Isaiah 37:2 kjv
And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.
Isaiah 37:2 nkjv
Then he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.
Isaiah 37:2 niv
He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.
Isaiah 37:2 esv
And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz.
Isaiah 37:2 nlt
And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the court secretary, and the leading priests, all dressed in burlap, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.
Isaiah 37 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 37:1 | When King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes... covered himself with sackcloth... | Hezekiah's distress |
| 2 Kgs 19:1 | As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth... | Parallel account, Hezekiah's grief |
| 2 Chr 32:20 | King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer... | Hezekiah's and Isaiah's combined prayer |
| Isa 22:20-21 | In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah... And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. | Eliakim's elevated status |
| Isa 22:15-19 | Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts, "Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the household... " | Shebna's previous, higher role and demotion |
| 2 Kgs 18:18 | When they called for the king, there came out to them Eliakim... Shebna the scribe... | Eliakim and Shebna already dealing with Assyrians |
| Gen 37:34 | Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins... | Sackcloth as mourning for Jacob |
| 1 Kgs 21:27 | And when Ahab heard those words... he put sackcloth on his flesh... | Sackcloth for repentance by Ahab |
| Joel 1:13 | Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests... for the grain offering and the drink offering are withheld from the house of your God. | Prophetic call for national mourning/repentance |
| Jon 3:6 | When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne... covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. | King of Nineveh's repentance with sackcloth |
| Jer 6:26 | O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth and wallow in ashes; make mourning as for an only son... | Prophetic call to extreme lamentation |
| Dan 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. | Daniel's prayer of repentance with sackcloth |
| Job 16:15 | I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin and have laid my strength in the dust. | Personal lamentation using sackcloth |
| Esth 4:1 | When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes... | Mordecai's lament and distress |
| Mt 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. | Sackcloth linked to repentance for unrepentant cities |
| Jer 21:1-2 | When King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur... and Zephaniah... saying, "Inquire of the Lord for us..." | King seeking prophet during Babylonian siege |
| 1 Sam 9:9 | (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he would say, "Come, let us go to the seer," for today's prophet was formerly called a seer.) | Seeking God through a prophet/seer |
| 2 Kgs 1:3 | But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah... "Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub...?" | Contrast: Seeking false gods vs. true God |
| Amos 3:7 | For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. | God communicates through prophets |
| Heb 1:1 | Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets... | God's historical communication through prophets |
| Isa 37:5-6 | When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, Isaiah said to them, "Say to your master... 'Do not be afraid of the words that you have heard...'" | Isaiah's immediate response of encouragement |
| Ps 50:15 | And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. | Principle of calling upon God in trouble |
| Ps 91:15 | When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble... | God's promise to answer calls for help |
| Php 4:6 | Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. | God hears prayers in times of anxiety |
| Ps 46:1 | God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. | God as a reliable source of help |
Isaiah 37 verses
Isaiah 37 2 Meaning
Hezekiah, deeply distressed by the Assyrian threat and Rabshakeh's blasphemy, dispatched a high-level delegation to Prophet Isaiah. This delegation comprised Eliakim, the steward of the royal household, Shebna, who served as the royal scribe, and representatives of the priestly elders. All members of the delegation were dressed in sackcloth, symbolizing their profound grief, humility, and earnest plea for divine intervention through God's prophet.
Isaiah 37 2 Context
Chapter 37 begins with King Hezekiah's personal response to the grave Assyrian threat and Rabshakeh's blasphemous messages from Sennacherib, documented in the preceding chapter. Overwhelmed by the dire situation and recognizing the direct challenge to Yahweh's authority, Hezekiah tears his clothes, puts on sackcloth, and enters the temple, signaling profound distress and spiritual supplication. The verse immediately follows this, detailing his specific action to seek divine guidance. Historically, this occurred during the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem in 701 BCE, a critical moment when Judah faced total annihilation, having already lost many cities to Sennacherib's campaign. The situation called for urgent divine intervention beyond human strategy.
Isaiah 37 2 Word analysis
- And he sent (וַיִּשְׁלַח - va-yishlach): The verb implies an intentional, authorized dispatch. "He" refers to King Hezekiah (from Isa 37:1), demonstrating his executive decision to seek a divine word through the prophet, a spiritual act rather than a purely political one.
- Eliakim (אֶלְיָקִים - 'Elyaqim): Meaning "God raises up." He was a high-ranking official, appointed to replace Shebna (Isa 22:20-25). His name can be seen as foreshadowing divine intervention.
- who was over the household (אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַבַּיִת - 'asher 'al-haBayit): This title designates the chief steward, responsible for the entire administration and holding the highest position in the royal court, second only to the king. He held "the key of the house of David" (Isa 22:22). His presence signifies the full authority and gravity of the king's appeal.
- and Shebna (וְשֶׁבְנָא - v-Shevna'): A previously powerful but likely corrupt official (Isa 22:15-19), who was demoted from "over the household." His inclusion, despite demotion, shows the breadth of the national plea and that all major court figures were united in this desperate hour.
- the scribe (הַסּוֹפֵר - haSopher): Shebna's current, lesser role, involving recording and administrative duties. This position contrasts with Eliakim's, highlighting a power shift and God's sovereign ordering of Judah's leadership even amidst crisis.
- and the elders of the priests (וְזִקְנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים - v-Ziqney haKohanim): Representatives of the spiritual leadership of the nation. Their presence signifies a comprehensive national plea involving both civil and religious authorities, underlining the crisis's profound spiritual dimension.
- covered with sackcloth (מְכֻסֵּי שַׂקִּים - mekhussē' saqqim): A striking visual detail. Sackcloth was a rough, coarse fabric worn as a sign of extreme distress, grief, humility, or repentance. Its presence on these high officials indicated not just personal anguish, but a national state of mourning, supplication, and spiritual contrition before God. It implied that they understood the crisis to be beyond human remedy and required divine mercy.
- to Isaiah the prophet (אֶל־יְשַׁעְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא - 'el Yesha'yahu haNavi'): "Isaiah" means "Yahweh is salvation." "Prophet" (Navi') denotes one who speaks God's word. This identifies Isaiah as the authorized intermediary between God and the king/nation. They are not seeking political advice but a divine oracle, emphasizing their faith that God still communicates through His chosen messenger in dire times.
Isaiah 37 2 Bonus section
The juxtaposition of Eliakim, the trusted steward, and Shebna, the demoted scribe, within the same delegation is a subtle but significant detail. It highlights both the gravity of the national crisis, compelling even disgraced officials to participate in seeking God's word, and also reaffirms the earlier prophetic judgment upon Shebna (Isa 22:15-19). This unified appeal to the prophet suggests a consensus across various leadership spheres, from the palace administration to the religious establishment, indicating that Hezekiah's spiritual revival permeated the highest levels of Judahite society, leading them to Yahweh in a moment of existential threat. This action demonstrates a paradigm shift from reliance on human strategy to desperate faith.
Isaiah 37 2 Commentary
This verse is pivotal, transitioning the narrative from human desperation and enemy threats to spiritual seeking and divine intervention. Hezekiah's sending of a high-level, diversified delegation — comprising both top royal administrators (Eliakim and the demoted Shebna) and religious leaders (elders of the priests) — all clad in sackcloth, signifies a complete national humbling before God. It's a profound recognition that the crisis transcended military or political solutions and demanded an oracle from Yahweh Himself, to be delivered through His established prophet, Isaiah. The attire of sackcloth speaks volumes, illustrating sincere contrition and desperate reliance on divine mercy, acknowledging Yahweh as the ultimate arbiter of their fate against the seemingly invincible Assyrian empire.