To Whom does God’s Kingdom Belong to? ישעיהו לז:כה-ל / Isaiah 37:25-30

Introduction to Isaiah 37:25-30

The Torah states that God is the Author of all life, the Creator, the One who made all that we know and see. This gives Him the authority over all things, over nature, basically He is in control and rules over all things. Even the evil one is required to ask permission before he can act and so this is what sovereign power looks like (see Tehillim / Psalms 103:19-20). The sovereign power of God means that ultimately, He is in control and has authority over everything that exists. 

ספר תהילים פרק קג
יז   וְחֶסֶד יְהֹוָה | מֵעוֹלָם וְעַד-עוֹלָם עַל-יְרֵאָיו וְצִדְקָתוֹ לִבְנֵי בָנִים: יח   לְשֹׁמְרֵי בְרִיתוֹ וּלְזֹכְרֵי פִקֻּדָיו לַעֲשֹוֹתָם: יט   יְהוָה בַּשָּׁמַיִם הֵכִין כִּסְאוֹ וּמַלְכוּתוֹ בַּכֹּל מָשָׁלָה: כ   בָּרֲכוּ יְהֹוָה מַלְאָכָיו גִּבֹּרֵי כֹחַ עֹשֵֹי דְבָרוֹ לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹל דְּבָרוֹ: 

Tehillim / Psalm 103:17–20  
103:17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, And his righteousness unto children’s children; 103:18 To such as keep his covenant, And to those that remember his commandments to do them. 103:19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; And his kingdom ruleth over all. 103:20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, That excel in strength, that do his commandments, Hearkening unto the voice of his word. (KJV)

Here the Psalmist writes that God’s throne is established in heaven and His kingdom rules over all. When we think about the kingdom of God references in the Scriptures, generally speaking we find many more references in the NT account from the gospels (Mark 1:15, 10:15, 15:43, Luke 17:20) and from Paul’s letters (Acts 28:31, Romans 14:17, 1 Corinthians 15:50). The phrase מַלְכוּת אֱלֹהִים (kingdom of God) is synonymous with מַלְכוּת הַשָּׁמַיִם (kingdom of Heaven). The phrase “kingdom of heaven” is found 33 times in the bible mostly in the book of Matthew. It is used to describe God’s authority in the Messiah and the defeat over evil. This is a description of the rule of an eternal sovereign God over all, just as we read here in Tehillim / Psalms 103. Paul wrote that everything that exists has been established by God in Romans 13:1 and so this provides us with a first century sense of the kingdom of God incorporating everything that exists. Note this is how Hezekiah could seek the God of Israel for help and why Sennacherib would get a rude awakening when the Lord God moves against His army. 

The sovereignty of God over creation is one aspect of His kingdom (1 Timothy 6:15). Daniel wrote that “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44 and 7:13-14). Other prophets wrote something similar see Obadiah 1:21, Habakkuk 2:14, Micah 4:2, and Zechariah 14:9. In the NT text we read how God’s kingdom belongs to those who are in a covenant relationship with God, who have faith and are faithful to the Lord. From this perspective, Teshuvah (Repentance) is a necessary part of the kingdom of God (Matthew 4:17) and that the kingdom rule of God is in the hearts and lives of God’s people. We also note that Yeshua taught that the kingdom of God is entered into through salvation through being born new according to John 3:1-7. We note what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:9.

1 Corinthians 6:9  
6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, (KJV, 9 Ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ἄδικοι θεοῦ βασιλείαν οὐ κληρονομήσουσιν;* μὴ πλανᾶσθε· οὔτε πόρνοι οὔτε εἰδωλολάτραι οὔτε μοιχοὶ οὔτε μαλακοὶ οὔτε ἀρσενοκοῖται)

We note here Paul defines those who inherit the kingdom of God. He uses the Greek word πλανᾶσθε which means “to lead astray, cause to wander.” From Greek literature the meaning is often used of news carried from place to place by travelers (Soph. Oed. col. 303–4); of moving away from a subject in speech (Plato Pol. 263a); of mental distraction and confusion (id. Phaed. 79c). The NT text uses the verb πλανάω 39×. The middle/passive form usually means “to go astray,” but sometimes we find the strict passive sense, “to be deceived” (e.g., John 7:47 and Revelation 18:23). The formula μὴ πλανᾶσθε, “Don’t be deceived,” occurs several times (1 Corinthians 6:9, 15:33, Galatians 6:7, James 1:16). So the point Paul is making is that those who are fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, and abusers of themselves with mankind, will not inherit the kingdom of God. The reason is God’s kingdom is established upon righteousness and holiness. Those who are in the kingdom of God walk in His holy ways. We note how this is the place of the Torah in our lives today, to guide us in holiness, righteousness, and truth. This stands contrary to how the world walks, which involves sexual sin, woke ideologies, and confusion not just with gender but also with truth in general, right and wrong. What we note about God’s kingdom is His rule over the lives of His people specifically, that the people of God are willing to submit their lives to God’s authority. Those who deny and defy the will of God, deny His authority and refuse to submit their lives to Him, they are not a part of the kingdom of God. This does not mean that God does not have authority over those who deny his sovereignty, but that they are not a part of the kingdom and so the Lord God will work in their lives in a different way as opposed to those who do submit their lives to Him. What we note about the kingdom of God in relation to our submitting to His word is that God rules not just in the physical realm, but also in the spiritual realm. Note what Yeshua said in John 18:36.

