Isaiah 37:1 kjv
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.
Isaiah 37:1 nkjv
And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.
Isaiah 37:1 niv
When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD.
Isaiah 37:1 esv
As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD.
Isaiah 37:1 nlt
When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes and put on burlap and went into the Temple of the LORD.
Isaiah 37 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 37:1 | When King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth. | Isa 37:1 |
| 2 Kings 19:1 | When King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth. | 2 Kgs 19:1 |
| 2 Chronicles 32:18 | And they cried aloud to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and trouble them, that they might take the city. | 2 Chr 32:18 |
| Job 1:20 | Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. | Job 1:20 |
| Joel 1:13 | Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. | Joel 1:13 |
| Jeremiah 6:26 | Put on sackcloth and roll in ashes; make mourning like an only son, bitter lamentation. | Jer 6:26 |
| Daniel 9:3 | Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. | Dan 9:3 |
| Matthew 11:21 | "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. | Matt 11:21 |
| Acts 26:30 | Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. | Acts 26:30 |
| 2 Samuel 3:31 | Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner.” | 2 Sam 3:31 |
| Psalm 107:13 | Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. | Ps 107:13 |
| Isaiah 22:12 | And the Lord GOD of hosts in that day called for weeping and for mourning, for balding of the head and wearing sackcloth. | Isa 22:12 |
| Isaiah 37:14-15 | Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. And Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD and spread it before the LORD. | Isa 37:14-15 |
| 2 Kings 19:14-15 | Then Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. And Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD and spread it before the LORD. | 2 Kgs 19:14-15 |
| Micah 6:7 | "Does the LORD take pleasure in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? | Mic 6:7 |
| Nehemiah 9:1 | On the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth upon them. | Neh 9:1 |
| Ezra 9:5 | And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, and in my __ garment I tore my tunic and my outer garment, and fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God. | Ezr 9:5 |
| Psalm 35:13 | But I, when they were sick, wore sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; I prayed with my head bowed, as though for a friend or brother. | Ps 35:13 |
| Genesis 37:34 | Then Jacob tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. | Gen 37:34 |
| Lamentations 2:10 | The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence; they throw dust on their heads; they gird themselves with sackcloth. | Lam 2:10 |
Isaiah 37 verses
Isaiah 37 1 Meaning
When King Hezekiah heard this news, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD. This action demonstrated deep mourning, humility, and a seeking of divine counsel in the face of immense national threat.
Isaiah 37 1 Context
This verse marks the beginning of the account of the Assyrian invasion threat to Jerusalem during the reign of King Hezekiah. The Assyrian king Sennacherib, after conquering other cities, sent his envoy to Jerusalem with a message of intimidation and defiance. Hezekiah's immediate reaction is one of profound distress and a turn towards God, indicating his reliance on divine help rather than solely on human or military strategies. The preceding chapter (Isaiah 36) details the proud and blasphemous threats of the Assyrian commander, setting the stage for Hezekiah's prayerful response.
Isaiah 37 1 Word Analysis
- When: (Hebrew: כִּי - ki) - A conjunction often used to indicate cause or time. Here it introduces the circumstance that prompts Hezekiah's reaction.
- King: (Hebrew: מֶלֶךְ - melek) - Ruler, sovereign. Highlights Hezekiah's royal status but also his submission as a subject of God.
- Hezekiah: (Hebrew: חִזְקִיָּהוּ - Chizkiyahu) - The name means "Yahweh has strengthened." A significant name for a king who would face trials and lean on God's strength.
- Heard: (Hebrew: שָׁמַע - shama') - To hear, to listen, to obey. In this context, it signifies understanding the grave message.
- It: (Hebrew: אֹתוֹ - oto) - Refers to the insulting and threatening words spoken by the Assyrian delegation.
- He tore: (Hebrew: וַיִּקְרַע - vayiqra') - Imperfect tense of the verb קָרַע (qara'), meaning to rip or rend. An act of violent expression of grief or anguish.
- His clothes: (Hebrew: בְּגָדָיו - begadav) - His garments. Tearing clothes was a common sign of deep sorrow and distress in the ancient Near East.
- And covered himself: (Hebrew: וַיִּתְכַּס - vayitkas) - Hophal participle of כָּסָה (kasah), meaning to cover oneself.
- With sackcloth: (Hebrew: בַּשַּׂק - basaq) - "Beshaq," literally "in sackcloth." Sackcloth was a rough cloth made of goat hair or camel hair, worn as a symbol of mourning, penitence, and affliction.
Words Group Analysis
- He tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth: This phrase represents a singular act of profound emotional and spiritual response to a dire situation. It encapsulates both outward expressions of grief (tearing clothes) and a deliberate posture of humility and penitence before God (wearing sackcloth). It signals a shift from human deliberation to divine appeal.
Isaiah 37 1 Bonus Section
The act of tearing clothes and wearing sackcloth was deeply ingrained in Israelite culture as an authentic expression of profound grief, repentance, and recognition of sin or a critical crisis. This outward display was intended to evoke sympathy and, more importantly, to signal a turning towards God, acknowledging His sovereignty and seeking His mercy. The King's response sets the spiritual tone for the entire chapter, which details his prayer and God's subsequent intervention through the prophet Isaiah. This highlights that in spiritual battles, faith and seeking God are paramount.
Isaiah 37 1 Commentary
Hezekiah's reaction demonstrates a wise leadership that recognized the limitations of earthly power when facing overwhelming odds and divine judgment implied in such invasions. His immediate resort to sacred acts—tiring his garments and donning sackcloth—and proceeding to the house of the Lord (described in the next verses) highlights his understanding that true security and deliverance come from God alone. This isn't mere despair but a proactive spiritual warfare, aligning himself and his people with God in their time of need. The symbolic nature of his actions communicated to his court and, implicitly, to God, the gravity of the threat and his reliance on Yahweh's intervention.