Isaiah 37:31 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward.

NIV: Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above.

NASB: The survivors that are left of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward.

CSB: The surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root downward and bear fruit upward.

NLT: And you who are left in Judah, who have escaped the ravages of the siege, will put roots down in your own soil and grow up and flourish.

KJV: And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:

NKJV: And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah Shall again take root downward, And bear fruit upward.

The Lord responded to Hezekiah's prayer of faith and humility (Isaiah 37:14–15) by revealing that He will do more than defeat Sennacherib and lead him away from Jerusalem. God will also return abundant crops to the land of Judah. Even further, the people of Judah themselves will begin to flourish again.

God uses a metaphor of plants to describe the surviving remnant of Judah. Assyria had defeated all the fortified cities in the nation except Jerusalem. Many people had died or were carried off as captives. The survivors crowded into Jerusalem to avoid the Assyrian invaders. The population of the nation was much reduced. But the Lord promises they will "take root" and "bear fruit." They will reestablish themselves in towns and on farms. A new generation of children will give birth to another generation after it. Like its fields, Judah will repopulate and become abundant once more.

Isaiah 37:21–38 contains the Lord's response to Hezekiah's humble prayer (Isaiah 37:14–20). Through Isaiah, the Lord first addresses Sennacherib in a poem. He tells the most powerful man on earth at the time that God will turn him around and send him home. Next the Lord promises Hezekiah that Sennacherib will never even approach Jerusalem, let alone attack it. The remnant of Judah will survive and thrive. As the Assyrians plan to engage in a different battle, the Lord destroys nearly the entire army in a single night. Sennacherib goes home. He is later killed by his sons.

Hezekiah is overcome with grief at news that Sennacherib has mocked the Lord and is coming to destroy Jerusalem. God reassures Hezekiah that the Asyrian king will return home to be killed there. Hezekiah prays in the temple, asking the Lord to defend His name and save Judah. Through Isaiah, the Lord reveals to Hezekiah that Jerusalem will not be touched. Assyria's army won't even have the chance to attack. Responding to their aggression and blasphemy, the "angel of the Lord" virtually wipes out the gigantic Assyrian army overnight. Sennacherib returns home and is later killed by his sons.

Isaiah 37 continues the narrative started in Isaiah 36. Assyrian messengers threaten to bring their enormous, nearby army to take Jerusalem. Hezekiah seeks God in response and is reassured that Jerusalem will not see so much as a single Assyrian arrow. The Lord promises to save the city and make the survivors prosper. The angel of the Lord kills an overwhelming number of Assyrian soldiers overnight. Sennacherib returns home and is eventually killed by his own sons. Hezekiah will then face a serious illness and be granted a brief reprieve by God (Isaiah 38).

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).

Accessed 4/12/2026 2:33:06 AM