John 18:36  
18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. (KJV 36 ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς· ἡ ⸂βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ⸃ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου· εἰ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἦν ἡ ⸄βασιλεία ἡ ἐμή⸅,* οἱ ὑπηρέται ⸂1οἱ ἐμοὶ ἠγωνίζοντο [ἂν]⸃ ἵνα μὴ παραδοθῶ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις· νῦν δὲ ἡ ⸂2βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ⸃ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐντεῦθεν.)

Here Yeshua says that His kingdom is not of this world, this is why the covenant relationship, Teshuvah (repentance), and seeking forgiveness of sins is the methodology in which we enter into the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is equated with the salvation of God (John 3:1-7) where Yeshua describes one as needing to be born from above into the kingdom, a description of renewal and restoration. Sennacherib did not understand these things concerning the kingdom of God and His sovereign rule. He is about to receive a rude awakening though. The disrespect, ridicule, and contempt for the God of Israel, will learn who the God of Israel is and how impossible it is to stand against Him and His people. Note also how it is through these events that God reveals Himself and His power and authority. Similar to the Exodus, God moved powerfully to deliver His people. God uses history to demonstrate his authority and make Himself known. Because of these things there is no place for arrogance because everything that we have is a gift from God and we should be thankful. 

Looking at Isaiah 37:25-30

Isaiah continues saying the following according to Isaiah 37:25-26.

ספר ישעיה פרק לז
כה   אֲנִי קַרְתִּי וְשָׁתִיתִי מָיִם וְאַחְרִב בְּכַף-פְּעָמַי כֹּל יְאֹרֵי מָצוֹר: כו   הֲלוֹא-שָׁמַעְתָּ לְמֵרָחוֹק אוֹתָהּ עָשִֹיתִי מִימֵי קֶדֶם וִיצַרְתִּיהָ עַתָּה הֲבֵאתִיהָ וּתְהִי לְהַשְׁאוֹת גַּלִּים נִצִּים עָרִים בְּצֻרוֹת: 

Isaiah 37:25 states, “I have digged, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places. (אֲנִי קַרְתִּי וְשָׁתִיתִי מָיִם וְאַחְרִב בְּכַף-פְּעָמַי כֹּל יְאֹרֵי מָצוֹר)” Isaiah 37:26 “Hast thou not heard long ago, how I have done it; and of ancient times, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps. (הֲלוֹא-שָׁמַעְתָּ לְמֵרָחוֹק אוֹתָהּ עָשִֹיתִי מִימֵי קֶדֶם וִיצַרְתִּיהָ עַתָּה הֲבֵאתִיהָ וּתְהִי לְהַשְׁאוֹת גַּלִּים נִצִּים עָרִים בְּצֻרוֹת)” We note again what the Lord God is saying through Isaiah providing a discussion on history to demonstrate His power and authority. Here Isaiah says הֲלוֹא-שָׁמַעְתָּ לְמֵרָחוֹק אוֹתָהּ “have you not hear from long ago (afar)” which suggests that these things have been made known, and how God is accessible to those who seek Him. Paul noted something similar according to the book of Romans.

Romans 1:19–20  
1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (KJV 19 διότι τὸ γνωστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φανερόν ἐστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς·* ὁ θεὸς γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐφανέρωσεν. 20 τὰ γὰρ ἀόρατα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου τοῖς ποιήμασιν νοούμενα καθορᾶται, ἥ τε* °ἀΐδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις καὶ θειότης, εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἀναπολογήτους)

Paul writes in a similar manner that God’s eternal power has been revealed (clearly seen) from the creation of the world. Paul writes that the creation, what we see in this world, is sufficient to justify that God made this world (He exists) and that we are without excuse in relation to having faith in Him. This also suggests that God has an ancient plan for this world as He works in history to reveal Himself to the world, so that we have the opportunity to choose to recognize our faults and draw near to the Lord seeking Him, His kingdom, and forgiveness of sins. The point or purpose of God revealing Himself in history is so that we can know Him, believe in Him, and direct our lives and even our thoughts toward Him each day! We note that later on in Isaiah 43-45 the prophet Isaiah speaks of the purposelessness of wood, metal, stone idols. These events here in Isaiah 37 along with the revelation of God through history may be what led Isaiah to speak of the uselessness of idolatry. 

