Isaiah 37:36Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The angel of the Lord went forth and struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand soldiers in the Assyrian camp. When morning arrived, all the deceased were visible. This took place during the night to prevent the Israelites from attributing their triumph to their own efforts. Had they allowed pride to take root, it might have occurred right at that moment, as everything transpired while they were in slumber.

In addition to the promises, he effectively emphasizes the realization of what was anticipated, so that the Sovereign God would not seem to utter falsehoods. The Assyrian army fell, not through the efforts of the Jews, nor due to a single person drawing a bow, raising a spear for combat, or brandishing a sword, and not because any individual rode into battle on powerful steeds. Rather, it was an angel who struck them down with incredible might, resulting in countless lifeless bodies scattered across the ground.

The ruler of Assyria learned of the downfall of his armies while engaged in battle against Pharak, the king of Ethiopia.

In one night, an angel vanquished one hundred and eighty-five thousand of the mightiest warriors, manifesting a fierce demise that severed souls from their bodies as ordained by God. This is chronicled in the book of Chronicles, which states: ‘and the Lord sent an angel, which smote every strong man, and warrior, and captain of the army of the king of Assyria: and he returned with dishonour to his land’ (2 Chron. 32:21). The king was spared to witness God’s sovereignty, his blasphemous words humbled, and he became a testament to the greatness of the very God he had previously scorned.

A disciple inquired of St. Anthony, “How should I handle my sins?” He answered, “Those who seek liberation from sin will find it through mourning and sorrow, while those desiring to be reinforced in righteousness will gain strength through heartfelt tears. The essence of the Psalms lies in weeping. Consider the example of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, as noted by the prophet Isaiah, who not only recovered his health through his tears but was also granted an extension of fifteen years to his life. Through his earnest crying, he invoked God's might, which vanquished the army of 185,000 that had unexpectedly besieged the land.”

God, to Whom it is said in Scripture that "all His works are reasonable from everlasting" (Acts 15:18), and whose omniscient gaze perceives our uncreated essence even now (Ps. 138:16), has, from eternity, comprehended the countless generations of fallen humanity. He has anticipated and chosen one lineage that, while not wholly worthy in every individual, nonetheless retained fragments of original goodness, being less vulnerable to the spread of sin. This lineage was predominantly inclined to receive and faithfully uphold grace, ultimately capable, through a gradual divine purification, of bringing forth a pure Virgin who would become the companion of the incarnate God. This light is bestowed only upon the pure, and this fire purifies the impure.

The specifics of the defeat that the Lord’s angel imposed on the Assyrians are not detailed. However, considering that during King David's reign, the Lord’s angel caused a plague that afflicted Jerusalem and all of Judah (2 Sam. 24:15-17), it is reasonable to assume that the Assyrian forces also suffered from this plague through the action of the angel. Josephus Flavius confirms that the Assyrians fell victim to this pestilence (Antiquities, Book X, Chapter 1). When morning came, they discovered all the soldiers lifeless. The nature of this miraculous defeat is particularly remarkable; the residents of Jerusalem merely observed this divine act at dawn, while being safeguarded by the Lord from the same affliction.