Isaiah 37 Commentary

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Isaiah 37:1 And when King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth and entered the house of the LORD.

NLT  When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the Temple of the LORD to pray.

• it came: 2Ki 19:1-19 
• he rent: Isa 36:22 2Ki 22:11 Jer 36:24 Jon 3:5,6 Mt 11:21 
• and went: Ezr 9:5 Job 1:20,21 

Related Passages: 

2Ki 19:1 And when King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth and entered the house of the LORD.

HEZEKIAH MODELS WHERE TO
RUN WHEN IN DISTRESS

And when Note this time marker. Always pause to ask questions like what happens when, why it happens, and to whom it happens. These simple questions, when guided by the Spirit, train us to meditate fruitfully on God’s Word. Such Spirit energized thoughtful reflection leads to spiritual understanding and blessing, as Scripture promises to those who meditate on His law day and night.  (Joshua 1:8+, Ps 1:1,2,3+). 

King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes (note), covered himself with sackcloth (note) and entered the house of the LORD. - When Hezekiah hears the Assyrian threats, he responds not with panic or political maneuvering, but with actions that symbolize humility.  Hezekiah's actions signify genuine repentance, grief over the blasphemy against God, and wholehearted dependence on the LORD in the face of overwhelming danger. Hezekiah’s response models the proper spiritual posture in crisis, bringing fear and distress into God’s presence rather than relying on human strength, alliances, or strategies. By seeking the LORD first, King Hezekiah demonstrates faith that God alone is sufficient to defend His people. As Ps 46:1 declares, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Hezekiah recognized the seriousness of the Assyrian threats. Leaving behind worldly alliances, he turned to God in faith and humility.

Hezekiah's "righteous reflex" was to run to Jehovah's presence. This reminds me of Pr 18:10+ "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe." 

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EXCURSUS ON TEARING CLOTHES IN SCRIPTURE - The tearing of garments in Scripture is an ancient and vivid expression of mourning, grief, shock, repentance, or holy outrage. Its earliest appearance occurs when Reuben and Jacob mourn the apparent death of Joseph (Genesis 37:29, 34). Throughout the Old and New Testaments, faithful individuals tore their clothes in response to devastating loss or spiritual crisis: David at the deaths of Saul and Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:11–12), Elisha when Elijah was taken up (2 Kings 2:11–12), Job in overwhelming calamity (Job 1:20), Jephthah upon realizing the cost of his vow (Judges 11:34–35), Mordecai after learning of Haman’s genocidal decree (Esther 4:1), Ahab when confronted with divine judgment (1 Kings 21:27), and Paul and Barnabas when blasphemously worshiped as gods (Acts 14:14). This act was often accompanied by other signs of humility such as sackcloth, dust, or shaved heads (Job 1:20; Job 2:12; 2 Samuel 3:31). Conversely, the refusal to tear garments could signal spiritual hardness, as when King Jehoiakim and his officials showed no fear or repentance while destroying God’s prophetic word (Jeremiah 36:23–24). Notably, the high priest was forbidden to tear his garments, reflecting the sanctity and distinctiveness of his office (Leviticus 21:10). While the practice continues today in the Jewish rite of keriah, Scripture ultimately insists that outward signs must correspond to inward reality: “Rend your heart and not your garments” (Joel 2:13), with the promise that the LORD is gracious, compassionate, and near to the brokenhearted (Joel 2:13; Psalm 34:18).

Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (online) has this note under "Garments" - Another major motif is the tearing of clothes as a ritual gesture of grief or as an act of uncontrollable rage. Indeed, one of the best indices to the emotionalism of the ancient Hebrews is the frequency with which we read about people tearing their garments in a display of strong feeling. To cite just three specimens, Reuben tears his clothes when he returns to the pit and finds Joseph missing (Ge 37:29), Ezra rends his garments when he learns about the Israelites’ intermarriage (Ezra 9:3), and King Hezekiah tears his clothes when he receives the threatening letter from the Assyrian king (Is 37:1). If we trace the three dozen explicit references to people’s tearing their clothing, we find four main categories of crisis-grief or mourning over the loss of something or someone, sorrow for sin in an act of repentance, fear or alarm and anger or frustration.