We note previously that Isaiah had prophesied that Assyria would sweep over Judah, even up to her neck according to Isaiah 8:6-8.

Isaiah 8:6–8  
8:6 Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, And rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son; 8:7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them The waters of the river, strong and many, Even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: And he shall come up over all his channels, And go over all his banks: 8:8 And he shall pass through Judah; He shall overflow and go over, He shall reach even to the neck; And the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel. (KJV ו   יַעַן כִּי מָאַס הָעָם הַזֶּה אֵת מֵי הַשִּׁלֹחַ הַהֹלְכִים לְאַט וּמְשֹוֹשֹ אֶת-רְצִין וּבֶן-רְמַלְיָהוּ: ז   וְלָכֵן הִנֵּה אֲדֹנָי מַעֲלֶה עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת-מֵי הַנָּהָר הָעֲצוּמִים וְהָרַבִּים אֶת-מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר וְאֶת-כָּל-כְּבוֹדוֹ וְעָלָה עַל-כָּל-אֲפִיקָיו וְהָלַךְ עַל-כָּל-גְּדוֹתָיו: ח   וְחָלַף בִּיהוּדָה שָׁטַף וְעָבַר עַד-צַוָּאר יַגִּיעַ וְהָיָה מֻטּוֹת כְּנָפָיו מְלֹא-רֹחַב אַרְצְךָ עִמָּנוּאֵל:)

What we note here is how Sennacherib went through all of Judah and destroyed her cities prior to coming to Jerusalem. This is the sweeping action that is described as an overflowing river here in Isaiah’s prophecy. Because Isaiah had historically spoken these words, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem would certainly know the power of God over Israel as the army of Assyria was at the gates to the city. Similarly in the book of Jeremiah, when the people were conquered and exported into exile, we note that the people in that day too would have known that these things were spoken of in times past by Isaiah the prophet, and so they can know the power of God to do these things. All of these things come due to the people refusing to turn from their sins, perform Teshuvah (repent) and seek the God of Israel. Can you imagine how many lives would have been saved if the people would have simply humbled themselves and sought the God of Israel? Today we see the chaos in this world, the sinfulness of movements and ideologies that destroy lives, all of these things could be prevented, the loss of lives, the sorrow, and the death of the innocent, if only the people of this world would repent and turn from their sins and seek the God of Israel and His Messiah Yeshua! The Lord God Almighty has provided us with this historical record, revealing these truths to us for this purpose, so that we would have faith, seek forgiveness, and live our lives for the glory of the Lord God Almighty in heaven!

Isaiah goes on saying the following according to Isaiah 37:27-29.

ספר ישעיה פרק לז
כז   וְיֹשְׁבֵיהֶן קִצְרֵי-יָד חַתּוּ וָבֹשׁוּ הָיוּ עֵשֶֹב שָֹדֶה וִירַק דֶּשֶׁא חֲצִיר גַּגּוֹת וּשְׁדֵמָה לִפְנֵי קָמָה: כח   וְשִׁבְתְּךָ וְצֵאתְךָ וּבוֹאֲךָ יָדָעְתִּי וְאֵת הִתְרַגֶּזְךָ אֵלָי: כט   יַעַן הִתְרַגֶּזְךָ אֵלַי וְשַׁאֲנַנְךָ עָלָה בְאָזְנָי וְשַֹמְתִּי חַחִי בְּאַפֶּךָ וּמִתְגִּי בִּשְֹפָתֶיךָ וַהֲשִׁיבֹתִיךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר-בָּאתָ בָּהּ: 

Isaiah 37:27 states, “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. (וְיֹשְׁבֵיהֶן קִצְרֵי-יָד חַתּוּ וָבֹשׁוּ הָיוּ עֵשֶֹב שָֹדֶה וִירַק דֶּשֶׁא חֲצִיר גַּגּוֹת וּשְׁדֵמָה לִפְנֵי קָמָה)” Isaiah 37:28 “But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me. (וְשִׁבְתְּךָ וְצֵאתְךָ וּבוֹאֲךָ יָדָעְתִּי וְאֵת הִתְרַגֶּזְךָ אֵלָי)” Isaiah 37:29 “Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest. (יַעַן הִתְרַגֶּזְךָ אֵלַי וְשַׁאֲנַנְךָ עָלָה בְאָזְנָי וְשַֹמְתִּי חַחִי בְּאַפֶּךָ וּמִתְגִּי בִּשְֹפָתֶיךָ וַהֲשִׁיבֹתִיךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר-בָּאתָ בָּהּ)” The imagery that Isaiah provides here is that the Lord God has recognized the insolence of Sennacherib and Ravshakeh and is going to drive them back to their own land using the hook in nose and bridle in lips analogy. This demonstrates the kind of relationship that God has with Sennacherib, there is ultimately a higher power, a prime mover who is in control, a righteous and holy God! This is the major difference between the God of Israel and the other gods of the nations who have no sanctity for life (i.e. involve human sacrifice). The blaspheme of God’s name and His people will not be taken lightly, and so the description here is that the Lord God of Israel will treat Sennacherib and his army like a beast of burden, ring in nose and bridle in mouth to make him go where he does not want to, and to return back home in disgrace! The analogy can be to the stubborn donkey who will not obey, draws in the analogy of Bilam from the Torah in Numbers that would not listen, the situation is that stubbornness is rooted in pride. To overcome stubbornness one must humble himself to submit to the Word of God and to His reign in our lives 

