Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORDThis phrase is part of a speech by the Rabshakeh, a high-ranking Assyrian official, during the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem. The Assyrians were known for their military prowess and psychological warfare, often attempting to demoralize their enemies. Hezekiah, the king of Judah, was encouraging his people to rely on God for deliverance. This reflects a common biblical theme where faith in God is tested by external threats. The Assyrians were trying to undermine Hezekiah's leadership and the people's faith, a tactic seen throughout biblical history where leaders are challenged to maintain trust in God amidst adversity.
when he says, ‘The LORD will surely deliver us;
Hezekiah's assurance of deliverance is rooted in the covenant promises God made to Israel. Throughout the Old Testament, God repeatedly delivers His people when they are faithful to Him. This statement echoes the faith of leaders like Moses and Joshua, who trusted in God's power to save. The confidence in divine deliverance is a recurring theme, seen in stories like the Exodus and the conquest of Canaan. It also foreshadows the ultimate deliverance through Jesus Christ, who is seen as the fulfillment of God's promise to save His people.
this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’
Jerusalem, the city in question, holds significant religious and political importance as the center of Jewish worship and the location of the Temple. The Assyrian threat was real and formidable, as they had already conquered much of the surrounding region. Historically, the Assyrians were known for their brutal conquests and deportations. However, the prophetic assurance that Jerusalem would not fall to Assyria is fulfilled in the miraculous deliverance recorded inIsaiah 37, where an angel of the LORD strikes down the Assyrian army. This event underscores God's sovereignty and faithfulness to protect His chosen city and people, reinforcing the belief in divine intervention and protection.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
HezekiahThe king of Judah during the time of the Assyrian invasion. Known for his faithfulness to God and his efforts to reform the religious practices of Judah.
2.
The LORDThe God of Israel, whom Hezekiah urges the people to trust for deliverance from the Assyrian threat.
3.
The King of AssyriaRefers to Sennacherib, the Assyrian king who invaded Judah and laid siege to Jerusalem.
4.
JerusalemThe capital city of Judah, which was under threat from the Assyrian army.
5.
RabshakehThe Assyrian field commander who delivered the message to the people of Jerusalem, attempting to undermine their trust in God and Hezekiah.
Teaching Points
Trust in God Over Human PowerHezekiah's call to trust in the LORD challenges us to place our confidence in God's power rather than in human strength or political alliances.
The Power of Faithful LeadershipHezekiah's leadership demonstrates the impact a faithful leader can have in encouraging others to trust in God during times of crisis.
God's Sovereignty in DeliveranceThe situation underscores God's sovereignty and His ability to deliver His people from seemingly insurmountable threats.
The Danger of DiscouragementRabshakeh's message serves as a reminder of how external voices can sow doubt and fear, urging us to remain steadfast in our faith.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Isaiah 36:15?
2.How does Isaiah 36:15 challenge us to trust in God's deliverance today?
3.What does "Do not let Hezekiah persuade you" reveal about spiritual leadership?
4.How can we apply Hezekiah's trust in God to our daily challenges?
5.What other scriptures emphasize trusting God over human assurances or threats?
6.How can Isaiah 36:15 strengthen our faith during times of doubt or fear?
7.How does Isaiah 36:15 challenge our trust in human leaders versus divine promises?
8.What historical context surrounds the events described in Isaiah 36:15?
9.How does Isaiah 36:15 reflect the theme of faith versus fear?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Isaiah 36?
11.Who were the believers in the Old Testament?
12.How does the promised divine judgment in Zechariah 1:14-15 align with or contradict other biblical accounts of God's dealings with foreign nations?
13.Micah 5:5-6 prophesies deliverance from the Assyrians. Why didn't this prophecy prevent or mitigate the later Babylonian conquest, suggesting a possible inconsistency in the text?
14.Who was Sennacherib in the Bible?What Does Isaiah 36:15 Mean
Do not let Hezekiah persuade youRabshakeh, the Assyrian spokesman, targets the people on the wall (Isaiah 36:13) with a direct appeal to abandon their king. His tactic is classic spiritual intimidation: cut off confidence in godly leadership so fear can take over. Remember how Goliath tried the same strategy against Israel (1 Samuel 17:10).
•2 Kings 18:29 repeats the line verbatim—showing how determined the enemy is to wear down faith.
•2 Chronicles 32:15 records Rabshakeh insisting, “Do not let Hezekiah deceive you.” The world still echoes that taunt whenever believers look to godly counsel.
•Hebrews 13:17 urges submission to leaders who keep watch over souls; Satan loves to erode that trust.
to trust in the LORDThe real target is not Hezekiah but Judah’s confidence in God. If trust collapses, surrender follows.
•Proverbs 3:5–6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart… and He will make your paths straight.”
•Psalm 37:3–5 calls believers to “trust in the LORD and do good… Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it.”
