ישעיהו, פרק ל״ז, פסוק ל״ו

The sudden downfall of the mighty Assyrian army at the gates of Jerusalem stands as a dramatic moment of divine intervention. This event unfolded after Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, returned from waging war in Cush, having looted their treasures [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. Upon his return to Jerusalem, Sennacherib sent threatening letters to Hezekiah, the king of Judah. Immediately after the prophet Isaiah delivered a response to these threats, an angel of God went into action [רש״י].

The blow dealt to the Assyrian camp was neither a conventional battle nor a natural disaster. The primary approach among commentators is that it was a sudden, supernatural plague sent directly by God, wiping out a vast number of men in a single night. Any attempts to explain the event through natural causes, such as lightning storms, fire, fierce winds, or a prolonged illness, are firmly rejected. The evidence for its miraculous nature lies in the total silence of the destruction; it occurred so quietly during the night that the survivors remained completely unaware until dawn. Even the traditions of other ancient nations preserved the memory of this extraordinary strike against Sennacherib's army [שד״ל].

The full Assyrian camp was actually much larger than the number of casualties, as the plague did not destroy the entire army, but specifically targeted one hundred and eighty-five thousand men [שד״ל]. However, the victims were not ordinary soldiers. They were kings and crowned military commanders. The lowest-ranking officer among them commanded two thousand troops, meaning that alongside the vast number of commanders, all their respective military companies fell with them [רש״י].

When morning arrived, Sennacherib and the few remaining survivors woke from their sleep [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. They arose to a staggering sight: one hundred and eighty-five thousand men had silently met their end during the night, a reality that only became clear to the living in the light of day [שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ].