Question 1

What is happening in this passage where God speaks to Hezekiah?

Accepted Answer

An enemy king, Sennacherib of Assyria, has surrounded the land and threatened Jerusalem. Hezekiah has already prayed and asked God to save them. In this passage, God answers that prayer through the prophet Isaiah. God tells Hezekiah that He has heard his prayer, rebukes Sennacherib’s proud words, and says that the Assyrian king has really been insulting God Himself. God then promises that Sennacherib will be turned back, will not enter Jerusalem, and that God Himself will defend the city and care for His people.

Question 2

What does “the virgin daughter of Zion has despised thee” mean?

Accepted Answer

“The virgin daughter of Zion” is a picture of Jerusalem as a young woman under God’s special care. Calling her a virgin stresses that she belongs to God and that He means to protect her from this invading king. When God says she has despised and laughed Sennacherib to scorn, it shows that, from God’s point of view, all his loud threats are empty. Zion can shake her head at him because his power stops where God says it stops. He cannot do more than God allows.

Question 3

Why does God say Sennacherib has reproached the Holy One of Israel?

Accepted Answer

Sennacherib thought he was only attacking Judah and its cities, but his insults and boasting were really aimed at God. By mocking the people who trust in the Lord and by bragging that no god could stop him, he treated the Lord like the powerless idols of other nations. God reminds him that every proud word against God’s people is heard as a proud word against God Himself. The title “Holy One of Israel” underlines God’s purity, greatness, and special bond with His people, whom He defends.

Question 4

What does it mean that God puts a hook in Sennacherib’s nose and a bridle in his lips?

Accepted Answer

This picture comes from how people controlled wild animals or led captured enemies. A hook in the nose and a bridle in the mouth meant total control. God is saying that even though Sennacherib acts like a raging beast, God can turn him around whenever He chooses. The proud king thinks he goes where he wants, but God will make him return the same way he came. It shows that human power, even the power of an empire, is under God’s hand and cannot go beyond His command.

Question 5

What is the sign about eating what grows of itself for two years?

Accepted Answer

The people had been disrupted by war, so normal farming would be hard. God gives a sign to reassure them that He will provide. For the first year they will eat what grows by itself from old seeds in the ground. In the second year, they will again live from what springs up without their planting. In the third year they will be able to sow, reap, plant vineyards, and enjoy their fruit. This shows that God will both protect them from the enemy and restore their daily life and land over time.

Question 6

Who are the remnant of the house of Judah that will take root and bear fruit?

Accepted Answer

The remnant are those from Judah who survive the Assyrian threat and remain in and around Jerusalem. God promises that this remaining group will not just barely live, but will be like a plant that sends its roots deep and grows strong upward. They will settle again, grow, and be fruitful. This picture teaches that, even when many fall and the land is badly hurt, God keeps a people for Himself and causes them to live and flourish because He is committed to them.

Question 7

Why does God say Sennacherib will not enter Jerusalem or shoot an arrow there?

Accepted Answer

God is giving a very clear promise so that His people do not doubt. The city is surrounded by a great army, but God says the king of Assyria will not even begin a real siege. He will not come in, shoot arrows into the city, stand close with shields, or build siege ramps against the walls. Instead, he will go back the same way he came. This shows that when God sets a limit, no enemy can cross it, no matter how strong that enemy appears to be.

Question 8

What does this passage teach about God’s character?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows God as a God who hears prayer, cares for His people, and opposes proud rulers. He is not distant. He knows Sennacherib’s “going out and coming in” and hears his raging. God is sovereign over history, reminding the king that any success he had came from God’s own plan, not his own strength. At the same time, God is faithful and keeps His promises, defending Jerusalem for His own name’s sake and for the promise made to David. He is both powerful and deeply committed to His people.

Question 9

Why does God say He will defend the city for His own sake and for David’s sake?

Accepted Answer

God had joined His own honor to the care of His people and had made promises to David about his line and kingdom. If Jerusalem fell here, it would look as if God could not keep His word or protect the place and people connected with those promises. By saying He will defend the city for His own sake, God stresses that His name and truth are involved. By adding “for my servant David’s sake,” He points back to His earlier promises and assures them He has not forgotten or changed His plan.

Question 10

How can this passage encourage someone facing strong opposition today?

Accepted Answer

This passage reminds us that God hears the prayers of those who turn to Him when they are threatened or afraid. Powerful people and hard situations can look overwhelming, like Sennacherib’s army, but God is still in control of where they can go and what they can do. He knows every plan, every word, and every step. For those who belong to Him, He promises care, provision, and a future, even if the present feels bleak. This calls us to humble prayer, trust in His promises, and patience as He works.

Isaiah 37:21

¶ Then 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:

Sennacherib’s Fall Prophesied

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Isaiah 37:21

¶ Then 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:

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Sennacherib’s Fall Prophesied

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