Isaiah 37:30-38

30 "Then this shall be the sign for you: you will eat this year what ¹grows of itself, in the second year what springs from the same, and in the third year sow, reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

31 "The ²surviving ³remnant of the house of Judah will again ⁴take root downward and bear fruit upward.

32 "For out of Jerusalem will go forth a ⁵remnant and out of Mount Zion survivors. The ⁶zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."'

33 "Therefore, thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, 'He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield, or throw up a ⁷siege ramp against it.

34 '⁸By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he will not come to this city,' declares the LORD.

35 'For I will ⁹defend this city to save it ¹⁰for My own sake and for My servant David's sake.' "

Assyrians Destroyed

36 Then the ¹¹angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 * * * in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men arose early in the morning, behold, all of these were dead *.

37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at ¹²Nineveh.

38 It came about as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of ¹³Ararat. And ¹⁴Esarhaddon his son became king in his place.

Isaiah 37:30-38 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. Leviticus 25:5, 11
• 2. Isaiah 4:2; Isaiah 10:20
• 3. Isaiah 37:4
• 4. Isaiah 27:6
• 5. Isaiah 37:4
• 6. 2 Kings 19:31; Isaiah 9:7; Isaiah 59:17; Joel 2:18; Zechariah 1:14
• 7. Jeremiah 6:6; Jeremiah 32:24
• 8. Isaiah 37:29
• 9. 2 Kings 20:6; Isaiah 31:5; Isaiah 38:6
• 10. Isaiah 43:25; Isaiah 48:9, 11
• 11. 2 Kings 19:35; Is 10:12, 33, 34
• 12. Genesis 10:11; Jonah 1:2; Jonah 3:3; Jonah 4:11; Zephaniah 2:13
• 13. Genesis 8:4; Jeremiah 51:27
• 14. Ezra 4:2

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "eating"
• [b] Lit "those who escape"
• [c] Lit "they"
• [d] Lit "dead bodies"
• [e] Lit "went and returned"