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

2Eliakim the palace supervisor, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, clothed in sackcloth, sent this message to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz: 3“This is what Hezekiah says: ‘This is a day of distress, insults, and humiliation, as when a baby is ready to leave the birth canal, but the mother lacks the strength to push it through. Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all these things the chief adviser has spoken on behalf of his master, the king of Assyria, who sent him to taunt the living God. When the Lord your God hears, perhaps he will punish him for the things he has said. So pray for this remnant that remains.’” 5When King Hezekiah’s servants came to Isaiah, 6Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master this: ‘This is what the Lord says: “Don’t be afraid because of the things you have heard – these insults the king of Assyria’s servants have hurled against 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, assign me this hill country which the Lord promised me at that time! No doubt you heard at that time that the Anakites live there in large, fortified cities. But, assuming the Lord is with me, I will conquer them, as the Lord promised.”
• 1 Samuel 14:6Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will intervene for us. Nothing can prevent the Lord from delivering, whether by many or by a few.”
• 2 Samuel 16:12Perhaps the Lord will notice my affliction and this day grant me good in place of his curse.”
• Amos 5:15Hate what is wrong, love what is right! Promote justice at the city gate! Maybe the Lord, the God who commands armies, will have mercy on those who are left from Joseph.
• Isaiah 37:23Whom have you taunted and hurled insults at? At whom have you shouted and looked so arrogantly? At the Holy One of Israel!
• Isaiah 36:20Who among all the gods of these lands have rescued their lands from my power? So how can the Lord rescue Jerusalem from my power?’”
• Isaiah 51:7Listen to me, you who know what is right, you people who are aware of my law! Don’t be afraid of the insults of men; don’t be discouraged because of their abuse!
• 1 Samuel 17:26David asked the men who were standing near him, “What will be done for the man who strikes down this Philistine and frees Israel from this humiliation? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he defies the armies of the living God?”
• 2 Kings 19:4Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all these things the chief adviser has spoken on behalf of his master, the king of Assyria, who sent him to taunt the living God. When the Lord your God hears, perhaps he will punish him for the things he has said. So pray for this remnant that remains.’”
• 2 Chronicles 32:15Now don’t let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like this. Don’t believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to rescue his people from my power or the power of my predecessors. So how can your gods rescue you from my power?’”
• Psalms 50:21When you did these things, I was silent, so you thought I was exactly like you. But now I will condemn you and state my case against you!
• 1 Samuel 7:8The Israelites said to Samuel, “Keep crying out to the Lord our God so that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines!”
• 1 Samuel 12:19All the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God on behalf of us – your servants – so we won’t die, for we have added to all our sins by asking for a king.”
• 2 Chronicles 32:20King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed about this and cried out to heaven.
• Psalms 106:23He threatened to destroy them, but Moses, his chosen one, interceded with him and turned back his destructive anger.
• Joel 2:17Let the priests, those who serve the Lord, weep from the vestibule all the way back to the altar. Let them say, “Have pity, O Lord, on your people; please do not turn over your inheritance to be mocked, to become a proverb among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, “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