Isaiah 37:33

So this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow into it. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The LORD declares this regarding the king of Assyria, following the assurance that a remnant will survive from Jerusalem and Mount Zion. The statement is delivered at the peak of the siege threat, functioning as a direct divine response to the approaching army.

The words — The opening phrase לָ/כֵ֗ן כֹּֽה (la./Khen koh) literally renders "therefore thus" or "so this is what." The verb אָמַר (’a.Mar) anchors the declaration to Yahweh as the authoritative speaker.

The thread — This proclamation runs parallel to 2 Kings 19:32 and intersects with the Assyrian campaign in Isaiah 8:7 and Isaiah 10:32. These passages collectively track the king’s advance, his halted position at Nob, and his forced retreat.

Why it lands — The text states that military tactics and siege equipment will be rendered ineffective, requiring the reader to acknowledge divine sovereignty over historical conflict. It demands a shift from reliance on human defenses to recognition of God’s protective action.

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

Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it.

Cross-references

2 Kings 19:32 So this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow into it. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it.
Isaiah 8:7 the Lord will surely bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates—the king of Assyria and all his pomp. It will overflow its channels and overrun its banks.
Isaiah 10:32 Yet today they will halt at Nob, shaking a fist at the mount of Daughter Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem.
Isaiah 17:12 Alas, the tumult of many peoples; they rage like the roaring seas and clamoring nations; they rumble like the crashing of mighty waters.
Isaiah 17:14 In the evening, there is sudden terror! Before morning, they are no more! This is the portion of those who loot us and the lot of those who plunder us.
Isaiah 33:20 Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful pasture, a tent that does not wander; its tent pegs will not be pulled up, nor will any of its cords be broken.
Ezekiel 21:22 In his right hand appears the portent for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to call for the slaughter, to lift a battle cry, to direct the battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp, and to erect a siege wall.
Luke 19:43 For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side.