Analysis of Isaiah Chapter 37
Isaiah Chapter 37 offers a rich narrative that is both historical and theological, centering on the response of King Hezekiah of Judah to the Assyrian threat under King Sennacherib. This chapter is crucial for understanding the dynamics of faith, prophecy, and deliverance in the biblical context.
Context and Structure
Isaiah 37 finds its setting during a pivotal moment in the history of Judah. The Assyrian empire, under King Sennacherib, has expanded its territory and is now threatening Jerusalem. In the preceding chapters, the Assyrians have besieged several cities of Judah and their commander has issued a demoralizing message to Jerusalem. Isaiah 36 ends with a bleak outlook, setting the stage for the unfolding narrative in Chapter 37.
- Verses 1-7: Hezekiah’s crisis and appeal to Isaiah.
- Verses 8-13: Sennacherib’s renewed threat.
- Verses 14-20: Hezekiah’s prayer for deliverance.
- Verses 21-35: Isaiah’s prophecy of Sennacherib’s defeat.
- Verses 36-38: The fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.
Verses 1-7: Hezekiah’s Crisis and Appeal to Isaiah
In the first section, we see King Hezekiah’s immediate reaction to the threat posed by the Assyrians. Upon hearing the report of Sennacherib’s threats, Hezekiah tears his clothes and puts on sackcloth, a traditional sign of mourning and repentance. He proceeds to the temple of the LORD, demonstrating his reliance on divine intervention in times of national crisis.
Isaiah 37:1: When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD.
This act symbolizes humility and a sincere appeal to God, recognizing that the crisis at hand is beyond human resolution. Hezekiah also sends a delegation including Eliakim, the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and leading priests, all clothed in sackcloth, to consult the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 37:4: It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the LORD your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.
The message delivered to Isaiah explicitly appeals for divine retribution against the Assyrians’ blasphemy. Isaiah’s response provides immediate reassurance:
Isaiah 37:6: …Tell your master, ‘This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
Isaiah promises that God will deliver the people from the Assyrian threat, indicating that Sennacherib will receive a spirit that will lead him back to his own land, where he will be cut down by the sword. This prophecy sets a tone of hope and divine justice in the text.
Verses 8-13: Sennacherib’s Renewed Threat
Despite earlier reassurances, the situation intensifies when the Assyrian king sends another threatening message to Hezekiah, essentially restating the futility of trusting in their God. Sennacherib cites the conquests of other nations’ gods as evidence that the God of Israel is equally powerless to save Jerusalem.
Isaiah 37:10: “Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’
This taunt challenges the sovereignty and power of the God of Israel, further escalating the confrontation from a political siege to a theological crisis. Sennacherib’s message is not just a threat to Hezekiah but an affront to God Himself.
Verses 14-20: Hezekiah’s Prayer for Deliverance
After receiving Sennacherib’s letter, Hezekiah goes up to the temple and spreads it out before the LORD, physically laying down his burdens and concerns in the house of God. This act is both symbolic and practical, showing his reliance on divine intervention.
Isaiah 37:15-16: And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: “LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.”
Hezekiah begins his prayer by acknowledging the sovereignty and creative power of God. This sets the theological foundation for his plea, contrasting the living God of Israel with the powerless idols of other nations. He petitions God to save them, not just for deliverance but so that all kingdoms on the earth may know that the LORD alone is God.
Verses 21-35: Isaiah’s Prophecy of Sennacherib’s Defeat
In response to Hezekiah’s prayer, Isaiah delivers a lengthy prophecy, given by God, which addresses both Hezekiah and Sennacherib. This section serves multiple purposes: it reassures the people of Judah, it confronts the arrogance of Sennacherib, and it asserts God’s sovereignty.
Isaiah 37:22: this is the word the LORD has spoken against him: “Virgin Daughter Zion despises and mocks you. Daughter Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee.”
God addresses Sennacherib’s arrogance by personifying Jerusalem as a woman who mocks and derides him. This imagery underscores the ultimate humiliation that awaits the Assyrian king, contrasting his pride with the vulnerability yet resilience of Jerusalem.
Isaiah 37:23-24: “Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel! By your messengers you have ridiculed the Lord…”
Here, God directly confronts the blasphemy of Sennacherib. The Assyrian king’s pride and arrogance are highlighted as offenses not merely against Judah but against God Himself. The passage serves as a divine indictment of Sennacherib’s overreach and impiety.
Isaiah then describes God’s power and knowledge, contrasting it with the limitations of the Assyrian king:
Isaiah 37:26: “Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old, I planned it; now I have brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone.”
This verse reveals that even the Assyrian conquests were within God’s sovereignty. What Sennacherib perceives as his triumph is actually part of God’s greater plan, reinforcing the theme that God’s will ultimately prevails.
The prophecy concludes with a promise of deliverance for Judah:
Isaiah 37:33-35: “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 come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant!’”
This divine assurance through Isaiah offers a concrete promise that Jerusalem will be spared. The reference to David underscores the covenantal faithfulness of God, binding the promise of deliverance to his steadfast love and commitment to David’s lineage.
Verses 36-38: The Fulfillment of Isaiah’s Prophecy
The narrative swiftly moves to the fulfillment of God’s prophecy through Isaiah. An angel of the LORD strikes down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers, demonstrating divine intervention in the most dramatic and immediate manner.
Isaiah 37:36: Then the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!
This miraculous event underscores the power and mercy of God. The defeat of the Assyrian army without Jerusalem having to lift a sword vindicates Hezekiah’s faith and reliance on divine deliverance.
Isaiah 37:37-38: So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king.
Sennacherib’s assassination by his own sons while worshipping his god highlights the ultimate impotence of the Assyrian deities compared to the living God of Israel. The fate of Sennacherib serves as a stark contrast to the faithfulness and power of the God who delivers Judah.
Conclusion
Isaiah Chapter 37 is a potent chapter that emphasizes the themes of faith, prophecy, divine intervention, and the ultimate sovereignty of God. Through the narrative of Hezekiah’s reliance on God, Isaiah’s prophetic reassurance, and the miraculous defeat of the Assyrian army, the chapter conveys a message of hope and divine justice.
This chapter reminds readers of the importance of humility, the power of prayer, and the certainty that no earthly power can withstand the purposes and might of the LORD. Hezekiah’s faith and God’s deliverance stand as enduring testimonies to the truth that the God of Israel is indeed the sovereign Lord over all the earth.