Isaiah 37:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

These statements were indeed blasphemies against the Almighty, as he asserted boldly, “Since the gods of other nations have fallen alongside their worshipers, neither can the God of the Hebrews rescue them from the grip of the Assyrians.” He went on to list the cities he had ravaged, suggesting that many had suffered greatly under his hand. Through this, he sought to instill fear in those who placed their faith in the Lord, stirring anxiety that they too might meet a similar fate.

It is recorded that Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, engaged in battle against the Egyptians and laid siege to Pelusium. After the siege works were established, Tirhakah came to their aid. Notably, in one night, eighty-five thousand Assyrian soldiers perished from pestilence, as reported by Herodotus and detailed by Berosus in his work on Chaldean history, though the veracity of their accounts remains to be assessed.

Later, Rabshakeh returned and discovered that the king of Assyria was at war with Lovnah, having heard of his departure from Lachish. He again communicated with Hezekiah, stating: Let not your God, in whom you trust, deceive you by claiming that Jerusalem will not fall into the hands of the king of Assyria. You have witnessed the fate of all the lands subjected to the Assyrians; can you truly expect salvation? Were the gods of the nations able to save those whom my ancestors defeated—Gozan, Haran, Retzeph, and the sons of Eden residing in Elassareth? Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, and the city of Sepharvaim? In similar literatures, it is noted that by divine volition, Rabshakeh left the siege of Jerusalem to confront his lord upon learning he departed from Lachish towards Lovnah. Additionally, when Sennacherib heard that Tirhakah was preparing for battle, he went out to meet him yet sent commands to Hezekiah to instill fear among those not yet subdued. He reiterated to the populace not to let Hezekiah mislead them (2 Kings 18), echoing this blasphemy to the king by questioning the reliability of his God. He pointed to prior nations, emphasizing that just as their gods could not rescue them, Jerusalem too would meet the same end. In speaking of other nations, he referenced Ana and Ava, drawing attention to their connection, as the Hebrew conjunction "vav" between them may mislead the uninformed into thinking they are one. While we may briefly summarize the clear elements, we shall focus on the more complicated aspects. Furthermore, Sennacherib's engagement with Egypt, the siege of Pelusium, and the assistance provided by Tirhakah, along with the pestilence-stricken downfall of eighty-five thousand Assyrians, come from Herodotus and are elaborated upon by Berosus, though the authenticity of their works still requires further examination.