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Read the Bible

New American Standard Bible (1995)

2 Chronicles 32:7

"Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; for the one with us is greater than the one with him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Courage;   Faith;   Sennacherib;   Siege;   Thompson Chain Reference - Courage;   Courage-Fear;   Faith;   Faith-Unbelief;   Hezekiah;   The Topic Concordance - Courage;   Fear;   Help;   Strength;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Sieges;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Chronicles, Theology of;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Sennacherib;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Elisha;   Nahum (2);   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Chronicles, I;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Sennacherib ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Hezekiah;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hezekiah;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for October 6;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria or before the large army that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.
Hebrew Names Version
Be strong and of good courage, don't be afraid nor dismayed for the king of Ashshur, nor for all the multitude who is with him; for there is a greater with us than with him:
King James Version
Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:
English Standard Version
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.
New Century Version
"Be strong and brave. Don't be afraid or worried because of the king of Assyria or his large army. There is a greater power with us than with him.
New English Translation
"Be strong and brave! Don't be afraid and don't panic because of the king of Assyria and this huge army that is with him! We have with us one who is stronger than those who are with him.
Amplified Bible
"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria, nor because of all the army that is with him; for the One with us is greater than the one with him.
New American Standard Bible
"Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; for the One with us is greater than the one with him.
World English Bible
Be strong and of good courage, don't be afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude who is with him; for there is a greater with us than with him:
Geneva Bible (1587)
Be strong and couragious: feare not, neither be afraide for the King of Asshur, neither for all the multitude that is with him: for there be mo with vs, then is with him.
Legacy Standard Bible
"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the multitude that is with him; for the one with us is greater than the one with him.
Berean Standard Bible
"Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater One with us than with him.
Contemporary English Version
Be brave and confident! There's no reason to be afraid of King Sennacherib and his powerful army. We are much more powerful,
Complete Jewish Bible
"Be strong! Take courage! Don't be afraid or distressed on account of the king of Ashur or all the horde he brings with him. For the One with us is greater than the one with him —
Darby Translation
Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him:
George Lamsa Translation
Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed in the presence of the king of Assyria, nor in the presence of all the armies that have come with him; for there is more with us than with him:
Good News Translation
"Be determined and confident, and don't be afraid of the Assyrian emperor or of the army he is leading. We have more power on our side than he has on his.
Lexham English Bible
"Be strong! Be courageous! Do not fear and do not be dismayed before the king of Assyria and before all the crowd that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.
Literal Translation
Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor be cast down before the face of the king of Assyria, and before the face of all the multitude with him, for with us are more than with him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Be stronge and bolde, feare not, and be not afrayed for the kynge of Assur, ner all ye multitude that is with him: for there is one greater with vs then with him.
American Standard Version
Be strong and of good courage, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him; for there is a greater with us than with him:
Bible in Basic English
Be strong and take heart; have no fear, and do not be troubled on account of the king of Assyria and all the great army with him: for there is a greater with us.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Plucke vp your heartes and be strong: be not afrayde nor discouraged for the king of the Assyrians, & for all the multitude that he hath with hym: for there be mo with vs then with hym.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
'Be strong and of good courage, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him; for there is a Greater with us than with him:
King James Version (1611)
Be strong and couragious, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there bee moe with vs, then with him.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Be strong and courageous, and fear not, neither be dismayed before the King of Assyria, and before all the nation that is with him: for there are more with us than with him.
English Revised Version
Be strong and of a good courage, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there is a greater with us than with him:
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and seide, Do ye manli, and be ye coumfortid; nyle ye drede, nether be ye aferd of the kyng of Assiriens, and of al the multitude which is with him; for many mo ben with vs than with him.
Update Bible Version
Be strong and of good courage, don't be afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him; for there is a greater with us than with him:
Webster's Bible Translation
Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that [is] with him: for [there are] more with us than with him:
New King James Version
"Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him.
New Living Translation
"Be strong and courageous! Don't be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side!
