2 Kings 18:21

Whether thou hopest in a staff of (a) reed and broken, (that is, upon) Egypt, (or Hopest thou in the staff of a broken reed, that is, upon Egypt), on which, if a man leaneth, it shall be broken, and shall enter into his hand, and shall pierce it. So is Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to all men that trust in him.

Wycliffe Modern Spelling

In The King James Version

Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.

In Context

20In hap thou hast taken counsel, that thou wouldest make thee ready to battle. In whom trustest thou, that thou be (so) (fool-)hardy to rebel against Sennacherib?

22That if thou sayest to me, We have trust in the Lord our God; whether this is not he, whose high things and altars Hezekiah took away, and commanded to Judah and to Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem? (But if thou sayest to me, We have trust in the Lord our God; is this not he, whose hill shrines and altars Hezekiah took away, and commanded to Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship only before this altar in Jerusalem?)

Read all of 2 Kings 18

Cross References

Isaiah 30:1Woe! sons forsakers, saith the Lord, that ye shall make a counsel, and not of me; and weave a web, and not by my spirit, that ye should increase sin on sin. (Woe! ye rebels, saith the Lord, ye who take counsel, (or advice), but not from me; and weave a web, but not by my spirit, so that ye increase sin upon sin.)

Isaiah 30:7For why Egypt shall help in vain, and idly. Therefore I cried on this thing (or And so I cried out about this thing), It is pride only; cease thou.

Isaiah 36:6Lo! thou trustest on this broken staff of (a) reed, on Egypt, on which if a man leaneth, either resteth, it shall enter into his hand, and shall pierce it; so doeth Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to all men that trust in him.

Ezekiel 29:6And all the dwellers of Egypt shall know, that I am the Lord, (or And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know, that I am the Lord). For that that thou were a staff of (a) reed to the house of Israel,

Matthew Henry on 2 Kings 18:18-37

Rab-Shakeh's Blasphemous Speech. ( b. c. 710.) 17 And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller's field. 18 And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study 2 Kings 18:21