Isaiah continues saying the following in Isaiah 37:30.

ספר ישעיה פרק לז
ל   וְזֶה-לְּךָ הָאוֹת אָכוֹל הַשָּׁנָה סָפִיחַ וּבַשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית שָׁחִיס וּבַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁית זִרְעוּ וְקִצְרוּ וְנִטְעוּ כְרָמִים וְאִכְולֻ [וְאִכְלוּ] פִרְיָם: 

Isaiah 37:30 states, “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. (וְזֶה-לְּךָ הָאוֹת אָכוֹל הַשָּׁנָה סָפִיחַ וּבַשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית שָׁחִיס וּבַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁית זִרְעוּ וְקִצְרוּ וְנִטְעוּ כְרָמִים וְאִכְולֻ [וְאִכְלוּ] פִרְיָם)” Here the sign is provided that one will eat the growth of the field that has not been planted, and the second and third year will do the same. The idea is that the entire infrastructure for food production has been destroyed and may take until the third year for the people to get back to larger scale planting and harvesting. The idea of eating from the unsown field is so the people know that it was the Lord God Almighty who drove this army away from Jerusalem. John Oswalt suggests the following timeline for this prophecy saying the following: 

“The problem arises with the duration of time involved. The indications are that the deliverance would come shortly and would be very complete. If so, why should it take three years for the effects to be felt? A number of solutions have been proposed, but two seem most feasible. On the one hand, the number “three” may have been conventional in Hebrew prophecy (cf. 16:14), so that specific calendar dates were not intended. However, this explanation would seem to undercut the prediction’s value as a clear sign. Better seems to be the proposal of Delitzsch and others that while three actual calendar years are intended, only about fourteen to fifteen months would be covered. This view involves the suggestion that the prediction was made in the fall, as “this year” in which the accidental growth was being eaten was drawing to a close (32:10). The deliverance would not come in time for the fall planting to be done, meaning that only what came up from the roots of previous plants would be available during the next year. But by the following fall, when the third calendar year was beginning, normal life could resume, for the Assyrians would be gone. Overall, this seems to be the most satisfying solution.”

JOHN N. OSWALT, THE BOOK OF ISAIAH, CHAPTERS 1–39, THE NEW INTERNATIONAL COMMENTARY ON THE OLD TESTAMENT, GRAND RAPIDS, MI: WM. B. EERDMANS PUBLISHING CO., 1986, 664–665

The idea is that one would eat what remains in the fields that the Assyrian army has not destroyed or eaten. Then the next year the fields would grow on their own, and then in the third year the people would be back to sowing in their fields. We note the parallel of what is taking place here to what Isaiah had prophesied previously to Ahaz (see Isaiah chapters 7-12). Here in Isaiah 7-12 the prophet gave Ahaz (tribe of Judah) a sign to confirm their deliverance from Syria and Ephraim (northern tribes). Here in this case Ahaz would not believe, while Hezekiah did believe! The Major difference is that in Ahaz’s case Isaiah promised Emanuel who would restore the throne of David (Isaiah 8:8, 9:6, 11:10-11). And so, Hezekiah believed, and judgment was deferred because he was willing to commit his ways to God, to destroy the high places, to lead the people in the ways of God, and to believe by faith. (Isaiah 26:2-4) 

Rabbinic Commentary on Isaiah 37:25-30

The Targum Jonathan is an Aramaic and Rabbinic translation of the book of Isaiah and therefore is a valuable resource for continuing to study the book of Isaiah!