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SACKCLOTH AND ASHES - In the Old Testament, sackcloth and ashes served as a visible expression of mourning, humiliation, and repentance, symbolizing inner sorrow and a humbled heart before God. Sackcloth—a coarse, uncomfortable garment—signified self-abasement, while ashes represented ruin and desolation. Individuals wore sackcloth in personal grief, as when Jacob mourned Joseph (Genesis 37:34) and David lamented Abner’s death (2 Samuel 3:31). Sackcloth with ashes often marked national crisis or repentance, seen vividly when Mordecai and the Jews responded to Haman’s decree with fasting, weeping, and ashes (Esther 4:1–3), and when Nineveh—from king to commoner—repented at Jonah’s warning, prompting God’s mercy (Jonah 3:5–10). Scripture also records this posture among leaders and prophets seeking God’s favor or confessing sin, including Hezekiah (Isaiah 37:1), Ahab (1 Kings 21:27), Daniel (Daniel 9:3), and the elders of Jerusalem (Lamentations 2:10). Ultimately, sackcloth and ashes were outward signs of inward humility; it was not the ritual itself but the repentant heart God regarded (1 Samuel 16:7). When repentance was genuine, God responded with grace—so David could say, “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing… You have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness” (Psalm 30:11).

Isaiah 37:2 Then he sent Eliakim who was over the household with Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.

NLT    And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the court secretary, and the leading priests, all dressed in sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.

• Isa 37:14 36:3 2Ki 18:18 19:2 22:12-14 2Ch 20:20 Joe 1:13 

Related Passages: 

2Ki 19:2 Then he sent Eliakim who was over the household with Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.

Then he sent Eliakim who was over the household with Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.

Isaiah 37:3 They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke and rejection; for children have come to birth, and there is no strength to deliver.

NLT   They told him, "This is what King Hezekiah says: This is a day of trouble, insult, and disgrace. It is like when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to deliver it.

• his day, Isa 25:8 33:2 2Ki 19:3 2Ch 15:4 Ps 50:15 91:15 116:3,4 Jer 30:7 Ho 5:15 6:1 Rev 3:19 
• blasphemy: or, provocation, Ps 95:8 
• for the: Isa 26:17,18 66:9 Ho 13:13 

Related Passages: 

2Ki 19:3 They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and rejection; for children have come to birth and there is no strength to deliver.

 

hey said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke and rejection; for children have come to birth, and there is no strength to deliver. Judah’s situation was like that of a child ready to be born but lacking the strength to be delivered—a moment of complete helplessness. All the conditions were present, yet there was no power to bring life forth. Humanly speaking, the only outcome appeared to be death. The image underscores Judah’s utter inability to save itself and highlights the desperation of the moment, where survival could come only through intervention beyond human resources.

Isaiah 37:4 ‘Perhaps the LORD your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the remnant that is left.’”  

NLT   But perhaps the LORD your God has heard the Assyrian representative defying the living God and will punish him for his words. Oh, pray for those of us who are left!"

• It may: Jos 14:12 1Sa 14:6 2Sa 16:12 Am 5:15 
• to reproach: Isa 37:23,24 36:20 51:7,8 1Sa 17:26,36 2Ki 19:4,22,23 2Ch 32:15-19 
• and will: Isa 37:23 Ps 50:21 
• lift up: 1Sa 7:8 12:19,23 2Ch 32:20 Ps 106:23 Joe 2:17 Jas 5:16 
• for the: Isa 1:9 8:7,8 10:5,6,22 2Ki 17:18 18:9-16 2Ch 28:19 Ro 9:27 

Related Passages: 

2Ki 19:4 Perhaps the LORD your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the remnant that is left.’”

Perhaps the LORD your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the remnant that is left.’”  

Isaiah 37:5 So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

NLT   After King Hezekiah's officials delivered the king's message to Isaiah,

Related Passages: 

2Ki 19:5 So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

Isaiah 37:6 Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.

NLT   the prophet replied, "Say to your master, 'This is what the LORD says: Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against me from the Assyrian king's messengers.

