Isaiah 37

King James Version

Full text for Isaiah Chapter 37

1¶ And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard [it], that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.

2And he sent Eliakim, who [was] over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.

3And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day [is] a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and [there is] not strength to bring forth.

4It may be the LORD thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up [thy] prayer for the remnant that is left.

5So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

6And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.

7Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

8¶ So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.

9And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He is come forth to make war with thee. And when he heard [it], he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

10Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.

11Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be delivered?

12Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, [as] Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which [were] in Telassar?

13Where [is] the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?

14And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.

15And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD, saying,

16O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest [between] the cherubims, thou [art] the God, [even] thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.

17Incline thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open thine eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God.

18Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries,

19And have cast their gods into the fire: for they [were] no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.

20Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou [art] the LORD, [even] thou only.

21¶ Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria:

22This [is] the word which the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, [and] laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.

23Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted [thy] voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? [even] against the Holy One of Israel.

24By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord, and hast said, By the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, [and] the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the height of his border, [and] the forest of his Carmel.

25I have digged, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places.

26Hast thou not heard long ago, [how] I have done it; [and] of ancient times, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities [into] ruinous heaps.

27Therefore their inhabitants [were] of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were [as] the grass of the field, and [as] the green herb, [as] the grass on the housetops, and [as corn] blasted before it be grown up.

28But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me.

29Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.

30And this [shall be] a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat [this] year such as groweth of itself; and the second year that which springeth of the same: and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof.

31And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:

32For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.

33Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it.

34By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD.

35For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

36Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they [were] all dead corpses.

37So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.

38And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

King Hezekiah, facing the Assyrian king Sennacherib's blasphemous threats against Jerusalem, sought the LORD through the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah delivered God's message of assurance, promising deliverance for Jerusalem and Sennacherib's eventual demise. The Angel of the LORD then smote 185,000 Assyrian soldiers, forcing Sennacherib to retreat. Years later, Sennacherib was assassinated by his own sons in Nineveh, fulfilling the divine prophecy.

Medium Summary

Upon hearing the Assyrian Rabshakeh's taunts and Sennacherib's threatening letter, King Hezekiah rent his clothes and sought the LORD in the Temple, sending messengers to Isaiah the prophet. Isaiah conveyed God's word, assuring Hezekiah not to fear the Assyrian's blasphemy and promising Sennacherib's return to his land and death by the sword. When Sennacherib sent a second, more direct letter challenging Judah's trust in God, Hezekiah spread it before the LORD in fervent prayer, appealing to God's unique sovereignty. Isaiah then delivered a second prophecy, declaring the LORD's contempt for Sennacherib's pride and promising to defend Jerusalem for His own sake and David's. As a sign, Judah would experience agricultural recovery. That night, the Angel of the LORD smote 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in their camp, compelling Sennacherib to retreat to Nineveh. Subsequently, Sennacherib was assassinated by his sons while worshipping his god, fulfilling the divine judgment.

Long Summary

When King Hezekiah received the Assyrian Rabshakeh's blasphemous messages and Sennacherib's threats against Jerusalem, he expressed his distress by rending his clothes, covering himself with sackcloth, and going into the house of the LORD. He sent a delegation of officials and priests, similarly attired, to Isaiah the prophet, describing Judah's dire situation as a "day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy." Hezekiah implored Isaiah to pray for the remnant, hoping the LORD would reprove Rabshakeh's words against the living God. Isaiah responded with a divine message, assuring Hezekiah not to fear the Assyrian's words, for the LORD would send a "blast" upon Sennacherib, causing him to hear a rumour, return to his land, and ultimately fall by the sword there. Rabshakeh indeed returned to find Sennacherib warring elsewhere, and upon hearing of Tirhakah's advance, Sennacherib sent another, more direct letter to Hezekiah. This letter further mocked Judah's trust in their God, citing Assyria's track record of utterly destroying nations whose gods could not deliver them. Hezekiah received this letter, took it to the house of the LORD, and spread it before Him, offering a heartfelt prayer. He appealed to the LORD of hosts, the sole God of all kingdoms, who made heaven and earth, to hear Sennacherib's reproaches and save Judah, so that all the world might know Him as the only LORD. In response, Isaiah sent another message from the LORD, declaring God's scorn for Sennacherib's pride and blasphemy against the Holy One of Israel. The LORD recounted His ancient plan to use Assyria for destruction but now promised to put a "hook in thy nose" and a "bridle in thy lips," turning Sennacherib back. As a sign, Judah would eat what grew of itself for two years, then sow and reap in the third, signifying divine provision and restoration. The LORD affirmed His intention to defend Jerusalem for His own sake and for His servant David's sake, preventing the Assyrian king from entering the city or attacking it. That very night, the Angel of the LORD went forth and smote 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in their camp, leaving them all dead corpses by morning. Sennacherib was compelled to depart, returning to Nineveh, and years later, while worshipping in the temple of his god Nisroch, he was assassinated by his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer, fulfilling the LORD's prophecy.

Core Concepts

  • Hezekiah's Prayer and FaithUpon receiving threats and blasphemy from Sennacherib, King Hezekiah demonstrates profound faith by tearing his clothes, covering himself with sackcloth, and taking the matter directly to the LORD in the Temple through fervent prayer.
  • Prophetic AssuranceThe prophet Isaiah delivers two distinct messages from the LORD, providing unwavering assurance of Jerusalem's deliverance and the certain judgment upon Sennacherib, despite the overwhelming military threat.
  • Divine InterventionThe LORD directly intervenes in a miraculous manner by sending His Angel to smite 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night, demonstrating His power to protect His people and city without human effort.
  • Blasphemy and JudgmentSennacherib's arrogant words and reproaches against the living God are met with swift and decisive divine judgment, culminating in the destruction of his army and his eventual assassination.
  • Sovereignty of GodHezekiah's prayer and Isaiah's prophecies emphasize the LORD as the only true God, the Creator of heaven and earth, who alone controls the destinies of nations and kings, even using them for His purposes.
  • God's Defense of JerusalemThe LORD explicitly states His commitment to defend Jerusalem, not for the city's merit, but for His own sake and for the sake of His servant David, preventing the Assyrian king from entering or attacking it.
  • The Sign of RestorationThe LORD provides a unique sign to Hezekiah: for two years, the people would eat what grew of itself, and in the third year, they would sow, reap, and plant vineyards, signifying a period of divine provision and agricultural restoration after the siege.