Isaiah 37:9-13

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?’”

Isaiah 37:9-13 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.

Footnotes

• [a] That is, the upper Nile region
• [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.