2 Kings 19:5

KJV

So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

KJV (with Strong's)

So the servants {H5650} of king {H4428} Hezekiah {H2396} came {H935} to Isaiah {H3470}.

Complete Jewish Bible

When King Hizkiyahu's servants came to Yesha'yahu,

Berean Standard Bible

So the servants of King Hezekiah went to Isaiah,

American Standard Version

So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
This pivotal verse details the dispatch of King Hezekiah's high-ranking officials to the prophet Isaiah, marking a critical juncture in Judah's confrontation with the Assyrian Empire. It encapsulates Hezekiah's immediate and profound spiritual response to Sennacherib's blasphemous threats, demonstrating his unwavering reliance on divine intervention rather than human military or political strategies. This act of seeking God's word through His prophet sets the stage for God's miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse immediately follows King Hezekiah's dramatic and deeply spiritual reaction to the Assyrian Rabshakeh's audacious and blasphemous message, which challenged not only Judah's military strength but also the sovereignty of Yahweh. In [2 Kings 19:1-4](/2_kings/19-1-4 "Hezekiah's Distress and Plea to Isaiah"), Hezekiah tears his clothes, covers himself with sackcloth, and enters the temple, signifying profound grief, repentance, and spiritual desperation. He then dispatches Eliakim, the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and the senior priests, all likewise clothed in sackcloth, to Isaiah. This formal delegation of high-ranking officials underscores the immense gravity of the situation and the king's earnest desire for a divine word, prioritizing spiritual recourse over immediate military or political negotiations. The narrative flow powerfully highlights Hezekiah's exemplary faith in turning to God as his primary refuge and source of hope.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The events described in [2 Kings 18-19](/2_kings/18 "Sennacherib's Invasion and God's Deliverance") are situated during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah (c. 715-686 BC), a tumultuous period dominated by the formidable expansion of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Sennacherib, the Assyrian monarch, had already devastated much of Judah, conquering numerous fortified cities and laying siege to Jerusalem. His field commander, Rabshakeh, delivered a calculated psychological and spiritual assault at the gates of Jerusalem, aiming to demoralize the city's inhabitants and undermine their trust in Yahweh. Culturally, tearing clothes and wearing sackcloth were ancient Near Eastern expressions of deep mourning, repentance, or distress, universally understood as signs of profound humility and dependence. Seeking a prophet in times of national crisis was a common and divinely sanctioned practice in Israel, reflecting the deeply held belief that God communicated His will, provided guidance, and offered deliverance through His chosen messengers.
* **Key Themes:** The dispatch of Hezekiah's servants to Isaiah in [2 Kings 19:5](/2_kings/19-5 "Hezekiah Seeks Isaiah's Counsel") powerfully illustrates several foundational themes within the broader narrative of [2 Kings](/2_kings "The Books of Kings"). Firstly, it emphasizes the critical theme of **seeking divine counsel in crisis**, demonstrating that true leadership, especially when faced with overwhelming odds, prioritizes God's word above human wisdom or military might. Secondly, Hezekiah's actions embody **humility and dependence on God**, as he consciously foregoes conventional military or political solutions for spiritual recourse, acknowledging God's absolute sovereignty over all earthly powers. Thirdly, the verse highlights **the vital role of the prophet** as God's authoritative mouthpiece, through whom divine comfort, direction, and promises are conveyed to His people. This reliance on Isaiah foreshadows God's miraculous intervention, reinforcing the overarching theme of **God's faithfulness and deliverance** to those who trust in Him, as dramatically fulfilled in [2 Kings 19:35-36](/2_kings/19-35-36 "The Angel of the Lord Strikes the Assyrians").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Servants (Hebrew, _ʻebed'_):** The Hebrew term עֶבֶד (H5650), here pluralized, refers not merely to household staff but specifically to high-ranking officials, ministers, or trusted delegates of the king. In this context, the dispatch of "servants" signifies a formal, official delegation, underscoring the immense gravity of the situation and Hezekiah's earnestness in seeking a divine response. Their status elevates the consultation with Isaiah from a private matter to a national appeal for divine intervention, reflecting the king's humility and the urgency of the crisis.
* **Came (Hebrew, _bôwʼ'_):** The verb בּוֹא (H935), here rendered as "came," implies a direct, intentional, and purposeful approach. It is not a casual visit but a deliberate act of seeking out Isaiah, signifying his recognized authority as God's prophet and the king's conviction that God's word would come through him. This active seeking demonstrates Hezekiah's faith and his understanding of the prophetic office as the primary channel for divine guidance in a time of national catastrophe.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"So the servants of king Hezekiah":** This opening clause identifies the messengers as high-ranking officials acting on behalf of the king, emphasizing the formal and urgent nature of their mission. Their identity as "servants of king Hezekiah" underscores that they are carrying the king's distress and his solemn plea for divine intervention, representing his humility and recognition that human power is utterly insufficient against the overwhelming Assyrian threat.
* **"came to Isaiah":** This concise clause signifies the decisive turning point in Hezekiah's response to the crisis. Instead of further political maneuvering, military preparations, or despair, the king's immediate action is to seek the Lord's word through His chosen prophet. This act highlights Hezekiah's profound faith and his understanding that ultimate deliverance must come from God alone, communicated through His appointed messenger, Isaiah.

