וַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ הַמֶּלֶךְ חִזְקִיָּהוּ וַיִּקְרַע אֶת בְּגָדָיו וַיִּתְכַּס בַּשָּׂק וַיָּבֹא בֵּית ה'

When King Hizkiyahu heard Rav Shakeh’s statements, he rent his garments, covered himself with sackcloth, and came to the House of the Lord to pray.

וַיִּשְׁלַח אֶת אֶלְיָקִים אֲשֶׁר עַל הַבַּיִת וְאֵת שֶׁבְנָא הַסּוֹפֵר וְאֵת זִקְנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים מִתְכַּסִּים בַּשַּׂקִּים אֶל יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בֶן אָמוֹץ הַנָּבִיא

He sent Elyakim, who was in charge of the household, Shevna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered in sackcloth as a sign of mourning and distress, to Isaiah son of Amotz the prophet.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו כֹּה אָמַר חִזְקִיָּהוּ יוֹם צָרָה וְתוֹכֵחָה וּנְאָצָה הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה כִּי בָאוּ בָנִים עַד מַשְׁבֵּר וְכֹחַ אַיִן לְלֵדָה

They said to him: So said Hizkiyahu: This day is a day of trouble, dispute and punishment, and execration. The city is in great distress, for the children have come to the birthstool, but there is no strength to give birth. Our situation is analogous to that of a woman in labor, who, at the very moment when the fetus is about to emerge, is overcome by exhaustion and cannot push it out. Something must be done now, but we lack the strength to take action.

אוּלַי יִשְׁמַע ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵת דִּבְרֵי רַבְשָׁקֵה אֲשֶׁר שְׁלָחוֹ מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר אֲדֹנָיו לְחָרֵף אֱלֹהִים חַי וְהוֹכִיחַ בַּדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַע ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְנָשָׂאתָ תְפִלָּה בְּעַד הַשְּׁאֵרִית הַנִּמְצָאָה

Perhaps the Lord your God will hear the words of Rav Shakeh, whom his master, the king of Assyria, sent to revile the living God. Rav Shakeh did not read out a statement of his king, as Sennacherib did not dictate his message, but rather provided him with general guidelines. In his speech Rav Shakeh sought to undermine his audience’s morale with his account of the conquests of Sennacherib, one country after the next, with none able to resist. He suggested to the people that they should surrender and agree to be exiled from their land. Above all, Rav Shakeh had insulted the dignity of God, contesting with the words that the Lord your God has heard; will you offer a prayer on behalf of the remnant of the nation that survives in the city?

וַיָּבֹאוּ עַבְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ חִזְקִיָּהוּ אֶל יְשַׁעְיָהוּ

The servants of King Hizkiyahu came to Isaiah.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם יְשַׁעְיָהוּ כֹּה תֹאמְרוּן אֶל אֲדֹנֵיכֶם כֹּה אָמַר ה' אַל תִּירָא מִפְּנֵי הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתָּ אֲשֶׁר גִּדְּפוּ נַעֲרֵי מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר אוֹתִי

Isaiah said to them: So you shall say to your master: So said the Lord: Do not fear due to the matters that you heard, that the lads of the king of Assyria blasphemed Me, your God. The prophet disparagingly describes Rav Shakeh, a distinguished Assyrian official, as one of a mob of unruly youths.

הִנְנִי נוֹתֵן בּוֹ רוּחַ וְשָׁמַע שְׁמוּעָה וְשָׁב אֶל אַרְצוֹ וְהִפַּלְתִּיו בַּחֶרֶב בְּאַרְצוֹ

Behold, I will place a spirit, a desire or a sense of panic, in him, the Assyrian king, and he will hear a rumor and will return to his land, and afterward I will cause him to fall by the sword in his land.

וַיָּשָׁב רַבְשָׁקֵה וַיִּמְצָא אֶת מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר נִלְחָם עַל לִבְנָה כִּי שָׁמַע כִּי נָסַע מִלָּכִישׁ

Rav Shakeh returned to his base, and he found the king of Assyria making war on Livna; for he had heard that he traveled from Lakhish. Earlier Sennacherib had laid siege against Lakhish. Now Rav Shakeh found him fighting against the important city of Livna, located in the same general area.

