Isaiah 37:6 kjv
And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
Isaiah 37:6 nkjv
And Isaiah said to them, "Thus you shall say to your master, 'Thus says the LORD: "Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.
Isaiah 37:6 niv
Isaiah said to them, "Tell your master, 'This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard?those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
Isaiah 37:6 esv
Isaiah said to them, "Say to your master, 'Thus says the LORD: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the young men of the king of Assyria have reviled me.
Isaiah 37:6 nlt
the prophet replied, "Say to your master, 'This is what the LORD says: Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against me from the Assyrian king's messengers.
Isaiah 37 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 41:10 | "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed... I will uphold you..." | God's direct command against fear and promise of presence. |
| Psa 23:4 | "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." | Trust in God's presence dispels fear in terrifying times. |
| Psa 27:1 | "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" | Bold reliance on God as the source of security. |
| Deut 31:6 | "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread... for it is the LORD your God who goes with you." | Divine command against fear and the promise of God's presence. |
| Jos 1:9 | "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened... for the LORD your God is with you." | Command for a leader to be courageous with God's promise. |
| Jer 1:8 | "Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD." | Similar divine command and promise of deliverance for a prophet. |
| Mat 10:28 | "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul." | Encouragement to fear God alone, above human threats. |
| Phil 4:6-7 | "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer... present your requests to God. And the peace of God..." | Overcoming anxiety and fear through prayer and divine peace. |
| Isa 37:7 | "Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land..." | God's immediate prophecy of Assyria's defeat following this assurance. |
| Isa 37:22-29 | "Whom have you mocked and reviled? Against whom have you raised your voice...? Against the Holy One of Israel!" | God's extended pronouncement against Sennacherib's blasphemy. |
| Isa 36:21 | "But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, 'Do not answer him.'" | Hezekiah's wise command to withhold a human response and wait for God. |
| Psa 74:10 | "How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever?" | Prayer appealing to God concerning the enemy's persistent scorn. |
| Psa 74:18 | "Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs, and a foolish people reviles your name." | Plea to God to remember and act in response to blasphemy against His name. |
| Psa 109:2 | "For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me... they speak against me with a lying tongue." | Expression of being maligned by adversaries, echoing divine experience. |
| Jer 23:28 | "The prophet who has my word, let him speak my word faithfully." | Importance of a prophet accurately delivering God's message. |
| Eze 2:7 | "And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear..." | God's directive to His prophet to faithfully declare His words. |
| Heb 1:1-2 | "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets..." | God's consistent method of communicating through His prophets. |
| Pro 13:17 | "A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful envoy brings healing." | Implied accountability of messengers for the message they bear. |
| 2 Cor 5:20 | "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us." | Principle of representing a higher authority, applying to messengers of God. |
| Rom 15:3 | "For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, 'The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.'" | Christ taking on Himself the reproach directed towards God/His people. |
| Heb 13:13 | "Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured." | A call to endure scorn for the sake of Christ, who bore it for us. |
| 1 Pet 4:14 | "If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed..." | Experiencing divine blessing when enduring insults for Christ. |
| Isa 37:4 | "It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh... and will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard." | Hezekiah's initial prayer, recognizing the blasphemy and appealing to God. |
Isaiah 37 verses
Isaiah 37 6 Meaning
Isaiah 37:6 presents a divinely inspired message delivered through the prophet Isaiah to King Hezekiah's delegation. It assures them, and by extension the entire nation, not to fear the arrogant and blasphemous words uttered by the Assyrian king's officials. The core meaning is that the insults and threats, though seemingly aimed at Judah, are profoundly offensive to the LORD Himself. Therefore, God has heard the blasphemy and will personally intervene to defend His own honor and His people.
Isaiah 37 6 Context
Isaiah 37:6 marks a turning point in the Assyrian crisis faced by Jerusalem. The preceding chapters (especially Isa 36) detail the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem by King Sennacherib, a mighty and ruthless empire. Sennacherib's field commander, the Rabshakeh, launched a powerful psychological attack, loudly and publicly ridiculing Judah's trust in Egypt and, more crucially, blaspheming the LORD. He taunted them, suggesting YHWH was no more powerful than the gods of the nations Assyria had already conquered, even audaciously claiming the LORD had sent him to destroy Jerusalem. This direct affront to God's uniqueness and power caused King Hezekiah deep distress (Isa 37:1), leading him to humble himself and send his officials to Isaiah, specifically requesting prayer concerning "the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to taunt the living God" (Isa 37:4). Verse 6 is God's direct, compassionate, and authoritative response to Hezekiah's plea, providing immediate comfort and signaling His impending intervention. It frames the military threat as fundamentally a spiritual attack against God Himself.
