Isaiah 37:4

Isaiah 37:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)It may be the Lord thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.
• New International Version (NIV)It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the Lord your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.'"
• New King James Version (NKJV)It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’ ”

Context of Isaiah 37:4

2Then he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the scribe, and the leaders of the priests, clothed in sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz. 3They said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day filled with misery, punishment, and disgrace. We are like a woman who is about to give birth but doesn’t have the strength to do it. The Lord your God may have heard the words of the field commander. His master, the king of Assyria, sent him to defy the living God. The Lord your God may punish him because of the message that the Lord your God heard. Pray for the few people who are left.” 5So King Hezekiah’s men went to Isaiah. 6Isaiah answered them, “Say this to your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Don’t be afraid of the message that you heard when the Assyrian king’s assistants slandered me.

Isaiah 37:4 word by word

אוּלַ֡י יִשְׁמַע֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ אֵ֣ת׀ דִּבְרֵ֣י רַב־שָׁקֵ֗ה אֲשֶׁר֩ שְׁלָח֨וֹ מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֤וּר׀ אֲדֹנָיו֙ לְחָרֵף֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים חַ֔י וְהוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ בַּדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁמַ֖ע יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ וְנָשָׂ֣אתָ תְפִלָּ֔ה בְּעַ֥ד הַשְּׁאֵרִ֖ית הַנִּמְצָאָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• It may be the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• will hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• the wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• of Rabshakehרַבְשָׁקֵהrabshâqêh · RabshakehH7262
• whom the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Assyriaאַשּׁוּר'ashshûr 'ashshûr · AssyriaH804
• his masterאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• hath sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• to reproachחָרַףchâraph · to tauntH2778
• the livingחַיchay · aliveH2416
• and will reproveיָכַחyâkach · to rebukeH3198
• wherefore lift upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: raiseH5375
• prayerתְּפִלָּהtephillâh · prayerH8605
• for the remnantשְׁאֵרִיתshe'êrîyth · remnantH7611
• that is leftמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672

Cross-references for Isaiah 37:4

• Joshua 14:12Now give me this mountain region which the Lord spoke of that day. You heard that the people of Anak are still there and that they have large, fortified cities. If the Lord is with me, I can force them out, as he promised.”
• 1 Samuel 14:6Jonathan said to his armorbearer, “Let’s go to the military post of these uncircumcised people. Maybe the Lord will act on our behalf. The Lord can win a victory with a few men as well as with many.”
• 2 Samuel 16:12Maybe the Lord will see my misery and turn his curse into a blessing for me today.”
• Amos 5:15Hate evil and love good. Then you will be able to have justice in your courts. Maybe the Lord God of Armies will have pity on the faithful few of Joseph.
• Isaiah 37:23Whom are you defying and slandering? Against whom are you shouting? Who are you looking at so arrogantly? It is the Holy One of Israel!
• Isaiah 36:20Did the gods of these countries rescue them from my control? Could the Lord then rescue Jerusalem from my control?”
• Isaiah 51:7Listen to me, you people who know righteousness, you people who have my teachings in your hearts. Don’t be afraid of being insulted by people. Don’t be discouraged by their ridicule.
• 1 Samuel 17:26David asked the men who were standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and gets rid of Israel’s disgrace? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should challenge the army of the living God?”
• 2 Kings 19:4The Lord your God may have heard all the words of the field commander. His master, the king of Assyria, sent him to defy the living God. The Lord your God may punish him because of the message that the Lord your God heard. Pray for the few people who are left.”
• 2 Chronicles 32:15Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you or persuade you like this. Don’t believe him. No god of any nation or kingdom could save his people from me or my ancestors. Certainly, your God will not rescue you from me!”
• Psalms 50:21When you did these things, I remained silent. ⌞That⌟ made you think I was like you. I will argue my point with you and lay it all out for you to see.
• 1 Samuel 7:8The Israelites said to Samuel, “Don’t turn a deaf ear to us! Don’t stop crying to the Lord our God for us! Ask him to save us from the Philistines!”
• 1 Samuel 12:19All the people pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for us so that we will not die. We have added ⌞another⌟ evil thing to all our other sins by asking for a king.”
• 2 Chronicles 32:20Then King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, prayed about this and called to heaven.
• Psalms 106:23God said he was going to destroy them, but Moses, his chosen one, stood in his way to prevent him from exterminating them.
• Joel 2:17The priests who serve the Lord cry between the altar and the entrance to the temple. They say, “Spare your people, O Lord. Don’t let the people who belong to you become a disgrace. Don’t let the nations ridicule them. Why should people ask, ‘Where is their God?’ ”

Commentaries on Isaiah 37:4

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4It may be the Lord thy God - The God whom thou dost serve, and in whose name and by whose authority thou dost exercise the prophetic office. Will hear the words - Will come forth and vindicate himself in regard to the language of reproach and blasphemy which has been used. See a similar use of the word hear‘ in Exodus 2:24; Exodus 3:7. To reproach the living God - The revilings of Rabsbakeh were really directed against the true God. The reproach of the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Perhaps … God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh … defy the living God: Hezekiah's hope was not based on Judah's or his own goodness, nor on the presence of the temple in Jerusalem. Instead, it was based on God responding to Assyria's disrespect.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. hear--take cognizance of (2Sa 16:12). reprove--will punish him for the words, &c. (Psa 50:21). remnant--the two tribes of the kingdom of Judah, Israel being already captive. Isaiah is entreated to act as intercessor with God.Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Assyria
• God
• Assyria, Assyrian, Assyrian Empire
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Hezekiah
• Rabmag
• Bible, the
• Chronicles, Books of
• Hezekiah (2)
• Intercession

Commentaries on Isaiah 37

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings