Isaiah 37:9 kjv
And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He is come forth to make war with thee. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
Isaiah 37:9 nkjv
And the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, "He has come out to make war with you." So when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
Isaiah 37:9 niv
Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the king of Cush, was marching out to fight against him. When he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word:
Isaiah 37:9 esv
Now the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, "He has set out to fight against you." And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,
Isaiah 37:9 nlt
Soon afterward King Sennacherib received word that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was leading an army to fight against him. Before leaving to meet the attack, he sent messengers back to Hezekiah in Jerusalem with this message:
Isaiah 37 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 37:10 | "Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you by saying, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’" | Isa 37:6 (Echoes, continuation of message) |
| 2 Kin 18:30 | "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.’" | 2 Kin 18:30 (Parallel account, direct echo) |
| 2 Kin 19:9 | "And when he heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, ‘Look, he has come out to fight against you,’ he sent again to Hezekiah, messengers, with this message:" | 2 Kin 19:9 (Context for Assyrian movements) |
| Ps 76:10 | "Surely the wrath of man shall praise You; With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself." | Ps 76:10 (God's sovereignty over human actions) |
| Jer 49:14 | "I have heard tidings from the LORD, And a messenger is sent among the nations: ‘Gather together and come against her; Rise up for battle!’" | Jer 49:14 (Divine pronouncements about nations) |
| Ezek 38:7 | "Prepare and make yourself ready, You and all your companies that are gathered about you; And be a guard for them." | Ezek 38:7 (Similar pronouncements about hostile forces) |
| Nah 3:17 | "Your headmen are like grasshoppers, And your captains like great locusts that camp in the hedges on a cold day; When the sun is up they flee, And their place of escape is not known where they are." | Nah 3:17 (Imagery of scattering of enemies) |
| Prov 25:21-22 | "If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the LORD will reward you." | Prov 25:21-22 (God's dealings with enemies, leading to their downfall) |
| Jer 10:7 | "Who would not fear You, O King of nations? For to You it is due. Because among all the nations of the earth there is none like You." | Jer 10:7 (Acknowledging God's supreme power over nations) |
| Ps 46:6 | "The nations made a tumult, The kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, The earth melted." | Ps 46:6 (God's power over nations causing chaos) |
| Isa 10:5-6 | "“O Assyrian, the rod of My anger! And the staff in their hand is My indignation! I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To grasp the spoil and take the prey, To tread them down like the mire of the streets." | Isa 10:5-6 (Assyria as an instrument of God's judgment) |
| Isa 37:22 | "“This is the word that the LORD has spoken concerning him: ‘The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you, Laughed you to scorn; The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you." | Isa 37:22 (Zion's defiance of Assyria) |
| 2 Chron 32:21 | "So the LORD sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria; therefore he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he went into the temple of his god, he fell there by the sword." | 2 Chron 32:21 (Parallel account, specifying the cause of withdrawal) |
| Isa 31:1 | "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Spending hope on chariots and on horsemen Because they are very many, And on horsemen Because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the LORD!" | Isa 31:1 (Warning against relying on foreign aid) |
| Isa 7:18-19 | "And it will come to pass in that day That the LORD will whisper for the fly that is in the remotest part of the rivers of Egypt, And for the bee in the land of Assyria." | Isa 7:18-19 (God's power extending to distant lands) |
| Jer 46:28 | "“Do not fear, O Jacob my servant, For I am with you,” says the LORD. “For I will make a full end of all the nations To which I have driven you; But I will not make a full end of you, Though I make a full end of the nations wherever I have scattered you." | Jer 46:28 (God's ultimate faithfulness to His people) |
| Ps 33:10-11 | "The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations." | Ps 33:10-11 (God's sovereignty over human counsel) |
| Hab 2:7-8 | "Should they not bite with their teeth And say, ‘Woe to him who increases what is not his— How long? And to him who heaps plunder upon plunder!’ Will not your creditors rise suddenly, And those who shake you awake tremble? And you will become their prey." | Hab 2:7-8 (Consequences for unjust oppressors) |
| Job 12:18 | "He loosens the bond of kings, And girds their loins with a belt of rawhide." | Job 12:18 (God's power to depose earthly rulers) |
| Isa 14:24-27 | "The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying, “Most assuredly, as I have intended, so it shall be, And as I have purposed, so it shall stand: To strike the Assyrian in My land, And to tread him underfoot in My mountains. Then his yoke shall be removed from them, And his burden from their shoulder." | Isa 14:24-27 (God's decree against Assyria's oppression) |
Isaiah 37 verses
Isaiah 37 9 Meaning
This verse speaks of a warning or a report that the king of Assyria will receive. It foretells that this report will be about Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, and his military actions, specifically mentioning his return to his own land. The implied message is that God's intervention is causing Sennacherib to withdraw his forces.
