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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Ki 19:9 | When the king of Assyria heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush... | Direct parallel to Isa 37:9, emphasizing its historical authenticity. |
| Isa 36:1-3 | In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them... | The wider context of Assyria's invasion leading to the siege. |
| Isa 37:6 | "Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard..." | God's earlier reassurance through Isaiah, implying trust should be placed in Him. |
| Isa 37:7 | "Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land..." | A direct prophecy preceding this verse, indicating divine orchestrations of events. |
| Isa 37:33-36 | Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city... | God's specific promise of deliverance for Jerusalem against Assyria. |
| 2 Ki 18:21 | You are relying on Egypt, that 'splintered reed' of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it. | Previous warnings against trusting Egypt (Cush often allied with Egypt). |
| Isa 30:7 | For Egypt’s help is worthless and empty... | Further reiteration of not relying on human alliances. |
| Ps 20:7 | Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. | General principle of trusting in God, not military might or alliances. |
| Ps 33:16-17 | The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation... | Underscores the futility of human might compared to divine power. |
| Prov 21:31 | The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord. | God's ultimate sovereignty over battle outcomes. |
| Jer 17:5-8 | Cursed is the man who trusts in man... Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord... | Fundamental choice between human reliance and divine trust. |
| Isa 31:1-3 | Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help... | Direct prophetic warning against relying on Egypt for military aid against Assyria. |
| Exo 14:14 | The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. | Theme of God's direct intervention for His people. |
| Ps 46:1 | God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. | Assurance of God's active presence and help in times of distress. |
| Isa 37:4 | "It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh..." | Hezekiah's prayerful initial response to the Assyrian threat, setting up God's response. |
| 2 Chr 32:20 | King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this. | Hezekiah's deep reliance on prayer during this crisis. |
| Ps 75:6-7 | For promotion comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he puts down one, and sets up another. | God's sovereign control over the rise and fall of nations and kings. |
| Dan 2:21 | He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings... | Reiterates God's sovereignty over political powers. |
| Isa 10:5-15 | Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hand is my fury! | God using Assyria as His instrument, but Assyria also accountable. |
| Job 5:12 | He frustrates the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. | God's ability to thwart human plans, even those of powerful kings like Sennacherib. |
| Hag 2:22 | I will overthrow the chariots and their riders; and the horses and their riders shall fall, every one by the sword of his brother. | Echoes the idea of God intervening in military matters. |
Isaiah 37 verses
Isaiah 37 9 Meaning
Isaiah 37:9 reveals a crucial turning point in Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem. The Assyrian king received intelligence that Tirhakah, the king of Cush (ancient Ethiopia/Nubia), was advancing with his army, intending to engage in battle. This significant news momentarily diverted Sennacherib's immediate focus from Jerusalem. Reacting to this developing external threat, he strategically decided to send another message of intimidation and defiance to Hezekiah, pressing the Judahite king to surrender before a potential two-front conflict emerged.
Isaiah 37 9 Context
Isaiah 37:9 is situated in the midst of Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem during the reign of King Hezekiah. Chapter 36 details the Assyrian king's initial victories against Judah's fortified cities and the provocative speech of Rabshakeh, Sennacherib's field commander, aimed at demoralizing Jerusalem's defenders and undermining their faith in Yahweh. Hezekiah, stripped of most of his territory, is under immense pressure and turns to the prophet Isaiah for divine counsel. In Isaiah 37:6-7, God assures Hezekiah that He will put a spirit in Sennacherib so that he "shall hear a rumor and return to his own land." Verse 9 specifically identifies this rumor: the approach of Tirhakah, King of Cush. This external military development is a crucial element of God's promised intervention, disrupting Sennacherib's immediate plans against Jerusalem and creating the space for divine action and deliverance described later in the chapter. The historical period is approximately 701 BCE, during the height of the Neo-Assyrian Empire's power, when Judah was a small kingdom caught between the Mesopotamian superpower and the ancient Egyptian empire.
Isaiah 37 9 Word analysis
- Heard (שָׁמַע - shama): This Hebrew verb signifies not merely auditory reception but often implies heeding, understanding, and even obeying. Here, it underscores Sennacherib's active processing of the intelligence, leading directly to his strategic response. The news was weighty, demanding attention.
- Say (קֹמוֹר - komor): The participle "saying" (not directly present in the initial "heard say" but implied by the "concerning") indicates that the news about Tirhakah was a verbal report, perhaps a dispatch or intelligence update, reinforcing its nature as information requiring assessment.
- Tirhakah (תִּרְהָקָה - Tirhaqah): A significant historical figure. He was a king of the 25th Dynasty of Egypt, known as the Kushite or Nubian Dynasty, ruling from Napata. Cush (often translated Ethiopia) encompassed parts of modern Sudan and southern Egypt. His identity signifies a substantial foreign power, capable of fielding a formidable army, and a genuine threat to Sennacherib's flank or rear.
- Cush (כּוּשׁ - Kush): This is the Hebrew name for the ancient kingdom of Nubia, located south of Egypt. In the Septuagint and older English translations, it's rendered "Ethiopia." Referring to Tirhakah as king of Cush accurately places him within the power dynamics of the ancient Near East and highlights the potential military strength of the approaching force.
- Came out (יָצָא - yatsa): This verb indicates active, outward movement. It is not just that Tirhakah exists, but that he has initiated military action, presenting an immediate and direct challenge to Sennacherib. The military term denotes marching out to campaign or confront.
- To make war (לְהִלָּחֵם - le-hilachem): This phrase clearly defines Tirhakah's intention and the purpose of his movement. It was not a diplomatic visit but a military confrontation, directly challenging Sennacherib's ongoing operations and sovereignty in the region.
- And when he heard it, he sent messengers: This phrase highlights Sennacherib's immediate, tactical reaction to the intelligence. The sending of messengers to Hezekiah after receiving news of a new threat shows a renewed, urgent attempt to compel Hezekiah's surrender quickly, eliminating one enemy before confronting another. This underscores the strategic pressure Sennacherib felt.
Isaiah 37 9 Bonus section
The historical record, notably Sennacherib's own annals, provides a different perspective on the Assyrian engagement with the combined forces of Egypt and Cush. Sennacherib claims a victory over Tirhakah at Eltekeh. However, his annals notably do not describe a definitive conquest of Jerusalem. This gap suggests that the encounter with Tirhakah's forces, even if not a crushing defeat for Assyria, certainly consumed significant Assyrian resources and attention, thereby preventing Sennacherib from fully pressing his siege against Jerusalem. The account in Isaiah confirms that this diversionary news played a crucial role in the unfolding of God's plan for Jerusalem's salvation. God effectively used one human king's military action (Tirhakah) to deter another (Sennacherib), providing the critical window for His supernatural deliverance.
Isaiah 37 9 Commentary
Isaiah 37:9 captures a pivotal moment of divine intervention, albeit through seemingly mundane geopolitical intelligence. The news of Tirhakah's advance forced Sennacherib into a tactical recalculation. For Sennacherib, being attacked from the south while actively besieging Jerusalem from the west or north would be disastrous, risking his supply lines and trapping his army between two foes. This verse reveals God's meticulous orchestration: He fulfills His promise to Hezekiah (Isa 37:7) by causing Sennacherib to "hear a rumor." This external threat, whether a feigned advance or a genuine military engagement, bought time for Judah and amplified Sennacherib's arrogance, setting the stage for his ultimate humiliation and the miraculous divine deliverance of Jerusalem. The underlying theological message is God's sovereignty over the nations, using foreign kings and international politics as instruments in His redemptive plan, even without their knowledge, to protect His covenant people.