#### Literary Devices
Though brief, [2 Kings 19:5](/2_kings/19-5 "Hezekiah Seeks Isaiah's Counsel") employs several subtle yet powerful literary techniques. The immediate shift from the Rabshakeh's taunts and Hezekiah's initial distress (as seen in [2 Kings 19:1-4](/2_kings/19-1-4 "Hezekiah's Distress and Plea to Isaiah")) to the king dispatching his officials to Isaiah creates a strong sense of **Foreshadowing**. It subtly hints that the resolution to this dire national crisis will not come through conventional military or political means but through divine intervention, mediated by the prophet. The act of sending "servants" (high officials) to a prophet, rather than a military general to a diplomat, is a form of **Contrast**, highlighting Hezekiah's spiritual and faith-driven approach over a purely secular or humanistic one. Furthermore, the king's humility in seeking a prophet, despite his royal authority and the immense pressure he faced, serves as a form of **Didacticism**, teaching the audience about the proper, God-honoring response to overwhelming trials: turning to God through His appointed channels and trusting in His word.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse serves as a powerful theological statement about the proper response to overwhelming adversity and blasphemy against God. Hezekiah's immediate turning to Isaiah, God's prophet, demonstrates a profound understanding of divine sovereignty and the absolute necessity of seeking God's word in times of crisis. It underscores the biblical principle that human wisdom, strength, and resources are ultimately insufficient in the face of truly insurmountable challenges, and that true deliverance and guidance come solely from the Lord. This act of seeking divine counsel through a prophet prefigures the New Covenant emphasis on seeking God's will through His inspired Word and through fervent prayer, recognizing that God is the ultimate source of wisdom, strength, and salvation for His people.

* [Isaiah 37:5](/isaiah/37-5 "Parallel Account of Hezekiah's Delegation")
* [Psalm 46:1](/psalms/46-1 "God Our Refuge and Strength")
* [James 1:5](/james/1-5 "Asking God for Wisdom")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The account of King Hezekiah sending his servants to Isaiah in [2 Kings 19:5](/2_kings/19-5 "Hezekiah Seeks Isaiah's Counsel") offers a timeless and profound lesson for believers facing overwhelming challenges today. In moments of personal, national, or spiritual crisis, our natural inclination might be to panic, strategize endlessly, or seek purely human solutions. However, Hezekiah's exemplary response calls us to a different, more faithful path: to humble ourselves, acknowledge our profound limitations, and immediately turn to God. While we no longer have prophets in the same manner as ancient Israel, God still speaks powerfully and authoritatively through His inspired Word, the Bible, and through the direct access we have to Him in prayer. This verse profoundly encourages us to prioritize seeking God's wisdom, guidance, and intervention above all else, trusting that He is our ultimate refuge and deliverer, even when circumstances seem utterly bleak and human solutions are exhausted. Our earnest appeal to Him, like Hezekiah's, can unlock divine solutions and miraculous outcomes beyond human comprehension.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **When faced with overwhelming challenges or seemingly impossible situations, what is your first instinctual response, and how does it compare to Hezekiah's actions in this verse?**
* **How does Hezekiah's humility in seeking God's prophet, despite his royal authority, challenge our own tendencies towards self-reliance or pride in difficult circumstances?**
* **In what practical and tangible ways can we "come to Isaiah" (i.e., earnestly seek God's word and guidance through prayer and Scripture) in our contemporary lives when facing personal or communal crises?**

### FAQ
**Why did Hezekiah send his servants to Isaiah instead of going himself?**

Answer: Hezekiah's decision to send his high-ranking servants—Eliakim, the palace administrator; Shebna, the scribe; and the senior priests (as detailed in [2 Kings 19:2](/2_kings/19-2 "Hezekiah Sends Officials to Isaiah"))—to Isaiah was a common and culturally appropriate practice for kings in the ancient Near East. It was a formal and respectful way to consult a prophet, signifying both the gravity of the situation and the king's earnestness in seeking a divine word. While Hezekiah had already gone into the temple himself to pray and humble himself (as seen in [2 Kings 19:1](/2_kings/19-1 "Hezekiah's Distress")), sending a delegation demonstrated the official nature of his plea for divine intervention. This allowed the king to continue his personal supplication and leadership within the palace, while simultaneously underscoring Isaiah's recognized authority as God's mouthpiece, worthy of a royal delegation for such a critical national crisis.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The desperate plea of King Hezekiah to God through His prophet Isaiah, as powerfully depicted in [2 Kings 19:5](/2_kings/19-5 "Hezekiah Seeks Isaiah's Counsel"), finds its ultimate and glorious fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Hezekiah's turning to a prophet for a word of temporary deliverance from an earthly enemy foreshadows humanity's far greater and more desperate need for a divine mediator and a definitive, eternal word from God. Jesus is not merely a prophet like Isaiah, but the very **Word of God incarnate** ([John 1:14](/john/1-14 "The Word Became Flesh")), who perfectly reveals the Father's will, embodies divine truth, and brings ultimate salvation. Where Hezekiah sought a temporary reprieve from a physical threat, Christ offers eternal deliverance from the spiritual enemies of sin, death, and the devil, definitively conquering the ultimate adversary through His resurrection ([Hebrews 2:14-15](/hebrews/2-14-15 "Christ's Victory Over Death and the Devil")). Our access to God is no longer through an earthly prophet but directly through Christ, our great High Priest, who continuously intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father ([Hebrews 4:14-16](/hebrews/4-14-16 "Jesus Our Great High Priest")), and whose finished work on the cross provides the definitive answer to all our crises, offering a peace that surpasses all understanding ([Philippians 4:7](/philippians/4-7 "The Peace of God")). Thus, Hezekiah's act of faith, in its essence, points forward to the complete, perfect, and everlasting provision found in Christ, the one who truly takes away the sin of the world and delivers us from all spiritual bondage.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.