Isaiah 37:30

"And this shall be the sign unto thee: ye shall eat this year that which groweth of itself, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof. And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and out of mount Zion they shall escape. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this."

Dummelow's explanation of these verses is as follows:

"This year, the year of the invasion, since the harvest has been destroyed they must eat of the aftergrowth (the volunteer production). Since they have not been able to sow this year, next year they must also depend upon what grows of itself, but the year after, they will be able to sow and reap freely, for the land will be free from enemies."[14]

"It is evident here that the person addressed has been changed from Sennacherib to Hezekiah. Such transitions without a clear indication of them are common in this prophecy."[15]

Archer observed that this promise of the restoration of suburban Jerusalem was fulfilled during, "The 113-year interval that elapsed before Jerusalem fell to the Chaldeans."[16] "The blessing of God was upon them, and in a short time, Judah recovered her ancient vigor and was able to extend her dominion over nearly all of the old Israelite territory."[17]

Despite this, however, there is a frightening and ominous note here in Isaiah 37:32 where "the remnant" is repeatedly mentioned. It is a warning that the punishment of Judah is yet destined to fall upon the city, that it will be sacked and devastated, and that "only a remnant" will be preserved. Historically, Judah paid little or no attention to this warning.