וַיִּשְׁמַע עַל תִּרְהָקָה מֶלֶךְ כּוּשׁ לֵאמֹר יָצָא לְהִלָּחֵם אִתָּךְ

He, the Assyrian king, heard about Tirhaka king of Kush, a member of the Nubian dynasty that ruled at that time in Egypt, saying: He has come out to war with you. Assyria’s primary objective was to maintain control over Philistia after the revolts that had taken place there. The Nubian-Egyptian army arrived to assist Philistia against Assyria. When the Assyrian king heard that his Egyptian counterpart had set out against him, he did not want to commit his forces to the conquest of another city in a small kingdom. Instead, he abandoned his camps around Jerusalem. He heard this, and he sent messengers to deliver an additional statement to Hizkiyahu, saying:

וַיִּשְׁמַע וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים אֶל חִזְקִיָּהוּ לֵאמֹר כֹּה תֹאמְרוּן אֶל חִזְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה לֵאמֹר אַל יַשִּׁאֲךָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה בּוֹטֵחַ בּוֹ לֵאמֹר לֹא תִנָּתֵן יְרוּשָׁלִַם בְּיַד מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר

So shall you say to Hizkiyahu king of Judah, saying: Do not let your God in whom you trust entice you, saying: Jerusalem will not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. This is only a temporary respite.

הִנֵּה אַתָּה שָׁמַעְתָּ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ מַלְכֵי אַשּׁוּר לְכָל הָאֲרָצוֹת לְהַחֲרִימָם — וְאַתָּה תִּנָּצֵל!

Behold, have you heard what the kings of Assyria did to all the lands, destroying them, and you think that you alone will be delivered?

הַהִצִּילוּ אוֹתָם אֱלֹהֵי הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁחִיתוּ אֲבוֹתַי — אֶת גּוֹזָן וְאֶת חָרָן וְרֶצֶף וּבְנֵי עֶדֶן אֲשֶׁר בִּתְלַשָּׂר

Did the gods of those nations that my fathers destroyed deliver them: Gozan, Haran, Retzef, and the children of Eden who are in Telasar?Assyria was then at its zenith. Sennacherib and the great kings who preceded him had steadily conquered more and more countries.

אַיֵּה מֶלֶךְ חֲמָת וּמֶלֶךְ אַרְפָּד וּמֶלֶךְ לָעִיר סְפַרְוָיִם! הֵנַע וְעִוָּה!

Where is the king of Hamat, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sefarvayim? Where are the kings of Hena and Iva? Alternatively, Hena and Ivaare not names, but rather this is an expression that means that the king of Assyria drove them off and destroyed them. Rav Shakeh is saying that the kingdom of Assyria crushes all of its enemies, and you too have no chance against them.

וַיִּקַּח חִזְקִיָּהוּ אֶת הַסְּפָרִים מִיַּד הַמַּלְאָכִים וַיִּקְרָאֵהוּ וַיַּעַל בֵּית ה' וַיִּפְרְשֵׂהוּ חִזְקִיָּהוּ לִפְנֵי ה'

Hizkiyahu took the scroll from the hand of the messengers and read it. The word for letter is actually plural in the Hebrew, but the phrase “read it” is in the singular. Some suggest that the common practice was to send several copies of missives in order to insure that at least one would arrive in proper shape. Accordingly, several letters were sent, but only one was read by Hizkiyahu. However, this kind of shift from plural to singular is not unusual for the Bible. He, Hizkiyahu, went up to the House of the Lord and unfurled it, the scroll, before the Lord, with the writing facing upward.

וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל חִזְקִיָּהוּ אֶל ה' לֵאמֹר

Hizkiyahu prayed to the Lord, saying:

ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יֹשֵׁב הַכְּרֻבִים אַתָּה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים לְבַדְּךָ לְכֹל מַמְלְכוֹת הָאָרֶץ אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ

Lord of hosts, God of Israel, who is seated amidst the cherubs in this Temple, which Sennacherib has come to destroy, You alone are the God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. Since everything is in Your power, I can submit a special request before You.

הַטֵּה ה' אָזְנְךָ וּשְׁמָע פְּקַח ה' עֵינֶךָ וּרְאֵה וּשְׁמַע אֵת כָּל דִּבְרֵי סַנְחֵרִיב אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח לְחָרֵף אֱלֹהִים חָי

Incline Your ear, Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, Lord, and see and hear all the words of Sennacherib that he sent to revile the living God.

אָמְנָם ה' הֶחֱרִיבוּ מַלְכֵי אַשּׁוּר אֶת כָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת וְאֶת אַרְצָם

Indeed, Lord, the kings of Assyria destroyed the nations of all the lands, and their surrounding land,

וְנָתֹן אֶת אֱלֹהֵיהֶם בָּאֵשׁ כִּי לֹא אֱלֹהִים הֵמָּה כִּי אִם מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי אָדָם עֵץ וָאֶבֶן וַיְאַבְּדוּם

and put their gods to the fire. However, there is a reason they were able to do so, as they are not gods but the handiwork of man, wood and stone, and they destroyed them.

וְעַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ הוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ מִיָּדוֹ וְיֵדְעוּ כָּל מַמְלְכוֹת הָאָרֶץ כִּי אַתָּה ה' לְבַדֶּךָ

And now, Lord our God, save us from his, Sennacherib’s, hand, and all the kingdoms of the earth will know that You alone are the Lord.