• Thus shall: 2Ki 19:5-7 22:15-20 
• Be not: Isa 7:4 10:24,25 35:4 41:10-14 43:1,2 51:12,13 Ex 14:13 Lev 26:8 Jos 11:6 2Ch 20:15-20 Mk 4:40 5:36 

Related Passages: 

2Ki 19:6 Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.

Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. Isaiah’s word in Isaiah 37:6 was at once encouraging, condemning, and precise. It encouraged Hezekiah and the people by calling them away from fear and back to trust in the Lord, assuring them that Assyria’s threats did not have the final word. At the same time, it sharply condemned the Assyrian envoys for their blasphemy, exposing their arrogance as an affront not merely to Judah but to the living God Himself. Finally, Isaiah’s message was strikingly specific emphasizing that God would act in a defined way, by putting a spirit within the Assyrian king that would cause him to hear a report, withdraw, and ultimately fall by the sword in his own land. The prophecy left no room for vague hope—it anchored Judah’s confidence in the clear, sovereign purpose of God.

Isaiah 37:7 “Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.”’”  

NLT  Listen! I myself will make sure that the king will receive a report from Assyria telling him that he is needed at home. Then I will make him want to return to his land, where I will have him killed with a sword.'"

• I will: Isa 10:16-18,33,34 17:13,14 29:5-8 30:28-33 31:8,9 33:10-12 2Ki 7:6 Job 4:9 15:21 Ps 58:9 
• send a blast upon him: or, put a spirit into him
• I will cause: Isa 37:36-38 2Ch 32:21 

Related Passages: 

2Ki 19:7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.”’”

Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.”

Isaiah 37:8 Then Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left Lachish.

NLT  Meanwhile, the Assyrian representative left Jerusalem and went to consult his king, who had left Lachish and was attacking Libnah.

• Rabshakeh: 2Ki 19:8,9 Nu 33:20,21 
• Libnah: Jos 10:29,31-34 21:13 2Ki 8:22 2Ch 21:10 
• Lachish: Jos 12:11 15:39 

Related Passages: 

2Ki 19:8 Then Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left Lachish.

Then Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left Lachish.

 Libnah is about 25 mi SW of Jerusalem. 

Isaiah 37:9 When he heard them say concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, “He has come out to fight against you,” and when he heard it he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

NLT Soon afterward King Sennacherib received word that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was leading an army to fight against him. Before leaving to meet the attack, he sent this message back to Hezekiah in Jerusalem:

• he heard: 1Sa 23:27,28 

Related Passages: 

2Ki 19:9 When he heard them say concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, “Behold, he has come out to fight against you,” he sent messengers again to Hezekiah saying,

When he heard them say concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, “He has come out to fight against you,” and when he heard it he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

Tirhakah," known in history as "Taharkah," was the next to the last king of the twenty-fifth (Ethiopian) dynasty in Egypt.
 

Isaiah 37:10 “Thus you shall say to Hezekiah king of Judah, ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, “Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”

NLT "This message is for King Hezekiah of Judah. Don't let this God you trust deceive you with promises that Jerusalem will not be captured by the king of Assyria.

• Let not: Isa 36:4,15,20 2Ki 18:5 19:10-13 2Ch 32:7,8,15-19 Ps 22:8 Mt 27:43 

Related Passages: 

2Ki 19:10 Thus you shall say to Hezekiah king of Judah, ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you saying, “Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”

Thus you shall say to Hezekiah king of Judah, ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, “Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”

Isaiah 37:11 ‘Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, destroying them completely. So will you be spared?

NLT  You know perfectly well what the kings of Assyria have done wherever they have gone. They have crushed everyone who stood in their way! Why should you be any different?

• Isa 37:18,19 10:7-14 14:17 36:18-20 2Ki 17:4-6 18:33-35 

Related Passages: 

2Ki 19:11 Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, destroying them completely. So will you be spared?

‘Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, destroying them completely. So will you be spared?

Isaiah 37:12 ‘Did the gods of those nations which my fathers have destroyed deliver them, even Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar? 13‘Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?’”

NLT  Have the gods of other nations rescued them--such nations as Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Tel-assar? The former kings of Assyria destroyed them all!

