Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 37:5
So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
5. The verse is really subordinate to Isa 37:6, “And when the servants came Isaiah said,” &c.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. And delivered the above message to him from the king: these servants are mentioned
Isa 37:2. Musculus thinks that the third and fourth verses are the words of the king to the messengers, and not of the messengers to the prophet; and that the first clause of the “third” verse should be rendered, “that they might say unto him”, c. and having received their instructions, here is an account of their going to the prophet with them, which they delivered to him, and which it was not necessary to repeat. The Arabic version reads this verse in connection with the following, thus, “when the servants of King Hezekiah, came to Isaiah, Isaiah said to them”, &c.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Isaiah’s reply. “And the servants of king Hizkiyahu came to Isaiah. And Isaiah said to them ( , K. ), Speak thus to your lord, Thus saith Jehovah, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Asshur have blasphemed me! Behold, I will bring a spirit upon him, and he will hear a hearsay, and return to his land; and I cut him down with the sword in his own land.” Luzzatto, without any necessity, takes in Isa 37:3 in the modal sense of what they were to do ( e dovevano dirgli ): they were to say this to him, but he anticipated them at once with the instructions given here. The fact, so far as the style is concerned, is rather this, that Isa 37:5, while pointing back, gives the ground for Isa 37:6: “and when they had come to him (saying this), he said to them.” we render “servants” (Knappen)
(Note: Knappe is the same word as “ Knave; ” but we have no word in use now which is an exact equivalent, and knave has entirely lost its original sense of servant. – Tr.)
after Est 2:2; Est 6:3, Est 6:5; it is a more contemptuous expression than . The ruach mentioned here as sent by God is a superior force of a spiritual kind, which influences both thought and conduct, as in such other connections as Isa 19:14; Isa 28:6; Isa 29:10 ( Psychol. p. 295, Anm.).
The external occasion which determined the return of Sennacherib, as described in Isa 37:36-37, was the fearful mortality that had taken place in his army. The sh e muah (rumour, hearsay), however, was not the tidings of this catastrophe, but, as the continuation of the account in Isa 37:8, Isa 37:9, clearly shows, the report of the advance of Tirhakah, which compelled Sennacherib to leave Palestine in consequence of this catastrophe. The prediction of his death is sufficiently special to be regarded by modern commentators, who will admit nothing but the most misty figures as prophecies, as a vaticinium post eventum . At the same time, the prediction of the event which would drive the Assyrian out of the land is intentionally couched in these general terms. The faith of the king, and of the inquirers generally, still needed to be tested and exercised. The time had not yet come for him to be rewarded by a clearer and fuller announcement of the judgment.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
5. And the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. As the Prophet formerly related that the pious king had no other refuge than to consult the mouth of the Lord, so he now shews that he did not consult in vain; for he received the consolation which he desired. Instructed by this example, if we seek relief from him by pouring our cares and anxieties into the bosom of God, our hope shall never be disappointed; and although there will not always be prophets in the world, such as Isaiah was, yet he will come forth seasonably to render assistance in an appropriate manner.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5) So the servants . . .Literally, And . . . The Authorised Version suggests that there was only one coming of the messengers. Possibly. however, the words imply a withdrawal between the delivery of their message and their coming a second time to receive his answer.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Isa 37:5-7
5So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah 6 Isaiah said to them, Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the LORD, Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. 7Behold, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’
Isa 37:6 Notice how Isaiah responds to the messengers of Hezekiah with the very words of YHWH (cf. Isa 37:21)!
Do not be afraid This statement (BDB 431, KB 432, Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense) is a recurrent message from God to His leaders (cf. Isa 7:4; Isa 8:12; Isa 10:24; Isa 35:4; Isa 40:9; Isa 41:10; Isa 41:13-14; Isa 43:1; Isa 43:5; Isa 44:2; Isa 51:7; Isa 54:4; Gen 15:1; Gen 21:17; Gen 26:24; Gen 46:3; Exo 20:20; Num 14:9; Deu 1:21; Deu 1:29; Deu 3:2; Deu 3:22; Deu 7:18; Deu 20:1; Deu 20:3; Deu 31:6; Deu 31:8; Jos 8:1; Jos 10:8; Jos 10:25; Jos 11:6; Jdg 6:23, etc.).
Isa 37:7
NASB, NJB,
LXXI will put a spirit in him
NKJVI will send a spirit upon him
NRSVI myself will put a spirit in him
TEVThe LORD will cause the emperor to hear
REBI shall sap his morale
PESHITTAI will send a blast against him
The MT has ruah (BDB 924), which, in this context, refers to an inner feeling or sense of doom and foreboding. The great kingof Assyria (cf. Isa 36:4) is controlled by the God of Israel! See Special Topic: Breath, Wind, Spirit .
hear a rumor and return to his own land This is YHWH’s response because Hezekiah turned to Him for help (as Ahaz did not). He will confuse the army and send them home (cf. Isa 37:37). Some have wondered if Isa 37:9 is not a fulfillment of this rumor, but it seems, in context, to refer to a rumor that will force him to return to Assyria and not simply meet Egypt in battle.
I will make him fall by the sword in his own land See Isa 37:38 for the historical fulfillment of this prophecy.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
So the officials came to Isaiah, and the prophet responded by sending them back to the king with a message from Yahweh. Hezekiah was not to fear the blasphemous claims of Sennacherib’s underlings. The Lord promised to lead the invading king away from Jerusalem and back to his own country where he would die by the sword. A report placed in Sennacherib’s ear would be the sovereign Lord’s instrument. The lack of reference to the decimation of the Assyrian troops already gathered around Jerusalem (cf. Isa 36:2) focuses the promise on the central issue, divine punishment for the king’s blasphemy (cf. Isa 14:24-27; Isa 31:8).