Isaiah 37:1-13

Hezekiah Seeks Isaiah's Help

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

2 Then he sent ²Eliakim who was over the household with ³Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to ⁴Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.

3 They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, 'This day is a ⁵day of distress, rebuke and rejection; for ⁶children have come to birth, and there is no strength to deliver.

4 'Perhaps the LORD your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to ⁷reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for ⁸the remnant that is left.' "

5 So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

6 Isaiah said to them, "Thus you shall say to your master, 'Thus says the LORD, "⁹Do not be afraid because * 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 so that he will ¹⁰hear a rumor and ¹¹return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.""'

8 Then Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against ¹²Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left ¹³Lachish.

9 When he ¹⁴heard them say concerning Tirhakah king of ¹⁵Cush, "He has come out to fight against you," and when he heard it he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

10 "Thus you shall say to Hezekiah king of Judah, '¹⁶Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, "Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria."

11 '¹⁷Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, destroying them completely. So will you be spared?

12 'Did the gods of those nations which my fathers have destroyed deliver them, even ¹⁸Gozan and ¹⁹Haran 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 37:1-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 37

In this chapter are contained Hezekiah's message to Isaiah, desiring his prayer for him and his people, in this time of sore distress, Isa 37:1-5, the comforting and encouraging answer returned by the prophet to him, Isa 37:6,7, the king of Assyria's letter to Hezekiah, to terrify him into a surrender of the city of Jerusalem to him, Isa 37:8-13 which Hezekiah spread before the Lord, and prayed unto him for deliverance, Isa 37:14-20, upon which he received a gracious answer by the hand of the prophet, promising safety and deliverance to him, and destruction to the king of Assyria, of which a sign was given, Isa 37:21-35 and the chapter is closed with the slaughter of the Assyrian army by an angel, the flight of the king, and his death by the hands of his sons, Isa 37:36-38.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Kings 19:1-37; Isaiah 37:1-38
• 2. Isaiah 22:20
• 3. Isaiah 22:15
• 4. Isaiah 1:1; Isaiah 20:2
• 5. Isaiah 22:5; Isaiah 26:16; Isaiah 33:2
• 6. Isaiah 26:17, 18; Isaiah 66:9; Hosea 13:13
• 7. Is 36:13-15, 18, 20
• 8. Isaiah 1:9; Isaiah 10:20-22; Isaiah 37:31, 32; Isaiah 46:3
• 9. Isaiah 7:4; Isaiah 35:4
• 10. Isaiah 37:9
• 11. Isaiah 37:37, 38
• 12. Numbers 33:20; Joshua 10:29
• 13. Joshua 10:31, 32
• 14. Isaiah 37:7
• 15. Isaiah 18:1; Isaiah 20:5
• 16. Isaiah 36:15
• 17. Isaiah 10:9-11; Isaiah 36:18-20
• 18. 2 Kings 17:6; 2 Kings 18:11
• 19. Genesis 11:31; Genesis 12:1-4; Acts 7:2

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "give birth"
• [b]. Lit "he"
• [c]. Or "Ethiopia"
• [d]. Lit "Judah, saying"
• [e]. Lit "delivered"
• [f]. Lit "the"