Isaiah 33:18
Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?
Original Language Analysis
לִבְּךָ֖
Thine heart
H3820
לִבְּךָ֖
Thine heart
Strong's:
H3820
Word #:
1 of 11
the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the center of anything
יֶהְגֶּ֣ה
shall meditate
H1897
יֶהְגֶּ֣ה
shall meditate
Strong's:
H1897
Word #:
2 of 11
to murmur (in pleasure or anger); by implication, to ponder
סֹפֵ֥ר
Where is the scribe
H5608
סֹפֵ֥ר
Where is the scribe
Strong's:
H5608
Word #:
5 of 11
properly, to score with a mark as a tally or record, i.e., (by implication) to inscribe, and also to enumerate; intensively, to recount, i.e., celebra
שֹׁקֵ֔ל
where is the receiver
H8254
שֹׁקֵ֔ל
where is the receiver
Strong's:
H8254
Word #:
7 of 11
to suspend or poise (especially in trade)
סֹפֵ֥ר
Where is the scribe
H5608
סֹפֵ֥ר
Where is the scribe
Strong's:
H5608
Word #:
9 of 11
properly, to score with a mark as a tally or record, i.e., (by implication) to inscribe, and also to enumerate; intensively, to recount, i.e., celebra
Cross References
1 Corinthians 1:20Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?2 Kings 18:14And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
Historical Context
During siege, Assyrian officials assessed Jerusalem's defenses, calculated tribute, recorded wealth to plunder. Rabshakeh's propaganda speech (Isaiah 36) exemplified this intimidation. But after angel struck Assyrians dead (Isaiah 37:36), those officials were corpses or fled. The rhetorical 'where?' mocks their absence—they're gone, their threats empty. Similarly, Revelation 18:21-24 pronounces Babylon's fall: merchants, shipmasters, craftsmen—all silenced. God's enemies become footnotes; His Kingdom endures.
Questions for Reflection
- What past 'terrors' do you meditate on now with gratitude for God's deliverance?
- Who are the 'scribes,' 'receivers,' and 'tower-counters' that once threatened but are now powerless?
- How does remembering defeated enemies strengthen faith for current challenges?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Thine heart shall meditate terror (לִבְּךָ יֶהְגֶּה אֵימָה, libbekha yehgeh eymah)—your heart (לֵב, lev) will meditate (הָגָה, hagah, muse, ponder) on אֵימָה (eymah, terror, dread). Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers? (אַיֵּה סֹפֵר אַיֵּה שֹׁקֵל אַיֵּה סֹפֵר אֶת־הַמִּגְדָּלִים, ayeh sofer ayeh shoqel ayeh sofer et-hamigdalim)—where (אַיֵּה, ayeh) is the scribe (סֹפֵר, sofer), the weigher/receiver (שֹׁקֵל, shoqel), the one counting towers?
Looking back at the terror of Assyrian siege, the righteous will remember and marvel at deliverance. The three officials—scribe (recording tribute), receiver/weigher (collecting payment), tower-counter (assessing defenses for siege)—represent Assyrian bureaucracy of oppression. Where are they now? Gone, destroyed, irrelevant. Psalm 48:12-13 invited: 'Walk about Zion... Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the next generation'—but towers that needed counting during siege stand untaken. God's deliverance makes enemy threat a memory to ponder with gratitude.