Isaiah 37:38It happened, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons struck him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Esar Haddon his son reigned in his place.
The setting
Nineveh, Iraq, 681 BC. Inside the temple of Nisroch, the Assyrian god of agriculture. King Sennacherib bows in worship when his own sons attack him with swords.
The emotion here: recording divine justice with solemn satisfaction
The original word
makah (מַכָּה) — to strike down, used for both divine judgment and human violence
Why it matters
Adrammelech and Sharezer fled to Ararat (modern Armenia), beyond Assyrian reach
Read with care
What most readers miss in Isaiah 37:38
This happened while Sennacherib was WORSHIPPING — even pagan gods couldn't protect him
Common misconceptionPeople think this is just ancient history, but it's the climax of God's promise that Sennacherib would die in his own land — fulfilled 20 years after the prophecy.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Isaiah 37:38
Bible Genome reading
Isaiah 37:38 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Isaiah 37:38 comes from the book of Isaiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. The dominant emotion in this verse is worship, with a comfort power of 50% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine judgment, wickedness punished. Notable phrases: struck him with the sword; his sons.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same worship
“Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one:”
— Deuteronomy 6:4
“and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”
— Deuteronomy 6:5
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1
“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.”
— John 14:6
“Jesus said to them, "Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM."”
— John 8:58
Your reflection
What does Isaiah 37:38 mean to you, today?
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