In verses 24-25 God notes the many arrogant claims that Sennacherib made.

By your servants you have mocked the Lord: Sennacherib used his officials to mock God. The parallel passage of 2 Kgs 19.23 has “messengers” instead of servants. Even though servants and “messengers” are close in meaning, translators should not harmonize these two passages on this point unless there are inadequate terms in the receptor language. For mocked see Isa 37.4. The Lord is not the divine name Yahweh, but the title meaning “my master” (see the comments on 1.2). Since he is speaking here, Contemporary English Version says “me, the Lord,” which may be helpful for other languages. Good News Translation says simply “me.”

And you have said …: Translators may use indirect speech for Sennacherib’s words, as in Good News Translation (see the second example below). This is the fourth level of quotation in Isaiah’s speech. See the introductory comments on verses 21-38.

With my many chariots I have gone up the heights of the mountains, to the far recesses of Lebanon: This is an arrogant claim made by Sennacherib through his officials. Although Assyria had many chariots, he is exaggerating here since chariots could normally be used only on good roads and generally in level country, not in mountainous areas. It is unlikely he could have taken them on mountains, where there were no roads. For chariots see 2.7. The far recesses of Lebanon is parallel to the heights of the mountains. It refers to the highest mountains of Lebanon, which were the most difficult places to access, so Sennacherib exaggerates even more. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “the remotest parts of the Lebanon,” while New International Version says “the utmost heights of Lebanon.” For Lebanon see 2.13.

I felled its tallest cedars, its choicest cypresses: Sennacherib had the tallest and best trees of Lebanon cut down, probably for his building projects in Assyria. The pronoun its refers to Lebanon. The mountains of Lebanon were famous for their cedar and cypress trees. For cedars see 2.13, and for cypresses see 14.8.

I came to its remotest height is literally “and I came to its highest end.” Sennacherib reemphasizes his claim that he went to the highest mountains of Lebanon.

Its densest forest is literally “the forest of its fertile land.” The Hebrew word for “fertile land” is karmel, which can refer to a flourishing garden (10.18; 16.10) or the tree-covered mountain that lies along the southern side of the Jezreel Valley on the Israelite coast (33.9; 35.2). Here it refers to the dense trees of Lebanon’s forests.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• You have used your servants to scorn [me,] the Lord,
saying, ‘I have driven my many chariots up the high mountains,
to the furthest reaches of Lebanon.
I have cut down its tallest cedar trees and best cypresses;
I went to its highest points,
its deepest forests.

• Your servants, [Sennacherib,] have mocked the Lord,
boasting that you have ridden your numerous chariots to the top of the mountains,
to Lebanon’s tallest heights;
that you have cut down its tallest cedars and its best pine trees,
and reached its most lush forests.

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 .