New Life Bible
"Be strong and have strength of heart. Do not be afraid or troubled because of the king of Assyria and all those who are with him. For the One with us is greater than the one with him.
New Revised Standard
"Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him; for there is one greater with us than with him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Be strong and bold, do not fear neither be dismayed, because of the king of Assyria, nor because of all the multitude that is with him, - for, with us, is One greater than with him:
Douay-Rheims Bible
Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:
Revised Standard Version
"Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him; for there is one greater with us than with him.
Young's Literal Translation
`Be strong and courageous, be not afraid, nor be cast down from the face of the king of Asshur, and from the face of all the multitude that [is] with him, for with us [are] more than with him.
THE MESSAGE
And then, after this exemplary track record, this: Sennacherib king of Assyria came and attacked Judah. He put the fortified cities under siege, determined to take them. When Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib's strategy was to take Jerusalem, he talked to his advisors and military leaders about eliminating all the water supplies outside the city; they thought it was a good idea. There was a great turnout of people to plug the springs and tear down the aqueduct. They said, "Why should the kings of Assyria march in and be furnished with running water?" Hezekiah also went to work repairing every part of the city wall that was damaged, built defensive towers on it, built another wall of defense further out, and reinforced the defensive rampart (the Millo) of the old City of David. He also built up a large store of armaments—spears and shields. He then appointed military officers to be responsible for the people and got them all together at the public square in front of the city gate. Hezekiah rallied the people, saying, "Be strong! Take courage! Don't be intimidated by the king of Assyria and his troops—there are more on our side than on their side. He only has a bunch of mere men; we have our God to help us and fight for us!" Morale surged. Hezekiah's words put steel in their spines. Later on, Sennacherib, who had set up camp a few miles away at Lachish, sent messengers to Jerusalem, addressing Judah through Hezekiah: "A proclamation of Sennacherib king of Assyria: You poor people—do you think you're safe in that so-called fortress of Jerusalem? You're sitting ducks. Do you think Hezekiah will save you? Don't be stupid—Hezekiah has fed you a pack of lies. When he says, ‘ God will save us from the power of the king of Assyria,' he's lying—you're all going to end up dead. Wasn't it Hezekiah who cleared out all the neighborhood worship shrines and told you, ‘There is only one legitimate place to worship'? Do you have any idea what I and my ancestors have done to all the countries around here? Has there been a single god anywhere strong enough to stand up against me? Can you name one god among all the nations that either I or my ancestors have ravaged that so much as lifted a finger against me? So what makes you think you'll make out any better with your god? Don't let Hezekiah fool you; don't let him get by with his barefaced lies; don't trust him. No god of any country or kingdom ever has been one bit of help against me or my ancestors—what kind of odds does that give your god?" The messengers felt free to throw in their personal comments, putting down both God and God's servant Hezekiah. Sennacherib continued to send letters insulting the God of Israel: "The gods of the nations were powerless to help their people; the god of Hezekiah is no better, probably worse." The messengers would come up to the wall of Jerusalem and shout up to the people standing on the wall, shouting their propaganda in Hebrew, trying to scare them into demoralized submission. They contemptuously lumped the God of Jerusalem in with the handmade gods of other peoples. King Hezekiah, joined by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, responded by praying, calling up to heaven. God answered by sending an angel who wiped out everyone in the Assyrian camp, both warriors and officers. Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace, tail between his legs. When he went into the temple of his god, his own sons killed him. God saved Hezekiah and the citizens of Jerusalem from Sennacherib king of Assyria and everyone else. And he continued to take good care of them. People streamed into Jerusalem bringing offerings for the worship of God and expensive presents to Hezekiah king of Judah. All the surrounding nations were impressed—Hezekiah's stock soared. Some time later Hezekiah became deathly sick. He prayed to God and was given a reassuring sign. But the sign, instead of making Hezekiah grateful, made him arrogant. This made God angry, and his anger spilled over on Judah and Jerusalem. But then Hezekiah, and Jerusalem with him, repented of his arrogance, and God withdrew his anger while Hezekiah lived. Hezekiah ended up very wealthy and much honored. He built treasuries for all his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and valuables, barns for the grain, new wine, and olive oil, stalls for his various breeds of cattle, and pens for his flocks. He founded royal cities for himself and built up huge stocks of sheep and cattle. God saw to it that he was extravagantly rich. Hezekiah was also responsible for diverting the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and rerouting the water to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did. But when the rulers of Babylon sent emissaries to find out about the sign from God that had taken place earlier, God left him on his own to see what he would do; he wanted to test his heart. The rest of the history of Hezekiah and his life of loyal service, you can read for yourself—it's written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Judah and Israel. When Hezekiah died, they buried him in the upper part of the King David cemetery. Everyone in Judah and Jerusalem came to the funeral. He was buried in great honor. Manasseh his son was the next king.