Isaiah 37 9 Context
Isaiah 37 recounts the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem during the reign of King Hezekiah. Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, had already conquered many cities and was threatening Jerusalem. However, God intervened miraculously through the angel of the Lord, striking down a vast portion of the Assyrian army. This event forced Sennacherib to withdraw his forces and return to Nineveh, his capital. Verse 9 fits within this narrative as the introduction to the actual message King Hezekiah received, which would inform him of Sennacherib's repositioning and impending action, which God had already predicted through Isaiah. The immediate context is that Sennacherib had sent messengers to Jerusalem (chapter 37, verse 8) threatening an attack after hearing a false report about Tirhakah's advance.
Isaiah 37 9 Word Analysis
- שָׁמַע (shama'): This Hebrew verb means "to hear," "to listen," "to obey." Here it signifies the receipt of intelligence or news. It conveys the active act of hearing something significant.
- שְׁמֹעַ (shamoa'): This is the infinitive form of the verb, suggesting "in hearing" or "when he heard." It introduces the report.
- שִׁ֫מְעָה (shim‘ah): This noun means "tidings," "report," "news." It denotes the information that was conveyed.
- שְׁמֹעַ (shamoa'): Again, the infinitive, "to hear," highlighting the active reception of the report.
- אֶת־(et): A prepositional particle marking the direct object. It indicates "what" was heard.
- יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra’el): Israel, referring to the collective people of God, or in this context, potentially the king's trust or the report concerning events affecting Israel.
- שְׁמֹעַ (shamoa'): Another instance of "to hear," indicating the hearing of the specific message concerning Israel.
- חַי (ḥay): This adjective means "living," "alive." It is used here to affirm God's living power and presence.
- יְהוָה (YHWH): The covenant name of God, the LORD. Emphasizes God's personal and active involvement.
- אֱלֹהָיו (Elohayo): "his God." This phrasing is crucial as Sennacherib is a polytheistic king, and the report is about his relationship with his own gods or the God of Israel.
- וּשְׁמֹעַ (u·shmoa’): "and hear." It connects the hearing of the report with a subsequent action or consequence.
- הַסִּבְּבָה (ha·sibbah): This noun means "the turning around," "the circuit," or "the siege" (though "siege" usually uses a different root). In this context, it strongly implies the Assyrian king turning back, as described later.
- מִן־(min): "from." It signifies origin or departure.
- אֹיְבִ֣י (’öyvi): "his enemy." Refers to Sennacherib, the enemy of Judah and Israel.
- כֹּה־(koah): "thus," "so." Indicates the manner in which something is done or stated.
- נְתָנֵ֣ל (netanel): This is an archaic spelling or a variation possibly related to giving. However, the more commonly accepted interpretation for the intended meaning in this context refers to Sennacherib hearing about a report regarding his return. If we consider the preceding "וּשְׁמֹעַ," the sentence implies he will hear about the situation concerning Israel, and in consequence of divine intervention, his departure or retreat. The common textual understanding in translations points to him hearing that he should return.
Grouped Analysis:
- "The king of Assyria heard tidings of Tirhakah king of Cush saying, 'He has come out to fight against you'" (Isa 37:9a): This phrase sets the immediate external report that prompted Assyria's actions. The word "heard" (שָׁמַע) marks the reception of crucial, albeit potentially misleading, information.
- "This is the message he is to hear" (Isa 37:9b): This indicates that the news about Tirhakah was merely a preface to a more significant divine decree or impending event that Assyria would indeed hear about, and which would directly impact their military plans, namely, their eventual retreat.
- The entire verse sets up the dual nature of hearing: receiving earthly reports and ultimately being subjected to divine orchestration, causing a strategic withdrawal.
Isaiah 37 9 Bonus Section
The report about Tirhakah (verse 9) acts as a catalyst in the narrative. It reveals a complexity in the political landscape that the Assyrian king could not ignore. God, however, uses this information and His own power to compel the retreat. The focus shifts from Assyria's perceived threat to their actual forced withdrawal. This emphasizes that even the decisions of mighty kings are subject to a higher authority and purpose, demonstrating that no earthly power can ultimately stand against the God of Israel. The use of "his God" in relation to Sennacherib might subtly allude to the Assyrian gods failing him or to a direct comparison with the God of Israel whom he was blaspheming.
Isaiah 37 9 Commentary
The verse conveys God's active engagement with the geopolitical situation of His people. While Sennacherib heard reports about Tirhakah, Isaiah announces that God would orchestrate a report concerning Sennacherib himself. This report would indicate that Sennacherib's campaign against Judah was over. It's not that Sennacherib literally heard the words of Isaiah's prophecy in that moment, but rather that the events God was bringing about would necessitate his departure. The king of Assyria's intended advance would be thwarted by circumstances and divine power, compelling him to "hear" (i.e., experience and be affected by) news that would lead to his withdrawal. This foreshadows the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem and highlights God's sovereignty over the nations and their kings.