Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.

ISAIAH 36:17KJV
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Isaiah 36:17 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 36:17 mean?

Isaiah 36:17 records the Assyrian commander promising to take the people of Judah to another land that he claims will be just as good as their own, with plenty of grain, wine, bread, and vineyards. This is part of his attempt to persuade them to surrender by offering what sounds like a comfortable exile.

The speaker is the Rabshakeh, a high official of the Assyrian king, addressing the people of Jerusalem during the siege. He tries to convince them that life in exile will not be harsh but will offer similar abundance to what they have in Judah. This is meant to undermine their trust in their leaders and in God’s protection, making surrender seem like a reasonable choice.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 36:17

  • "come" (בּוֹא, bo') means to arrive or enter. Here, it refers to the Assyrian official’s promise to personally oversee the removal of the people.
  • "away" (לָקַח, laqach) means to take or seize. The word often implies being taken by force or against one’s will, highlighting that this “offer” is really about forced exile.
  • "land" (אֶרֶץ, erets) appears several times, emphasizing the idea of being uprooted from their own country and placed in a foreign one, even if it is described as similar.
  • "corn" (דָּגָן, dagan) and "wine" (תִּירוֹשׁ, tirosh) refer to staple foods and drink, suggesting abundance and normalcy, but the promise comes from an enemy, making it suspect.

Why Isaiah 36:17 matters

  • This verse shows the psychological tactics used by the Assyrians, offering false comfort to weaken the resolve of Jerusalem’s defenders.
  • The repeated mention of “land” (אֶרֶץ, erets) underlines the pain of exile—being removed from one’s true home, even if the new place seems similar.
  • Understanding the original words for “take away” and “land” highlights that this is not a genuine offer of hospitality, but a threat of forced displacement disguised as a promise.

Where else these words appear

“wine” Hebrew H8492 · used in 38 verses

  • Genesis 27:28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
  • 2 Chronicles 31:5 And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.
  • Jeremiah 31:12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.

“corn” Hebrew H1715 · used in 40 verses

  • Genesis 27:28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
  • 2 Chronicles 32:28 Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks.
  • Lamentations 2:12 They say to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul was poured out into their mothers' bosom.

“vineyards” Hebrew H3754 · used in 82 verses

  • Genesis 9:20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
  • 1 Kings 21:1 And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
  • Song of Solomon 8:12 My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.