ישעיהו, פרק ל״ז, פסוק ל״ב

The promise to rescue Jerusalem from the approaching Assyrian threat rests entirely on direct divine intervention. At the heart of this rescue is God's fierce protection of His own honor, rather than any human merit.

When considering who will be spared, one approach views the message as poetic repetition, meaning that Jerusalem itself is the very group that will be rescued from Sennacherib [מצודת דוד]. Another perspective divides the survivors into two distinct groups. One consists of the everyday people in Jerusalem who remain in their homes and avoid exile. The other refers to exiles who will manage to escape and return to find safety under King Hezekiah in the fortress of Zion [מלבי״ם]. Taking a different path, some explain that the promise does not refer to physical people at all. Instead, it speaks of the abstract concepts of redemption and salvation, which will organically grow and sprout from the city [שד״ל].

The primary approach among commentators is that the driving force behind this dramatic rescue is God's deep care for Jerusalem and His zeal for His name and land. This intense divine response is sparked by the insults and blasphemy hurled against Him by Sennacherib and Rabshakeh. Building on this idea, it is understood that God steps in to save the city exclusively to protect His great name. He does not act because the people deserve it, nor because of the good deeds of their ancestors, as that past merit has already run out and can no longer offer them protection [רש״י].