Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.

ISAIAH 37:27KJV
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Isaiah 37:27 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 37:27 mean?

Isaiah 37:27 describes how the people in the cities that the Assyrian army attacked were weak and powerless, easily overcome and left confused. The verse compares them to grass or young plants that quickly wither, showing how fragile and defenseless they were against the invading force.

In this part of Isaiah, God is speaking through the prophet to King Hezekiah of Judah, explaining why the Assyrians had such easy victories over other nations. The verse uses everyday images—grass in a field, herbs, grass on rooftops, and scorched grain—to help listeners picture how quickly these people were swept away. The message is that their strength was small, and their downfall was certain.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 37:27

  • The word for "small" is קָצֵר (qatser), which means "short" or "insignificant." This highlights just how little strength or power (יָד, yad) the people had to resist.
  • "Grass" appears twice: חָצִיר (chatsir) for ordinary grass in a field, and דֶּשֶׁא (deshe) for green herbs or fresh grass. The repetition and variety of plant images stress how quickly and easily these people could be destroyed.
  • "Grass on the housetops" uses the word גַּג (gag), meaning "roof." In ancient Israel, grass growing on flat roofs would dry up quickly because it had no deep roots, making the image even more vivid.
  • "Blasted" is שְׁדֵפָה (shedephah), meaning scorched or withered, often by the east wind. This shows how the people were ruined before they could even grow strong.

Why Isaiah 37:27 matters

  • This verse clears up that the Assyrians' victories were not because of their own greatness, but because the people they conquered were already weak and vulnerable.
  • The verse emphasizes God's control over history, showing that the rise and fall of nations is not just about military power but also about divine purpose.
  • The vivid plant imagery connects to other parts of the Bible where human strength is compared to grass, reminding readers of the temporary nature of human power.

Where else these words appear

“small” Hebrew H7116 · used in 5 verses

  • 2 Kings 19:26 Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.
  • Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
  • Proverbs 14:17 He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.

“green” Hebrew H3419 · used in 5 verses

  • Deuteronomy 11:10 For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs:
  • 1 Kings 21:2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.
  • 2 Kings 19:26 Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.

“blasted” Hebrew H7709 · used in 6 verses

  • Deuteronomy 32:32 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:
  • 2 Kings 23:4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.
  • Jeremiah 31:40 And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy unto the LORD; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.

“up” Hebrew H7054 · used in 8 verses

  • Exodus 22:6 If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.
  • Deuteronomy 23:25 When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn.
  • 2 Kings 19:26 Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.