Keraia
Isaiah 36

Isaiah 36:10

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem · Isaiah 36:1–22
Read Isaiah 36

Translations

Modern
So now, was it apart from the LORD that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The LORD Himself said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’”
Traditional
And am I now come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it? the Lord said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
Literal
And now, was it without YHWH that I came up against this land to destroy it? YHWH has said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it!’”
Latin
…et nunc numquid sine Domino ascendi ad terram istam, ut disperderem eam? Dominus dixit ad me: Ascende super terram istam, et disperde eam.

Original

Hebrew
English
So now, was it apart from the LORD that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The LORD Himself said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’”

Notes

Isaiah 36:10

The LORD Himself said to me: It was common for a king to claim that a god approved of their actions when they destroyed other kingdoms. This matched Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 10:5–6.

Isaiah 36:4–22

The Assyrian chief of staff tried to use intimidation to negotiate a peaceful settlement. In his first speech (Isaiah 36:4–10), he correctly argued that Egypt could not rescue them but incorrectly accused Hezekiah of misplaced trust in the Lord.

Interestingly, the Assyrian did not view the contest as between the gods of Assyria and the Lord, but rather between Sennacherib (the great king) and the Lord.

Isaiah 36:1–39:8

Jerusalem’s rescue from King Sennacherib of Assyria is a main event in Isaiah 1–39. The Lord promised to save his people. He would remain present with Jerusalem (see 7:14). He would also keep a remnant, a small group who would survive (see study note on Isaiah 10:20).

Much of the land became empty and the population greatly reduced. This happened because Judah made a foolish alliance with Assyria (chapters 7–8). Even so, the Lord did not allow total defeat. He preserved his people through Hezekiah, a faithful king.

Hezekiah faced the same kind of test that King Ahaz had faced. It was a test of trust in the Lord. In chapter 36, the Assyrian officer repeats the word trust as he challenges the people. But Hezekiah had learned from the earlier warnings in chapters 13–35. At least at first, he trusted God and passed the test.

This story also appears in 2 Kings 18:13–20:19.

Events

Parallels

2 Kings 18:13–37 2 Chronicles 32:1–8

Glossary

Assyria, Assyrians Hezekiah Hilkiah History of Israel Inscriptions Isaiah, Book of Joah Kings, Books of First and Second Lachish Micah (Person) Rabshakeh