this is the word that the LORD has spoken concerning him: “‘She despises you, she scorns you— the virgin daughter of Zion; she wags her head behind you— the daughter of Jerusalem.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet uses "virgin daughter of Zion" and "daughter of Jerusalem" to personify the city, highlighting its vulnerability and innocence. This imagery emphasizes that Jerusalem's resilience isn't due to its own strength, but rather its divine protection, making the Assyrian king's scorn a direct insult to God Himself.
this is the word that the LORD has spoken concerning him: “‘She despises you, she scorns you— the virgin daughter of Zion; she wags her head behind you— the daughter of Jerusalem.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Sennacherib, the formidable king of Assyria, has sent his officials to intimidate Jerusalem and King Hezekiah into surrender, boasting of his conquests and ridiculing their trust in God. In response, Hezekiah has prayed earnestly to the Lord and sought the prophet Isaiah's guidance. God, through Isaiah, declares His judgment upon Sennacherib and assures Jerusalem of His divine protection, depicting their defiance as a victorious taunt against the proud invader.
The mighty Assyrian king Sennacherib has threatened Jerusalem, yet God's message is spoken through personified Zion and Jerusalem. What does this poetic imagery reveal about God's perspective on the conflict?
The prophet Isaiah delivers God's response to Sennacherib's arrogant threats not as a dry legal statement, but as a vivid, taunting poem.
A Maiden's Contempt
Notice how God refers to Jerusalem as the "virgin daughter of Zion" and the "daughter of Jerusalem." This imagery isn't about weakness, but about purity and inviolability. Assyria, with all its might, is being depicted as a would-be defiler, and Jerusalem, protected by God, will not only resist but will look upon his failed assault with utter scorn.
Gestures of Derision
The actions described – despising, laughing to scorn, and wagging the head – are powerful gestures of contempt. The "wagging of the head" is a particularly striking image of mockery and dismissal. It paints a picture of Sennacherib's impending retreat not as a tactical withdrawal, but as a humiliated flight, met with derision by the very city he sought to conquer.
Sennacherib boasts of his power, claiming to have conquered nations and their gods. How does Isaiah's message reframe this power struggle and reveal God's sovereign hand?
Sennacherib's taunts, as recorded in the broader context of Isaiah 36-37, were designed to intimidate Hezekiah by highlighting his past conquests and the impotence of other nations' gods. However, Isaiah's prophecy in this verse is a divine re-framing of the situation.
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A Boastful Tyrant vs. the Almighty
Sennacherib saw himself as an unstoppable force, a master of nations. He believed his chariots and armies were the ultimate arbiters of power. But God, through Isaiah, presents a stark contrast. The "virgin daughter of Zion" despising him signifies that his power is not absolute. It is subject to God's will and even to the scorn of His people.
Divine Reversal
This prophetic word is not just a statement of future victory; it's an immediate divine judgment on Sennacherib's arrogance. By personifying Jerusalem as a scornful victor before the battle is even fought, God demonstrates that the outcome is already determined. Sennacherib's might is ultimately insignificant in the face of the LORD's power. He is not facing mere mortals, but the God of Israel, who will turn his triumph into shame.
Understand the original words
Tsiyyon · Hebrew Noun
In this context, it represents the covenant community of God's people in Jerusalem. The feminine personification emphasizes the vulnerability, dependence, and yet the sacred protection God affords His chosen city.
This poetic prophecy, delivered amidst the terrifying siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrian army, vividly portrays Zion's defiant scorn. It highlights that Jerusalem's ultimate security wasn't in its walls, but in God's powerful intervention against the arrogant invader.
c. 705-701 BC
Sennacherib's Campaign in the Levant
The Assyrian king Sennacherib leads a massive military campaign into the Levant, conquering numerous cities and threatening Jerusalem. His forces besiege several key Judean locations.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Siege of Jerusalem and Assyrian Blasphemies
Assyrian commander Rabshakeh taunts King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem, blaspheming God and boasting of Assyrian power. Hezekiah prays desperately to the LORD for deliverance.
c. 701 BC
Divine Intervention and Assyrian Retreat
The LORD sends an angel to strike down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in their camp overnight. Sennacherib, facing this devastating loss and possibly reports of Ethiopian invasion, retreats.
c. 701 BC
Sennacherib's Assassination
Following his ignominious retreat, Sennacherib is assassinated by two of his own sons while worshipping in Nineveh. His empire later faces further decline.
This passage also describes shaking one's head as a gesture of contempt and derision, mirroring the reaction of Jerusalem to the Assyrian threat.
Lamentations 2:15Here, Jerusalem's enemies are depicted as mocking and scoffing, aligning with the scornful words directed at the Assyrian king in Isaiah.
Psalm 22:7This psalm describes enemies mocking and shaking their heads, providing a direct parallel to the imagery of contempt used against the Assyrian king.
2 Kings 19:21-22This passage directly precedes Isaiah 37:22 in the parallel account in 2 Kings, showing God's direct response to Sennacherib's taunts and reaffirming Jerusalem's defiance.
Matthew 27:39This New Testament passage shows the same gesture of shaking one's head used by those mocking Jesus, illustrating the enduring nature of this expression of scorn.
barnesIsaiah 37:22: "This is the word which the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee."
The virgin, the daughter of Zion - Jerusalem (see the note at Isaiah 1:8 ; compare the note at Isaiah 23:12 ). The parallelism in this and the following verses shows that the poetic form of speech is here introduced. Hast despised thee - That is, it is secure from thy contemplated atta…
gillIsaiah 37:22: "This is the word which the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee."
This is the word which the Lord hath spoken concerning him,.... The sentence he has pronounced upon him, the punishment he has determined to inflict on him, in answer to Hezekiah's prayer against him: the virgin, the daughter of Zion; hath despised thee; and laughed thee to scorn; that…
The prophet uses "virgin daughter of Zion" and "daughter of Jerusalem" to personify the city, highlighting its vulnerability and innocence. This imagery emphasizes that Jerusalem's resilience isn't due to its own strength, but rather its divine protection, making the Assyrian king's scorn a direct insult to God Himself.
Sennacherib, the formidable king of Assyria, has sent his officials to intimidate Jerusalem and King Hezekiah into surrender, boasting of his conquests and ridiculing their trust in God. In response, Hezekiah has prayed earnestly to the Lord and sought the prophet Isaiah's guidance. God, through Isaiah, declares His judgment upon Sennacherib and assures Jerusalem of His divine protection, depicting their defiance as a victorious taunt against the proud invader.
Sennacherib, the formidable king of Assyria, has sent his officials to intimidate Jerusalem and King Hezekiah into surrender, boasting of his conquests and ridiculing their trust in God. In response, Hezekiah has prayed earnestly to the Lord and sought the prophet Isaiah's guidance. God, through Isaiah, declares His judgment upon Sennacherib and assures Jerusalem of His divine protection, depicting their defiance as a victorious taunt against the proud invader.
"this is the word that the LORD has spoken concerning him:
“‘She despises you, she scorns you—
the virgin daughter of Zion;
she wags her head behind you—
the daughter of Jerusalem." — The prophet uses "virgin daughter of Zion" and "daughter of Jerusalem" to personify the city, highlighting its vulnerability and innocence. This imagery emphasizes that Jerusalem's resilience isn't d…
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Last reviewed October 2026