וַיִּשְׁלַח יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בֶן אָמוֹץ אֶל חִזְקִיָּהוּ לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הִתְפַּלַּלְתָּ אֵלַי אֶל סַנְחֵרִיב מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר —

Hizkiyahu was not a prophet, and was therefore unable to hear a response directly from God. The prophet Isaiah, for his part, did not have to hear Hizkiyahu’s prayer, as he received God’s answer to the prayer, which he conveyed to the king. Isaiah son of Amotz sent to Hizkiyahu, saying: So said the Lord, God of Israel: Because you prayed to Me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria,

זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' עָלָיו בָּזָה לְךָ לָעֲגָה לְךָ בְּתוּלַת בַּת צִיּוֹן אַחֲרֶיךָ רֹאשׁ הֵנִיעָה בַּת יְרוּשָׁלִָם

this is the matter that the Lord spoke with regard to him: The virgin daughter of Zion, a feminine representation of the nation or the kingdom (see 1:8), disdained you and mocked you; the daughter of Jerusalem shook her head at you in rebuke, mockery, or in a movement expressing pity. Jerusalem is not impressed by you or in awe of you.

אֶת מִי חֵרַפְתָּ וְגִדַּפְתָּ וְעַל מִי הֲרִימוֹתָה קּוֹל וַתִּשָּׂא מָרוֹם עֵינֶיךָ! — אֶל קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל

Whom did you revile and blaspheme and against whom did you raise your voice? You lifted up your eyes on high, against God, the Holy One of Israel.

בְּיַד עֲבָדֶיךָ חֵרַפְתָּ אֲדֹנָי וַתֹּאמֶר בְּרֹב רִכְבִּי אֲנִי עָלִיתִי מְרוֹם הָרִים יַרְכְּתֵי לְבָנוֹן וְאֶכְרֹת קוֹמַת אֲרָזָיו מִבְחַר בְּרֹשָׁיו וְאָבוֹא מְרוֹם קִצּוֹ יַעַר כַּרְמִלּוֹ

By the means of your servants you reviled my Lord and you said: With my abundance of chariots I ascended the highest mountains, and I have traveled to the ends of Lebanon, the highest mountain peaks in the region; and I have felled its tallest cedars, its choicest junipers as I have the power to do as I please; and I came to its highest edge, and to its fruitful forest, its finest section.

אֲנִי קַרְתִּי וְשָׁתִיתִי מָיִם וְאַחְרִב בְּכַף פְּעָמַי כֹּל יְאֹרֵי מָצוֹר

The prophet continues citing Sennacherib’s taunt: Likewise, I have dug and drunk water and I have dried with my feet all the rivers, the water sources, of the city that I have besieged. The repetition of the first person singular pronoun serves to emphasize Sennacherib’s megalomaniac self-perception.

הֲלוֹא שָׁמַעְתָּ לְמֵרָחוֹק אוֹתָהּ עָשִׂיתִי מִימֵי קֶדֶם וִיצַרְתִּיהָ — עַתָּה הֲבֵאתִיהָ וּתְהִי לְהַשְׁאוֹת גַּלִּים נִצִּים עָרִים בְּצֻרוֹת

The prophet cites God’s response: Have you not heard it from a distance? I made it, the world and all it contains, in ancient days, and I fashioned it; now I have brought it to the current point in history: It will be to lay waste fortified cities and transform them into sprouting mounds of overgrown vegetation, or ruinous heaps. The destruction of the fortified cities that you thought you wrought is actually the work of My hand.

וְיֹשְׁבֵיהֶן קִצְרֵי יָד חַתּוּ וָבֹשׁוּ הָיוּ עֵשֶׂב שָׂדֶה וִירַק דֶּשֶׁא חֲצִיר גַּגּוֹת וּשְׁדֵמָה לִפְנֵי קָמָה

Their inhabitants, the residents of these cities, are powerless, and consequently have been broken and ashamed; they have become vegetation of the field and green grass, the hay of roofs and a field before the grain begins to stand, before the stalks mature and produce grain. With reference to My decree, everyone is like weak grass that can be easily uprooted. You too, Sennacherib, are merely a pawn in My ancient plan.

וְשִׁבְתְּךָ וְצֵאתְךָ וּבוֹאֲךָ יָדָעְתִּי וְאֵת הִתְרַגֶּזְךָ אֵלָי

I know your staying, your going, your coming, and also your provoking Me.

