Isaiah 36 15

Isaiah 36:15 kjv

Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

Isaiah 36:15 nkjv

nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, "The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria." '

Isaiah 36:15 niv

Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, 'The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.'

Isaiah 36:15 esv

Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, "The LORD will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria."

Isaiah 36:15 nlt

Don't let him fool you into trusting in the LORD by saying, 'The LORD will surely rescue us. This city will never fall into the hands of the Assyrian king!'

Isaiah 36 verses

Isaiah 36 15 Meaning

Isaiah 36:15 records a portion of the Assyrian Rabshekah’s manipulative speech to the people of Jerusalem during Sennacherib’s siege. It is a direct warning to the Judeans not to trust their King Hezekiah’s assurances that the LORD, the God of Israel, will undoubtedly deliver them and protect the city from falling into the hands of the Assyrian king. The Rabshekah aims to sow doubt and fear, undermining their faith in both their leader and their God by presenting Hezekiah's call for trust as a dangerous deception.

Isaiah 36 15 Context

Isaiah chapter 36 opens during the 14th year of King Hezekiah's reign (around 701 BC), detailing the formidable Assyrian King Sennacherib's campaign against Judah. Following successful conquests of fortified Judean cities, the Assyrians lay siege to Jerusalem. Sennacherib dispatches his top generals, including the Rabshekah, to Jerusalem with a massive army. The Rabshekah delivers a message in Hebrew to the people standing on the city wall, intentionally bypassing Hezekiah's officials who pleaded with him to speak in Aramaic (the diplomatic language) to avoid alarming the populace. His speech is a masterclass in psychological warfare: he mocks Judah's allies, dismisses their trust in the LORD by claiming the LORD sent Assyria Himself, and promises a land of abundance if they surrender. Verse 15 is a crucial part of this propaganda, directly countering King Hezekiah’s repeated call for faith in God's deliverance, seeking to neutralize the last remaining hope of the besieged inhabitants. This historical moment is a test of Judah's covenant relationship with the LORD and King Hezekiah's leadership amidst an existential threat from the most powerful empire of the ancient world.

Isaiah 36 15 Word analysis

• "Let not Hezekiah" (וְלֹֽא־יַשִּׁא֩ אֶתְכֶ֨ם חִזְקִיָּ֜הוּ - wĕlō-yashshî ʾetḵem ḥizqîyyāhū):

  • Hezekiah (ḥizqîyyāhū): The name means "YHWH strengthens" or "My strength is YHWH." This is highly significant given that the Rabshekah is attempting to discredit Hezekiah’s message of relying on God for strength and deliverance. Hezekiah was known for his reforms and trust in the LORD (2 Kgs 18:5-7), making his faith the primary target of the Rabshekah’s assault.
  • "persuade you" (yashshî): This is from the Hiphil stem of the Hebrew verb nasha (נָשָׁא), which means "to deceive," "to delude," or "to lead astray." The Rabshekah portrays Hezekiah's encouragement as a dangerous manipulation or a cunning lie, rather than genuine spiritual leadership or conviction. He frames Hezekiah’s trust in God as irrational and detrimental. This choice of verb suggests an intentional malicious deceit, aimed at eroding the trust between the king and his people.

• "saying, ‘The LORD will deliver us;’":

  • "The LORD" (YHWH - יְהוָ֣ה): This is the sacred, personal, covenant name of God, frequently translated as "LORD" in English Bibles. The Rabshekah uses YHWH's specific name, demonstrating knowledge of Israel's God, but only to twist His power and integrity. He acknowledges their deity but places Him on the same level as the defeated gods of other nations, implying His inability to protect Jerusalem. This is a subtle polemic, undermining YHWH's uniqueness and sovereignty by suggesting He is merely one of many regional deities.
  • "will deliver us" (yatsîlēnū - יצִּילֵ֗נוּ): From the Hebrew verb natsal (נָצַל), meaning "to deliver," "to rescue," "to save." This is the essence of Hezekiah’s message and Israel’s hope. The Rabshekah is directly challenging YHWH's capacity and willingness to act as a deliverer. This core promise of deliverance is central to Israel's history and their understanding of God's character.

