But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?
ISAIAH 36:7KJVWhat does Isaiah 36:7 mean?
Isaiah 36:7 describes a challenge to the people of Judah, questioning whether they can truly trust in the LORD their God after King Hezekiah removed the high places and altars, insisting that worship should only happen at the main altar in Jerusalem. The verse reflects an outsider’s misunderstanding or criticism of Hezekiah’s religious reforms.
The speaker is the Assyrian official (the Rabshakeh), addressing Hezekiah’s representatives during the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem. He argues that Hezekiah’s removal of the high places and altars—local worship sites—would anger God, not please Him, and so Judah’s trust in the LORD (H3068, Yahweh) is misplaced. This shows the Assyrian’s lack of understanding about Israelite worship, since Hezekiah’s reforms were actually meant to bring Judah back to proper worship as commanded in the law, focusing worship at the Jerusalem temple.
The Hebrew behind Isaiah 36:7
- LORD (יְהוָה, Yahweh, H3068): The specific name for Israel’s God, emphasizing a covenant relationship. The Assyrian official uses this name, showing he knows whom Judah claims to trust, but he misunderstands how Yahweh is to be worshiped.
- high places (בָּמוֹת, bamot, H1116): These were local worship sites often associated with improper or unauthorized worship. Hezekiah’s removal of them was actually obedience to God’s law, not an offense.
- altars (מִזְבֵּחוֹת, mizbechot, H4196): Refers to places of sacrifice. The official assumes more altars mean more devotion, missing that God wanted worship at one altar in Jerusalem.
- trust (בָּטַח, batach, H982): Means to rely on or have confidence in. The official questions whether Judah’s trust in Yahweh is justified after these reforms.
Why Isaiah 36:7 matters
- Isaiah 36:7 clears up the common misunderstanding that more religious sites or rituals automatically please God; it shows that true worship is about following God’s instructions, not just outward acts.
- The verse highlights how outsiders can misinterpret faithful actions, especially when they do not understand the history or commands behind them.
- This challenge sets the stage for the larger conflict in the passage, where Judah’s real test is whether they will continue to trust in the LORD despite pressure and misunderstanding from powerful enemies.