Isaiah 37:29
Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.
Study Note
Study Note
God's word to Sennacherib — 'because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way which thou camest' — employs imagery used for capturing animals and subduing conquered enemies to assert absolute divine control over the most powerful empire of its day. The taunting language mirrors Sennacherib's own Annals, which boasted of putting iron hooks through the lips of rebellious kings — Isaiah turns the Assyrian metaphor back on itself. The verse is the theological climax of the Isaiah-Hezekiah narrative (Isaiah 36-39), demonstrating that prayer (Hezekiah's in 37:14-20) activates divine sovereign action against imperial arrogance. Historically, Sennacherib's withdrawal from Jerusalem is corroborated by both the Taylor Prism and Herodotus, making this one of the most archaeologically-supported biblical narratives.
Other Translations
Because of thy raging against me, and because thine arrogancy is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.
Because of thy anger towards Me, And thy noise--it came up into Mine ears, I have put My hook in thy nose, And My bridle in thy lips, And I have caused thee to turn back In the way in which thou camest.
Because your wrath against me and your pride have come to my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my cord in your lips, and I will make you go back by the way you came.
Cross References
But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me.
Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook …
For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.
He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:
Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in …
The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.