Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Isaiah 37:13 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 13. 13Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The historical narrative or dated oracle presses the question “Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of…” at Isaiah 37:13 within “A Second Assyrian Message Repeats Imperial Theology.”
Lachish news and a Tirhakah rumor do not stop a second letter
This verse is one part of that explanation in Isaiah 37:8–13. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Isaiah 37:8–13
Read Isaiah 37:13 with 37:8–13. By itself, “Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of…” can be detached from the speaker, addressee, historical horizon, poetic movement, or outcome that gives it force. The complete unit establishes: The envoy lists conquered peoples and their powerless gods to argue that Jerusalem's God cannot rescue.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within the same chapter, this unit advances from “Hezekiah Mourns and Isaiah Answers the Blasphemous Speech” into “A Second Assyrian Message Repeats Imperial Theology.” Its non-interchangeable movement is: The envoy lists conquered peoples and their powerless gods to argue that Jerusalem's God cannot rescue. This verse's placement is specific: The historical narrative or dated oracle presses the question “Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of…” at Isaiah 37:13 within “A Second Assyrian Message Repeats Imperial Theology.”
What Remains True
Political strategy, fear, faith, propaganda, and institutional power must be tested by truth and their effects on people. In Isaiah 37:13, that bounded truth is carried through this verse's role: The historical narrative or dated oracle presses the question “Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of…” at Isaiah 37:13 within “A Second Assyrian Message Repeats Imperial Theology.”
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Isaiah 37:8–13 — A Second Assyrian Message Repeats Imperial TheologySources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Isaiah 37:8–13, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Isaiah
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology at the exact unit, without treating morphology as apparatus, lexicon, composition history, or interpretation.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Isa.xml, OSIS 37:8–13 with Hebrew/KJV versification difference checked
Open the fixed Hebrew Isaiah file ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible Notes: Isaiah
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2016; current official PDF
Supports: Verse-level controls for Hebrew, syntax, poetry, older KJV language, chronology, names, textual issues, and material translation alternatives.
Exact location: Official NET Isaiah PDF, translator, study, and textual notes attached to Isaiah 37:8–13 in the complete 205-page book PDF
Open the official NET Isaiah PDF ↗