Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 32:20
In response, King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out to heaven in prayer,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cry out to heaven in prayer immediately after the Assyrian spokesman blasphemes the God of Jerusalem. This response occurs between the Assyrian threat and the Lord’s subsequent deliverance of Jerusalem.
The words — The Hebrew verb וַ/יִּתְפַּלֵּ֞ל (va/yitpallel) translates to "and he prayed," while עַל־ (al-) indicates direction "toward" or "to" heaven. The text literally records the king and prophet directing their prayer upward in response to the crisis.
The thread — This moment parallels King Asa’s appeal to the Lord in 2 Chronicles 14:11 and aligns with the parallel account where court officials in sackcloth are sent to the prophet Isaiah in 2 Kings 19:2. It also echoes the promise of divine protection found in Psalm 91:14.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that human leaders and prophets respond to geopolitical threats by directing their appeals to heaven rather than relying on military strategy. It requires the reader to acknowledge prayer as the immediate, recorded response to divine confrontation.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.
Cross-references
- Psalms 91:14 “Because he loves Me, I will deliver him; because he knows My name, I will protect him.
- 2 Kings 19:2 And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz
- 2 Chronicles 14:11 Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.”
- 2 Chronicles 20:6 and said, “O LORD, God of our fathers, are You not the God who is in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can stand against You.
- Isaiah 37:14 So Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, read it, and went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD.
- 2 Kings 19:14 So Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, read it, and went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD.
- Psalms 50:15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
- Isaiah 37:1 On hearing this report, King Hezekiah tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and entered the house of the LORD.