• the gods: Isa 36:20 46:5-7 
• Gozan: 2Ki 17:6 18:11 19:12 
• Haran: Haran, the Carrhe of the Greeks and Romans, is situated in the north-west part of Mesopotamia, between the Euphrates and the river Chebar; about 110 miles west of Nisibis, 90 east of Bir, 100 south of Diarbekir, and 170 north of Palmyra. Ge 11:31 12:14 28:10 29:4 Ac 7:2 
• Eden: It is probable that this Eden is the country near Diarbekir, on the Tigris, called Madon, according to Asseman. Ge 2:8 Eze 27:23 28:13 Am 1:5 
• Telassar: Telassar is probably the same as Ellasar, Ge 14:1, as the Jerusalem Targum reads; for both of which the Syriac has Dolassar; and perhaps, as Doederlein supposes, the same as Sharra, a city of Mesopotamia, half a mile from the Euphrates. 2Ki 19:12, Thelasar

Related Passages: 

2Ki 19:12 Did the gods of those nations which my fathers destroyed deliver them, even Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar?

Did the gods of those nations which my fathers have destroyed deliver them, even Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar? 13‘Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?’”

Isaiah 37:13 ‘Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?’”

NLT What happened to the king of Hamath and the king of Arpad? What happened to the kings of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?"

• Hamath: Isa 10:9 36:19 Jer 49:23 
• Hena: Hena is probably the same as Anah, a city of Mesopotamia, situated on an island in the Euphrates.
• Ivah: 2Ki 17:24,30,31, Ava, Avites, 2Ki 18:34 19:13 

Related Passages: 

2Ki 19:13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?’”

Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?

Isaiah 37:14 Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD.

NLT  After Hezekiah received the letter and read it, he went up to the Lord's Temple and spread it out before the LORD.

• received: 2Ki 19:14 
• and Hezekiah went: Isa 37:1 1Ki 8:28-30,38 9:3 2Ch 6:20-42 Ps 27:5 62:1-3 74:10 76:1-3 Ps 123:1-4 143:6 Joe 2:17-20 

Related Passages: 

2Ki 19:14 Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD.

GIVING THE CRISIS
OVER TO  GOD

Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. - The point was not that God needed to read the message, as though He were unaware of its contents, but that He might give deliberate attention to the matter. By spreading the letter before the Lord, Hezekiah was symbolically placing the crisis into God’s hands. This act expressed complete dependence and trust: Hezekiah was no longer strategizing, negotiating, or defending himself, but formally committing the entire situation to the Lord for His evaluation and judgment. In doing so, he acknowledged that the issue ultimately concerned God’s honor and that only God could render a decisive and righteous verdict.

Isaiah 37:15 Hezekiah prayed to the LORD saying,

NLT And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the LORD:

• 1Sa 7:8,9 2Sa 7:18-29 2Ki 19:15-19 2Ch 14:11 20:6-12 Da 9:3,4 Php 4:6,7 Jas 5:13 

Related Passage: 

2Ch 32:20 But King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed about this and cried out to heaven.

2Ki 19:15 Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.

Hezekiah prayed to the LORD saying,

Ryrie - This brief, beautiful prayer shows great faith in God and asks only that His glory be vindicated (v. 20). Compare 2 Chron. 20:5-12; Jer. 32:17-25; Acts 4:24-30 for prayers of those in similar straits. 

Isaiah 37:16 “O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.

NLT "O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth.

• Lord: Isa 6:3 8:13 2Sa 7:26 Ps 46:7,11 
• dwellest: Ex 25:22 1Sa 4:4 Ps 80:1 99:1 Heb 4:16 
• thou art: Isa 37:20 43:10,11 44:6 45:22 54:5 1Ki 18:32 2Ki 5:15 Ps 86:10 Rev 11:15-17 
• thou hast: Isa 40:28 44:24 Ge 1:1 Ps 146:6 Jer 10:10-12  Joh 1:3 Col 1:16 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:15 Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.

O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.

Hezekiah's approach is quite in contrast to the elders of Israel when faced with a defeat & 3000 dead Israeli soldiers in a battle against the Philistines in 1Sa4:3 - they sought not the LORD of hosts but the ark of the covenant at Shiloh. When our enemies overwhelm us don't run to the "wooden box" (the ark) but run to the strong tower of the LORD of hosts [& all of His other sufficient Names (Pr18:10)]

Isaiah 37:17 “Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to all the words of Sennacherib, who sent them to reproach the living God.

