Isaiah Chapter 37

Updated: September 14, 2025

Hezekiah Seeks Isaiah's Help

1And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD. 2And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz. 3And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth. 4It may be the LORD thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.

5So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah. 6And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. 7Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

Sennacherib's Blasphemous Letter

(2 Kings 19:8-13)

8So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish. 9And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He is come forth to make war with thee. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. 11Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be delivered? 12Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar? 13Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?

Hezekiah's Prayer

14And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. 15And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD, saying, 16O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth. 17Incline thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open thine eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God. 18Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries, 19And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. 20Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD, even thou only.

The Fall of Sennacherib

21Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria:

22This is the word which the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.

23Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.

24By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord, and hast said, By the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the height of his border, and the forest of his Carmel.

25I have digged, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places.

26Hast thou not heard long ago, how I have done it; and of ancient times, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps.

27Therefore 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.

28But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me.

29Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.

30And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such as groweth of itself; and the second year that which springeth of the same: and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof. 31And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward: 32For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.

33Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it. 34By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. 35For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

The Assyrian Camp Destroyed

36Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. 37So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. 38And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

King James Bible

Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

Isaiah’s Message of Deliverance
(2 Kings 19:1–7)

1 It happened, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into Yahweh’s house. 2 He sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. 3 They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of rejection; for the children have come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring forth. 4 It may be Yahweh your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master has sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which Yahweh your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’”

5 So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah. 6 Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Don’t be afraid of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. 7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him and he will hear news, and will return to his own land. I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.”’”

Sennacherib’s Blasphemous Letter
(2 Kings 19:8–13)

8 So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish. 9 He heard news concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, “He has come out to fight against you.” When he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, “Jerusalem won’t be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” 11 Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly. Shall you be delivered? 12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the children of Eden who were in Telassar? 13 Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?’”

Hezekiah’s Prayer
(2 Kings 19:14–19)

14 Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. Then Hezekiah went up to Yahweh’s house, and spread it before Yahweh. 15 Hezekiah prayed to Yahweh, saying, 16 “Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, who is enthroned among the cherubim, you are the God, even you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17 Turn your ear, Yahweh, and hear. Open your eyes, Yahweh, and behold. Hear all of the words of Sennacherib, who has sent to defy the living God. 18 Truly, Yahweh, the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the countries and their land, 19 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them. 20 Now therefore, Yahweh our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you are Yahweh, even you only.”

Sennacherib’s Fall Prophesied
(2 Kings 19:20–34)

21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria,

22 this is the word which Yahweh has spoken concerning him. The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you and ridiculed you. The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you.

23 Whom have you defied and blasphemed? Against whom have you exalted your voice and lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel.

24 By your servants, have you defied the Lord, and have said, “With the multitude of my chariots I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon. I will cut down its tall cedars and its choice fir trees. I will enter into its farthest height, the forest of its fruitful field.

25 I have dug and drunk water, and with the sole of my feet I will dry up all the rivers of Egypt.”

26 Have you not heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it in ancient times? Now I have brought it to pass, that it should be yours to destroy fortified cities, turning them into ruinous heaps.

27 Therefore their inhabitants had little power. They were dismayed and confounded. They were like the grass of the field, and like the green herb, like the grass on the housetops, and like a field before its crop has grown.

28 But I know your sitting down, your going out, your coming in, and your raging against me.

29 Because of your raging against me, and because your arrogance has come up into my ears, therefore will I put my hook in your nose and my bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way by which you came.

30 This shall be the sign to you. You will eat this year that which grows of itself, and in the second year that which springs from the same; and in the third year sow and reap and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. 31 The remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah will again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. 32 For out of Jerusalem a remnant will go forth, and survivors will escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.’

33 Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning the king of Assyria, ‘He will not come to this city, nor shoot an arrow there, neither will he come before it with shield, nor cast up a mound against it. 34 By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come to this city,’ says Yahweh. 35 ‘For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.’”

