Isaiah 37 · Verse 1

Isaiah 37:1

And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.
Isaiah 37:1, King James Version

Isaiah 37:1 in other translations

BSBOn hearing this report, King Hezekiah tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and entered the house of the LORD.
WEBWhen King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the LORD’s house.
ASVAnd it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of Jehovah.
YLTAnd it cometh to pass, at the king Hezekiah's hearing, that he rendeth his garments, and covereth himself with sackcloth, and entereth the house of Jehovah,
DARBYAnd it came to pass when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his garments, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of Jehovah.
BBEAnd on hearing it Hezekiah took off his robe and put on haircloth and went into the house of the Lord.
WebsterAnd it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.

What does Isaiah 37:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Is 37:1-38. Continuation of the Narrative in the Thirty-sixth Chapter.

1. sackcloth--(See on Is 20:2). house of the Lord--the sure resort of God's people in distress (Psa 73:16, 17; 77:13).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Hezekiah is greatly distressed, and sends to Isaiah the prophet to pray for him, Isa 37:1-4. Isaiah returns a comfortable answer, and predicts the destruction of the king of Assyria and his army, Isa 37:5-7. Sennacherib, hearing that his kingdom was invaded by the Ethiopians, sends a terrible letter to Hezekiah, to induce him to surrender, Isa 37:9-13. Hezekiah goes to the temple, spreads the letter before the Lord, and makes a most affecting prayer, Isa 37:14-20. Isaiah is sent to him to assure him that his prayer is heard; that Jerusalem shall be delivered; and that the Assyrians shall be destroyed, Isa 37:21-35. That very night a messenger of God slays one hundred and eighty-five thousand Assyrians, Isa 37:36. Sennacherib returns to Nineveh, and is slain by his own sons, Isa 37:37, Isa 37:38.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
This chapter is the same as II Kin. 19.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Isaiah 37:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיְהִ֗יvay.Hiand it wasH1961
כִּשְׁמֹ֙עַ֙kish.Mo.a'when heardH8085
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
חִזְקִיָּ֔הוּchiz.ki.Ya.huHezekiahH2396
וַיִּקְרַ֖עvai.yik.Ra'and he toreH7167
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
בְּגָדָ֑יוbe.ga.Davclothes hisH899
וַיִּתְכַּ֣סvai.yit.Kasand he covered himselfH3680
בַּשָּׂ֔קba.Sakwith <the> sackclothH8242
וַיָּבֹ֖אvai.ya.Vo'and he wentH935
בֵּ֥יתbeit[the] house ofH1004
יְהוָֽה\׃Yah.wehYahwehH3068

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Isaiah 37:1

  • 2 Kings 19:1-37

    And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord. And he sent Eliakim, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz. And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth. It may be the Lord thy God will hear all the words of Rab–shakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God; and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left. …

  • 2 Kings 22:11

    And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.

  • Isaiah 36:22-37:38

    Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh. And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord. 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. And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth. …

  • Ezra 9:5

    And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God,

  • Job 1:20-21

    Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

  • Jonah 3:5-6

    So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

  • Matthew 11:21

    Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

  • Jeremiah 36:24

    Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 Hezekiah mourning, sends to Isaiah to pray for them.
6 Isaiah comforts them.
8 Sennacherib, going to encounter Tirhakah, sends a blasphemous letter to Hezekiah.
14 Hezekiah's prayer.
21 Isaiah's prophecy of the pride and destruction of Sennacherib, and the good of Zion.
36 An angel slays the Assyrians.
37 Sennacherib is slain at Nineveh by his own sons.

it came.
2Ki 19:1-19
he rent.
36:22; 2Ki 22:11; Jer 36:24; Jon 3:5,6; Mt 11:21
and went.
Ezr 9:5; Job 1:20,21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Isaiah 37:1

    And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.

  • Isaiah 37:2

    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.

Read all of Isaiah 37

Isaiah 37:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		ACONTECIÓ pues, que el rey Ezechîas, oído esto, rasgó sus vestidos, y cubierto de saco vino á la casa de Jehová.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il arriva, quand le roi Ézéchias eut entendu ces choses, qu’il déchira ses vêtements, et se couvrit d’un sac, et entra dans la maison de l’ Éternel.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und es geschah, als der König Hiskia es hörte, da zerriß er seine Kleider und hüllte sich in Sacktuch und ging in das Haus Jehovas.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et factum est, cum audisset rex Ezechias, scidit vestimenta sua, et obvolutus est sacco, et intravit in domum Domini.