NLT Listen to me, O LORD, and hear! Open your eyes, O LORD, and see! Listen to Sennacherib's words of defiance against the living God.

• Incline: 2Ch 6:40 Job 36:7 Ps 17:6 71:2 130:1,2 Da 9:17-19 1Pe 3:12 
• hear: Isa 37:4 2Sa 16:12 Ps 10:14,15 74:10,22 79:12 89:50,51 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:16 “Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God.

Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to all the words of Sennacherib, who sent them to reproach the living God.

Isaiah 37:18 “Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have devastated all the countries and their lands,

NLT  "It is true, LORD, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations, just as the message says.

• the kings: 2Ki 15:29 16:9 17:6,24 1Ch 5:26 Na 2:11,12 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:17 “Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands

Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have devastated all the countries and their lands,

Isaiah 37:19 and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them.

NLT   And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all--only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands.

• And have: Isa 10:9-11 36:18-20 46:1,2 Ex 32:20 2Sa 5:21 
• cast: Heb. given
• no gods: Isa 40:19-21 41:7 44:9,10,17 Ps 115:4-8 Jer 10:3-6,11 Ho 8:6 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:18 and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them.

and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them.

Isaiah 37:20 “Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, LORD, are God.”

NLT  Now, O LORD our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O LORD, are God."

• that all: Isa 42:8 Ex 9:15,16 Jos 7:8,9 1Sa 17:45-47 1Ki 8:43 18:36,37 Ps 46:10 59:13 67:1,2 83:17,18 Eze 36:23 Mal 1:11 
• even: Isa 37:16 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:19 Now, O LORD our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God.”

Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, LORD, are God.”

Isaiah 37:21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent word to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria,

NLT  Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: This is my answer to your prayer concerning King Sennacherib of Assyria.

• Whereas: Isa 38:3-6 58:9 65:24 2Sa 15:31 17:23 2Ki 19:20,21 Job 22:27 Ps 91:15 Da 9:20-23 Ac 4:31 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah saying, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard you.’

Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent word to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib king of Assyria,

See note on 2 Ki 19:20-36. God answers out of His long-established purposes for His people. -Isaiah used the themes of the sovereignty and the faithfulness of God to reassure Hezekiah that he need not fear. God is in control of His world and can defend His people. See notes on Ge15:13-16; 18:14; 24:3,7,50.

God answered Hezekiah's prayer through the prophet's oracle against Sennacherib, Assyria's proud and scornful king. The answer of captivity for Assyria meant productivity for Judah. God's answer was based on His covenant commitment to David (2 Sa 7)

Isaiah 37:22 this is the word that the LORD has spoken against him: “She has despised you and mocked you, The virgin daughter of Zion; She has shaken her head behind you, The daughter of Jerusalem!  

NLT   This is the message that the LORD has spoken against him: 'The virgin daughter of Zion despises you and laughs at you. The daughter of Jerusalem scoffs and shakes her head as you flee.

• The virgin: Isa 23:12 Jer 14:17 La 1:15 2:13 Am 5:2 
• the daughter: Isa 1:8 10:32 62:11 Ps 9:14 Zep 3:14 Zec 2:10 9:9 Mt 21:5 
• hath despised: Isa 8:9,10 1Sa 17:36,44-47 Ps 2:2-4 27:1-3 31:18 46:1-7 Joe 3:9-12 
• shaken: Job 16:4 Ps 22:7,8 Mt 27:39 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:21 “This is the word that the LORD has spoken against him: ‘She has despised you and mocked you, The virgin daughter of Zion; She has shaken her head behind you, The daughter of Jerusalem! 

this is the word that the LORD has spoken against him: “She has despised you and mocked you, The virgin daughter of Zion; She has shaken her head behind you, The daughter of Jerusalem!  

Isaiah 37:23 “Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? And against whom have you raised your voice And haughtily lifted up your eyes? Against the Holy One of Israel!  

NLT  'Whom do you think you have been insulting and ridiculing? Against whom did you raise your voice? At whom did you look in such proud condescension? It was the Holy One of Israel!

