Chapter Overview
Summary
Isaiah 37 is the SENNACHERIB CRISIS RESOLUTION — Hezekiah's prayer (vv. 14–20), Isaiah's prophecy of-deliverance (vv. 21–35), and the angelic-overnight-slaughter of-185,000-Assyrians (v. 36). The narrative parallels 2 Kings 19. Verse 36's miraculous-deliverance is one of-the-OT's-most-dramatic divine-interventions.
Notable Variants
37:14 'Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD and spread it before the LORD' — prayer-spread-before-God; 37:36 angelic-overnight-slaughter (185,000 Assyrians); 37:38 Sennacherib assassinated-by-his-own-sons (cf. archaeological-confirmation).
Structural Notes
MT Isaiah 37 = LXX Isaiah 37. 38 verses. // 2 Kings 19. SENNACHERIB-DELIVERANCE.
When King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his robes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.
'As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD' tracks MT.
He sent Eliakim, who was over the palace, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, all covered in sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, son of Amoz.
'And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz' tracks MT.
They said to him, 'This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace. Children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them.
'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' tracks MT.
Perhaps the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard. Lift up a prayer for the remnant that still survives.'
'It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left' tracks MT. LIVING-GOD vs. dead-pagan-deities. 1 Tim 6:17, Heb 9:14, Rev 7:2 use-living-God Christologically.
When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah,
'When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah' tracks MT.
Isaiah said to them, 'Say this to your master: This is what the LORD says — Do not be afraid of the words you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.
'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 the young men of the king of Assyria have reviled me' tracks MT.
I am about to put a spirit in him so that he hears a rumor and returns to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.'
'Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land' tracks MT. SENNACHERIB-PROPHECY — fulfilled-vv. 36–38.
The Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that Sennacherib had moved on from Lachish.
'The Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left Lachish' tracks MT.
He heard it said concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, 'He has come out to fight against you.' When he heard this, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
'Now the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush: He has set out to fight against you. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying' tracks MT. TIRHAKAH KING-OF-CUSH (Taharqa, 25th-Egyptian-dynasty) — historical-figure providing strong-historical-anchor.
'Say this to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you by saying that Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.
'Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria' tracks MT.
You have surely heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And will you be delivered?
'Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered?' tracks MT.
Did the gods of the nations deliver those my fathers destroyed — Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?
'Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?' tracks MT.
Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?'
'Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?' tracks MT.
Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. Then Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD.
'Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD' tracks MT. SPREAD-IT-BEFORE-THE-LORD. Classic-prayer-posture — bringing-the-letter literally-before-divine-presence. Phil 4:6's 'in everything by prayer and supplication … let your requests be made known to God' extends.
Hezekiah prayed to the LORD, saying:
'And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD' tracks MT.
'O LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim — You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.
'O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth' tracks MT. ENTHRONED-ABOVE-CHERUBIM. Hezekiah's-cosmology — exclusive-creator-monotheism.
Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear. Open Your eyes, O LORD, and see. Hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he sent to mock the living God.
'Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God' tracks MT.
It is true, LORD — the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands,
'Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands' tracks MT.
and have thrown their gods into the fire — for they were not gods at all, but the work of human hands, wood and stone. So they destroyed them.
'And have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed' tracks MT. PAGAN-IDOLS-AS-WOOD-AND-STONE. Acts 19:26's 'gods made with hands are not gods' extends.
Now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone are the LORD.'
'So now, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the LORD' tracks MT. THAT-ALL-KINGDOMS-MAY-KNOW. Missional-aim of-deliverance.
Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent word to Hezekiah: 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says — Because you have prayed to Me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria,
'Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying: Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria' tracks MT.
this is the word the LORD has spoken against him: She despises you, she laughs you to scorn — the virgin daughter of Zion! Behind your back she shakes her head — the daughter of Jerusalem!
'This is the word that the LORD has spoken concerning him: She despises you, she scorns you — the virgin daughter of Zion; she wags her head behind you — the daughter of Jerusalem' tracks MT. VIRGIN-DAUGHTER-OF-ZION mocks-the-mocker.
Whom have you mocked and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel!
'Whom have you mocked and reviled? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes to the heights? Against the Holy One of Israel!' tracks MT.
Through your servants you mocked the Lord, and you said: 'With my many chariots I have ascended the mountain heights, the remote peaks of Lebanon. I cut down its tallest cedars, its choicest cypresses. I reached its farthest height, its densest forest.
'By your servants you have mocked the Lord, and you have said: With my many chariots I have gone up the heights of the mountains, to the far recesses of Lebanon' tracks MT.
I dug wells and drank foreign waters. With the sole of my feet I dried up all the streams of Egypt.'
'I dug wells and drank waters, to dry up with the sole of my foot all the streams of Egypt' tracks MT.
Have you not heard? Long ago I planned it. In days of old I designed it. Now I have brought it to pass — that you should crush fortified cities into heaps of rubble.
'Have you not heard that I determined it long ago? I planned from days of old what now I bring to pass, that you should make fortified cities crash into heaps of ruins' tracks MT.
Their inhabitants, shorn of strength, were dismayed and put to shame. They were like plants of the field, like tender green shoots, like grass on the rooftops, scorched before it can grow.
'While their inhabitants, shorn of strength, are dismayed and confounded, and have become like plants of the field and like tender grass, like grass on the housetops, blighted before it is grown' tracks MT.
I know your sitting down, your going out and your coming in, and your raging against Me.
'I know your sitting down and your going out and coming in, and your raging against me' tracks MT. DIVINE-OMNISCIENCE of Sennacherib's-movements.
Because your raging against Me and your arrogance have reached My ears, I will put My hook in your nose and My bit in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way you came.
'Because you have raged against me and your complacency has come into my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will turn you back on the way by which you came' tracks MT. HOOK-IN-NOSE Assyrian-treatment of-captives turned-against-Sennacherib.
This will be the sign for you: This year you will eat what grows on its own, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year, sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
'And this shall be the sign for you: this year you shall eat what grows of itself, and in the second year what springs from that. Then in the third year sow and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit' tracks MT.
The surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward.
'And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward' tracks MT. ROOT-DOWNWARD / FRUIT-UPWARD remnant-imagery.
For out of Jerusalem a remnant will go forth, and survivors from Mount Zion. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.
'For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this' tracks MT.
Therefore, this is what the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria: He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not advance against it with shields or build a siege ramp against it.
'Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it' tracks MT.
By the way he came, he will return, and he will not enter this city — declares the LORD.
'By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the LORD' tracks MT.
For I will defend this city and save it, for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David.'
'For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David' tracks MT. FOR-DAVID'S-SAKE — Davidic-covenant grounds.
The angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the Assyrian camp. When the survivors rose early in the morning, there were dead bodies everywhere.
'And the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies' tracks MT. ANGELIC-OVERNIGHT-SLAUGHTER. // 2 Kings 19:35. The most-decisive-divine-intervention in-OT-history. Sennacherib's-Annals (Taylor Prism) ironically-confirm-the-retreat without-claiming Jerusalem-fall — corroborating-Scripture by-conspicuous-silence.
Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp, departed, and returned to Nineveh, where he stayed.
'Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh' tracks MT.
As he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword. They escaped to the land of Ararat, and his son Esarhaddon reigned in his place.
'And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword. And after they escaped into the land of Ararat, Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place' tracks MT. SENNACHERIB-ASSASSINATED-BY-SONS — fulfilled-prophecy of-v.7. The historical-event archaeologically-confirmed (Babylonian-Chronicle, Esarhaddon-inscription).