תרגום יונתן בן עוזיאל אל ישעיה פרק לז:כה-ל
כה      אְנַא הְוֵיתִי חָפַר גוּבִין וְשָתֵי מַיִין וּטפַחִית בְפַרסַת רַגלֵי עַמָא דְעִמִי כָל מֵי נַהרִין עַמִיקִין׃ כו      הְלָא שְמַעתָא מִלְקַדמִין מָא דַעְבַדִית לְפַרעֹה מַלכָא דְמִצרַיִם עַל דִשלֵיט בְהֹון וְאַף עְלָך אִתנַבִיאוּ נְבִייֵ יִשׂרָאֵל וְלָא תַבתָא וְדָא ‭>‬הְוָה לָך‭‬‭<‬ חָזְיָא קֳדָמַי מִיֹומֵי קְדַם לְמַעְבַד לָך וְאַף אַתקֵינתַה כְעַן אֵיתִיתַה וְדָא הְוָת לָך לְתַקלָא עַל דַהְוַאָה קֳדָמָך כְאִתרְגֹושַת גַלִין דִשדֹו קִרוִין כְרִיכָן׃ כז      וְיָתְבֵיהֹון אִתקְצַר חֵילְהֹון אִיתְבַרוּ וּבהִיתוּ הְוֹו כַעְשַב חַקלַיָא וּכיָרוֹק דִתאָה וּכעְסַב אִיגָרַיָא דְיִשלֹוק עַד לָא מְטָא לְמִהוֵי שוּבלִין׃ כח      וּמִיתְבָך בְעֵיצָא וּמִפְקָך לַאְגָחָא קְרָבָא וּמֵיתָך לְאַרעָא דְיִשׂרָאֵל גְלֵי קֳדָמָי וְיָת דְאַרגֵיזתָא קֳדָמַי גְלֵי׃ כט      חְלָף דְאַרגֵיזתָא עַל מֵימְרִי וְאִתרְגֹושתָך סְלֵיקַת לִקדָמָי וַאְשַוֵי שֵירִין בְלִסתָך וּזמָם בְסִפוָתָך וַאְתֵיבִינָך בְאֹורחָא דַאְתֵיתָא בַה׃ ל      וְדֵין לָך אָתָא אֵיכֹול בְשַתָא הָדָא כָתִין וּבשַתָא תִניֵיתָא כָת כָתִין וּבשַתָא תְלִיתֵיתָא זְרוּעוּ וּחצוּדוּ וְצוּבוּ כַרמִין וַאְכוּלוּ אִיבְהֹון׃

Targum Jonathan son of Uziel Isaiah 37:25-30
37:25 I have digged cisterns, and I have drunk water, and I have dried up all the waters of the deep rivers with the sole of the people that were with me. 37:26 Hast thou not heard long ago, what I have done to Pharao, king of Egypt? Yea, also, the prophets of Israel have prophesied concerning thee; but thou hast not repented. I contemplated doing this unto thee, since the days of old. I have prepared it, now I will bring it to pass, and it shall be ruin unto thee; because it shall be before thee as the raging of waves, which destroy fortified cities. 37:27 Therefore their inhabitants had their strength cut off, they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the fields, yea, as the green grass, as the herb on the house-tops, as corn blasted before it becomes an ear of corn. 37:28 And thy sitting down in counsel, and thy going forth to wage war, and thy coming into the land of Israel is known to me, and that thou art enraged is known to me. 37:29 Because thou art enraged against my WORD, and thy tumultuous noise hath come up before me: therefore I will put a ring in thy nostril, and a bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest. 37:30 And this shall be a sign to thee: Eat this year such as growth of itself; and in 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. (TgJ)

When Hezekiah seeks the counsel of God at the Temple and from the prophet Isaiah, the speech that follows from Isaiah, Isaiah refers to God as the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 37:23) and concludes with “the zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall perform this” (Isaiah 37:32). In these verses from Isaiah 37:23-32 Sennacherib is put in his place from the sense that God has heard his insolence and pride. Sennacherib in his pride has imagined his conquest of the nations and how Jerusalem and Judah will be the same but fails to realize the One who is the protector of Israel. The Lord God used Sennacherib as His instrument to bring judgment against Judah, and now because of both the king and the people’s repentance, Sennacherib’s time has come to an end. So Isaiah continues according to the Targum to say, כה      אְנַא הְוֵיתִי חָפַר גוּבִין וְשָתֵי מַיִין וּטפַחִית בְפַרסַת רַגלֵי עַמָא דְעִמִי כָל מֵי נַהרִין עַמִיקִין׃ 37:25 I have digged cisterns, and I have drunk water, and I have dried up all the waters of the deep rivers with the sole of the people that were with me. (TgJ) Here Sennacherib boasts of the things that he has done, the Lord God Almighty however states that these things that he has done have been planned by God from ancient times to demonstrate that all things are in God’s hands. (Isaiah 37:26) Rashi writes the following concerning these things.

