenges the power and presence of the rulers of Hamath, a significant city-state in ancient Syria. Historically, Hamath was a prominent city located on the Orontes River, known for its strategic importance and wealth. The rhetorical question underscores the futility of earthly power against the divine will. In Hebrew, "Hamath" (חֲמָת) signifies a place of defense or fortress, yet even such strongholds are powerless before God’s sovereignty. This serves as a reminder of the transient nature of human authority when juxtaposed with the eternal dominion of God.

the king of Arpad
"Arpad" was another city in northern Syria, often allied with Hamath. The mention of "the king of Arpad" highlights the collective downfall of regional powers that once stood against Assyrian expansion. Arpad, known in Hebrew as אַרְפַּד, was a fortified city, yet it too fell to the Assyrians. This illustrates the theme of divine judgment and the futility of resisting God’s plans. Historically, Arpad's fall was a significant event, symbolizing the collapse of resistance against Assyria, and by extension, against God’s ordained purposes.

the king of the city of Sepharvaim
Sepharvaim, mentioned here, was a city whose exact location remains uncertain, though it is often associated with the region of Mesopotamia. The phrase "the king of the city of Sepharvaim" emphasizes the comprehensive nature of Assyrian conquest, as well as the broader theme of divine retribution. In Hebrew, "Sepharvaim" (סְפַרְוַיִם) may imply a dual city or a city of books, suggesting a place of learning or significance. The rhetorical question serves to remind the audience of the ultimate futility of human wisdom and power when it stands in opposition to God.

Hena, and Ivvah
The cities of "Hena" and "Ivvah" are less well-documented, yet their inclusion in this verse underscores the totality of the Assyrian conquest. "Hena" (הֵנַע) and "Ivvah" (עִוָּה) are believed to be regions or cities that were similarly subdued. Their mention serves to complete the picture of widespread defeat and the impotence of earthly kings against the backdrop of divine authority. This highlights the biblical theme that no place, regardless of its obscurity or perceived strength, is beyond the reach of God’s judgment and sovereignty.

(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 2Kings 17:24.

Verse 13. - Hamath... Arphad... Sepharvaim (see the comment upon Isaiah 36:19).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Where
אַיֵּ֤ה (’ay·yêh)
Interrogative
Strong's 346: Where?

are the kings
מֶֽלֶךְ־ (me·leḵ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Hamath,
חֲמָת֙ (ḥă·māṯ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 2574: Hamath -- a place North of Damascus

Arpad,
אַרְפָּ֔ד (’ar·pāḏ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 774: Arpad -- a city in Aram (Syria)

Sepharvaim,
סְפַרְוָ֑יִם (sə·p̄ar·wā·yim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5617: Sepharvaim -- a city conquered by the king of Assyr

Hena,
הֵנַ֖ע (hê·na‘)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 2012: Hena -- a city in Aram (Syria) or Mesopotamia

and Ivvah?’”
וְעִוָּֽה׃ (wə·‘iw·wāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5755: Ivvah -- a city conquered by Assyr


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 37:13 Where is the king of Hamath (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 37:12
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