• Whom hast: Isa 37:10-13 Ex 5:2 2Ki 19:4,22 2Ch 32:17 Ps 44:16 73:9 74:18,23 Rev 13:1-6 
• against whom: Isa 10:13-15 14:13,14 Ex 9:17 Pr 30:13 Eze 28:2,9 Da 5:20-23 Da 7:25 2Th 2:4 
• the Holy One: Isa 10:20 12:6 17:7 30:11,12 41:14,16 43:3,14 Ex 15:11 Eze 39:7 Hab 1:12,13 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:22 ‘Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? And against whom have you raised your voice, And haughtily lifted up your eyes? Against the Holy One of Israel! 

Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? And against whom have you raised your voice And haughtily lifted up your eyes? Against the Holy One of Israel!

Isaiah 37:24 “Through your servants you have reproached the Lord, And you have said, ‘With my many chariots I came up to the heights of the mountains, To the remotest parts of Lebanon; And I cut down its tall cedars and its choice cypresses. And I will go to its highest peak, its thickest forest.  

NLT  'Whom do you think you have been insulting and ridiculing? Against whom did you raise your voice? At whom did you look in such proud condescension? It was the Holy One of Israel!

• thy servants: Heb. the hand of they servants, Isa 37:4 36:15-20 2Ki 19:22,23 
• By the: Isa 10:13,14 36:9 Ex 15:9 Ps 20:7 Da 4:30 
• tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: Heb. tallness of the cedars thereof and the choice of the fir trees thereof. Isa 10:18 14:8 Eze 31:3-18 Da 4:8-14,20-22 Zec 11:1,2 
• of his Carmel: or, and his fruitful field, Isa 29:17 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:23 Through your messengers you have reproached the Lord, And you have said, “With my many chariots I came up to the heights of the mountains, To the remotest parts of Lebanon; And I cut down its tall cedars and its choice cypresses. And I entered its farthest lodging place, its thickest forest. 

Through your servants you have reproached the Lord, And you have said, ‘With my many chariots I came up to the heights of the mountains, To the remotest parts of Lebanon; And I cut down its tall cedars and its choice cypresses. And I will go to its highest peak, its thickest forest.

Isaiah 37:25 ‘I dug wells and drank waters, And with the sole of my feet I dried up All the rivers of Egypt.’

NLT  I have dug wells in many a foreign land and refreshed myself with their water. I even stopped up the rivers of Egypt so that my armies could go across!"

• with the sole: Isa 36:12 1Ki 20:10 2Ki 19:23,24 
• besieged: or, fenced and closed

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:24 I dug wells and drank foreign waters, And with the sole of my feet I dried up All the rivers of Egypt.” 

I dug wells and drank waters, And with the sole of my feet I dried up All the rivers of Egypt.

Isaiah 37:26 “Have you not heard? Long ago I did it, From ancient times I planned it. Now I have brought it to pass, That you should turn fortified cities into ruinous heaps.  

NLT   'But have you not heard? It was I, the LORD, who decided this long ago. Long ago I planned what I am now causing to happen, that you should crush fortified cities into heaps of rubble.

• long ago: etc. or, how I have made it long ago, and formed it of ancient times, Should I now bring it to be laid waste, and defenced cities to be ruinous heaps?.
• how I: Isa 10:5,6,15 45:7 46:10,11 Ge 50:20 Ps 17:13 76:10 Am 3:6 Ac 2:23 4:27,28 1Pe 2:8 Jude 1:4 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:25 ‘Have you not heard? Long ago I did it; From ancient times I planned it. Now I have brought it to pass, That you should turn fortified cities into ruinous heaps. 

Have you not heard? Long ago I did it, From ancient times I planned it. Now I have brought it to pass, That you should turn fortified cities into ruinous heaps.  

Isaiah 37:27 “Therefore their inhabitants were short of strength, They were dismayed and put to shame; They were as the vegetation of the field and as the green herb, As grass on the housetops is scorched before it is grown up.  

NLT 28  'But I know you well-- your comings and goings and all you do. I know the way you have raged against me.

