Isaiah 37:8 kjv
So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.
Isaiah 37:8 nkjv
Then the Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed from Lachish.
Isaiah 37:8 niv
When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.
Isaiah 37:8 esv
The Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against Libnah, for he had heard that the king had left Lachish.
Isaiah 37:8 nlt
Meanwhile, the Assyrian chief of staff left Jerusalem and went to consult the king of Assyria, who had left Lachish and was attacking Libnah.
Isaiah 37 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 37:9 | He heard news of Tirhakah, king of Cush, who had come out to fight against him. | Immediate context |
| 2 Kings 19:9 | He heard news of Tirhakah, king of Cush, who had come out to fight him. | Parallel account |
| Isaiah 10:5-6 | Assyria as God's instrument of wrath | Assyria's purpose |
| Jeremiah 51:11 | God's judgment against Babylon echoes divine intervention | God's control over nations |
| Psalm 76:10 | God's wrath turns to praise | God's sovereignty |
| Proverbs 16:7 | When a man's ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies be at peace with him. | divine influence on enemies |
| Jeremiah 49:14-16 | God's judgment on Edom; relates to God's judgment on nations | God's judgment on nations |
| Lamentations 4:17 | Israel's hope for deliverance from powerful enemies | deliverance theme |
| Ezekiel 38-39 | Future conflict with nations; divine intervention | divine intervention |
| Psalm 33:10 | The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. | God frustrates nations' plans |
| 2 Samuel 10:6-14 | Israel's victory over the Arameans due to God's intervention | divine intervention in warfare |
| Exodus 14:25 | God confusing the Egyptians' chariots | divine confusion of enemies |
| Joshua 10:10 | God discomfiting the Amorites before Israel | God discomfiting enemies |
| Judges 7:21 | Gideon's victory through confusion of the enemy | divine confusion in battle |
| 1 Samuel 14:20 | Confusion among the Philistines | divine confusion in battle |
| 2 Chronicles 14:9-15 | Asa's victory over Cushites through God's help | God's help against larger forces |
| Isaiah 19:1-4 | Judgment on Egypt, involving Assyria | God's judgment on Egypt |
| Isaiah 19:23-25 | Future unity of Egypt, Assyria, and Israel | divine plans for nations |
| 1 Kings 18:37 | Elijah's prayer that God's people know He is God | God's sovereignty acknowledged |
| Matthew 24:7 | Signs of the end times include wars and rumors of wars | geopolitical instability |
| Luke 21:9 | Wars and tumults, not yet the end | geopolitical instability |
| Revelation 16:14 | Armies gathered for the battle of the great day of God Almighty | end-time conflicts |
| Revelation 19:17-19 | Heavenly vision of God's victory over nations | divine victory |
| 2 Kings 18:13-16 | Hezekiah paying tribute to Sennacherib, but not relying on it | Historical background |
| Isaiah 37:14-15 | Hezekiah's prayer to God | Prayer as a response |
Isaiah 37 verses
Isaiah 37 8 Meaning
The verse describes the return of Assyria's king to his own land, influenced by reports of other nations, specifically of Tirhakah. This signifies a divine intervention causing the Assyrian army to withdraw from their advance on Jerusalem.
Isaiah 37 8 Context
This verse is part of Isaiah's prophecy detailing Sennacherib's invasion of Judah and his subsequent, miraculous withdrawal from Jerusalem. In the preceding verses, Sennacherib sends a blasphemous message to Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem, mocking their reliance on the Lord. Isaiah then relays God's response, assuring them of Sennacherib's eventual defeat. This specific verse explains one of the immediate catalysts for the Assyrian king's decision to depart from Judah.
Isaiah 37 8 Word analysis
- וּשְׁמַע֙ (ush'ma): "and he heard." This is a consecutive perfect, indicating an action that happened sequentially.
- שָׁמַ֫עַ (shama): to hear, listen, obey. Implies receiving information, but also a susceptibility to that information.
- מִּ֥ידִיע֖וֹת (midī‘ōth): "of tidings" or "from reports." Plural of "y'diah" (tidings, news). Indicates received information from various sources.
- עַל־ ‘al-: "concerning" or "about." Connects the tidings to their subject.
- תִּרְהָקָ֣ה (Tirhâqâh): Tirhakah. The name of the Nubian (Kushite) king who was the pharaoh of Egypt at this time.
- מֶ֣לֶךְ (melekh): king.
- כ֔וּשׁ (Kush): Cush (Nubia, modern Sudan and Ethiopia). The southern kingdom.
- הַ֙צָּב֙ (hatzav): "who was marching" or "who had encamped." From the root נצב (natsav), to stand, station, set oneself. In a military context, it refers to deploying troops. The Qal participle implies an ongoing action.
- לִפְגֹּ֣שׁ (lifgōsh): "to meet" or "to encounter." Often used in the context of confronting an enemy in battle. The lamed (ל) here signifies purpose.
- אֹ֠תְךָ (ōt’khā): "you." Referring to Sennacherib.
Words group by words-group analysis:
- "and he heard tidings of Tirhakah king of Cush, who was marching to meet you": This clause presents the immediate reason for Sennacherib's strategic shift. The information about the approaching Kushite army compels him to divert his attention and resources, rather than continue his siege of Jerusalem. This implies external pressure, but the source of this news and its timing are significant within the larger divine plan.
Isaiah 37 8 Bonus section
This event highlights the biblical understanding that political and military movements, even when appearing as mere happenstance or human strategy, can be instruments of God's providence. The "reports" reaching Sennacherib are not necessarily a miraculous angelic message in this verse, but rather conventional intelligence. However, their timing and impact are supernaturally ordained by God to deliver Jerusalem. This contrasts with other instances where direct divine intervention is more overtly described, illustrating the multifaceted ways God exercises His dominion. The mention of Tirhakah, a powerful pharaoh, underscores that the confrontation is not merely between an isolated king and a nation, but a display of God's power influencing larger international dynamics.
Isaiah 37 8 Commentary
The Lord uses geopolitical developments to foil the Assyrian king's immediate plans. Sennacherib's departure is prompted by news of Tirhakah's advance. This demonstrates God's sovereignty over all nations and rulers. He can move kings and armies through seemingly natural means to accomplish His purposes. Even the mighty Assyrian army must reckon with the actions of other powers, demonstrating that they are not invincible nor solely in control of world events. Hezekiah's faith is validated not only by prophetic assurance but also by the observable turning of events, driven by unseen divine direction.