This verse contains Hezekiah’s actual request to Isaiah. It has three parts. The first two parts mention possibilities: Hezekiah hopes that God will take note of the harsh words of the Assyrian ambassador, and then that he will punish him. The third part is a request for prayer.
It may be that the LORD your God heard the words of the Rabshakeh: Hezekiah hopes that God will pay attention to the insulting words of the Assyrian ambassador. The Hebrew adverb rendered It may be that introduces a future possibility since the verb rendered heard is in the imperfect form, so it may be translated “Perhaps” or “Maybe.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh renders the whole clause well with “Perhaps the LORD your God will take note of the words of the Rabshakeh” (similarly New International Version, Revised English Bible). Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version use past tense here for the verb heard, pointing to the possibility of a past event. The future tense is better in this context. For Good News Translation and New Jerusalem Bible there is a prayer or request here, but the grammatical structure in Hebrew makes this unlikely.
With the phrase the LORD your God, Hezekiah is not suggesting that Yahweh is Isaiah’s God and not his own (see the comments on 7.11). It may be rendered “the LORD our God” to avoid misunderstanding. For Rabshakeh see 36.2.
Whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God: This relative clause describes the Assyrian ambassador. Good News Translation makes this a separate sentence and places it at the beginning of the verse. Other languages may find this restructuring helpful (see also the examples below). The Hebrew verb for mock occurs four times in this chapter (also verses 17, 23-24), along with the verb meaning “blaspheme” or “revile” (verses 6, 23). In each case Yahweh is the one who is mocked. To mock means to make fun of someone or something, or to display a complete lack of respect for someone by showing contempt. Other possible renderings are “insult” (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible), “ridicule” (New International Version), and “taunt” (Revised English Bible, New American Bible).
The phrase the living God also occurs in verse 17. It is found throughout the Bible (see, for example, 1 Sam 17.26; Matt 16.16). This expression is used to highlight the contrast between the God of Judah and the gods of other nations that are seen as powerless to rescue people and are therefore thought of as “dead.”
And will rebuke the words which the LORD your God has heard: Hezekiah also hopes that God will punish the Assyrian ambassador for the insulting words he heard from him. The Hebrew verb rendered rebuke is from the same root as the noun translated “rebuke” in verse 3. In this context it probably refers to more than a verbal reprimand, but to punishment. So Good News Translation and New Jerusalem Bible say “punish,” while New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “mete out judgment.”
Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left: Finally, Hezekiah asks Isaiah to pray for the remaining people of Judah in Jerusalem. Therefore (Good News Translation “So”) renders the common Hebrew conjunction (literally “and”). Here it introduces Hezekiah’s conclusion. Lift up your prayer is a request for prayer, so it may be simply rendered “pray” (Good News Translation). Those who will benefit from the prayer are the remnant that is left. For the concept of a remnant, see the comments on 10.20 and 11.11. Here it refers to the people of Judah left in Jerusalem. The Assyrian forces captured all the other fortified cities of Judah, so Jerusalem was isolated (see 36.1). We can highlight this fact by rendering the remnant that is left as “those who are still left here.”
For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:
• Perhaps Yahweh your God will take note of what the Assyrian ambassador said and will rebuke him for his words, which Yahweh heard. The ambassador was sent by his master the king of Assyria to scorn the living God. So pray for those who are still left here.’”
• The Rabshakeh was sent by his master the king of Assyria to mock the living God. Perhaps Yahweh your God will take note of the Rabshakeh’s words, which he heard, and will punish him for what he said. So pray for those who remain here.’”
Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .