Original Word: עִוָּה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: `Ivvah
Pronunciation: iv-VAH
Phonetic Spelling: (iv-vaw')
KJV: Ava, Ivah
NASB: Ivvah, Avva
Word Origin: [for H5754 (עַוָּה - ruin)]

1. Ivvah or Avva, a region of Assyria

Ava, Ivah

Or eavvae (2 Kings 17:24) {av-vaw'}; for avvah; Ivvah or Avva, a region of Assyria -- Ava, Ivah.

see HEBREW avvah

Word Origin
from the same as avon
Definition
a city conquered by Assyr.
NASB Translation
Avva (1), Ivvah (3).

II. עַוָּה, עִוָּה proper name, of a location city conquered by Assyrians; — עַוָּה 2 Kings 17:24 (van d. H. עַוָּא) = עִוָּה 2 Kings 18:34; 2 Kings 19:13 = Isaiah 37:13; ᵐ5 Αια(ν), Ανα, and (2 Kings 19:13) Ουδου, A Αυτα, ᵐ5^L Αιναγ, etc.; site in Northern Syria Wkl^{Alttest. Unters. 102 f.} Benz; Sachau^{ZA xii (1897), 48} proposes Emma (Tab. Pentateuch) = Ἴμμα Ptol^{see 15, 15, modern} ±Imm between Antioch and Aleppo. — I. עַוָּה see below I. עוה.

Biblical Occurrences and Setting

Ivvah appears four times, every instance bound to the Assyrian expansion of the eighth century B.C. In 2 Kings 17:24 it is one of the cities whose populations were exiled to repopulate Samaria after the fall of the Northern Kingdom. In 2 Kings 18:34; 19:13 and Isaiah 37:13 it is listed with Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, and Hena as examples of conquered peoples whose gods could not deliver them—a taunt used by Sennacherib’s envoys to intimidate King Hezekiah.

Geographical and Historical Background

While the exact location cannot be pinpointed with certainty, cuneiform records suggest a site on or near the Euphrates, possibly the region later known as Hit. Its inclusion with other Syrian–Mesopotamian cities conquered during the reigns of Tiglath-Pileser III, Shalmaneser V, and Sargon II harmonizes with the aggressive policy of mass deportations that weakened local resistance and bolstered Assyrian labor forces.

Religious Context

The people of Ivvah worshiped localized deities now lost to history. Assyria’s defeat of these gods was proudly advertised:

“Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?” (2 Kings 18:34).

The propaganda served a dual purpose—magnifying Assyrian might and undermining faith in any divine protector other than Assyria’s own patron gods.

Message within the Narrative of Kings and Isaiah

The taunt heightened the drama of Hezekiah’s crisis. By placing Ivvah among the vanquished, Sennacherib argued that Judah’s God would fare no better. The subsequent deliverance of Jerusalem (2 Kings 19; Isaiah 37) therefore refutes Assyrian theology and vindicates the LORD. Ivvah thus becomes an anonymous witness to the living God’s supremacy: its downfall is real, but its gods are exposed as powerless.

Theological and Ministry Significance

1. Superiority of the LORD. The inability of Ivvah’s deities underscores the uniqueness of the God of Israel, who alone acts in history to preserve His covenant people.
2. Futility of Idolatry. Ivvah’s fate illustrates that cultural achievements, political alliances, or religious systems that exclude the true God cannot rescue in the day of trial.
3. Warning against False Confidence. Assyria’s confidence in its victories—including over Ivvah—breeds arrogance that is ultimately judged. Human triumphalism is short-lived when it opposes God’s purposes.
4. Encouragement to Faithful Remnants. Hezekiah’s prayer contrasts with Rabshakeh’s mockery. Believers facing intimidation can look past the record of fallen cities like Ivvah and hold fast to the Lord who remains undefeated.

Application for Contemporary Discipleship

The mention of Ivvah in Scripture is brief, yet it carries enduring lessons: do not measure God by human success stories, resist voices that belittle faith, and remember that past defeats of others do not determine the outcome for those who rely on the LORD.

וְעִוָּ֑ה וְעִוָּֽה׃ וּמֵעַוָּ֤א ומעוא ועוה ועוה׃ ū·mê·‘aw·wā ūmê‘awwā umeavVa veivVah wə‘iwwāh wə·‘iw·wāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts