Isa 36 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Isa 36:1-37:38: 36:1–39:8 Jerusalem’s rescue from King Sennacherib of Assyria is a focal point of chs 1–39 . The Lord promised to rescue his people by remaining present with Jerusalem (see 7:14 ) and by maintaining a remnant (see study note on 10:20). Even though much of the country was desolate and the population decimated because of their foolish alliance with Assyria (chs 7–8 ), the Lord preserved his people from total conquest through Hezekiah, a godly king. Hezekiah faced the same test that Ahaz did, a test of trust (note the recurrence of words for trust in the Assyrian officer’s challenge in ch 36 ). But Hezekiah has learned the lessons taught in chs 13–35 and, at least initially, he passed the test. This narrative is duplicated in 2 Kgs 18:13–20:19 . 36:1 King Sennacherib of Assyria ruled from 705–681 BC . Hezekiah, like many other kings under Assyrian vassalage, had reasserted his independence when Sennacherib came to the throne in troubled circumstances. By 701 BC , the Assyrian king was ready to punish Hezekiah. Sennacherib recorded having conquered forty-six fortified cities and many villages, and having taken 200,146 captives. Hezekiah responded by attempting to appease Sennacherib (see 2 Kgs 18:14-16 ), but it was too late.

Summary for Isa 36:1-37:38: 36:1–39:8 ^a Jerusalem’s rescue from King Sennacherib of Assyria is a focal point of chs 1–39 ^b. The Lord promised to rescue his people by remaining present with Jerusalem (see 7:14 ^c) and by maintaining a remnant (see study note on 10:20). Even though much of the country was desolate and the population decimated because of their foolish alliance with Assyria (chs 7–8 ^d), the Lord preserved his people from total conquest through Hezekiah, a godly king. Hezekiah faced the same test that Ahaz did, a test of trust (note the recurrence of words for trust in the Assyrian officer’s challenge in ch 36 ^e). But Hezekiah has learned the lessons taught in chs 13–35 ^f and, at least initially, he passed the test. This narrative is duplicated in 2 Kgs 18:13–20:19 ^g. 36:1 ^h King Sennacherib of Assyria ruled from 705–681 BC. Hezekiah, like many other kings under Assyrian vassalage, had reasserted his independence when Sennacherib came to the throne in troubled circumstances. By 701 BC, the Assyrian king was ready to punish Hezekiah. Sennacherib recorded having conquered forty-six fortified cities and many villages, and having taken 200,146 captives. Hezekiah responded by attempting to appease Sennacherib (see 2 Kgs 18:14-16 ⁱ), but it was too late.
36:2 ^j Lachish was a city overlooking the low-lying hills to the west of Jerusalem. It had to be taken before the final attack on Jerusalem could be launched.

• the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool: This was a pool on the north side of Jerusalem, not the Gihon Spring in the Kidron valley.

• Isaiah had met Ahaz on this same road leading to the field where cloth is washed some thirty-three years earlier (see Isa 7:3 ^k). At that time he had challenged Ahaz to trust God. However, Ahaz trusted Assyria instead, and this desperate situation was a result. Now the challenge to trust God came from mocking, foreign lips (see 28:11-13 ^l).
36:3 ^m Eliakim eventually advanced in rank, while Shebna was demoted (see 22:15-24 ⁿ).
Summary for Isa 36:4-22: 36:4-22 ^o The Assyrian chief of staff attempted to use intimidation to negotiate a settlement without bloodshed. In his first speech (36:4-10 ^p), he rightly argued against Egypt’s ability to rescue but wrongly charged Hezekiah with misplaced trust in the Lord. Strikingly, the Assyrian did not see the contest as being between the gods of Assyria and the Lord but rather between Sennacherib—the great king—and the Lord. 36:4 ^q Great king is a title similar to emperor.
36:5 ^r Who are you counting on: Judah had asked Egypt to help them (see 30:1-5 ^s).
36:6 ^t Egypt ... is completely unreliable: Isaiah argued the same case, pointing to the Lord as the only reliable source of help (31:1-3 ^u, 7 ^v; 39:7 ^w).

• A kind of reed that breaks easily grows near the Nile (see Ezek 29:6-7 ^x).
36:7 ^y We are trusting in the Lord our God: Ironically, the Assyrian chief of staff knew about and played on Isaiah’s message (26:4 ^z; 36:15 ^aa; 37:10 ^ab).

• Hezekiah showed his zeal for the Lord by tearing down the pagan shrines and altars (2 Kgs 18:4 ^ac), but the Assyrians mistakenly thought Hezekiah had angered God in the process.
36:8 ^ad At this time, cavalry mounted on horses was the newest military technology. The Assyrian chief of staff was mocking the Judeans because he knew that Judah had no trained men who knew how to ride.
36:10 ^ae The Lord himself told us: It was common for a king to claim the approval of a deity in destroying other kingdoms. This claim was consistent with Isaiah’s prophecy in 10:5-6 ^af.
36:11 ^ag Aramaic was the lingua franca used throughout the Assyrian Empire, understood by the elite but not by the common people of Judah.
Summary for Isa 36:13-20: 36:13-20 ^ah In the Assyrian chief of staff’s second speech, he claimed that his nation’s gods were more powerful than the God of Judah (cp. 10:9-10 ^ai). God’s ability to rescue his people was at stake. In the ensuing drama, the Lord shocked the Assyrian with his power (37:36-37 ^aj).
36:14 ^ak Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you: This public accusation against Hezekiah was intended to undermine the people’s confidence in him.
36:15 ^al Hezekiah demonstrated a strong faith in the Lord, unlike Ahaz (ch 7 ^am). Hezekiah’s faith would bring rescue, whereas Ahaz’s lack of faith brought him trouble (see 7:9 ^an).
Summary for Isa 36:16-17: 36:16-17 ^ao The Assyrian was tempting the people of Jerusalem with provisions that the Lord had promised to provide his obedient people (see 1:19 ^ap; 37:30-35 ^aq; Deut 8:7-9 ^ar). It was a tempting offer, but a counterfeit. And it covered up the reality of exile that would have followed (Isa 36:17 ^as).
36:19 ^at The populations of Hamath and Arpad had been relocated to Samaria, where the new local deities were the gods of Sepharvaim (2 Kgs 17:24 ^au). The logic of the argument made sense to an Assyrian. If the Assyrian gods defeated all the gods of the other nations and the God of the Israelite nation of Samaria, would they not also defeat the God of Judah?