Contextual Overview

1 After these acts of faithfulness Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and besieged the fortified cities, and thought to break into them for himself. 2 Now when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to make war on Jerusalem, 3 he decided with his officers and his warriors to cut off the supply of water from the springs which were outside the city, and they helped him. 4 So many people assembled and stopped up all the springs and the stream which flowed through the region, saying, "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?" 5 And he took courage and rebuilt all the wall that had been broken down and erected towers on it, and built another outside wall and strengthened the Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in great number. 6 He appointed military officers over the people and gathered them to him in the square at the city gate, and spoke encouragingly to them, saying, 7 "Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; for the one with us is greater than the one with him.8 "With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

strong: Deuteronomy 31:6, Deuteronomy 31:7, Deuteronomy 31:23, Joshua 1:6-9, 1 Chronicles 28:10, 1 Chronicles 28:20, Isaiah 35:4, Daniel 10:19, Zechariah 8:9, Zechariah 8:23, Ephesians 6:10, 2 Timothy 2:1

be not afraid: 2 Chronicles 20:15, 2 Kings 18:30, 2 Kings 19:6, 2 Kings 19:7

for there: 2 Kings 6:16, Romans 8:31, 1 John 4:4

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 20:1 - the Lord Deuteronomy 20:4 - to fight 2 Samuel 10:12 - Be of good 1 Kings 8:57 - General 1 Kings 20:27 - like two 2 Kings 18:5 - trusted 2 Kings 18:19 - What confidence 2 Chronicles 16:7 - relied on Nehemiah 4:14 - General Psalms 55:18 - there Isaiah 36:4 - What Isaiah 36:7 - We trust Isaiah 37:10 - Let not Jeremiah 42:11 - for I Zechariah 4:6 - might

Cross-References

Genesis 32:4
He also commanded them saying, "Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: 'Thus says your servant Jacob, "I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now;
Genesis 32:5
I have oxen and donkeys and flocks and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight."'"
Genesis 32:8
for he said, "If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the company which is left will escape."
Genesis 32:10
I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies.
Genesis 32:11
"Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the children.
Genesis 35:3
and let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone."
Exodus 14:10
As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD.
Psalms 31:13
For I have heard the slander of many, Terror is on every side; While they took counsel together against me, They schemed to take away my life.
Psalms 61:2
From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Psalms 107:6
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He delivered them out of their distresses.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Be strong and courageous,.... Be of good heart and spirit, and quit yourselves like men:

be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him; which was very large; for no less than 185,000 were slain of them by an angel in one night, 2 Kings 19:35

for there be more with us than with him; though not in number, yet in power and might; and if angels are meant, they are more in number; but it seems, by what follows, that Hezekiah had only the Lord his God in his thoughts and view.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

On the language, compare the marginal references, for details, see Isaiah 22:5-13; Isaiah 29:3.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Chronicles 32:7. There be more with us than with him — We have more power than they have. (These words he quotes from the prophet Elisha, 2 Kings 6:16.) This was soon proved to be true by the slaughter made by the angel of the Lord in the Assyrian camp.


 
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