Isaiah 37:13

13 Where are the kings of the cities of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?"

Isaiah 37:13 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 37:13

Where 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 Gill on Isaiah 36:19); though it may be the princes that ruled over those cities are meant, who were either slain, or become tributary to the king of Assyria. It is added, Henah and Ivah:
which some take to be the names of the gods or kings of Sepharvaim; but rather, since Sepharvaim is of the dual number, it was a double city, the river Euphrates passing between them; and these, as Musculus conjectures, were the names of them; or it may be, these were distinct cities from that, but what or where they were is not certain. Ptolemy makes mention of a place called Ingine, near Gausanitis or Gozan, supposed to be Henah; though others rather think it to be Ange, which he places in Arabia F9, which I think is not so probable. Ivah perhaps is the same with Avah, in ( 2 Kings 17:24 ) . The Targum does not take them for names or places, but translates them,

``hath he not removed them, and carried them captive?''
and so Jarchi's note is,
``the king of Assyria hath moved and overthrown them, and destroyed them, and removed them out of their place;''
referring to the other cities.
FOOTNOTES:

F9 Geograph. l. 6. c. 7.

Isaiah 37:13 In-Context

11 You have heard what an Assyrian emperor does to any country he decides to destroy. Do you think that you can escape?
12 My ancestors destroyed the cities of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and killed the people of Betheden who lived in Telassar, and none of their gods could save them.
13 Where are the kings of the cities of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?"
14 King Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went to the Temple, placed the letter there in the presence of the Lord,
15 and prayed,
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.