• their inhabitants: Isa 19:16 Nu 14:9 2Ki 19:26 Ps 127:1,2 Jer 5:10 37:10 
• of small power: Heb. short of hand
• as the grass of: Isa 40:6-8 Ps 37:2 90:5,6 92:7 103:15 129:6 Jas 1:10,11 1Pe 1:24 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:26 Therefore their inhabitants were short of strength, They were dismayed and put to shame; They were as the vegetation of the field and as the green herb, As grass on the housetops is scorched before it is grown up. 

Therefore their inhabitants were short of strength, They were dismayed and put to shame; They were as the vegetation of the field and as the green herb, As grass on the housetops is scorched before it is grown up

Isaiah 37:28 “But I know your sitting down And your going out and your coming in And your raging against Me.  

NLT 28  'But I know you well-- your comings and goings and all you do. I know the way you have raged against me.

• I know: Ps 139:2-11 Pr 5:21 15:3 Jer 23:23,24 Rev 2:13 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:27 But I know your sitting down, And your going out and your coming in, And your raging against Me. 

But I know your sitting down And your going out and your coming in And your raging against Me

Isaiah 37:29 “Because of your raging against Me And because your arrogance has come up to My ears, Therefore I will put My hook in your nose And My bridle in your lips, And I will turn you back by the way which you came.  

NLT  And because of your arrogance against me, which I have heard for myself, I will put my hook in your nose and my bridle in your mouth. I will make you return by the road on which you came.'"

• rage: Isa 37:10 36:4,10 2Ki 19:27,28 Job 15:25,26 Ps 2:1-3 46:6 93:3,4 Na 1:9-11  Joh 15:22,23 Ac 9:4 
• tumult: Ps 74:4,23 83:2 Mt 27:24 Ac 22:22 
• will I: Isa 30:28 Job 41:2 Ps 32:9 Eze 29:4 38:4 Am 4:2 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:28 Because of your raging against Me, And because your arrogance has come up to My ears, Therefore I will put My hook in your nose, And My bridle in your lips, And I will turn you back by the way which you came.

Because of your raging against Me And because your arrogance has come up to My ears, Therefore I will put My hook in your nose And My bridle in your lips, And I will turn you back by the way which you came

The Assyrians were notorious for their brutal treatment of captives, often leading prisoners away with ropes attached to hooks driven through the nose or lips. This practice served both as physical control and as psychological terror, publicly humiliating the defeated and warning others against rebellion. Assyrian reliefs and inscriptions repeatedly depict this method, underscoring the empire’s deliberate use of cruelty as a tool of imperial policy. Against this backdrop, biblical references to being led “with hooks” would have evoked vivid and horrifying imagery for ancient audiences, highlighting the severity of Assyrian domination and the very real fate Judah faced apart from divine deliverance.

Isaiah 37:30 “Then this shall be the sign for you: you will eat this year what grows of itself, in the second year what springs from the same, and in the third year sow, reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

NLT 30  Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Here is the proof that the LORD will protect this city from Assyria's king. This year you will eat only what grows up by itself, and next year you will eat what springs up from that. But in the third year you will plant crops and harvest them; you will tend vineyards and eat their fruit.

• this shall: Isa 7:14 38:7 Ex 3:12 1Ki 13:3-5 2Ki 19:29 20:9 
• Ye shall: Isa 7:21-25 Lev 25:4,5,20-22 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:29 Then this shall be the sign for you: you will eat this year what grows of itself, in the second year what springs from the same, and in the third year sow, reap, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.

Then this shall be the sign for you: you will eat this year what grows of itself, in the second year what springs from the same, and in the third year sow, reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit

God promised that, although Judah would be devastated in the short term, within three years the land would recover and return to normal productivity. What Assyria had stripped away would be restored by the Lord’s provision, signaling that the devastation was temporary and under divine control. At the same time, God gave a far greater assurance: Jerusalem itself would not fall. According to Isaiah 37:33, the Assyrian king would not enter the city, shoot an arrow there, raise a siege ramp, or even approach it with a shield. Together, these promises affirmed both restoration for the nation and preservation for the city, underscoring that Judah’s future depended not on Assyria’s power but on the Lord’s sovereign protection.

Isaiah 37:31 “The surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward.

