Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Hezekiah's prayer isn't just asking God to listen and look; it's a bold, almost audacious, plea to God to actively engage with the insult. By asking God to open His eyes, Hezekiah is highlighting that God's honor is on the line, directly challenging the insolent words hurled against Him.
Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
King Hezekiah is facing an impossible situation: the Assyrian king Sennacherib has conquered many cities and is now threatening Jerusalem. Sennacherib has sent a threatening message, essentially taunting God and boasting of his power. Hezekiah’s prayer in this passage is a desperate plea for God to intervene, emphasizing how Sennacherib’s words are not just an insult to Hezekiah, but a direct mockery of the Almighty.
Has anyone ever spoken words that felt like a direct assault on your faith? Words meant to tear down everything you believe in?
Hezekiah is in a moment of crisis. Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, has conquered many nations and now sets his sights on Jerusalem. The taunts Sennacherib sends are not just threats of war; they are direct insults aimed at the very heart of Israel's faith – their God. Hezekiah's response in verse 16 isn't a calm request. It's an urgent, almost raw plea. He asks God to 'incline your ear' and 'open your eyes.' This isn't about God being unaware or unable to see, but it's a human way of expressing the extremity of the situation. It’s like saying, 'God, pay attention! Look at what they’re doing! Hear the blasphemy!' It shows us that even the most faithful can feel overwhelmed and need to cry out to God with intensity when their deepest convictions are attacked.
Sennacherib's words are filled with arrogance, but they reveal a fundamental misunderstanding. What is it about the God of Israel that his enemies couldn't grasp?
Sennacherib's message, as described later in the chapter (2 Kings 19:11-13), is essentially a boast that his gods have failed to protect other nations, and therefore, the God of Israel will surely fail too. He equates the God of Israel with the powerless idols of conquered peoples. But Hezekiah's prayer, and the subsequent divine intervention, underscores a crucial difference: the God of Israel is the living God. This isn't just a title; it signifies His active power, His sovereignty, and His ability to intervene. The mockery is directed at the 'living God,' implying His inability to act. The reality, as the story unfolds, is that He is very much alive and active, unlike the silent, lifeless idols Sennacherib trusted.
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Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
The personal, covenant name of God in the Old Testament, signifying His self-existence, faithfulness, and relationship with His people. It is the name by which He revealed Himself to Moses at the burning bush.
azan · Hebrew Verb
A metaphorical way of asking God to pay attention or listen with favor, implying an active response to the prayers of His people. It attributes human sensory characteristics to God to express His personal engagement.
chay Elohim · Hebrew Noun phrase
A title emphasizing God's vitality, authority, and power, contrasting Him with the lifeless idols of pagan nations. He is the Creator and Sustainer who is actively involved in human history.
charaph · Hebrew Verb
To treat with contempt, ridicule, or blasphemous disdain. In a biblical context, it often refers to arrogant defiance against the Creator and His sovereign authority.
This prayer of King Hezekiah is set against the terrifying backdrop of Assyrian imperial might, a superpower that had already crushed the Northern Kingdom and was now laying siege to Jerusalem itself. The taunts of Sennacherib were not just empty threats but the words of a conqueror who believed himself invincible, forcing Hezekiah to cry out to the only God who could truly deliver.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Northern Kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrians, and its people are deported. This event leaves the Southern Kingdom of Judah vulnerable and isolated.
c. 705 BC
Sennacherib becomes Assyrian King
Sennacherib ascends the throne of the powerful Assyrian Empire, inheriting a vast and aggressive military machine. He would later turn his attention to the lands to the west, including Judah.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Campaign against Judah
Sennacherib launches a major military campaign into the Levant, aiming to crush rebellious vassal states. He captures numerous fortified cities in Judah.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Siege of Jerusalem
Sennacherib's forces surround Jerusalem, the capital of Judah. The Assyrian king sends messengers with taunting words, demanding surrender.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Army's Demise
The Assyrian army besieging Jerusalem suffers a sudden and catastrophic defeat, often attributed to a divine plague. Sennacherib is forced to withdraw his campaign.
c. 681 BC
Death of Sennacherib
Sennacherib is assassinated by his own sons in Nineveh. His aggressive policies had ultimately failed to conquer Judah and Jerusalem.
This psalm echoes Hezekiah's prayer, using similar language of God's attentiveness and leadership, painting a picture of God as the Shepherd of His people in distress.
Isaiah 37:17This passage from Isaiah recounts the same prayer of Hezekiah in response to Sennacherib's taunts, reinforcing the desperate plea for God's intervention.
Psalm 74:18-22This psalm is a cry to God concerning the destruction of His sanctuary and the enemies' boasts, similar to Hezekiah's prayer where the taunts of Sennacherib are brought before God.
Psalm 145:3This verse speaks to the greatness of God and how He is to be praised, which is the ultimate aim of Hezekiah's prayer – to vindicate God's name against those who mock Him.
Hezekiah's prayer isn't just asking God to listen and look; it's a bold, almost audacious, plea to God to actively engage with the insult. By asking God to open His eyes, Hezekiah is highlighting that God's honor is on the line, directly challenging the insolent words hurled against Him.
King Hezekiah is facing an impossible situation: the Assyrian king Sennacherib has conquered many cities and is now threatening Jerusalem. Sennacherib has sent a threatening message, essentially taunting God and boasting of his power. Hezekiah’s prayer in this passage is a desperate plea for God to intervene, emphasizing how Sennacherib’s words are not just an insult to Hezekiah, but a direct mockery of the Almighty.
King Hezekiah is facing an impossible situation: the Assyrian king Sennacherib has conquered many cities and is now threatening Jerusalem. Sennacherib has sent a threatening message, essentially taunting God and boasting of his power. Hezekiah’s prayer in this passage is a desperate plea for God to intervene, emphasizing how Sennacherib’s words are not just an insult to Hezekiah, but a direct mockery of the Almighty.
"Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God." — Hezekiah's prayer isn't just asking God to listen and look; it's a bold, almost audacious, plea to God to actively engage with the insult. By asking God to open His eyes, Hezekiah is highlighting t…
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Last reviewed October 2026