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.

ISAIAH 36:15KJV
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Isaiah 36:15 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 36:15 mean?

Isaiah 36:15 records a warning from the Assyrian spokesman, telling the people of Jerusalem not to let King Hezekiah convince them to trust in the LORD for deliverance, claiming that the LORD will not rescue the city from the king of Assyria. The verse shows the Assyrian attempt to undermine the people's faith in God and their king during a time of siege.

The speaker is the Rabshakeh, a high official sent by the king of Assyria, addressing the people of Jerusalem as they face an Assyrian threat. The Assyrian message tries to break the people's confidence by casting doubt on Hezekiah's encouragement to trust (the Hebrew word בָּטַח, batach) in the LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH). This verse is part of a larger confrontation where the Assyrians use psychological tactics to weaken Jerusalem’s resolve.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 36:15

  • בָּטַח (batach, "trust"): This word often means to rely on or feel secure in someone or something. Here, the Assyrian spokesman specifically attacks the people's sense of security in the LORD, aiming to make them feel exposed and vulnerable.
  • יְהוָה (YHWH, "LORD"): The use of God’s personal name highlights that the Assyrian challenge is not just against Hezekiah, but directly against Israel’s God. This raises the stakes of the confrontation.
  • נָצַל (natsal, "surely deliver"/"deliver"): This verb means to rescue or save. The Assyrian message mocks the idea that the LORD can or will rescue Jerusalem, questioning God’s power or willingness to intervene.
  • נָתַן (natan, "delivered"): This word means to give or hand over. The Assyrian spokesman insists that Jerusalem will not be handed over to Assyria, challenging the people’s hope for divine protection.

Why Isaiah 36:15 matters

  • Isaiah 36:15 shows that the Assyrian threat was not just military, but psychological and spiritual, aiming to break the people's trust in both their leader and their God.
  • The verse helps clarify that the Assyrian argument is not just about Hezekiah’s leadership, but about whether the LORD can actually save, which becomes a central theme in the chapters that follow.
  • Understanding this verse in context highlights the pressure on Jerusalem and sets up the dramatic contrast between human threats and divine deliverance in the rest of Isaiah’s narrative.

Where else these words appear

“Hezekiah” Hebrew H2396 · used in 78 verses

  • 2 Kings 16:20 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.
  • 2 Kings 20:3 I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
  • Isaiah 36:16 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;

“trust” Hebrew H982 · used in 117 verses

  • Deuteronomy 28:52 And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
  • Psalms 41:9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
  • Isaiah 26:4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

“Assyria” Hebrew H804 · used in 138 verses

  • Genesis 2:14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.
  • 2 Kings 20:6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
  • Isaiah 36:8 Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.