Isaiah 37:27
while their inhabitants, shorn of strength, are dismayed and confounded, and have become like plants of the field and like tender grass, like grass on the housetops, blighted before it is grown.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse paints a vivid picture of Sennacherib's enemies as utterly weak, not just like common grass, but specifically the fragile kind that sprouts on rooftops with little soil. This highlights their extreme vulnerability, like a plant that never gets a chance to grow strong before it's already withered.
Sennacherib’s messenger has just delivered a terrifying ultimatum, boasting of Assyria's power and demanding Jerusalem’s surrender. In response, King Hezekiah turns to God, and Isaiah relays God's powerful message directly to the Assyrian king. This verse describes God’s judgment on the nations Sennacherib has already conquered, portraying them as utterly weak and easily destroyed, like fragile grass or blighted crops, showing that their strength came from God’s allowance, not their own might.
Sennacherib's mighty army is on the march, and Jerusalem is terrified. But this verse reveals a surprising truth about who is really in control.
The Assyrian king, Sennacherib, boasted of his power and intended to conquer Jerusalem. But Isaiah 37:27 reveals that God is the one who has rendered the inhabitants of these conquered cities "of small power." This isn't about their inherent weakness, but about God actively diminishing their strength. He makes them "dismayed and confounded" – terrified and utterly confused. This shows us that even the most terrifying earthly powers are instruments in God's hands, subject to His will and capable only of what He allows.
The verse paints vivid pictures of weakness. What do these common images of nature reveal about the state of Sennacherib's enemies?
The verse uses a series of striking metaphors to describe the utter helplessness of the Assyrian enemies:
Understand the original words
koach · Hebrew Noun
Often translated as 'courage' or 'power,' in this context, it refers to the inherent defensive capability or vitality of a people. Its removal signifies God’s sovereignty over human security and political might.
bush · Hebrew Verb
Refers to the state of being confused, shamed, or shattered. It describes the psychological and spiritual impact of God’s judgment upon those who oppose Him, indicating a total loss of confidence.
chatzir · Hebrew Noun
A common metaphor in Scripture for the brevity and frailty of human life compared to the eternal nature of God. It highlights the fleeting nature of human kingdoms and power.
705 BC
Sennacherib's Accession to Assyrian Throne
Sennacherib became king of Assyria, inheriting a powerful empire and initiating significant military campaigns, including a major invasion of the Levant. His reign marked a period of intense Assyrian expansion and dominance.
701 BC— this verse
Assyrian Campaign Against Judah
Sennacherib launched a massive invasion of the region, conquering many fortified cities in Judah and putting considerable pressure on Jerusalem. This campaign is the direct historical backdrop for Isaiah's prophecy and Hezekiah's deliverance.
701 BC
Siege and Relief of Jerusalem
Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem, but the city was miraculously spared from destruction, with the Assyrian army suffering a devastating loss attributed to divine intervention. This event is the climax of the conflict described in Isaiah 37.
c. 700 BC
Sennacherib's Prism Inscriptions
Sennacherib documented his military achievements, including his campaign against Judah and the siege of Jerusalem, in cuneiform inscriptions. These records provide an Assyrian perspective on the events, though they differ from the biblical account regarding the outcome in Jerusalem.
This Psalm echoes the imagery of the wicked and their eventual withering away like grass, mirroring the ephemeral and vulnerable state of Sennacherib's enemies described in Isaiah.
Isaiah 40:6-7This passage directly uses the metaphor of grass withering under the breath of the Lord to illustrate the fading glory of mankind, reinforcing the theme of God's power over earthly might.
Psalm 129:6-7The image of grass on the housetops, quickly withering before it's mature, is a powerful, shared metaphor for desolation and premature destruction, vividly illustrating the plight of those who oppose God.
2 Kings 19:26This parallel account of the same historical event uses almost identical language to describe the enemy's weakness, emphasizing that their desolation was a direct act of God's sovereign will.
barnesIsaiah 37:27: "Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up."
Therefore - Not because you have so great power; but because I have rendered them incapable of resisting you. Were of small power - Hebrew, 'Short of hand;' they were feeble, imbecile, unable to resist you. They were dismayed - Hebrew, 'They were broken and ashamed…
jfbIsaiah 37:27: "Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up."
- Therefore—not because of thy power, but because I made them unable to withstand thee.grass—which easily withers (Isa 40:6; Ps 37:2).on … housetops—which having little earth to nourish it fades soonest (Ps 129:6-8).corn blasted before it be grown up—Smith transl…
The verse paints a vivid picture of Sennacherib's enemies as utterly weak, not just like common grass, but specifically the fragile kind that sprouts on rooftops with little soil. This highlights their extreme vulnerability, like a plant that never gets a chance to grow strong before it's already withered.
Sennacherib’s messenger has just delivered a terrifying ultimatum, boasting of Assyria's power and demanding Jerusalem’s surrender. In response, King Hezekiah turns to God, and Isaiah relays God's powerful message directly to the Assyrian king. This verse describes God’s judgment on the nations Sennacherib has already conquered, portraying them as utterly weak and easily destroyed, like fragile grass or blighted crops, showing that their strength came from God’s allowance, not their own might.
Sennacherib’s messenger has just delivered a terrifying ultimatum, boasting of Assyria's power and demanding Jerusalem’s surrender. In response, King Hezekiah turns to God, and Isaiah relays God's powerful message directly to the Assyrian king. This verse describes God’s judgment on the nations Sennacherib has already conquered, portraying them as utterly weak and easily destroyed, like fragile grass or blighted crops, showing that their strength came from God’s allowance, not their own might.
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Together, these images emphasize not just defeat, but an almost pathetic inability to resist, like plants that never even had a chance to grow strong.
"while their inhabitants, shorn of strength, are dismayed and confounded, and have become like plants of the field and like tender grass, like grass on the housetops, blighted before it is grown." — The verse paints a vivid picture of Sennacherib's enemies as utterly weak, not just like common grass, but specifically the fragile kind that sprouts on rooftops with little soil. This highlights the…
