2 Kings 19:1

1 And when king Hezekiah had heard these things, he rent his clothes, and was covered with a sackcloth; and he entered into the house of the Lord. (And when King Hezekiah had heard these things, he tore his clothes, and was covered with a sackcloth; and he went to the House of the Lord.)

2 Kings 19:1 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 19:1

And it came to pass, when King Hezekiah heard it
The report of Rabshakeh's speech, recorded in the preceding chapter,

that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth;
rent his clothes because of the blasphemy in the speech; and he put on sackcloth, in token of mourning, for the calamities he feared were coming on him and his people: and he went into the house of the Lord; the temple, to pray unto him. The message he sent to Isaiah, with his answer, and the threatening letter of the king of Assyria, Hezekiah's prayer upon it, and the encouraging answer he had from the Lord, with the account of the destruction of the Assyrian army, and the death of Sennacherib, are the same "verbatim" as in ( Isaiah 37:1 ) throughout; and therefore the reader is referred thither for the exposition of them; only would add what Rauwolff ^F20 observes, that still to this day (1575) there are two great holes to be seen, wherein they flung the dead bodies (of the Assyrian army), one whereof is close by the road towards Bethlehem, the other towards the right hand against old Bethel.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 Travels, par. 3. ch. 22. p. 317.

2 Kings 19:1 In-Context

1 And when king Hezekiah had heard these things, he rent his clothes, and was covered with a sackcloth; and he entered into the house of the Lord. (And when King Hezekiah had heard these things, he tore his clothes, and was covered with a sackcloth; and he went to the House of the Lord.)

2 And he sent Eliakim, [the] sovereign of the house, and Shebna, the scribe, and [the] eld men of the priests, covered with sackcloths, to Isaiah, the prophet, the son of Amoz.

3 The which said to him, Hezekiah saith these things, This day is a day of tribulation, and of blaming, and of blasphemy; (for the) sons came unto the birth, and the mother travailing hath not strength thereto (for we be like a woman come to the childbirth, but who hath no strength to bring forth her child).

4 If peradventure thy Lord God hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyrians, his lord hath sent, that he should despise the Lord living, and reprove by words, which thy Lord God (hath) heard; and (so) make thou prayer for these remnants of the people, that be found. (Perhaps the Lord thy God hath heard all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria, his lord, hath sent, his insulting words towards the living Lord; and he shall rebuke him for those words, that he, the Lord thy God, hath heard; so pray thou for these remnants of the people, who be found here.)

5 Therefore the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah; (And so the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah;)