Isaiah 37:4
in Isaiah 37Perhaps the LORD your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to defy the living God, and He will rebuke him for the words that the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up a prayer for the remnant that still survives.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
It may be Jehovah thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which Jehovah thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.
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.
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This verse in Isaiah 37
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
It 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 Exo 2:24; Exo 3:7. To reproach the living God - The revilings of Rabsbakeh were really directed against the true God.
This site's exposition
lift up a prayer for the remnant
on Isaiah 37:4-5
The embassy names what Rabshakeh has done, sent to defy the living God, and asks the prophet to pray. The request is framed in hope, Perhaps the LORD your God will hear. The phrase the remnant that still survives points ahead to verse 32, where a remnant will go forth.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
And they said to him: Thus says Hezekiah, not a king, not swollen with the name of empire: The day of tribulation, and the day of corruption, and the day of blasphemy: the day of our tribulation, the day of God's correction, the day of the enemies' blasphemy. And the likeness of a woman in labor and in distress, that she has come to labor and cannot give birth, nor can she say: We have conceived, O Lord, from fear of you, and we have grieved and given birth to the spirit of salvation.
(Chapter 37, Verse 1 and following) Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, and Shebna the secretary and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him what the field commander had said. When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord. He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They told him, 'This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them.' If you want to know how the Lord your God heard the words of Rabsaces, whom the king of the Assyrians, his lord, sent to blaspheme the living God and to reproach the words that the Lord your God heard, lift up a prayer for the remainder that have been found. Then the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, and Isaiah said to them: 'Thus you shall say to your master: Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria blasphemed me.' Behold, I will give to him the spirit, and he will hear the message, and he will return to his land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his land. Leaving aside the clear things, let us discuss only those in which the hidden meaning is present. They tear their clothes because they hear Rabshekah blaspheming. The king himself tears his own clothes because he believed it to be his and the people's sins that Rabshekah has come all the way to the gate of Jerusalem and has spoken such things against the Lord. Whereupon, the high priest, because he believed that he had blasphemed the Savior, tore his garments (Matt. […]
The Medieval Church1 voice
They offer their petition—that it might be thus ordained: wherefore lift up your prayer; it may be: pray you for us to the Lord your God for all this remnant (Jer 42:2). Prayer is lifted up, through eminence of contemplation: I have lifted up my …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): It may be the Lord thy God will hear; who knows but he will return and repent? The it may be of the prospect of the haven of blessings should quicken us with double diligence to ply the oar of prayer. When there is a remnant left, and but a remnant, it concerns us to lift up a prayer for that remnant,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
It may be the Lord thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The prayer that reaches heaven must be lifted up by a strong faith, earnest desires, and a direct intention to the glory of God, all which should be quickened when we come to the last stake. Those that have made God their enemy we have no reason to be afraid of, for they are marked for ruin; and, though they may hiss, they cannot hurt.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
hear--take cognizance of (2Sa 16:12). reprove--will punish him for the words, &c. (Ps 50:21). remnant--the two tribes of the kingdom of Judah, Israel being already captive. Isaiah is entreated to act as intercessor with God.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אוּלַ֡י | ʾulai | perhaps | H194 → | 45 times |
| יִשְׁמַע֩ | yishma' | he will hear | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| יְהוָ֨ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֵ֣ת׀ | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דִּבְרֵ֣י | divrei | [the] words of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| רַב־ | rav- | [the] chief | H7262 → | 32 times |
| שָׁקֵ֗ה | shakeh | commander | H7262 → | 32 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֩ | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שְׁלָח֨וֹ | shelacho | he has sent him | H7971 → | 845 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אַשּׁ֤וּר׀ | ʾashur | Assyria | H804 → | 151 times |
| אֲדֹנָיו֙ | ʾadonav | master<s> his | H113 → | 333 times |
| לְחָרֵף֙ | lecharef | to taunt | H2778 → | 41 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֣ים | ʾelohim | [the] God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| חַ֔י | chai | living | H2416 → | 498 times |
| וְהוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ | vehokhiach | and he will rebuke | H3198 → | 59 times |
| בַּדְּבָרִ֔ים | badevarim | <in> the words | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שָׁמַ֖ע | shama' | he has heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְנָשָׂ֣אתָ | venasata | and you will lift up | H5375 → | 656 times |
| תְפִלָּ֔ה | tefilah | prayer | H8605 → | 72 times |
| בְּעַ֥ד | bead | for | H1157 → | 105 times |
| הַשְּׁאֵרִ֖ית | hasheerit | the remnant | H7611 → | 66 times |
| הַנִּמְצָאָֽה׃ | hanimtzaah | which is found | H4672 → | 455 times |
אוּלַ֡יperhaps
ʾulaiH194 →45 times
יִשְׁמַע֩he will hear
yishma'H8085 →1159 times
יְהוָ֨הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
אֵ֣ת׀<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
דִּבְרֵ֣י[the] words of
divreiH1697 →1440 times
רַב־[the] chief
rav-H7262 →32 times
שָׁקֵ֗הcommander
shakehH7262 →32 times
אֲשֶׁר֩whom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
שְׁלָח֨וֹhe has sent him
shelachoH7971 →845 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
אַשּׁ֤וּר׀Assyria
ʾashurH804 →151 times
אֲדֹנָיו֙master<s> his
ʾadonavH113 →333 times
לְחָרֵף֙to taunt
lecharefH2778 →41 times
אֱלֹהִ֣ים[the] God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
חַ֔יliving
chaiH2416 →498 times
וְהוֹכִ֙יחַ֙and he will rebuke
vehokhiachH3198 →59 times
בַּדְּבָרִ֔ים<in> the words
badevarimH1697 →1440 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
שָׁמַ֖עhe has heard
shama'H8085 →1159 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
וְנָשָׂ֣אתָand you will lift up
venasataH5375 →656 times
תְפִלָּ֔הprayer
tefilahH8605 →72 times
בְּעַ֥דfor
beadH1157 →105 times
הַשְּׁאֵרִ֖יתthe remnant
hasheeritH7611 →66 times
הַנִּמְצָאָֽה׃which is found
hanimtzaahH4672 →455 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
Isaiah 1:9Unless the LORD of Hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.
it leads to
- Romans 9:29
It is just as Isaiah foretold: “Unless the Lord of Hosts had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.”
- Isaiah 37:31–32
And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root below and bear fruit above.
- Genesis 19:24
Then the LORD rained down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens.
- Romans 9:29
Through
Isaiah 10:22Though your people, O Israel, be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overflowing with righteousness.
it leads to
- Romans 9:27–28
Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites is like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved.
- Romans 9:27–28
Through
Joshua 14:12Now therefore give me this hill country that the LORD promised me on that day, for you yourself heard then that the Anakim were there, with great and fortified cities. Perhaps with the LORD’s…
it leads to
- Hebrews 11:33
who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,
- Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- Numbers 13:33
We even saw the Nephilim there—the descendants of Anak that come from the Nephilim! We seemed like grasshoppers in our own sight, and we must have seemed the same to them!”
- Numbers 13:28
Nevertheless, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We even saw the descendants of Anak there.
- Hebrews 11:33
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Isaiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.