“And this shall be the sign for you: this year you shall eat what grows of itself, and in the second year what springs from that. Then in the third year sow and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage isn't just about a promise of future harvests; it's a profound reassurance that the land's fertility, and thus the people's survival, is entirely in God's hands. The emphasis on eating "what grows of itself" for two years highlights a desperate, immediate sustenance provided by divine intervention, not a normal agricultural cycle, ensuring survival until they could once again freely sow and reap in the third year.
“And this shall be the sign for you: this year you shall eat what grows of itself, and in the second year what springs from that. Then in the third year sow and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Facing the imminent threat of the Assyrian army, the prophet Isaiah delivers a divine message of reassurance directly to King Hezekiah. This specific promise serves as a tangible sign: for the next two years, the people will rely on nature's spontaneous growth for sustenance due to the ravaged land, but by the third year, they will be able to sow, reap, and enjoy the fruits of their vineyards once more, signifying the complete removal of the Assyrian threat and the restoration of peace.
The enemy is defeated, but the land is devastated. How can a future promise feel like a sign now?
God's promises aren't always about immediate comfort. Here, the 'sign' isn't a miracle happening today, but a predictable cycle of restoration that will unfold over the next three years.
The Lay of the Land
The Assyrian invasion has left Judah ravaged. Crops are destroyed, and the normal rhythms of agriculture are broken. For the first year, the people will have to live off whatever the land produces on its own – seeds that fell from last year's harvest. The second year, they'll eat what grows from those self-sown plants.
A Glimmer of Hope
This wasn't meant to be easy. It points to a period of scarcity. But the sign isn't the hardship itself, but the certainty that this hardship has a defined end. By the third year, they can sow and reap, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit again. This predictable return to normalcy is the tangible proof that God's deliverance is complete and that Sennacherib will not return.
When fields are ruined and harvests destroyed, what does it mean to sow and reap?
This prophecy reveals God's power to sustain His people even when human efforts are impossible. The initial years of eating 'what grows of itself' underscore their complete dependence on God's provision.
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Providence in the Wilderness
Even without planting, the land still yields something. This isn't the abundance of a well-tended harvest, but it's enough to survive. It's a testament to God's ongoing faithfulness, ensuring that even in devastation, life continues and His people are sustained.
The Promise of Return
The command to 'sow and reap, and plant vineyards' in the third year is not just about food; it's about the restoration of normal life and economic activity. It signifies the complete removal of the threat and the return of peace, allowing Judah to rebuild and flourish under God's protection.
Understand the original words
oth · Hebrew Noun
A miraculous confirmation or evidence provided by God to validate His word and encourage the faith of His people. It serves to authenticate His authority and fulfill the promise of restoration.
This sign assures Hezekiah that the Assyrian threat is completely gone. The period of reliance on self-grown food, followed by the resumption of normal farming, demonstrates God's protective power and the land's return to peace and fruitfulness after the invasion.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Sennacherib's Invasion of Judah
The Assyrian king Sennacherib invades Judah, conquering many cities and besieging Jerusalem. His army halts its advance to confront a rising Ethiopian threat.
c. 701 BC
Divine Intervention
According to the biblical account, an angel of the Lord strikes down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in their camp overnight, forcing Sennacherib to withdraw his army.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Withdrawal
Sennacherib retreats from Jerusalem and returns to Nineveh. The Assyrian threat to Jerusalem is completely removed, allowing the city and its surrounding lands to begin recovering.
c. 701 BC - 700 BC
Period of Recovery
The land, ravaged by the Assyrian invasion, begins to recover. For the first year, inhabitants rely on spontaneous growth from the soil. The second year sees further natural regeneration.
c. 699 BC
Resumption of Agriculture
By the third year, the land is secure enough for normal agricultural activities to resume, including sowing, reaping, and planting vineyards, signifying a return to peace and prosperity.
This passage describes the Sabbatical year, where the land was to lie fallow and produce its own food, directly paralleling the 'eating what grows of itself' mentioned in Isaiah, suggesting a divinely ordered provision during periods of non-cultivation.
2 Kings 19:29This verse, found in the parallel account of the same event, provides a similar sign to Hezekiah, affirming God's direct intervention and promise of sustenance for the people amidst the Assyrian threat.
Jeremiah 29:5-6These verses speak of rebuilding and establishing families in exile, illustrating a similar theme of restoring normal life and productivity after a period of devastation, mirroring the promise of sowing and reaping in Isaiah.
Deuteronomy 28:3-6This passage outlines the blessings for obedience, including fruitfulness in crops and vineyards, providing a backdrop to the restoration promised in Isaiah where agricultural life will flourish again.
barnesIsaiah 37:30: "And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such as groweth of itself; and the second year that which springeth of the same: and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof."
And this shall be a sign unto thee - It is evident that the discourse here is turned from Sennacherib to Hezekiah. Such transitions, without distinctly indicating them, are common in Isaiah. God had in the previous verses, in the form of a direct personal…
pulpitIsaiah 37:30: "And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such as groweth of itself; and the second year that which springeth of the same: and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof."
Verse 30. - This shall be a sign unto thee; rather, the sign. The prophet now turns to Hezekiah, and makes an address to him. "This," he says, "shall be the sign unto thee of Sennachcrib's being effectually 'bridled,' and the danger from Assyria over. In…
This passage isn't just about a promise of future harvests; it's a profound reassurance that the land's fertility, and thus the people's survival, is entirely in God's hands. The emphasis on eating "what grows of itself" for two years highlights a desperate, immediate sustenance provided by divine intervention, not a normal agricultural cycle, ensuring survival until they could once again freely sow and reap in the third year.
Facing the imminent threat of the Assyrian army, the prophet Isaiah delivers a divine message of reassurance directly to King Hezekiah. This specific promise serves as a tangible sign: for the next two years, the people will rely on nature's spontaneous growth for sustenance due to the ravaged land, but by the third year, they will be able to sow, reap, and enjoy the fruits of their vineyards once more, signifying the complete removal of the Assyrian threat and the restoration of peace.
Facing the imminent threat of the Assyrian army, the prophet Isaiah delivers a divine message of reassurance directly to King Hezekiah. This specific promise serves as a tangible sign: for the next two years, the people will rely on nature's spontaneous growth for sustenance due to the ravaged land, but by the third year, they will be able to sow, reap, and enjoy the fruits of their vineyards once more, signifying the complete removal of the Assyrian threat and the restoration of peace.
"“And this shall be the sign for you: this year you shall eat what grows of itself, and in the second year what springs from that. Then in the third year sow and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit." — This passage isn't just about a promise of future harvests; it's a profound reassurance that the land's fertility, and thus the people's survival, is entirely in God's hands. The emphasis on eating "…
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Last reviewed October 2026