In response, King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out to heaven in prayer,
Parallel translations
- WEB Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz, prayed because of this, and cried to heaven.
- KJV And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.
- NKJV Now because of this King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried out to heaven.
- NASB But King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed about this and called out to heaven for help.
- NLT Then King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to God in heaven.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Facing the Assyrian threat, King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah pray and cry out to heaven. It models turning to God rather than human strength in crisis.
Overview
With Sennacherib's army besieging Judah and blaspheming the Lord, Hezekiah and Isaiah unite in prayer (cf. 2 Kings 19; Isaiah 37). Their appeal goes directly 'to heaven,' acknowledging that deliverance belongs to God alone. This faith-filled cry sets up the dramatic rescue that follows and foreshadows the believer's confidence that God hears the prayers of the righteous.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Ps 91:14–15“Because he loves Me, I will deliver him; because he knows My name, I will protect him.
- 2 Chr 14:11Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.”
- 2 Chr 20:6–12and said, “O LORD, God of our fathers, are You not the God who is in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can stand against You.
- Isa 37:14–20So Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, read it, and went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD.
- 2 Kgs 19:2–4And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz
- Ps 50:15Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
- Isa 37:1–4On hearing this report, King Hezekiah tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and entered the house of the LORD.
- 2 Kgs 19:14–19So Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, read it, and went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Temple, priesthood, and the repeated need for a faithful king who seeks the LORD all point past every imperfect reign to the King and Temple who finally and fully dwell with God's people.
How 2 Chronicles 32:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.