Rashi on Isaiah 37:25 Parts 1-4
אני קרתי ושתיתי. כלומר התחלתי בכל מעשי וגמרתי והצלחתי כזה הכורה בור ומוצא מים ומצליח ל’ מקור:
I dug and drank (קַרְתִּי) I.e., to say, I started all my deeds and completed them and succeeded, as one who digs a hole and finds water and succeeds. This is an expression of a spring (מָקוֹר).
ואחריב בכף פעמי. (אם) באתי לצור על עיר הבטוחה בחוזק נהרותיה הבאתי עליה גייסות רבים וכלו מימי נהרותם בשתיית בהמתם ומדרך כף רגליהם:
and I dry up with the soles of my feet If I would besiege a city reliant on the strength of its rivers, I would bring upon it many troops, and the water of their rivers would be depleted from their drinking and the drinking of their cattle and by the treading of their feet.
ואחריב. ל’ הוה כלומר כן דרכי תמיד:
and I dry up (lit., and I will dry up) This is the present tense, i.e., to say, so is my wont always.
יאורי מצור. יאורי עיר הבאה במצור ע”י יאורות:
rivers of the siege The rivers of the city that is besieged through its rivers. ([Mss. yield:] that is besieged by me.)

Water is essential for life, but it can also be a weapon of war. Throughout history, armies have used water to besiege cities, either by depriving them of their water supply or by flooding them with excess water. One of the earliest examples of water diversion as a siege tactic is found here in Isaiah with the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem in 701 BCE. The Assyrian king Sennacherib invaded Judah, a vassal state that had rebelled against his authority, and laid siege to its capital, Jerusalem. According to the biblical account, Sennacherib’s army surrounded the city and cut off its water sources, hoping to force the king of Judah, Hezekiah, to surrender. However, Hezekiah had anticipated this move and had prepared for the siege by building a tunnel that connected the spring of Gihon outside the city wall to the pool of Siloam inside the city, thus ensuring a continuous water supply for the inhabitants. He also built a broad wall to strengthen the city’s defenses. The Assyrian siege failed to capture Jerusalem, and Sennacherib eventually withdrew his army after receiving tribute from Hezekiah. The biblical account also attributes the Assyrian retreat to a divine intervention that killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night. (2 Kings 18-19, 2 Chronicles 32:1-10, Isaiah 36-37) Another example of water diversion as a siege tactic was the Persian siege of Opis in 539 BCE. Opis was a strategic city on the Tigris River that controlled the access to Babylon, the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. The Persian king Cyrus the Great invaded Mesopotamia and aimed to conquer Babylon, which was ruled by Nabonidus, an unpopular and eccentric king who had neglected the worship of Marduk, the chief god of Babylon. Cyrus approached Opis with his army and tried to cross the Tigris river, but was met with resistance by the Babylonian army. Cyrus then ordered his engineers to divert the course of the river upstream, creating a dry channel that allowed his troops to cross the river and surprise the Babylonian defenders. The Babylonian army was routed and fled to Babylon, leaving Opis undefended. Cyrus captured Opis and continued his march to Babylon, which surrendered without a fight after a short siege. Cyrus was welcomed as a liberator by the Babylonians, who saw him as a chosen agent of Marduk. These two examples show how ancient armies besieged cities by diverting water, either by cutting off or by flooding their water sources. Here in Isaiah 37:25 Sennacherib is boasting of his own power to do these things. This kind of warfare had the effect of having an impact on the morale of the inhabitants and affected their faith in their gods. Note that water diversion could lead to starvation, disease, or panic among the defenders, forcing them to surrender or flee. In other cases, water diversion could be countered by ingenious engineering or divine protection, allowing the defenders to resist or repel the attackers. Note that Hezekiah’s well allowed for Jerusalem to continue to receive water which was a blessing from God in heaven. Today the well of Hezekiah still has water revealed in excavations of the well and tunnels that Hezekiah had built. This is a testimony to both the engineering creativity of man and the blessing of God!