Isaiah 37 6 Word analysis
- And Isaiah said: This phrase establishes the divine communication. The prophet's name, יְשַׁעְיָהוּ (Yeshayahu), meaning "The LORD is salvation," is fitting given the message of deliverance he brings.
- to them: Refers to King Hezekiah's three representatives: Eliakim, Shebna, and the elders of the priests, who carried the distressed king's message to Isaiah. This signifies the direct and authoritative answer God sends back to the concerned leadership.
- 'Thus says the LORD: כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה (koh a-mar YHWH). This is the standard, solemn prophetic formula, signaling that the ensuing words are not human opinion but an unquestionable, direct declaration from the Almighty God, YHWH—the covenant God of Israel. It explicitly counters the Rabshakeh's false claim of divine commission.
- Do not be afraid: אַל־תִּירָא (al-ti'-ra). This imperative command directly addresses the fear that naturally gripped Hezekiah and his people. It's a divine antidote to human terror, calling them to trust in God's power over circumstances.
- of the words: מִדִּבְרֵי (mid-di'-vrei). This refers to the specific, spoken challenges and blasphemies of the Rabshakeh. These "words" were designed to break morale and instill terror by diminishing God's power and sovereignty.
- that you have heard: אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתָּ (a-sher sha-ma'-ta). This acknowledges the painful reality that these demoralizing and blasphemous words were heard and inflicted real distress upon the people, validating their emotional experience.
- with which the servants of the king of Assyria: נַעֲרֵי מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר (na'arei melech-Ashur). "Servants" (often rendered "lads" or "officials") emphasizes that these are merely human agents, despite their immense earthly power, acting on behalf of a human monarch. This subtly frames their position as subservient, especially in contrast to the divine target of their contempt.
- have reviled me': גִּדְּפוּ אֹתִי (giddephu oti). This is the verse's pivotal assertion. Giddephu (from gadaph) denotes blasphemy, scoffing, or contemptuous speech, particularly directed at God. The emphatic pronoun אֹתִי (oti), "Me" (the LORD), unequivocally states that the insult and defiance were not just against Jerusalem or Hezekiah, but a direct, personal affront to the character and authority of God Himself. This ensures divine intervention, as God will defend His own holy name.
Isaiah 37 6 Bonus section
This divine declaration in Isaiah 37:6 establishes a critical theological principle: God identifies personally with His people and His name. Attacks on them, especially those that explicitly scorn their God, are interpreted as attacks on Him directly. This principle echoes throughout scripture, notably when Jesus identifies persecution of His followers as persecution of Himself (Acts 9:4). The event also provides a stark example of God confronting pride and hubris. Rabshakeh's elaborate rhetorical attacks were ultimately a manifestation of Assyria's overwhelming pride, believing their power transcended all deities. God's response through Isaiah reminds humanity that all power is subordinate to the Most High, and even the greatest earthly empires are accountable to Him, particularly when they presume to challenge His divine authority and mock His sacred name.
Isaiah 37 6 Commentary
Isaiah 37:6 is a beacon of divine assurance amid an overwhelming crisis. It highlights God's swift response to earnest prayer and His sensitivity to blasphemy. When the Assyrian official, Rabshakeh, mocked and scorned the living God, striking fear into Judah, God immediately responded through Isaiah: "Do not be afraid." This command not only dispels human terror but clarifies the true nature of the conflict. The crucial revelation is that the Assyrian taunts were not merely directed at Judah's perceived weakness but directly "reviled Me"—the LORD. This profound shift re-categorizes the conflict from a human struggle against a superior foe to a divine offense. God considers an attack on His people and His name a personal insult, guaranteeing His direct and powerful intervention. This transforms their fear into an anticipation of divine justice, promising that God Himself will champion His honor and secure His people's salvation.