Jesaja 37:4

4 Misschien zal de HEERE, uw God, horen de woorden van Rabsake, denwelken zijn heer, de koning van Assyrie, gezonden heeft, om den levenden God te honen, en te schelden met woorden, die de HEERE, uw God, gehoord heeft; hef dan een gebed op voor het overblijfsel, dat gevonden wordt.

Jesaja 37:4 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 37:4

It may be the Lord thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh,
&c.] He had heard them; but the sense is, that it might be that he would take notice of them, and resent them in a public manner, and punish for them; and this is said, not as doubting and questioning whether he would or not, but as hoping and encouraging himself that he would: and it may be observed, that Hezekiah does not call the Lord "my God", or "our God", because he and his people were under the chastening hand of God for their sins, and were undeserving of such a relation; but "thy God", whose prophet he was, whom he served, and to whom he was dear, and with whom he had an interest; and therefore it might be hoped his prayer to him would be heard and accepted, and that through his interposition God would be prevailed upon to take notice of the railing speech of Rabshakeh: whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living
God;
who has life in and of himself, and is the fountain, author, and giver of life to all others; him he reproached by setting him on a level with the lifeless idols of the Gentiles: and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard;
reprove him for his words, take vengeance upon him, or punish him for the blasphemous words spoken by him against the Lord and in his hearing: to this sense is the Targum; and so the Syriac and Arabic versions: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left;
lift up thy voice, thy hands, and thine heart, in prayer to God in heaven; pray earnestly and fervently for those that are left; the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, the other ten having been carried captive some time ago; or the inhabitants of Jerusalem particularly, the defenced cities of Judah having been already taken by the Assyrian king. The fewness of the number that remained seems to be made use of as an argument for prayer in their favour. In times of distress, men should not only pray for themselves, but get others to pray for them, and especially men of eminence in religion, who have nearness of access to God, and interest in him.

Jesaja 37:4 In-Context

2 Daarna zond hij Eljakim, den hofmeester, en Sebna, den schrijver, en de oudsten der priesteren, met zakken bedekt, tot Jesaja, den profeet, den zoon van Amoz;

3 En zij zeiden tot hem: Alzo zegt Hizkia: Deze dag is een dag der benauwdheid, en der schelding, en der lastering; want de kinderen zijn gekomen tot aan de geboorte, en er is geen kracht om te baren.

4 Misschien zal de HEERE, uw God, horen de woorden van Rabsake, denwelken zijn heer, de koning van Assyrie, gezonden heeft, om den levenden God te honen, en te schelden met woorden, die de HEERE, uw God, gehoord heeft; hef dan een gebed op voor het overblijfsel, dat gevonden wordt.

5 En de knechten van den koning Hizkia kwamen tot Jesaja.

6 En Jesaja zeide tot hen: Zo zult gijlieden tot uw heer zeggen: Zo zegt de HEERE: Vrees niet voor de woorden, die gij gehoord hebt, waarmede Mij de dienaars des konings van Assyrie gelasterd hebben.