יַעַן הִתְרַגֶּזְךָ אֵלַי וְשַׁאֲנַנְךָ עָלָה בְאָזְנָי וְשַׂמְתִּי חַחִי בְּאַפֶּךָ ומִתְגִּי בִּשְׂפָתֶיךָ וַהֲשִׁיבֹתִיךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר בָּאתָ בָּהּ

Because of your provoking Me with your blasphemy, and your complacency and self-confidence, or your uproar that arose in My ears, I will place My ring in your nose, just as a hook is placed in the sensitive noses of oxen and other large animals to lead them from place to place, and My bit between your lips, in the manner of a bit placed in the mouths of horses and donkeys to constrain and guide them, and I will bring you back by the way that you came, without you having accomplished what you set out to do.

וְזֶה לְּךָ הָאוֹת אָכוֹל הַשָּׁנָה סָפִיחַ וּבַשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית — שָׁחִיס וּבַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁית זִרְעוּ וְקִצְרוּ וְנִטְעוּ כְרָמִים וְאִכְלוּ פִרְיָם

The prophet directly addresses his audience, the people of Judah: This will be your sign: Eating this year, due to the siege, the aftergrowth, produce which grows by itself, and in the second year, the growth of the aftergrowth, the produce that grows from that which grew by itself in the first year; and in the third year, sow, reap, and plant vineyards and eat their fruit. The coming year and the subsequent one will indeed be hard, as the enemy has destroyed your crops, but the third year will be a standard, fruitful year.

וְיָסְפָה פְּלֵיטַת בֵּית יְהוּדָה הַנִּשְׁאָרָה שֹׁרֶשׁ לְמָטָּה וְעָשָׂה פְרִי לְמָעְלָה

The remnant that survives from the house of Judah will add a root below, and the roots will bear fruit above. The remnant of Judah will grow and flourish.

כִּי מִירוּשָׁלִַם תֵּצֵא שְׁאֵרִית וּפְלֵיטָה מֵהַר צִיּוֹן קִנְאַת ה' צְבָאוֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה זֹּאת

For a remnant will emerge from Jerusalem and survivors from Mount Zion; the zeal of the Lord of hosts, who is zealous over Jerusalem and concerned for its welfare, shall perform this.

לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֶל מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר לֹא יָבוֹא אֶל הָעִיר הַזֹּאת וְלֹא יוֹרֶה שָׁם חֵץ וְלֹא יְקַדְּמֶנָּה מָגֵן וְלֹא יִשְׁפֹּךְ עָלֶיהָ סֹלְלָה

Therefore, so said the Lord about the king of Assyria: He will not come to this city of Jerusalem, and he will not shoot an arrow there; he will not approach it with a shield, and he will not erect a ramp to lay a siege against it.

בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר בָּא — בָּהּ יָשׁוּב וְאֶל הָעִיר הַזֹּאת לֹא יָבוֹא נְאֻם ה'

He will return by the way that he came, and he will not come to this city – the utterance of the Lord.

וְגַנּוֹתִי עַל הָעִיר הַזֹּאת לְהוֹשִׁיעָהּ לְמַעֲנִי וּלְמַעַן דָּוִד עַבְדִּי

I will protect this city to save it, for My sake and for the sake of My servant David. This is the prophecy that Isaiah sent to King Hizkiyahu. The message is formulated as though it were addressed to the king of Assyria, but whether or not the statement will reach the ears of Sennacherib, it will serve its purpose of reassuring Hizkiyahu.

וַיֵּצֵא מַלְאַךְ ה' וַיַּכֶּה בְּמַחֲנֵה אַשּׁוּר מֵאָה וּשְׁמֹנִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה אָלֶף וַיַּשְׁכִּימוּ בַבֹּקֶר — וְהִנֵּה כֻלָּם פְּגָרִים מֵתִים

An angel of the Lord came out and smote one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians; and they, the survivors, arose early in the morning, and behold, they, the rest of the soldiers, were all dead corpses.

וַיִּסַּע וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיָּשָׁב סַנְחֵרִיב מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּנִינְוֵה

Sennacherib king of Assyria departed; he went and returned to his country, and he dwelt in Nineveh, his capital city, and the war ended.

וַיְהִי הוּא מִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה בֵית נִסְרֹךְ אֱלֹהָיו ואַדְרַמֶּלֶךְ וְשַׂרְאֶצֶר בָּנָיו הִכֻּהוּ בַחֶרֶב וְהֵמָּה נִמְלְטוּ אֶרֶץ אֲרָרָט וַיִּמְלֹךְ אֵסַר חַדֹּן בְּנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו

He was prostrating himself in the house of Nisrokh his god, one of the Assyrian deities, and Adramelekh and Saretzer his sons smote him by the sword and killed him. They fled to the land of Ararat, where they found refuge. Ararat was under the control of the Hitite kingdom, which had not been conquered by Assyria. And Esar Hadon, his son, who had apparently not been involved in his father’s assassination, reigned in his stead.