Isaiah goes on saying according to the Targum, כו      הְלָא שְמַעתָא מִלְקַדמִין מָא דַעְבַדִית לְפַרעֹה מַלכָא דְמִצרַיִם עַל דִשלֵיט בְהֹון וְאַף עְלָך אִתנַבִיאוּ נְבִייֵ יִשׂרָאֵל וְלָא תַבתָא וְדָא ‭>‬הְוָה לָך‭‬‭<‬ חָזְיָא קֳדָמַי מִיֹומֵי קְדַם לְמַעְבַד לָך וְאַף אַתקֵינתַה כְעַן אֵיתִיתַה וְדָא הְוָת לָך לְתַקלָא עַל דַהְוַאָה קֳדָמָך כְאִתרְגֹושַת גַלִין דִשדֹו קִרוִין כְרִיכָן׃ 37:26 Hast thou not heard long ago, what I have done to Pharaoh king of Egypt? Yea, also, the prophets of Israel have prophesied concerning thee; but thou hast not repented. I contemplated doing this unto thee, since the days of old. I have prepared it, now I will bring it to pass, and it shall be ruin unto thee; because it shall be before thee as the raging of waves, which destroy fortified cities. כז      וְיָתְבֵיהֹון אִתקְצַר חֵילְהֹון אִיתְבַרוּ וּבהִיתוּ הְוֹו כַעְשַב חַקלַיָא וּכיָרוֹק דִתאָה וּכעְסַב אִיגָרַיָא דְיִשלֹוק עַד לָא מְטָא לְמִהוֵי שוּבלִין׃ 37:27 Therefore their inhabitants had their strength cut off, they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the fields, yea, as the green grass, as the herb on the house-tops, as corn blasted before it becomes an ear of corn. כח      וּמִיתְבָך בְעֵיצָא וּמִפְקָך לַאְגָחָא קְרָבָא וּמֵיתָך לְאַרעָא דְיִשׂרָאֵל גְלֵי קֳדָמָי וְיָת דְאַרגֵיזתָא קֳדָמַי גְלֵי׃ 37:28 And thy sitting down in counsel, and thy going forth to wage war, and thy coming into the land of Israel is known to me, and that thou art enraged is known to me. (TgJ) The Lord God Almighty, the Creator, knows all and has a plan for both the righteous and the unrighteous. These things speak to the way in which God has planned the destruction of those who refuse to repent and turn from their sins. Pharaoh king of Egypt for example considered himself a son of the gods, and their practices and forms of worship Israel is warned by God never to return there because of the great wickedness, stubbornness, and unwillingness to hear the word of God. The Midrash Tehillim 139 Part 3 draws these things into perspective from the Tanakh in the following way:

Midrash Tehillim 139:3
כי אין מלה בלשוני וגו’. כך אמר דוד לפני הקב”ה אתה ידעת שבתי וקומי. ולא עוד אלא על כל פסיעה ופסיעה שאני עתיד לפסוע כבר גלויה לפניך. וכן אמר הכתוב (איוב יד טז) כי עתה צעדי תספור. ולא מעכשיו אלא עד שלא באתי לעולם. וכן הוא אומר לירמיהו (ירמיה א ה) בטרם אצרך בבטן ידעתיך. וכן אמר הכתוב לסנחרב (מלכים-ב יט כח) יען התרגזך אלי וגו’. א”ל שוטה מה אתה סבור הלא ידעת אם לא שמעת. (שם כז) ושבתך וצאתך ובואך ידעתי ואת התרגזך אלי. לכך נאמר כי אין מלה בלשוני. אין מזמור אין נצח אין שירה שאני עתיד לומר שאינם גלויין לפניך. לכך נאמר כי אין מלה בלשוני:
“For there is no word on my tongue, etc.” So said David before the Almighty, “You know when I sit and when I rise; You discern my thoughts from afar. Even before I speak, You know all about it. You have hemmed me in from behind and in front; You have laid Your hand upon me” (Psalms 139:4-5). Similarly, it says in the book of Job (14:16), “For now You count my steps; You keep watch over my feet without even scrutinizing my behavior.” And not only from now, but from before I was born (Job 31:18), “Or like a newborn infant who has not seen the light: before I go where I will not return.” And so it says to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5), “Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you; and before you came forth from the womb, I sanctified you.” And similarly, the scripture says to Hezekiah (2 Kings 19:28), “Because you have raged against Me and your arrogance has reached My ears, I will put My hook in your nose and My bit in your mouth, and I will turn you back on the way you came.” He replied to God, “O foolish one, what do you think? Don’t you know everything unless you hear it?” (Isaiah 37:28). “And your sitting down and your going out and your coming in I know, and your rage against Me.” Therefore it is said that there is no word on my tongue. There is no psalm, there is no eternal melody, there is no song that I will say that is not already revealed before You. Therefore it is said that there is no word on my tongue.

David describes God as knowing all things, when one sits, when one rises, and even our thoughts before we speak. He also makes mention of how the Lord God keeps watch over our steps even without scrutinizing our behavior. This demonstrates the mercy and wisdom of God that even before we were born there was a plan for our lives. Therefore, there is great foolishness in Sennacherib’s raging against the God of Israel. What these things reveal to us is how it is futile to take a stand against God and His ways, the wisest decision is to seek the Lord and His will and plan for our lives. Here David said that the Lord God does not scrutinize behavior, the point is that there will come a point in which continued behavior becomes unacceptable if it is being done without thought. If sin becomes a part of daily life and there is unrepentance and a lack of a desire to change, this is when the Lord God begins to move to draw one back to recognize the error of one’s ways. The Targum continues talking about the how Sennacherib is behavior saying, כט      חְלָף דְאַרגֵיזתָא עַל מֵימְרִי וְאִתרְגֹושתָך סְלֵיקַת לִקדָמָי וַאְשַוֵי שֵירִין בְלִסתָך וּזמָם בְסִפוָתָך וַאְתֵיבִינָך בְאֹורחָא דַאְתֵיתָא בַה׃ 37:29 Because thou art enraged against my WORD, and thy tumultuous noise hath come up before me: therefore I will put a ring in thy nostril, and a bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest. ל      וְדֵין לָך אָתָא אֵיכֹול בְשַתָא הָדָא כָתִין וּבשַתָא תִניֵיתָא כָת כָתִין וּבשַתָא תְלִיתֵיתָא זְרוּעוּ וּחצוּדוּ וְצוּבוּ כַרמִין וַאְכוּלוּ אִיבְהֹון׃37:30 And this shall be a sign to thee: Eat this year such as groweth of itself; and in 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. (TgJ) So Sennicharib, his rebellion was so great that his deeds, the noise of his rebellion, had come up before the Lord and got God’s direct attention. This leads then to the Lord God taking action against him. The description is as one who puts a beast under his control using a ring in his nose and a bridle in his lips. The Lord God then provides a promise to the people and to Hezekiah concerning the army not being present and the people being free to leave Jerusalem and eat from the land that has grown on its own from previous years harvest.  Rashi has the following to say concerning these things.