Jerusalem Delivered from the Assyrians
(2 Kings 19:35–37; 2 Chronicles 32:20–23)

36 The angel of Yahweh went out and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the camp of the Assyrians. When men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. 37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, went away, returned to Nineveh, and stayed there. 38 It happened, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons struck him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Esar Haddon his son reigned in his place.

Isaiah’s Message of Deliverance
(2 Kings 19:1–7)

1 On hearing this report, King Hezekiah tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and entered the house of the LORD. 2 And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz 3 to tell him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace; for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them. 4 Perhaps the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to defy the living God, and He will rebuke him for the words that the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up a prayer for the remnant that still survives.”

5 So the servants of King Hezekiah went to Isaiah, 6 who replied, “Tell your master that this is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid of the words you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. 7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land, where I will cause him to fall by the sword.’ ”

Sennacherib’s Blasphemous Letter
(2 Kings 19:8–13)

8 When the Rabshakeh heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.

9 Now Sennacherib had been warned about Tirhakah king of Cush: a “He has set out to fight against you.”

On hearing this, Sennacherib sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10 “Give this message to Hezekiah king of Judah:

‘Do not let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you by saying that Jerusalem will not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. 11 Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the other countries, devoting them to destruction. b Will you then be spared? 12 Did the gods of the nations destroyed by my fathers rescue those nations—the gods of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and of the people of Eden in Telassar? 13 Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’ ”

Hezekiah’s Prayer
(2 Kings 19:14–19)

14 So Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, read it, and went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. 15 And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD:

16 “O LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. 17 Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see. Listen to all the words that Sennacherib has sent to defy the living God.

18 Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all these countries and their lands. 19 They have cast their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods, but only wood and stone—the work of human hands.

20 And now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God. c”

Sennacherib’s Fall Prophesied
(2 Kings 19:20–34)

21 Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Because you have prayed to Me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, 22 this is the word that the LORD has spoken against him:

‘The Virgin Daughter of Zion

despises you and mocks you;

the Daughter of Jerusalem

shakes her head behind you.

23 Whom have you taunted and blasphemed?

Against whom have you raised your voice

and lifted your eyes in pride?

Against the Holy One of Israel!

24 Through your servants you have taunted the Lord,

and you have said:

“With my many chariots

I have ascended

to the heights of the mountains,

to the remote peaks of Lebanon.

I have cut down its tallest cedars,

the finest of its cypresses. d

I have reached its farthest heights,

the densest of its forests.

25 I have dug wells

and drunk foreign e waters.

With the soles of my feet

I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.”

26 Have you not heard?

Long ago I ordained it;

in days of old I planned it.

Now I have brought it to pass,

that you should crush fortified cities

into piles of rubble.

27 Therefore their inhabitants, devoid of power,

are dismayed and ashamed.

They are like plants in the field,

tender green shoots,

grass on the rooftops,

scorched f before it is grown.

28 But I know your sitting down,

your going out and coming in,

and your raging against Me.

29 Because your rage and arrogance against Me

have reached My ears,

I will put My hook in your nose

and My bit in your mouth;

I will send you back

the way you came.’

30 And this will be a sign to you, O Hezekiah:

This year you will eat

what grows on its own,

and in the second year

what springs from the same.

But in the third year you will sow and reap;

you will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

31 And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah

will again take root below

and bear fruit above.

32 For a remnant will go forth from Jerusalem,

and survivors from Mount Zion.

The zeal of the LORD of Hosts

will accomplish this.

33 So this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria:

‘He will not enter this city

or shoot an arrow into it.

He will not come before it with a shield

or build up a siege ramp against it.

34 He will go back the way he came,

and he will not enter this city,’

declares the LORD.

35 ‘I will defend this city

and save it

for My own sake

and for the sake of My servant David.’ ”

Jerusalem Delivered from the Assyrians
(2 Kings 19:35–37; 2 Chronicles 32:20–23)

36 Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up g the next morning, there were all the dead bodies!

37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. 38 One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.

