On hearing this report, King Hezekiah tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and entered the house of the LORD.
Parallel translations
- WEB When king Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into Yahweh’s house.
- KJV And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.
- NKJV And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.
- NASB Now when King Hezekiah heard the report, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and entered the house of the Lord.
- NLT When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes and put on burlap and went into the Temple of the Lord.
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
When Hezekiah heard the report, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went into the LORD's house. In crisis he turns immediately to God in humble worship.
Overview
Hezekiah's response models faith under threat: mourning before God and seeking him in the temple rather than panicking or surrendering. The sackcloth expresses humility and dependence. By going to the LORD's house, he places the crisis in God's hands. This pattern of turning to God in distress points to the prayerful trust ultimately perfected in Christ, who prayed in his agony.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- 1 Kgs 21:27When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around meekly.
- 2 Kgs 18:37Then Hilkiah’s son Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and Asaph’s son Joah the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they relayed to him the words of the Rabshakeh.
- Job 1:20–21Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped,
- Gen 37:34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
- Isa 37:1–7On hearing this report, King Hezekiah tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and entered the house of the LORD.
- 2 Chr 32:20–22In response, King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out to heaven in prayer,
- Ps 35:13Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but my prayers returned unanswered.
- 1 Kgs 21:29“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity during his days, but I will bring it upon his house in the days of his son.”
- Matt 11:21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
- Ezra 9:3When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down in horror.
- 1 Sam 4:12That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line all the way to Shiloh, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.
- 2 Chr 7:15–16Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.
- Jonah 3:8Furthermore, let both man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and have everyone call out earnestly to God. Let each one turn from his evil ways and from the violence in his hands.
- Jer 36:24Yet in hearing all these words, the king and his servants did not become frightened or tear their garments.
- 2 Kgs 6:30When the king heard the words of the woman, he tore his clothes. And as he passed by on the wall, the people saw the sackcloth under his clothes next to his skin.
- Esth 4:1–4When Mordecai learned of all that had happened, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.
- 2 Kgs 5:7When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God, killing and giving life, that this man expects me to cure a leper? Surely you can see that he is seeking a quarrel with me!”
- Matt 26:65At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “He has blasphemed! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.
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Christ at the center
Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.
How 2 Kings 19:1 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
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