2 Kings 19:22 kjv
Whom 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.
2 Kings 19:22 nkjv
'Whom have you reproached and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice, And lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel.
2 Kings 19:22 niv
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!
2 Kings 19:22 esv
"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!
2 Kings 19:22 nlt
"Whom have you been defying and ridiculing?
Against whom did you raise your voice?
At whom did you look with such haughty eyes?
It was the Holy One of Israel!
2 Kings 19 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 5:2 | But Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice...? | Pharaoh's similar defiance of God's authority. |
| Job 15:25 | "For he stretches out his hand against God and defies the Almighty..." | Example of direct human defiance towards God. |
| Psa 73:8-9 | They scoff and speak with malice; from on high they threaten oppression... they set their mouths against heaven. | Description of wicked men's arrogant words against God. |
| Psa 74:10 | How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever? | Plea concerning God's name being reviled by enemies. |
| Psa 83:16-18 | Cover their faces with shame... that they may know that you, whose name is the Lord—you alone are the Most High over all the earth. | God's ultimate vindication and glorification over His enemies. |
| Isa 1:4 | Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity... they have despised the Holy One of Israel. | Israel's own despising of the Holy One. |
| Isa 5:19 | Woe to those who draw iniquity with chords... and say, "Let him make haste... the purpose of the Holy One of Israel!" | Impatient challenge and doubting of God's actions. |
| Isa 10:5-7 | "Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger!... he does not so intend... but to destroy..." | Assyria as God's instrument, but acting from its own proud intent. |
| Isa 10:12 | When the Lord has finished all his work... I will punish the boasting of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria... | God's intention to punish Assyria's arrogance. |
| Isa 10:15 | Shall the axe boast over him who chops with it...? | Rhetorical question illustrating man's pride over God's purpose. |
| Isa 12:6 | Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. | Exaltation and celebration of the Holy One of Israel. |
| Isa 30:11-12 | They say to the seers, "Do not see visions!"... have rejected the Holy One of Israel... | Rejection of God's prophets and counsel from the Holy One. |
| Isa 30:15 | For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel... | Reinforces the authority and counsel of the Holy One of Israel. |
| Isa 36:20 | Sennacherib's general asks, "...who among all the gods of these lands has delivered their land...?" | Rabshakeh's direct taunt, mocking God's ability to save. |
| Isa 37:23 | "Whom have you mocked and reviled...? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes so high...? Against the Holy One of Israel!" | Parallel and confirming verse from Isaiah. |
| Isa 37:28-29 | "I know your sitting down and your going out... I know your raging against me... I will put my hook in your nose..." | God's omniscience and control over Sennacherib's movements and thoughts. |
| Isa 37:35 | "For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake." | God's motivation to act for His own name and covenant. |
| Ezek 28:2 | Because your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god’... but you are a man... | Prideful assumption of divinity, as seen with the king of Tyre. |
| Dan 4:37 | Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of Heaven... for those who walk in pride he is able to humble. | Example of a powerful king humbled by God for pride. |
| Psa 139:4 | Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. | God's perfect knowledge of all spoken words. |
| Rom 2:4 | Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience...? | Despising God's character through unbelief or unrepentance. |
| Jam 4:6 | But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." | Divine opposition to pride. |
2 Kings 19 verses
2 Kings 19 22 Meaning
This verse conveys God's powerful rebuke to King Sennacherib of Assyria, clarifying that the Assyrian king's boastful taunts and contemptuous gestures were not merely directed at Judah's King Hezekiah or a regional deity, but precisely against the unique, sovereign, and transcendent "Holy One of Israel." It asserts that any form of scorn or defiance aimed at God's people ultimately constitutes a direct blasphemy against God Himself, whose sacred honor was intensely violated by Sennacherib's arrogance.
2 Kings 19 22 Context
This verse is central to the narrative of King Hezekiah of Judah's reign and the Assyrian threat. Following King Sennacherib's campaign against Judah and the siege of Jerusalem, his general, the Rabshakeh, delivered blasphemous speeches designed to demoralize the Jewish people and mock their trust in Yahweh (2 Kgs 18:17-35). These speeches directly challenged Yahweh's power, asserting that He was no different from the vanquished gods of other nations. In response, Hezekiah tore his clothes, went to the temple, and desperately prayed to the Lord, laying out Sennacherib's blasphemous letters before Him. This verse initiates God's powerful reply through the prophet Isaiah, directly addressing Sennacherib's impudence and revealing the true magnitude of his offense. It challenges the common ancient Near Eastern worldview where national gods were limited by their respective territories and could be defeated by stronger gods.
