As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Hezekiah’s immediate, visceral reaction—tearing his clothes and donning sackcloth—shows that for him, this wasn't just a political crisis, but a profound spiritual affront, immediately prompting his move to the house of the Lord. This action highlights how, even in the face of overwhelming military threat, his first instinct was to seek God in the sanctuary, not to strategize or rally troops.
As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Assyrian commander, Rabshakeh, has just delivered a terrifying message of defiance and blasphemy against God and Jerusalem. Hezekiah’s officials, devastated by the words they heard, report them to the king. In response, Hezekiah immediately performs acts of deep mourning and repentance, tearing his clothes, putting on sackcloth, and going to the house of the Lord to pray.
Why would a king tear his clothes and put on sackcloth? It's more than just a physical act; it's a profound statement of inner turmoil and surrender.
The king's immediate reaction—tearing his clothes and covering himself with sackcloth—was a deeply symbolic expression of grief, humility, and a public admission of helplessness.
In the face of an existential threat, Hezekiah didn't run or strategize first. He went to the house of the Lord. What does this tell us about where true refuge lies?
Hezekiah's decisive move into the house of the Lord signifies a profound understanding of where ultimate help resides. It wasn't just a building; it was a place of direct communion with God.
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Understand the original words
saq · Hebrew Noun
A garment, typically made of coarse goat hair, worn as a sign of extreme mourning, repentance, or deep distress before God. It symbolized the stripping away of dignity and comfort in the presence of divine judgment or national calamity.
bayit / YHWH · Hebrew Noun/Noun
The place where God’s presence dwelt among His people in the Old Testament, representing the center of Israel’s religious, covenantal, and national life. Entering it signified seeking God’s intervention, counsel, or mercy in times of crisis.
Hezekiah's immediate reaction of tearing his clothes, donning sackcloth, and going to the Temple highlights the profound shock and distress caused by the Assyrian threat. It underscores the ancient practice of expressing deep grief and seeking divine aid in times of existential crisis, demonstrating that even kings turned to God in their darkest hours.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian Campaign in Judah
Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invades Judah, capturing many fortified cities. His forces lay siege to Jerusalem, threatening its destruction.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Rabshakeh's Blasphemous Demands
Rabshakeh, an Assyrian official, delivers a taunting and blasphemous message from Sennacherib to Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem, demanding surrender.
c. 701 BC
Hezekiah's Prayer and Isaiah's Prophecy
Hezekiah, in deep distress, tears his clothes, dons sackcloth, and prays to the Lord in the temple. He seeks God's intervention through the prophet Isaiah.
c. 701 BC
Divine Intervention and Assyrian Defeat
An angel of the Lord strikes down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in their camp overnight. Sennacherib is forced to abandon the siege and return to Nineveh.
c. 701 BC
Sennacherib's Assassination
Years later, Sennacherib is assassinated by his own sons in the temple of his god Nisroch, fulfilling a prophecy of his demise.
This passage describes Hezekiah's initial attempt to appease Sennacherib by sending tribute, highlighting his willingness to engage diplomatically before resorting to prayer.
2 Kings 19:1This verse mirrors Isaiah 37:1, showing the immediate aftermath of Hezekiah hearing the blasphemous message and his subsequent actions of seeking God's help through the prophet Isaiah.
Psalm 77:1-2The psalmist's cry to God in distress, 'I will utter my pleas to God; I will cry aloud to God, and he will hear me,' echoes Hezekiah's desperate act of going to the house of the Lord to pour out his troubles.
Joel 1:13This verse describes priests and prophets tearing their clothes and covering themselves with sackcloth, similar to Hezekiah's outward expression of grief and urgency in the face of national crisis.
1 Kings 8:33-34Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple provides a theological framework for Hezekiah's action, as it speaks of how the people should pray in the house of the Lord when facing defeat or seeking forgiveness.
barnesIsaiah 37:1: "And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD."
When king Hezekiah heard it - Heard the account of the words of Rabshakeh Isaiah 36:22 . That he rent his clothes - (See the note at Isaiah 36:22). He covered himself with sackcloth - (See the note at Isaiah 3:24). And went into the house of the Lord - Went up to the temple to spread out the case before Yahweh Isaiah 37:14. This was…
cambridgeIsaiah 37:1: "And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD."
1 . went into the house of the Lord ] See Isaiah 37:14-15 . Cf. 1 Kings 8:33-34 .
Hezekiah’s immediate, visceral reaction—tearing his clothes and donning sackcloth—shows that for him, this wasn't just a political crisis, but a profound spiritual affront, immediately prompting his move to the house of the Lord. This action highlights how, even in the face of overwhelming military threat, his first instinct was to seek God in the sanctuary, not to strategize or rally troops.
The Assyrian commander, Rabshakeh, has just delivered a terrifying message of defiance and blasphemy against God and Jerusalem. Hezekiah’s officials, devastated by the words they heard, report them to the king. In response, Hezekiah immediately performs acts of deep mourning and repentance, tearing his clothes, putting on sackcloth, and going to the house of the Lord to pray.
The Assyrian commander, Rabshakeh, has just delivered a terrifying message of defiance and blasphemy against God and Jerusalem. Hezekiah’s officials, devastated by the words they heard, report them to the king. In response, Hezekiah immediately performs acts of deep mourning and repentance, tearing his clothes, putting on sackcloth, and going to the house of the Lord to pray.
"As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD." — Hezekiah’s immediate, visceral reaction—tearing his clothes and donning sackcloth—shows that for him, this wasn't just a political crisis, but a profound spiritual affront, immediately prompting his…
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Last reviewed October 2026