•Isaiah 26:3 promises perfect peace to the one “whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
Assyria’s boast tries to break this lifeline, but the covenant-keeping LORD has never forsaken those who rely on Him (Deuteronomy 31:6;2 Chronicles 32:7–8).
when he saysRabshakeh quotes Hezekiah almost mockingly, treating the king’s faith-filled words as empty slogans. Yet Hezekiah was simply echoing prophetic assurance.
• In2 Kings 19:6–7, Isaiah tells Hezekiah, “Do not be afraid… I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land.”
•2 Chronicles 32:7–8 shows Hezekiah rallying the people: “With us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.”
The enemy ridicules such declarations, but they stand on the unshakeable word of God (Numbers 23:19).
“The LORD will surely deliver us”Deliverance is a recurring theme in Scripture. God delights to prove that salvation belongs to Him (Psalm 3:8).
•Exodus 14:13: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and see the LORD’s salvation that He will accomplish for you today.”
•Daniel 3:17: “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the blazing furnace.”
•Isaiah 37:35 confirms the promise: “I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David.”
Faith speaks with certainty because it rests on God’s character, not on visible resources (Romans 4:20–21).
“this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria”Jerusalem’s safety was tied to God’s covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:16;Psalm 132:13–14). The Lord Himself drew a line the enemy could not cross.
•2 Kings 19:32–34 records the exact prophecy: “He will not enter this city… By the way he came he will return.”
• The fulfilment is immediate: “That night the Angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians” (Isaiah 37:36).
•Psalm 46:5 captures the reality: “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved.”
When God says “no further,” the mightiest empire is powerless.
summaryIsaiah 36:15 exposes a timeless scheme: the enemy undermines confidence in godly leadership to choke off trust in the LORD. Rabshakeh’s taunt could not erase God’s promise, and Jerusalem was miraculously spared. The passage calls believers to cling to scriptural assurances, heed faithful leaders, and rest in the certainty that the Lord keeps His word—no matter how loudly the world mocks.
(15, 16)
Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord . . .--Rabshakeh had apparently heard from spies or deserters of Hezekiah's speech to his people (
2Chronicles 32:7-8). In contrast with what he derides as trust in a God who was against those who trusted Him, he offers tangible material advantages They have only to leave the besieged city, and to go to the Assyrian camp, and they will be allowed provisionally to occupy their own houses and till their own fields, and, instead of dying of thirst, shall have each man the waters of his own cistern; and then, not without a latent sarcasm, worse than the
v? victiswhich is the normal utterance of conquerors, he offers the doom of exile as if it were a change for the better, and not the worse, as though the conquered had no love of country as such, no reverence for the sepulchres of their fathers, no yearning for the Temple of their God. The taunt and the promise may, perhaps, be connected with Sennacherib's boast that he had improved the water-supply of the cities of his empire (
Records of the Past,i. 32, 9:23, 26, 28).
Verse 15. -
Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in Jehovah. There is nothing improbable in Rabshakeh's having thus spoken. Isaiah had long been encouraging Hezekiah to resist Sennacherib by promises of Divine aid (
Isaiah 30:31;
Isaiah 31:4-9). Hezekiah would naturally repeat these premises to the people, and could not give their effect in simpler words than by saying, "Jehovah will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the King of Assyria." Spies and deserters would naturally tell the Assyrian envoys what he had said.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Do notוְאַל־(wə·’al-)Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 408:Notlet Hezekiahחִזְקִיָּ֙הוּ֙(ḥiz·qî·yā·hū)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 2396:Hezekiah -- 'Yah has strengthened', a king of Judah, also several other Israelitespersuade you to trustיַבְטַ֨ח(yaḇ·ṭaḥ)Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 982:To trust, be confident, surein the LORDיְהוָ֣ה(Yah·weh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israelwhen he says,לֵאמֹ֔ר(lê·mōr)Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 559:To utter, say‘The LORDיְהוָ֑ה(Yah·weh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israelwill surely deliverהַצֵּ֥ל(haṣ·ṣêl)Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 5337:To strip, plunder, deliver oneself, be delivered, snatch away, deliverus;יַצִּילֵ֖נוּ(yaṣ·ṣî·lê·nū)Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common plural
Strong's 5337:To strip, plunder, deliver oneself, be delivered, snatch away, deliverthisהַזֹּ֔את(haz·zōṯ)Article | Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063:Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,cityהָעִ֣יר(hā·‘îr)Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892:Excitementwill notלֹ֤א(lō)Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808:Not, nobe givenתִנָּתֵן֙(ṯin·nā·ṯên)Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5414:To give, put, setinto the handבְּיַ֖ד(bə·yaḏ)Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3027:A handof the kingמֶ֥לֶךְ(me·leḵ)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428:A kingof Assyria.’אַשּֽׁוּר׃(’aš·šūr)Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 804:Ashshur
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OT Prophets: Isaiah 36:15 Don't let Hezekiah make you trust (Isa Isi Is) 