Rashi on Isaiah 37:30 Parts 1-3
וזה לך האות. הדבור הזה אינה לסנחריב אלא הנביא אמר לחזקיה והתשובה הזאת תהיה לך לאות להבטחה אחרת הנה החריבו הלגיונות את כל הזרעים וגדעו את כל האילנות והקב”ה מבטיחך שתסתפקו השנה הזאת בספיחי הזרעים שיצמחו מאליה’:
And this shall be the sign for you This statement is not addressed to Sennacherib, but the prophet said to Hezekiah, “And this salvation shall be a sign for you for another promise. Now the legions have destroyed all the vegetation and chopped off the trees, and the Holy One, blessed be He, promises you that you will have sufficient from the shoots of the plants that will grow by themselves.”
אכול השנה. לאכול השנה ספיח:
this year you shall eat (אָכוֹל) to eat this year.
ובשנה השנית שחיס. הן ספיחי גידועי אילנו’ כך הוא בסדר עולם אבל יונתן תירגם כתכתין ספיחי ספיחים וזה לך האות כשתראה שיתקיים דברי שישוב סנחרב לארצו ויפול תאמין שתתקיים עוד הבטח’ השניי’:and the next year what grows from the tree stumps (Heb. שָׁחִיס.) They are the shoots of the stumps. So it appears in Seder Olam (ch. 23), but Jonathan renders: כַּתְכַּתִּין, the shoots of the shoots. And this will be the sign for you; when you see that my words, that Sennacherib will return to his land and he will fall, are fulfilled, you will believe that the second promise will yet be fulfilled.

The Lord provides a promise of the sufficiency of the shoots in the field providing enough food for the people, and then provides another prophecy of God driving Sennacherib and the army back to the land they had come from. When one sees the first promise fulfilled, then they will realize that the second will also come true as well! Here the first prophecy would substantiate the second prophecy. Generally speaking, the concept of a double prophecy is a reference to a dual fulfillment where it is believed that a bible passage has a short-term and a long-term fulfillment which is often related to the Messiah. Some examples of double prophecies that occur in the same chapter are from Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6, which are understood as referring to the birth of a child in Isaiah’s time as a sign to Ahaz, and also to the birth of Yeshua as the Immanuel and the Prince of Peace. Jeremiah 25:11-12 and 29:10, which predict the Babylonian captivity of Judah for 70 years, and also point to a future restoration of Israel after a longer period of desolation. Daniel 9:24-27, which foretells the coming of an anointed one (Messiah) and the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by a prince who will make a covenant with many, and also anticipates a future tribulation period and the second coming of the Messiah. Zechariah 9:9-10, which announces the arrival of a humble king on a donkey, and also describes his universal reign of peace and Malachi 3:1-4 and 4:5-6, which proclaim the sending of a messenger to prepare the way for the Lord, and also predict the coming of Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Here in Isaiah 37:29-30 we find a prophecy that groups together two events that are at different distances in time, one substantiates the other, and both appear as one in the prophetic vision because they are a sequence of events that will take place in relation to what is going to happen to Sennacherib and his army. Some scholars see this as a double prophecy, because it has both a short-term and a long-term fulfillment. The short-term fulfillment was the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrian siege. The long-term fulfillment was the destruction of Nineveh and the fall of the Assyrian empire by the Babylonians and Medes in 612 BC. This prophecy had a partial fulfillment in Sennacherib’s failed campaign against Jerusalem and his assassination by his sons in 681 BC. The biblical and Assyrian records reveal that these events came to pass, and we believe by faith as the prophet had said that the people eating the growth from the fields just as the prophet Isaiah had said would happen, because the first event had taken place which demonstrates the power and the mercy of God to His people, and to us today!