The Meaning of Isaiah 37:2 Explained

Isaiah 37:2

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.

YLT: and sendeth Eliakim, who is over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covering themselves with sackcloth, unto Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet,

Darby: And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Isaiah 37:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Then the king sent some of his highest officials and some of the leading priests, who were also in mourning, to visit Isaiah. Notice that Hezekiah did not summon Isaiah into his presence. This reflects the respect that the king felt for the prophet (cf. 2 Kings 6:12).

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 37

1  Hezekiah mourning, sends to Isaiah to pray for them
6  Isaiah comforts them
8  Sennacherib, going to encounter Tirhakah, sends a blasphemous letter to Hezekiah
14  Hezekiah's prayer
21  Isaiah's prophecy of the destruction of Sennacherib, and the good of Zion
36  An angel slays the Assyrians
37  Sennacherib is slain at Nineveh by his own sons

What do the individual words in Isaiah 37:2 mean?

And he sent - Eliakim who [was] over the household and Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth to Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet
וַ֠יִּשְׁלַח אֶת־ אֶלְיָקִ֨ים אֲשֶׁר־ עַל־ הַבַּ֜יִת וְאֵ֣ת ׀ שֶׁבְנָ֣א הַסּוֹפֵ֗ר וְאֵת֙ זִקְנֵ֣י הַכֹּהֲנִ֔ים מִתְכַּסִּ֖ים בַּשַּׂקִּ֑ים אֶל־ יְשַֽׁעְיָ֥הוּ בֶן־ אָמ֖וֹץ הַנָּבִֽיא

וַ֠יִּשְׁלַח  And  he  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֶלְיָקִ֨ים  Eliakim 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶלְיָקִים  
Sense: the son of Hilkiah, master of Hezekiah’s household.
אֲשֶׁר־  who  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַבַּ֜יִת  the  household 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
שֶׁבְנָ֣א  Shebna 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁבְנָא 
Sense: a person of high position in the court of king Hezekiah of Judah; subsequently the secretary of Hezekiah.
הַסּוֹפֵ֗ר  the  scribe 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סָפַר 
Sense: to count, recount, relate.
זִקְנֵ֣י  the  elders 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: זָקֵן  
Sense: old.
הַכֹּהֲנִ֔ים  of  the  priests 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
מִתְכַּסִּ֖ים  covered 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Participle, masculine plural
Root: כָּסָה  
Sense: to cover, conceal, hide.
בַּשַּׂקִּ֑ים  with  sackcloth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שַׂק  
Sense: mesh, sackcloth, sack, sacking.
יְשַֽׁעְיָ֥הוּ  Isaiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְשַׁעְיָה 
Sense: the major prophet, son of Amoz, who prophesied concerning Judah and Jerusalem during the days of kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah; author of the prophetic book by his name; tradition has it that he was sawn asunder in the trunk of a carob tree by king Manasseh and that this is the incident referred to in Heb :37.
בֶן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אָמ֖וֹץ  of  Amoz 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָמֹוץ  
Sense: father of Isaiah.
הַנָּבִֽיא  the  prophet 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.