Isaiah 37:38
in Isaiah 37One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.
KJV
And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esar–haddon his son reigned in his stead.
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This verse in Isaiah 37
Commentary
9 notes on this verseAnd it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god,.... Josephus says (z), in his temple, called Arasce; but Nisroch was the name of his deity he worshipped; though who he was is not certain.
This site's exposition
dwelt at Nineveh
on Isaiah 37:37-38
Sennacherib's own retreat fulfills the word given him before he ever heard the rumour of Tirhakah, he departs, returns, and dwells at Nineveh, the very ending Isaiah named at verse 7. His death comes at the hands of his own sons while worshipping Nisroch his god, the last irony of a campaign built on mocking gods of wood and stone, struck down inside the house of one. Josephus and the Assyrian royal records both place the assassination years after the siege, a gap the bench notes without treating it as a problem for the text, since the oracle promised a fall by the sword in his own land and named no date for it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Vrs. 36 seqq.) However, the Angel of God went out and struck down in the Assyrian camp 185,000 men; and when they arose in the morning, behold, all the dead bodies. Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned to Nineveh, and he lived there. And it came about as he was worshiping in the temple of Nesrach his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, killed him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son became king in his place.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Third, as to the slaying of Sennacherib himself: and it came to pass, as he was worshipping . . . that Adramelech and Sarasar, his firstborn sons, who were envious of their younger brother, who was born of another mother, and whom they wished to …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
When pains are most strong let prayers be most lively; and, when we meet with the greatest difficulties, then is a time to stir up not ourselves only, but others also, to take hold on God. Prayer is the midwife of mercy, that helps to bring it forth. It is an encouragement to pray though we have but some hopes of mercy (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Many prophecies were fulfilled in this providence, which should encourage us, as far as they look further, and are designed as common and general assurances of the safety of the church and of all that trust in God, to depend upon God for the accomplishment of them.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The eagle was worshipper by the ancient Persians and Arabs. Esar-haddon--In Ezr 4:2 he is mentioned as having brought colonists into Samaria. He is also thought to have been the king who carried Manasseh captive to Babylon (2Ch 33:11).
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
His sons smote him - What an awful punishment of his blasphemy! Who can harden his neck against God, and be successful? God does not lightly pass by blasphemy against himself, his government, his word, his Son, or his people. Let the profligate take care!
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
As he was worshipping - Perhaps this time was selected because he might be then attended with fewer guards, or because they were able to surprise him without the possibility of his summoning his attendants to his rescue. In the house - In the temple. Of Nisroch his god - The god whom he particularly adored. Gesenius supposes that the word ‘Nisroch’ denotes an eagle, or a great eagle. The eagle was regarded as a sacred bird in the Persian religion, and was the symbol of Ormuzd. This god or idol had been probably introduced into Nineveh from Persia. Among the ancient Arabs the eagle occurs as an idol Josephus calls the idol Araskes; the author of the book of Tobit calls it Dagon. Vitringa supposes that it was the Assyrian Bel, and was worshipped under the figure of Mars, the god of war. More probably it was the figure of the eagle, though it might have been regarded as the god of war. That Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword - What was the cause of this rebellion and parricide is unknown. These two sons subsequently became, in Armenia, the heads of two celebrated families there, the Arzerunii, and the Genunii (see Jos. Ant. x. 1, 5, note). And they escaped - This would lead us to suppose that it was some private matter which led them to commit the parricide, and that they did not do it with the expectation of succeeding to the crown. Into the land of Armenia - Hebrew, as Margin, ‘Ararat.’ The Chaldee renders this, ‘The land of קרדוּ qaredû, that is, Kardi-anum, or, the mountains of the Kurds. The modern Kurdistan includes a considerable part of the ancient Assyria and Media, together with a large portion of Armenia. This expression is generally substituted for Ararat by the Syriac, Chaldee, and Arabic translators, when they do not retain the original word Ararat. It is a region among the mountains of Ararat or Armenia. […]
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִי֩ | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| ה֨וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| מִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֜ה | mishtachaveh | [was] bowing down | H7812 → | 172 times |
| בֵּ֣ית׀ | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| נִסְרֹ֣ךְ | nisrokh | Nisroch | H5268 → | |
| אֱלֹהָ֗יו | ʾelohav | god his | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְֽאַדְרַמֶּ֨לֶךְ | veadramelekh | and Adrammelech | H152 → | |
| וְשַׂרְאֶ֤צֶר | vesaretzer | and Sharezer | H8272 → | |
| בָּנָיו֙ | banav | sons his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הִכֻּ֣הוּ | hikuhu | they struck down him | H5221 → | 499 times |
| בַחֶ֔רֶב | vacherev | with the sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| וְהֵ֥מָּה | vehemah | and they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| נִמְלְט֖וּ | nimletu | they escaped | H4422 → | 95 times |
| אֶ֣רֶץ | ʾeretz | [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אֲרָרָ֑ט | ʾararat | Ararat | H780 → | |
| וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ | vaiyimlokh | and he reigned | H4427 → | 348 times |
| אֵֽסַר־ | ʾesar- | Esar- | H634 → | |
| חַדֹּ֥ן | chadon | -haddon | H634 → | |
| בְּנ֖וֹ | beno | son his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ ס | tachtav | in place his | H8478 → | 505 times |
וַיְהִי֩and it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
ה֨וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
מִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֜ה[was] bowing down
mishtachavehH7812 →172 times
בֵּ֣ית׀[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
נִסְרֹ֣ךְNisroch
nisrokhH5268 →
אֱלֹהָ֗יוgod his
ʾelohavH430 →2601 times
וְֽאַדְרַמֶּ֨לֶךְand Adrammelech
veadramelekhH152 →
וְשַׂרְאֶ֤צֶרand Sharezer
vesaretzerH8272 →
בָּנָיו֙sons his
banavH1121 →4930 times
הִכֻּ֣הוּthey struck down him
hikuhuH5221 →499 times
בַחֶ֔רֶבwith the sword
vacherevH2719 →413 times
וְהֵ֥מָּהand they
vehemahH1992 →553 times
נִמְלְט֖וּthey escaped
nimletuH4422 →95 times
אֶ֣רֶץ[the] land of
ʾeretzH776 →2504 times
אֲרָרָ֑טArarat
ʾararatH780 →
וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְand he reigned
vaiyimlokhH4427 →348 times
אֵֽסַר־Esar-
ʾesar-H634 →
חַדֹּ֥ן-haddon
chadonH634 →
בְּנ֖וֹson his
benoH1121 →4930 times
תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ סin place his
tachtavH8478 →505 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ezra 4:2they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families, saying, “Let us build with you because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to Him since the time of King Esar-haddon…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 19:37
One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Kings 17:24
Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in…
- Galatians 2:4
This issue arose because some false brothers had come in under false pretenses to spy on our freedom in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us.
- 2 Kings 19:37
Through
Jeremiah 51:27“Raise a banner in the land! Blow the ram’s horn among the nations! Prepare the nations against her. Summon the kingdoms against her—Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a captain against her; bring up horses…
it leads to
- Genesis 10:3
The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
- Genesis 8:4
On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
- 1 Chronicles 1:6
The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
- Jeremiah 51:12
Raise a banner against the walls of Babylon; post the guard; station the watchmen; prepare the ambush. For the LORD has both devised and accomplished what He spoke against the people of Babylon.
- Genesis 10:3
Through
Isaiah 14:9Sheol beneath is eager to meet you upon your arrival. It stirs the spirits of the dead to greet you—all the rulers of the earth. It makes all the kings of the nations rise…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 32:21–32
Mighty chiefs will speak from the midst of Sheol about Egypt and her allies: ‘They have come down and lie with the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.’
- Ezekiel 32:21–32
About Isaiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.