Footnotes:

9 a That is, the upper Nile region
11 b Forms of the Hebrew cherem  refer to the giving over of things or persons, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering.
20 c DSS (see also 2 Kings 19:19); MT You alone are the LORD
24 d Or pines  or junipers  or firs
25 e DSS (see also 2 Kings 19:24); MT does not include foreign .
27 f DSS, some MT manuscripts, and some LXX manuscripts (see also 2 Kings 19:26); most MT manuscripts on the rooftops and terraced fields
36 g Hebrew When they got up

Hezekiah Seeks Isaiah's Help

1And it cometh to pass, at the king Hezekiah's hearing, that he rendeth his garments, and covereth himself with sackcloth, and entereth the house of Jehovah, 2and sendeth Eliakim, who is over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covering themselves with sackcloth, unto Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet, 3and they say unto him, 'Thus said Hezekiah, A day of distress, and rebuke, and despising, is this day; for come have sons unto the birth, and power there is not to bear. 4'It may be Jehovah thy God doth hear the words of Rabshakeh with which the king of Asshur his lord hath sent him to reproach the living God, and hath decided concerning the words that Jehovah thy God hath heard, and thou hast lifted up prayer for the remnant that is found.'

5And the servants of king Hezekiah come in unto Isaiah, 6and Isaiah saith unto them, 'Thus do ye say unto your lord, Thus said Jehovah, Be not afraid because of the words that thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Asshur have reviled Me. 7Lo, I am giving in him a spirit, and he hath heard a report, and hath turned back unto his land, and I have caused him to fall by the sword in his land.'

Sennacherib's Blasphemous Letter

(2 Kings 19:8-13)

8And Rabshakeh turneth back and findeth the king of Asshur fighting against Libnah, for he hath heard that he hath journeyed from Lachish. 9And he heareth concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, saying, 'He hath come out to fight with thee;' and he heareth, and sendeth messengers unto Hezekiah, saying, 10'Thus do ye speak unto Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God lift thee up in whom thou art trusting, saying, Jerusalem is not given into the hand of the king of Asshur. 11Lo, thou hast heard that which the kings of Asshur have done to all the lands -- to devote them -- and thou art delivered! 12Did the gods of the nations deliver them whom my fathers destroyed -- Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the sons of Eden, who are in Telassar? 13Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?'

Hezekiah's Prayer

14And Hezekiah taketh the letters out of the hand of the messengers, and readeth them, and Hezekiah goeth up to the house of Jehovah, and Hezekiah spreadeth it before Jehovah. 15And Hezekiah prayeth unto Jehovah, saying, 16Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, inhabiting the cherubs, Thou art God Himself -- Thyself alone -- to all kingdoms of the earth, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth. 17Incline, O Jehovah, Thine ear, and hear; open, O Jehovah, Thine eyes and see; and hear Thou all the words of Sennacherib that he hath sent to reproach the living God. 18'Truly, O Jehovah, kings of Asshur have laid waste all the lands and their land, 19so as to put their gods into fire -- for they are no gods, but work of the hands of man, wood and stone -- and they destroy them. 20And now, Jehovah our God, save us from his hand, and all kingdoms of the earth do know that Thou art Jehovah, Thyself alone.'

The Fall of Sennacherib

21And Isaiah son of Amoz sendeth unto Hezekiah, saying, 'Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed unto me concerning Sennacherib king of Asshur --

22this is the word that Jehovah spake concerning him: Trampled on thee, laughed at thee, Hath the virgin daughter of Zion, Behind thee shaken the head hath the daughter of Jerusalem.

23Whom hast thou reproached and reviled? And against whom lifted up the voice? Yea, thou dost lift up on high thine eyes Against the Holy One of Israel.

24By the hand of thy servants Thou hast reviled the Lord, and sayest: In the multitude of my chariots I have come up to a high place of hills, The sides of Lebanon, And I cut down the height of its cedars, The choice of its firs, And I enter the high place of its extremity, The forest of its Carmel.

25I -- I have dug and drunk waters, And I dry up with the sole of my steps All floods of a bulwark.

26Hast thou not heard from afar? -- it I did, From days of old -- that I formed it. Now, I have brought it in, And it is to make desolate, Ruinous heaps -- fenced cities,

27And their inhabitants are feeble-handed, They were broken down, and are dried up. They have been the herb of the field, And the greenness of the tender grass, Grass of the roofs, And blasted corn, before it hath risen up.

