Isaiah 36:18

[Beware] lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

Beware lest Hezekiah {H2396} persuade {H5496} you, saying {H559}, The LORD {H3068} will deliver {H5337} us. Hath any {H376} of the gods {H430} of the nations {H1471} delivered {H5337} his land {H776} out of the hand {H3027} of the king {H4428} of Assyria {H804}?

Beware of Hizkiyahu; he is only deluding you when he says, "ADONAI will save us." Has any god of any nation ever saved his land from the power of the king of Ashur?

Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?

Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, Jehovah will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

Commentary

Context of Isaiah 36:18

Isaiah 36:18 is part of a critical historical narrative found in Isaiah chapters 36-39, which largely parallels 2 Kings 18-20. This particular verse is spoken by Rabshakeh, a high-ranking official and spokesman for King Sennacherib of Assyria, during his invasion of Judah around 701 BC. The Assyrian army had already conquered many cities in Judah and was now threatening Jerusalem. Rabshakeh's speech, delivered outside the city walls in Hebrew, was a deliberate act of psychological warfare aimed at demoralizing the people of Jerusalem and undermining their trust in King Hezekiah and, more importantly, in the LORD God of Israel.

At this point, Hezekiah had led a significant spiritual reform in Judah, urging his people to rely solely on God for deliverance, rather than on alliances with foreign powers like Egypt (see Isaiah 30:1-3). Rabshakeh's words directly challenge this faith, using the past failures of other nations' gods to stand against the mighty Assyrian war machine as 'evidence' that Judah's God would be no different.

Key Themes and Messages

  • The Challenge to Divine Sovereignty: The core of Rabshakeh's argument is a direct assault on the uniqueness and supremacy of the LORD. By equating the God of Israel with the impotent idols of other nations, he attempts to diminish God's power and sovereignty.
  • Faith vs. Fear and Human Logic: The Assyrian official appeals to a pragmatic, worldly logic: "No other god has delivered, why would yours?" This stands in stark contrast to King Hezekiah's unwavering trust in the LORD, urging the people to "Be not afraid" and believe in God's power to save.
  • Propaganda and Deception: Rabshakeh's speech is a masterclass in ancient propaganda, designed to sow doubt, fear, and division among the besieged people. He uses half-truths and false equivalences to manipulate their perception of reality and God's power.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?" highlights the Assyrian worldview, where success in battle was often attributed to the strength of a nation's god. However, the Hebrew name for God, YHWH (translated as "the LORD" in KJV), carries a profound significance that Rabshakeh, in his pagan ignorance, completely misses. YHWH is the covenant-keeping, self-existent God, distinct from the created, powerless "gods of the nations" (Psalm 115:4-7). Rabshakeh's failure to distinguish between the one true God and the pagan deities underscores his spiritual blindness.

Practical Application

Isaiah 36:18 offers several timeless lessons for believers today:

  • Discerning Voices of Doubt: We often face "Rabshakehs" in our own lives – voices, whether internal or external, that attempt to undermine our faith in God's power and promises. These voices often appeal to human logic, past failures, or worldly statistics to sow doubt.
  • God's Uniqueness: This verse reminds us that God is not like any other "god" or power in the world. He is sovereign, incomparable, and faithful to His covenant promises. His track record is not one of failure, but of perfect wisdom and power, as demonstrated by the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem that followed this challenge.
  • Standing Firm in Faith: Like King Hezekiah, we are called to encourage ourselves and others to trust in the LORD even when circumstances seem dire and human solutions have failed. Our faith should be in God's character and power, not in our limited understanding or past experiences.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Isaiah 37:17 (3 votes)

    Incline thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open thine eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God.

  • Isaiah 37:18 (3 votes)

    Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries,

  • Isaiah 36:15 (3 votes)

    Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

  • Jeremiah 10:3 (2 votes)

    For the customs of the people [are] vain: for [one] cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

  • Jeremiah 10:5 (2 votes)

    They [are] upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also [is it] in them to do good.

  • Psalms 115:2 (2 votes)

    Wherefore should the heathen say, Where [is] now their God?

  • Psalms 115:8 (2 votes)

    They that make them are like unto them; [so is] every one that trusteth in them.