For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.
Read it in contextSennacherib’s Fall Prophesied
Start reading at Isaiah 37:21 (Isaiah 37:21 to Isaiah 37:35).
An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
The narratives connect trust and deliverance with an announcement concerning Babylon, bridging earlier warnings and later words of comfort.
37:21Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria:
37:22This is the word which the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.
37:23Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.
37:24By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord, and hast said, By the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the height of his border, and the forest of his Carmel.
37:25I have digged, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places.
37:26Hast thou not heard long ago, how I have done it; and of ancient times, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps.
37:27Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.
37:28But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me.
37:29Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.
37:30And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such as groweth of itself; and the second year that which springeth of the same: and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof.
37:31And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:
37:32For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.
37:33Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it.
37:34By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD.
37:35For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
Study content, not yet reviewed.
Who
Who wrote the book? Isaiah son of Amoz is the named prophet and the traditional author. The New Testament attributes passages from both earlier and later portions to Isaiah; scholars differ about the book's later composition and collection. Biblical references: Isaiah 1:1; John 12:38; John 12:39. stated in the text
Who was present or being addressed in this passage? In the surrounding chapter context (Isaiah 36:1–37:38): Hezekiah, his officials, Jerusalem's people, the Assyrian envoys, and Isaiah are the immediate participants in the invasion and deliverance narrative. stated in the text
Who was the book written to? Judah and Jerusalem are the principal named audience, with messages also concerning Israel and other nations. Later portions address God's people in the horizon of exile, return, and restoration. Biblical references: Isaiah 1:1; Isaiah 40:1; Isaiah 48:20. stated in the text
What
What is the topic of this reading unit? Sennacherib’s Fall Prophesied. Read Isaiah 37:21 through Isaiah 37:35 as a connected unit. interpretation
How does it contribute to the book? The narratives connect trust and deliverance with an announcement concerning Babylon, bridging earlier warnings and later words of comfort. interpretation
When
When are the events or message set? The opening names the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Some passages speak toward later restoration; the time pictured in an oracle is not necessarily its composition date. book background
Where
What is the book’s geographic setting? Judah and Jerusalem are central, but the oracles address surrounding nations and distant powers as well. The named audience and location vary by oracle. book background
Where does the context start?
This passage sits in Sennacherib’s Fall Prophesied (Isaiah 37:21 to Isaiah 37:35).
Start reading at Isaiah 37:21. An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
How
How does this book connect with Jesus Christ? The New Testament explicitly applies passages of Isaiah to Jesus, including the servant passage discussed in Acts 8. Use those links while preserving each oracle's immediate wording and audience. See Isaiah 53:7, Acts 8:32, Acts 8:35, Matthew 12:17. interpretation
How should this book guide our response? Reject empty worship that coexists with injustice, and respond to the calls to trust and return. Preserve the named recipients and conditions of particular promises. interpretation
What Scripture saysThe book opens with the vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz and names him throughout. The New Testament quotes both the earlier and later chapters as Isaiah's words. Isaiah 1:1Isaiah 6:1John 12:38John 12:39
Early traditionJewish and Christian tradition holds the whole book to be Isaiah's.
What is debatedMany critical scholars propose a second and third author for chapters 40 and following, based on setting and style. John 12 quoting both sections as Isaiah is a significant argument against that view.
Other accounts of this event
Sennacherib's invasion and Jerusalem's deliverance
Cross references from CrossReferences-org (CC BY 4.0).
Macro-Structure
See how this passage fits the chapter and the book.
Macro-Structure of Isaiah 37
Prefilled outline, not yet reviewed.
Isaiah's opening locates his vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem in named royal reigns. The book includes warnings, narratives, and promises addressed to different settings. Identify the immediate audience before extending a promise or judgment to later readers. Local headings and stanza divisions are editorial reading aids adapted from public-domain BSB headings; verse boundaries and Scripture links use the KJV. Connections describe the surrounding book movement.
Connection to the wholeThis opening unit introduces the chapter’s movement. The narratives connect trust and deliverance with an announcement concerning Babylon, bridging earlier warnings and later words of comfort.
Connection to the wholeThe narratives connect trust and deliverance with an announcement concerning Babylon, bridging earlier warnings and later words of comfort.
Connection to the wholeThe narratives connect trust and deliverance with an announcement concerning Babylon, bridging earlier warnings and later words of comfort.
Connection to the wholeThe narratives connect trust and deliverance with an announcement concerning Babylon, bridging earlier warnings and later words of comfort.
Connection to the wholeThis unit closes the chapter’s selected reading divisions. The narratives connect trust and deliverance with an announcement concerning Babylon, bridging earlier warnings and later words of comfort.
interpretation
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.
Macro-Structure of Isaiah
Prefilled outline, not yet reviewed.
Isaiah's opening locates his vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem in named royal reigns. The book includes warnings, narratives, and promises addressed to different settings. Identify the immediate audience before extending a promise or judgment to later readers.
Connection to the wholeThe opening visions confront Judah's rebellion while joining judgment with promises concerning the remnant and the Davidic ruler.
Connection to the wholeThe narratives connect trust and deliverance with an announcement concerning Babylon, bridging earlier warnings and later words of comfort.
Connection to the wholeThe movement announces comfort, challenges idols, and develops the servant passages and invitations to receive the LORD's provision.