2 Kings 19 22 Word analysis
Whom have you taunted (חָרַפְתָּ - ḥāraphtā) and blasphemed (וַתְּגַדֵּף - wattəgaddēp)?
- ḥāraphtā (taunted): This verb denotes reproaching, defaming, insulting, or showing contempt. Sennacherib's actions were intended to publicly shame and scorn God's people and, by extension, their God.
- wattəgaddēp (blasphemed): This term signifies a stronger and more direct assault on the divine. It means to revile, mock, curse, or speak irreverently against sacred things or against God Himself, indicating an intentional act of profanity against His honor.
- The combined use of these verbs emphasizes the multi-faceted nature of Sennacherib's offense: not only did he revile and mock, but he specifically blasphemed God's very being and power.
Against whom have you raised your voice (הֲרִימֹתָ - hărîmōtā קוֹל - qôl) and lifted your eyes so high (וַתִּשָּׂא מָרוֹם - wattiśśā’ mārôm)?
- hărîmōtā qôl (raised your voice): This describes a loud, public, and often defiant proclamation or boast. The Rabshakeh's words were uttered in a clear, audible manner to the people of Jerusalem, a public declaration of contempt.
- wattiśśā’ mārôm (lifted your eyes so high): This idiomatic expression vividly portrays an attitude of extreme haughtiness, arrogance, and contemptuous disdain. It suggests looking down from a position of perceived superiority, in this context, even presuming to be superior to God.
- These phrases depict not just words but a posture of immense pride and self-exaltation, indicative of a king who saw himself as unconquerable and supreme, even over divine beings.
Against the Holy One of Israel! (קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל - Qəḏôš Yiśrā’ēl)
- Qəḏôš Yiśrā’ēl (Holy One of Israel): This is a profound and frequently used title for God, particularly prominent in the book of Isaiah.
- "Holy" (qadoš): Points to God's absolute uniqueness, His transcendental nature, His moral purity, and His complete separateness from all creation, sin, and rival deities. He is incomparable and entirely distinct.
- "of Israel": Connects this universally supreme God specifically to His covenant people, demonstrating His intimate relationship and faithfulness to them, even in their vulnerability.
- This climax unequivocally names the true object of Sennacherib's defiance. His offense was not against a mere nation or one among many gods, but against the singular, exalted, and utterly unique God, Yahweh, whose holiness sets Him apart from all other beings. This title also directly counters the Assyrian ideology of their gods' superiority, reasserting Yahweh's ultimate supremacy.
- Qəḏôš Yiśrā’ēl (Holy One of Israel): This is a profound and frequently used title for God, particularly prominent in the book of Isaiah.
2 Kings 19 22 Bonus section
The Lord's response highlights His omniscience, showing that He heard every word and perceived every arrogant thought and gesture of Sennacherib, regardless of the king's self-perception of invincibility. This divine indictment reshapes the conflict from a geopolitical struggle into a theological contest for God's glory and name. It underscores the biblical principle that while God might use nations as instruments for His purposes, He holds them accountable for their intentions and, particularly, for any blasphemy against His sacred being. The direct, confrontational tone of the questions "Whom have you... Against whom have you...?" demands an implicit acknowledgment of God's unique identity, a recognition that Sennacherib refused but would be compelled to concede through divine action.
2 Kings 19 22 Commentary
2 Kings 19:22 functions as a divine turning point in the Assyrian crisis, revealing the true gravity of Sennacherib's arrogance. The king, confident in his empire's might and its gods' supremacy, viewed the God of Judah as merely another local deity susceptible to conquest. However, through Isaiah's prophetic declaration, the Lord corrects this fatal misconception, asserting that the Assyrian's every taunt, loud boast, and haughty glance was aimed directly at the "Holy One of Israel." This designation profoundly emphasizes God's absolute moral perfection, His unique transcendence above all created things, and His exclusive covenant loyalty to Israel. The passage underscores that an attack on God's chosen people or His name is a direct assault on His divine Person. The consequence of such direct blasphemy against the supreme Creator, motivated by human pride, would swiftly follow with divine judgment, demonstrating God's unwavering commitment to vindicating His own name and honor. This serves as a timeless warning against the perils of human hubris set against divine majesty.