Isaiah 37:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Observe the conflict, observe the warfare: he did not forge weapons, he did not construct machines, he did not encircle the city with fortifications, he did not bolster them with towers, nor did he dispatch envoys to foreign lands; rather, he sent forth the prayers of a faithful heart to heaven through his ambassadors, hoping to find favor with the Sovereign of the skies. This ruler (Hezekiah) laid before the Lord his tears, his contrite spirit, and himself, veiled as an offering consumed by fire.

Eliakim, the son of Helkiah, the builder of the house, along with Somnas, the powerful scribe, and Joach, the son of Asaph, the scribe, approached Hezekiah dressed in torn garments, conveying the taunts of Rapsak. When King Hezekiah received this news, he tore his clothing and donned a mantle before entering the temple of the Lord. Disturbed by the arrogant declarations of Rapsak and the vitriolic slander directed at God, those sent to him tore their robes to express their horror at the Persian's reckless words. Hezekiah, however, grieved deeply, clothed himself in sorrow, and entered the sanctuary of God. The tearing of garments stemmed from a Jewish tradition observed during acts of blasphemy against the Divine.

Let us set aside the obvious and focus solely on the more obscure aspects. They rent their clothing upon hearing Rabsak's irreverence. The king himself tore his garments, recognizing that Rabsak's boldness in reaching Jerusalem's gates and speaking against the Lord was a consequence of his personal failings and those of his people. Likewise, the high priest also tore his garments, believing that the Savior had spoken blasphemously (Matt. 26). In a similar manner, Paul and Barnabas tore their garments when the citizens of Lycaonia began to honor them in a divine manner (Acts 14).