Isaiah 37:14-20

Hezekiah’s Prayer

14 And Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers, and he read it. Then he went up [to] the temple of Yahweh, and Hezekiah spread it out before the {presence} of Yahweh.

15 And Hezekiah prayed to Yahweh, saying,

16 "Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel {who is enthroned on} the cherubim, you [are] the one, God by yourself, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you are the one who made the heavens and the earth.

17 Yahweh, extend your ear and hear! Yahweh, open your eyes and see, and hear all the words of Sennacherib that he has sent to taunt the living God!

18 Truly, Yahweh, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the lands and their land,

19 to {set} their gods in the fire, for they [were] not gods, but [the] work of human hands, wood and stone, and they destroyed them.

20 So now, Yahweh, our God, save us from his hand so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you [are] Yahweh, you alone!"

Isaiah 37:14-20 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "called"
• [b]. Or "And"
• [c]. Or "house"
• [d]. Literally "face"
• [e]. Literally "sitting"
• [f]. The parallel text in 2 Kings has "nations"
• [g]. Literally "give"
• [h]. Or "And"
• [i]. Or "and"