Isaiah 37:28

"Therefore their inhabitants had little power. They were dismayed and confounded. They were like the grass of the field, and like the green herb, like the grass on the housetops, and like a field before its crop has grown."

Key Reflection

Isaiah 37:28 paints a vivid picture of the devastation faced by Assyria’s conquered peoples, using imagery that would resonate deeply with the original audience. The inhabitants were described as having “little power,” reflecting their loss of strength and authority after defeat. This verse likens them to grass and green herbs, which are easily withered or ignored once they have passed their prime—symbolizing the temporary nature of their prosperity under Assyrian rule before it was cut short by divine judgment. The imagery emphasizes both their present weakness and the fleeting duration of their power, reinforcing the message that even mighty nations face ultimate decline when God’s will is resisted.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

But I know -The language of God. ‘I am well acquainted with all that pertains to you. You neither go out to war, nor return, nor abide in your capital without my providential direction’ (see the notes atIsaiah 10:5-7). Thy abode -Margin, ‘Sitting.’ Among the Hebrews, sitting down, rising up, and going out, were phrases to describe the whole of a man’s life and actions (compareDeuteronomy 6:7;Deuteronomy 28:6;1 Kings 3:7;Psalms 121:8). God here says that he knew the place where he dwelt, and he was able to return him again to itIsaiah 37:29. And thy rage against me -(SeeIsaiah 37:4).

More from Isaiah 37

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