2 Kings 19:1-7

Isaiah Reassures Hezekiah

1 ¹As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, ²he tore his clothes and ³covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD.

2 And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, ⁴covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz.

3 They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth.

4 ⁵It may be that the LORD your God heard all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent ⁶to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for ⁷the remnant that is left."

5 When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah,

6 Isaiah said to them, "Say to your master, 'Thus says the LORD: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which ⁸the servants of the king of Assyria have ⁹reviled me.

7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that ¹⁰he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him ¹¹fall by the sword in his own land.'"

2 Kings 19:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 19

This chapter relates that King Hezekiah, on a report made to him of Rabshakeh's speech, sent a message to the prophet Isaiah to pray for him, who returned him a comfortable and encouraging answer, 2Ki 19:1-7 and that upon Rabshakeh's return to the king of Assyria, he sent to Hezekiah a terrifying letter, 2Ki 19:8-13, which Hezekiah spread before the Lord, and prayed unto him to save him and his people out of the hands of the king of Assyria, 2Ki 19:14-19, to which he had a gracious answer sent him by the prophet Isaiah, promising him deliverance from the Assyrian army, 2Ki 19:20-34, which accordingly was destroyed by an angel in one night, and Sennacherib fleeing to Nineveh, was slain by his two sons, 2Ki 19:35-37.

Cross References

• 1. For ver. 1-37, see 2 Chronicles 32:20-22; Isaiah 37:1-38
• 2. [See 2 Kings 18:37 above]
• 3. See 2 Samuel 3:31
• 4. [See ver. 1 above]
• 5. [2 Samuel 16:12]
• 6. ver. 16
• 7. [Isaiah 1:9]
• 8. 2 Kings 18:17
• 9. See 2 Kings 18:22-25, 30-35
• 10. ver. 9
• 11. ver. 37