28And thy sitting down, and thy going out, And thy coming in, I have known, And thy anger towards Me.

29Because of thy anger towards Me, And thy noise -- it came up into Mine ears, I have put My hook in thy nose, And My bridle in thy lips, And I have caused thee to turn back In the way in which thou camest.

30 -- And this to thee is the sign, Food of the year is self-sown grain, And in the second year the spontaneous growth, And in the third year, sow ye and reap, And plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. 31And it hath continued -- the escaped Of the house of Judah that hath been left -- To take root beneath, And it hath made fruit upward. 32For from Jerusalem goeth forth a remnant, And an escape from mount Zion, The zeal of Jehovah of Hosts doth this.

33Therefore, thus said Jehovah, Concerning the king of Asshur: He doth not come in unto this city, Nor doth he shoot there an arrow, Nor doth he come before it with shield, Nor doth he pour out against it a mount. 34In the way that he came, in it he turneth back, And unto this city he doth not come in, An affirmation of Jehovah, 35And I have covered over this city, To save it, for Mine own sake, And for the sake of David My servant.'

The Assyrian Camp Destroyed

36And a messenger of Jehovah goeth out, and smiteth in the camp of Asshur a hundred and eighty and five thousand; and men rise early in the morning, and lo, all of them are dead corpses. 37And journey, and go, and turn back doth Sennacherib king of Asshur, and dwelleth in Nineveh. 38And it cometh to pass, he is bowing himself in the house of Nisroch his god, and Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons have smitten him with the sword, and they have escaped to the land of Ararat, and Esar-Haddon his son reigneth in his stead.

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The F.O.G Commentary

When God Shows Up in the Nick of Time

What’s Isaiah 37 about?

This is the story of what happens when the world’s most arrogant empire meets the God of Israel – and spoiler alert, it doesn’t go well for the empire. King Hezekiah faces his darkest hour as Assyria threatens to crush Jerusalem, but sometimes our greatest crisis becomes the stage for God’s greatest miracle.

The Full Context

Picture this: it’s 701 BC, and the Assyrian war machine has been steamrolling through the ancient Near East like a medieval Death Star. City after city has fallen to Sennacherib’s forces, and now they’ve got Jerusalem surrounded. King Hezekiah is facing the nightmare scenario every ancient ruler dreaded – siege warfare against the world’s most brutal empire. This isn’t just military strategy; it’s psychological warfare designed to break the will of defenders before the first arrow flies.

Isaiah 37 sits at the climactic moment of this crisis, picking up right after the Assyrian field commander has delivered his propaganda speech to demoralize Jerusalem’s defenders. What makes this passage so compelling is how it reveals the collision between human arrogance and divine sovereignty. This chapter serves as the dramatic resolution to the Hezekiah narrative that began in chapter 36, showing us how a faithful king responds to impossible odds and how God responds to faithful prayers.

What the Ancient Words Tell Us

The Hebrew text here is absolutely electric with tension. When Hezekiah receives that threatening letter from Sennacherib, the verb used for his response is pāraś – he “spreads out” the letter before the Lord. This isn’t casual reading; this is a desperate man laying his crisis bare before God like evidence in a courtroom.

Grammar Geeks

The Hebrew phrase liph-nê YHWH (“before the Lord”) in verse 14 uses the preposition that indicates not just physical presence, but standing in someone’s direct attention. Hezekiah isn’t just praying; he’s demanding an audience with the King of the universe.

But here’s where it gets really interesting. When God responds through Isaiah, He uses language that would make any ancient king’s blood boil. The Hebrew bāzāh and lā’ag in verse 22 – “despised” and “mocked” – are the kind of words you’d use to describe how you’d treat a powerless child, not the emperor of Assyria. God is essentially telling Sennacherib, “You think you’re intimidating? Jerusalem’s daughter is laughing at you.”

What Would the Original Audience Have Heard?