• "the LORD will surely deliver us," (הַצֵּל֙ יַצִּילֵ֣נוּ יְהוָ֔ה - hatsēl yatsîlēnū YHWH):

  • This phrase uses a common Hebrew grammatical construction called the infinitive absolute before a finite verb of the same root (hatsēl yatsîlēnū). This emphatic repetition translates to "delivering, He will deliver," or "surely deliver." The Rabshekah employs this rhetorical device to mock the certainty Hezekiah conveys, highlighting the "foolishness" of such an absolute conviction in the face of Assyrian power. He's repeating Hezekiah's very words to make them sound like empty promises.

• "and this city" (וְלֹא־תִנָּתֵ֛ן הָעִ֥יר הַזֹּ֖את - wĕlō-tinnātēn hāʿîr hazzōʾt):

  • "this city": Refers to Jerusalem, which was considered the city of God, chosen by Him, where His Temple resided. The safety of Jerusalem was intimately linked to God’s honor and His covenant with David. Its promised non-surrender represents a significant test of God's faithfulness and power against human might.
  • "will not be given" (tinnātēn): This is a Niphil (passive) form of natan (נָתַן), meaning "to be given" or "to be surrendered." The passive voice underscores the understanding that Jerusalem’s fate ultimately lay in God’s hands, not in its inhabitants' resistance, if He indeed delivers.

• "into the hand of the king of Assyria" (בְּיַ֥ד מֶלֶךְ־אַשּֽׁוּר - bĕyad meleḵ-ʾaššûr):

  • "hand" (yad): A common idiom for power, authority, and control. The Rabshekah is asserting the undeniable and overwhelming power of the Assyrian king, explicitly placing him in opposition to YHWH’s hand.
  • "king of Assyria" (meleḵ-ʾaššûr): Sennacherib, whose empire represented the peak of global power and ruthlessness at that time. The Rabshekah portrays Sennacherib as an unstoppable force, a power greater than any god of the nations, including YHWH.

Isaiah 36 15 Bonus section

• The Power of Words: The Rabshekah chose to speak in Hebrew to ensure his message directly impacted the morale of the common people on the wall, indicating an acute understanding of psychological warfare. His words aimed to sever the spiritual bond between the people, their king, and their God.
• A Trial of Faith: This verse encapsulates a critical test for Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem. Would they succumb to fear and human reasoning, or would they remain steadfast in the conviction that YHWH is their ultimate deliverer, even when all human odds were against them?
• The Rabshekah’s Deception: While warning against Hezekiah's 'deception,' the Rabshekah himself is engaging in profound deception by misrepresenting God's power and intent, making false promises, and denying divine intervention for Jerusalem. He also makes the bold and blasphemous claim in Isa 36:10 that the LORD sent him to destroy Jerusalem.
• Prophetic Fulfillment: The miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib, which followed this event (Isa 37:36), stands as a powerful divine refutation of the Rabshekah's cynical assertions in this verse. God, through the prophet Isaiah, affirmed Hezekiah's message and powerfully demonstrated His ability and commitment to deliver His city.

Isaiah 36 15 Commentary

Isaiah 36:15 is a pivotal statement in the Rabshekah’s psychological assault on Jerusalem. He skillfully leverages their religious convictions against them, presenting Hezekiah's faith-filled declarations as misleading rhetoric designed to prolong suffering. The Assyrian's tactic isn't to deny the existence of Judah's God, but to minimize His power and trustworthiness by suggesting YHWH is no more effective than the gods of the nations already conquered by Assyria. The Rabshekah deliberately uses Hezekiah's exact phrasing ("The LORD will surely deliver us") to ridicule it, implying such promises are mere delusion. This moment highlights the intense spiritual and political clash: the worldly power of Assyria, backed by its overwhelming military might and cynical pragmatism, versus the quiet, resolute faith of King Hezekiah, who trusts in the unseen, absolute power of YHWH. The choice for the Judeans was stark: surrender for immediate, albeit temporary, physical comfort or cling to a divine promise against seemingly insurmountable odds. Ultimately, the story vindicates Hezekiah's faith, demonstrating God's sovereign hand is infinitely mightier than any earthly power, providing not only salvation from physical peril but also a testament to His faithfulness.

• Example: Just as the Rabshekah sought to discourage by sowing doubt, modern challenges often attempt to "persuade" believers away from God's promises by highlighting seemingly overwhelming circumstances or the failures of human efforts, making trust in God seem illogical or impractical.