Discovery BoxIsaiah 37:31-36 
Context37:31 Those who remain in Judah will take root in the ground and bear fruit. 1
37:32 “For a remnant will leave Jerusalem;
survivors will come out of Mount Zion.
The intense devotion of the Lord who commands armies 2 will accomplish this.
37:33 So this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:
‘He will not enter this city,
nor will he shoot an arrow here. 3
He will not attack it with his shielded warriors, 4
nor will he build siege works against it.
37:34 He will go back the way he came –
he will not enter this city,’ says the Lord.
37:35 I will shield this city and rescue it for the sake of my reputation and because of my promise to David my servant.”’” 5
37:36 The Lord’s messenger 6 went out and killed 185,000 troops 7 in the Assyrian camp. When they 8 got up early the next morning, there were all the corpses! 9
1 tn Heb “The remnant of the house of Judah that is left will add roots below and produce fruit above.”
2 tn Heb “the zeal of the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” In this context the Lord’s “zeal” refers to his intense devotion to and love for his people which prompts him to protect and restore them.
3 tn Heb “there” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV). In terms of English style “here” is expected in collocation with “this” in the previous line.
4 tn Heb “[with] a shield” (so ASV, NASB, NRSV).
5 tn Heb “for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.”
6 tn Traditionally, “the angel of the Lord” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
7 tn The word “troops” is supplied in the translation for smoothness and clarity.
8 tn This refers to the Israelites and/or the rest of the Assyrian army.
9 tn Heb “look, all of them were dead bodies”; NLT “they found corpses everywhere.”