To understand the shock value of this chapter, you need to grasp just how terrifying Assyria was to the ancient world. These weren’t just conquerors; they were artists of brutality. Their own records boast about skinning enemies alive, impaling survivors on stakes around conquered cities, and turning skulls into drinking cups. When Sennacherib’s messenger bragged about destroying other nations, he wasn’t exaggerating – the archaeological record confirms their reputation for absolute ruthlessness.

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Did You Know?

Assyrian kings regularly commissioned detailed reliefs showing their torture methods, not to horrify enemies but to advertise their power. The famous Lachish reliefs show Sennacherib’s forces flaying Jewish defenders alive – this was the fate awaiting Jerusalem if they resisted.

So when Isaiah’s audience heard God promising to put a “hook in [Sennacherib’s] nose” (verse 29), they would have gasped. This was the exact imagery Assyrians used for their own captives – leading conquered kings around like animals with rings through their noses. God was promising to give Sennacherib a taste of his own medicine.

The phrase “by the way that he came, he shall return” (verse 34) would have sounded almost too good to be true. Ancient siege warfare typically ended in one of two ways: the city surrenders and gets some mercy, or it falls and gets completely destroyed. Cities didn’t just watch enemy armies pack up and leave. That simply didn’t happen.

But Wait… Why Did They…?

Here’s something that puzzles me about this whole episode: why does Sennacherib send a letter in verse 14 when he’s already delivered his ultimatum in person through his field commander? Why the redundancy?

Wait, That’s Strange…

Ancient siege protocol typically involved one demand for surrender. Multiple communications suggest either desperation or a significant time gap we’re not told about. What changed between chapter 36 and 37 that made Sennacherib feel the need to send written reinforcement of his threats?

I suspect there’s more to this timeline than meets the eye. The letter might indicate that Hezekiah’s initial response wasn’t the immediate capitulation Sennacherib expected. Maybe Jerusalem’s defiance was lasting longer than anticipated, forcing the Assyrian king to try psychological pressure through written ultimatums.

Wrestling with the Text

The most striking thing about Hezekiah’s prayer in verses 16-20 is how it starts with theology before getting to the crisis. He doesn’t begin with “Help, we’re about to die!” Instead, he launches into this magnificent declaration: “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.”

This isn’t just beautiful liturgy – it’s strategic theology. Hezekiah is reminding himself (and God) that the same power that spoke galaxies into existence is more than capable of handling one arrogant emperor. Before he presents his problem, he establishes God’s credentials.

“Sometimes our greatest crisis becomes the stage for God’s greatest miracle.”

Notice how Hezekiah frames the issue in verse 20: “save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.” This isn’t just about Jerusalem’s survival; it’s about God’s reputation among the nations. Hezekiah understands that this crisis is bigger than politics or military strategy – it’s about whether the God of Israel is who He claims to be.

How This Changes Everything

The resolution in verses 36-38 is almost anticlimactic in its simplicity. After all the buildup – the threats, the prayers, the divine promises – the actual deliverance happens in one night. The “angel of the Lord” strikes down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers, and suddenly the most feared army in the world is packing up and going home.

But here’s what changes everything: this wasn’t just a military victory, it was a theological statement to the entire ancient world. Every nation that had watched Assyria’s unstoppable advance now had to grapple with the fact that Jerusalem’s God had done what no human army could do. The ripple effects of this single night would echo through international politics for generations.

The detail about Sennacherib’s death in verses 37-38 – murdered by his own sons in the temple of his god – is the final ironic twist. The king who mocked other nations’ deities meets his end in his own temple, killed by his own family. The message is crystal clear: mock the God of Israel at your own peril.

Key Takeaway

When you’re facing impossible odds, remember that your crisis might be exactly the stage God wants to use to display His power. Hezekiah’s darkest hour became the backdrop for one of history’s greatest miracles – not because he was perfect, but because he knew where to take his problems.

Isaiah Chapter 37

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God's Word is too vast for a single perspective. We all have a story, and as believers we all carry the Holy Spirit who is the Revealer. With this in mind - I would love to read your comments.