Isaiah 37:2
ESV
And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz.
NIV
He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.
NASB
Then he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the household, with Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.
CSB
He sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace, Shebna the court secretary, and the leading priests, who were wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.
NLT
And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the court secretary, and the leading priests, all dressed in burlap, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.
KJV
And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.
NKJV
Then he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.
What does Isaiah 37:2 mean?
Judah's King Hezekiah has exhausted every human option to stop Sennacherib, the king of Assyria. The Assyrian army is nearby, with nothing blocking them from destroying Jerusalem and wiping out the remnant of Judah crowded inside the city walls. Sennacherib's messenger has mocked both Hezekiah and the Lord to undermine the courage of the people in the face of the coming attack (Isaiah 36:7–10; 18–20).After hearing the message, Hezekiah tore his clothes in helplessness. This was the sense of humility which the Lord had been waiting for (Isaiah 31:1). The people had always been helpless without Him, no matter how strong their faith in themselves or other nations or other gods had been. Now Hezekiah finally understood that the Lord was their only hope for survival. Wearing sackcloth, for mourning, he went to the temple. From there, he sent a delegation to Isaiah, the prophet. This is the same prophet whom Judah's leaders had previously told to stop talking to them (Isaiah 30:9–12). Now, the king wants desperately to hear from his God.
