Isaiah 37:2
in Isaiah 37And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.
KJV
And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.
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This verse in Isaiah 37
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And he sent Eliakim - (See the note at Isa 36:3). And the elders of the priests - It was a case of deep importance, and one that pertained in a special manner to the interests of religion; and he, therefore, selected the most respectable embassage that he could to present the case to the prophet. Covered with sackcloth - Religion had been insulted. The God whom the priests served had been blasphemed, and the very temple was threatened, and it was proper that the priests should go with the habiliments of mourning.
This site's exposition
King Hezekiah tore his clothes
on Isaiah 37:1-3
Hezekiah meets the taunt with grief and prayer, for he tore his clothes. His message gives a birth image, children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them. Henry sets this beside his father Ahaz, who built an altar to a foreign god.
This site's exposition
to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz
Hezekiah sends his highest officers and the leading priests together, the court and the temple in one embassy. Barnes notes that the priests wear sackcloth for the blasphemy against the God they served. Ahaz, his father, had refused Isaiah's sign at 7:12.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(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. […]
Therefore, he wrapped himself in sackcloth for the royal worship, and as he walked from the palace to the temple, he sent Eliakim the high priest, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests to Isaiah the son of Amos the prophet. In this, the humility and prudence of the king are worth considering. He himself proceeded to the Temple; the leaders of the people and the elders of the priests, not dressed in priestly garments but covered in sackcloth, sent to Isaiah son of Amos, the prophet.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Second, not presuming to pour out his prayer to God by himself, he seeks, through messengers, the intercession of the prayer of the prophet, where he recounts the sending of the messengers: and he sent Eliacim, above: should not the people seek of their God? …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
unto Isaiah--implying the importance of the prophet's position at the time; the chief officers of the court are deputed to wait on him (compare 2Ki 22:12-14).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַ֠יִּשְׁלַח | vaiyishlach | and he sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶלְיָקִ֨ים | ʾelyakim | Eliakim | H471 → | 12 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [was] over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַבַּ֜יִת | habayit | the house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| וְאֵ֣ת׀ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שֶׁבְנָ֣א | shevna' | Shebna | H7644 → | 9 times |
| הַסּוֹפֵ֗ר | hasofer | the scribe | H5608 → | 159 times |
| וְאֵת֙ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| זִקְנֵ֣י | ziknei | [the] elders of | H2205 → | 178 times |
| הַכֹּהֲנִ֔ים | hakohanim | the priests | H3548 → | 750 times |
| מִתְכַּסִּ֖ים | mitkasim | covered | H3680 → | 152 times |
| בַּשַּׂקִּ֑ים | basakim | with <the> sackcloth<s> | H8242 → | 49 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְשַֽׁעְיָ֥הוּ | yesha'yahu | Isaiah | H3470 → | 39 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָמ֖וֹץ | ʾamotz | Amoz | H531 → | 13 times |
| הַנָּבִֽיא׃ | hanavi' | the prophet | H5030 → | 314 times |
וַ֠יִּשְׁלַחand he sent
vaiyishlachH7971 →845 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֶלְיָקִ֨יםEliakim
ʾelyakimH471 →12 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
עַל־[was] over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַבַּ֜יִתthe house
habayitH1004 →2046 times
וְאֵ֣ת׀and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
שֶׁבְנָ֣אShebna
shevna'H7644 →9 times
הַסּוֹפֵ֗רthe scribe
hasoferH5608 →159 times
וְאֵת֙and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
זִקְנֵ֣י[the] elders of
zikneiH2205 →178 times
הַכֹּהֲנִ֔יםthe priests
hakohanimH3548 →750 times
מִתְכַּסִּ֖יםcovered
mitkasimH3680 →152 times
בַּשַּׂקִּ֑יםwith <the> sackcloth<s>
basakimH8242 →49 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יְשַֽׁעְיָ֥הוּIsaiah
yesha'yahuH3470 →39 times
בֶן־[the] son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
אָמ֖וֹץAmoz
ʾamotzH531 →13 times
הַנָּבִֽיא׃the prophet
hanavi'H5030 →314 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
2 Chronicles 20:20Early in the morning they got up and left for the Wilderness of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, “Hear me, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Believe in the…
it leads to
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- John 11:40
Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
- John 14:1
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well.
- Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
- Luke 16:31
Then Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
- Romans 8:31
Through
2 Kings 18:18Then they called for the king; and Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebnah the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder, went out to them.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 8:16–17
Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Kings 19:2
And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz
- 2 Samuel 8:16–17
Through
Isaiah 1:1This is the vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 26:1
All the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.
- 2 Chronicles 26:1
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 (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.