II Chronicles 32, Hezekiah and Sennacherib

The northern kingdom is now gone, conquered by Assyria. Hezekiah is king of Judah and has had the temple cleansed and reestablished temple worship.

2 Chronicles 32:1-8, Invasion

After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself.

When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to make war on Jerusalem, he consulted with his officials and military staff about blocking off the water from the springs outside the city, and they helped him. A large force of men assembled, and they blocked all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land. "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?" they said.

Then he worked hard repairing all the broken sections of the wall and building towers on it. He built another wall outside that one and reinforced the supporting terraces of the City of David. He also made large numbers of weapons and shields. He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: 

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." 

And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.

Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah. This is a very serious threat; early in Hezekiah's reign, Assyria has conquered Israel, the northern kingdom, and deported much of its populace. Sennacherib threatens to do this to tiny Judah. Hezekiah repairs the walls of Jerusalem in preparation for the attack. He also blocks off springs outside the city so that a large military force would find it difficult to have enough water to drink. He assembles the people together and encourages them by reminding them that YHWH will fight their battles.

2 Chronicles 28:20-21 records Ahaz attempting to forge an alliance with Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria and failing. Tiglath-Pileser is followed by Shalmaneser, his son, who is assassinated by Sargon II, whose son Sennacherib is the person perched on Hezekiah's doorstep about 701 BC. (A list of Assyrian kings is given at this Wikipedia site.) 

2 Chronicles 32:9-15, Taunt from Sennacherib

Later, when Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces were laying siege to Lachish, he sent his officers to Jerusalem with this message for Hezekiah king of Judah and for all the people of Judah who were there: 

"This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: On what are you basing your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? When Hezekiah says, `The LORD our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria,' he is misleading you, to let you die of hunger and thirst. Did not Hezekiah himself remove this god's high places and altars, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, `You must worship before one altar and burn sacrifices on it'?

"Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the other lands? Were the gods of those nations ever able to deliver their land from my hand? Who of all the gods of these nations that my fathers destroyed has been able to save his people from me? How then can your god deliver you from my hand? Now do not let Hezekiah deceive you and mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers. How much less will your god deliver you from my hand!"

 

The fortified city of Lachish is 35 to 40 miles to the southwest of Jerusalem,  Sennacherib, lays siege to Lachish in preparation for advancing from the west into Jerusalem. His officers go to Jerusalem with a message that no one has been able to withstand his forces; in the culture of the ancient Near East, he claims that his army has defeated all the other gods of countries.

2 Chronicles 32:16-19, Insulting YHWH

Sennacherib's officers spoke further against the LORD God and against his servant Hezekiah. The king also wrote letters insulting the LORD, the God of Israel, and saying this against him: "Just as the gods of the peoples of the other lands did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand."

Then they called out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and make them afraid in order to capture the city. They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the other peoples of the world--the work of men's hands.
 

In their message to Hezekiah and the people of Judah, Sennacherib's officers taunt the God of Judah. They say this in Hebrew, in the language that the people on the walls can understand. This is clearly intended to demoralize the populace and make the conquest of Jerusalem easier.

2 Chronicles 32:20-23, Hezekiah and Isaiah pray

King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this. And the LORD sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the leaders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons cut him down with the sword.

So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of them [106] on every side.

Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the LORD and valuable gifts for Hezekiah king of Judah. From then on he was highly regarded by all the nations.

Hezekiah and Isaiah desperately pray to YHWH, asking for protection. In response, suddenly Sennacherib's army is destroyed. Later Sennacherib is assassinated by his own sons.

There are parallel passages, with additional information on this seige and the downfall of Sennacherib, in 2 Kings 19:37 and Isaiah 36-37. A Biblical Archaeology Society article has more on the assassination of Sennacherib here.

The assassination of Sennacherib occurs in about 680 BC. Our Old Testament history is deep into the Iron Age and there are considerable external documents that provide additional insight into the period. The first historian, Herodotus, in the fifth century BC, writes a history of the Greco-Persian wars. In that history, he describes Sennacherib's invasion of the Levant. The sudden collapses of Sennacherib's army is attributed to an invasion of field mice and the actions of an Egyptian god. (That account is online here.)

2 Chronicles 32:24-26, Critically ill

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the LORD, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign. But Hezekiah's heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the LORD's wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem.

Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the LORD's wrath did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah.
 

Hezekiah becomes very ill and prays. But, says the Chronicler, he was still arrogant and his pride drew God's wrath.  Eventually Hezekiah humbles himself and repents of his pride and is spared. (More details on his illness and prayer are in 2 Kings 20:1-11.)

2 Chronicles 32:27-31, Rich but tested

Hezekiah had very great riches and honor, and he made treasuries for his silver and gold and for his precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuables. He also made buildings to store the harvest of grain, new wine and oil; and he made stalls for various kinds of cattle, and pens for the flocks. He built villages and acquired great numbers of flocks and herds, for God had given him very great riches. It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David. He succeeded in everything he undertook.

But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart.

A summary of Hezekiah's life and wealth is given here. He had reason for arrogance but God humbled him by testing him.

2 Chronicles 32:32, Isaiah

The other events of Hezekiah's reign and his acts of devotion are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

The book of Isaiah adds additional information about Hezekiah. Isaiah's book relates to the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah (Isaiah 1:1) and Payne cites chapters 36-39 as especially relevant.

2 Chronicles 32:33, Rest

Hezekiah rested with his fathers and was buried on the hill where the tombs of David's descendants are. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem honored him when he died. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.

The life of Hezekiah is also told in 2 Kings 18-20.

During his reign, Hezekiah invited the northern tribes, including Manasseh, to worship in Jerusalem. His concern for the northern tribes may be reflected in the name given his firstborn son. Sadly, that son, Manasseh, will not live up to the hopes of his father.