NLT  And you who are left in Judah, who have escaped the ravages of the siege, will take root again in your own soil, and you will flourish and multiply.

• remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah: Heb. escaping of the house of Judah that remaineth, Isa 1:9 6:13 10:20-22 Jer 44:28 
• take: Isa 27:6 65:9 2Ki 19:30,31 Ps 80:9 Jer 30:19 Ro 9:27 11:5 Ga 3:29 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:30 The surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward.

The surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward

Isaiah 37:32 “For out of Jerusalem will go forth a remnant and out of Mount Zion survivors. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”’  

NLT For a remnant of my people will spread out from Jerusalem, a group of survivors from Mount Zion. The passion of the LORD Almighty will make this happen!

• the zeal: Isa 37:20 9:7 59:17 2Ki 19:31 Joe 2:18 Zec 1:14 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:31 For out of Jerusalem will go forth a remnant, and out of Mount Zion survivors. The zeal of the LORD will perform this. 

For out of Jerusalem will go forth a remnant and out of Mount Zion survivors. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this

Isaiah 37:33 “Therefore, thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, ‘He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield, or throw up a siege ramp against it.

NLT  "And this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: His armies will not enter Jerusalem to shoot their arrows. They will not march outside its gates with their shields and build banks of earth against its walls.

• He: Isa 8:7-10 10:32-34 17:12,14 33:20 2Ki 19:32-35 
• shields: Heb. shield
• cast: Eze 21:22 Lu 19:43,44 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:32 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, “He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield or throw up a siege ramp against it.

Therefore, thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, ‘He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield, or throw up a siege ramp against it

Isaiah 37:34 ‘By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he will not come to this city,’ declares the LORD.

NLT The king will return to his own country by the road on which he came. He will not enter this city, says the LORD.

• Isa 37:29 Pr 21:30 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:33 By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he shall not come to this city,”’ declares the LORD.

By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he will not come to this city,’ declares the LORD

Isaiah 37:35 ‘For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’”

NLT For my own honor and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend it."

• I will: Isa 31:5 38:6 2Ki 20:6 
• for mine: Isa 43:25 48:9-11 De 32:27 Eze 20:9 36:22 Eph 1:6,14 
• and for: 1Ki 11:12,13,36 15:4 Jer 23:5,6 30:9 33:15,16 Eze 37:24,25 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:34 For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’” 

For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.

Isaiah 37:36 Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men arose early in the morning, behold, all of these were dead.

NLT  That night the angel of the LORD went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian troops. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere.

• the angel: Isa 10:12,16-19,33,34 30:30-33 31:8 33:10-12 Ex 12:23 2Sa 24:16 2Ki 19:35 1Ch 21:12,16 2Ch 32:21,22 Ps 35:5,6 Ac 12:23 
• and when: Ex 12:30 Job 20:5-7 24:24 Ps 46:6-11 76:5-7 1Th 5:2,3 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:35-37 Then it happened that night that the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead.

Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men arose early in the morning, behold, all of these were dead.

Isaiah 37:37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh.

NLT  Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there.

• Sennacherib: Isa 37:7,29 31:9 
• Nineveh: Ge 10:11,12 Jon 1:2 3:3 Na 1:1 Mt 12:41 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home, and lived at Nineveh.

So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh

Isaiah 37:38 It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place.

NLT  One day while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with their swords. They then escaped to the land of Ararat, and another son, Esarhaddon, became the next king of Assyria.

• his god: Isa 37:10 14:9,12 36:15,18 2Ki 19:36,37 2Ch 32:14,19,21 
• Armenia: Heb. Ararat, Ge 8:4 Jer 51:27 
• Esarhaddon: A.M. 3336, B.C. 668. Ezr 4:2 

Related Passage: 

2Ki 19:37 It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place.

It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place.

Esar-haddon, called Asar-addinus in the Canon of Ptolemy, was the third son of Sennacherib; and having reigned twenty-nine years over the Assyrians, he took advantage of the anarchy and confusion which followed the death of Mesessimordacus, and seized upon Babylon; which he added to his former empire, and reigned over both for thirteen years; when he was succeeded by his son Saosduchinus,