2 Chronicleschapter 32

A.With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our Godvv. 1-8

1 After all these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, intending to conquer them for himself. 2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come to make war against Jerusalem, 3 he consulted with his leaders and commanders about stopping up the waters of the springs outside the city, and they helped him carry it out. 4 Many people assembled and stopped up 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. 5 Then Hezekiah worked resolutely to rebuild all the broken sections of the wall and to raise up towers on it. He also built an outer wall and reinforced the supporting terraces of the City of David, and he produced an abundance of weapons and shields. 6 Hezekiah appointed military commanders over the people and gathered the people in the square of the city gate. Then he encouraged them, saying, 7 “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater One with us than with him. 8 With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

B.Assyria's taunt: no god has delivered his people from my handvv. 9-19

9 Later, as Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces besieged Lachish, he sent his servants to Jerusalem with a message for King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem: 10 “This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: What is the basis of your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? 11 Is not Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by famine and thirst when he says, ‘The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria?’ 12 Did not Hezekiah himself remove His high places and His altars and say to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before one altar, and on it you shall burn sacrifices’? 13 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Have the gods of these nations ever been able to deliver their land from my hand? 14 Who among all the gods of these nations that my fathers devoted to destruction has been able to deliver his people from my hand? How then can your God deliver you from my hand? 15 So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you, and do not let him 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 from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand!” 16 And the servants of Sennacherib spoke further against the LORD God and against His servant Hezekiah. 17 He also wrote letters mocking the LORD, the God of Israel, and saying against Him: “Just as the gods of the nations did not deliver their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my hand.” 18 Then the Assyrians called out loudly in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them in order to capture the city. 19 They spoke against the God of Jerusalem as they had spoken against the gods of the peoples of the earth—the work of human hands.

C.Two men pray, and an angel cuts off the mighty in one nightvv. 20-23

20 In response, King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out to heaven in prayer, 21 and the LORD sent an angel who annihilated every mighty man of valor and every leader and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons struck him down with the sword. 22 So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hands of King Sennacherib of Assyria and all the others, and He gave them rest on every side. 23 Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the LORD and valuable gifts for Hezekiah king of Judah, and from then on he was exalted in the eyes of all nations.

D.A sign, a proud heart humbled, and water brought into the cityvv. 24-33

24 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. So he prayed to the LORD, who spoke to him and gave him a sign. 25 But because his heart was proud, Hezekiah did not repay the favor shown to him. Therefore wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem. 26 Then Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart—he and the people of Jerusalem—so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah. 27 Hezekiah had very great riches and honor, and he made treasuries for his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of valuable articles. 28 He also made storehouses for the harvest of grain and new wine and oil, stalls for all kinds of livestock, and pens for the flocks. 29 He made cities for himself, and he acquired herds of sheep and cattle in abundance, for God gave him very great wealth. 30 It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Spring of Gihon and channeled it down to the west side of the City of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all that he did. 31 And so when ambassadors of the rulers of Babylon were sent to him to inquire about the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone to test him, that He might know all that was in Hezekiah’s heart. 32 As for the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his deeds of loving devotion, they are indeed written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 33 And Hezekiah rested with his fathers and was buried in the upper tombs of David’s descendants. All Judah and the people of Jerusalem paid him honor at his death. And his son Manasseh reigned in his place.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

After this faithfulness Sennacherib comes: obedience does not exempt a king from invasion.

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After this faithfulness Sennacherib comes: obedience does not exempt a king from invasion. Hezekiah stops the springs, repairs the wall, makes weapons and shields, and gathers the people at the gate: 'Be strong and of good courage… with him is an arm of flesh; but with us is Jehovah our God to help us, and to fight our battles.' The Assyrian's letters mock the God of Jerusalem as though he were like the gods of the nations, 'the work of men's hands.' Hezekiah and Isaiah pray and cry to heaven; an angel cuts off the Assyrian camp, and Sennacherib is killed by his own sons in the house of his god. His later pride, sickness, and humbling close the reign.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

History · Ezra — 2 Chronicles overview

A. 1–8 With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God
B. 9–19 Assyria's taunt: no god has delivered his people from my hand
C. 20–23 Two men pray, and an angel cuts off the mighty in one night
D. 24–33 A sign, a proud heart humbled, and water brought into the city

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

2 Kings 188 verses
- 2 Kings 18:1In the third year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah over Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz became king of Judah.
- 2 Kings 18:9In the fourth year of Hezekiah’s reign, which was the seventh year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah over Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and besieged it.
- 2 Kings 18:13In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked and captured all the fortified cities of Judah.
- 2 Kings 18:17Nevertheless, the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh, along with a great army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They advanced up to Jerusalem and stationed themselves by the aqueduct of the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.
- 2 Kings 18:19The Rabshakeh said to them, “Tell Hezekiah that this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: What is the basis of this confidence of yours?
- 2 Kings 18:27But the Rabshakeh replied, “Has my master sent me to speak these words only to you and your master, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are destined with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?”
- Read 2 Kings 18: 2 more there →
2 Kings 194 verses
- 2 Kings 19:2And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz
- 2 Kings 19:10“Give this message to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you by saying that Jerusalem will not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.
- 2 Kings 19:12Did the gods of the nations destroyed by my fathers rescue those nations—the gods of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and of the people of Eden in Telassar?
- 2 Kings 19:18They have cast their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods, but only wood and stone—the work of human hands.
- Read 2 Kings 19 →
2 Chronicles 323 verses
- 2 Chronicles 32:1After all these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, intending to conquer them for himself.
- 2 Chronicles 32:30It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Spring of Gihon and channeled it down to the west side of the City of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all that he did.
- 2 Chronicles 32:31And so when ambassadors of the rulers of Babylon were sent to him to inquire about the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone to test him, that He might know all that was in Hezekiah’s heart.
- Read 2 Chronicles 32 →
Isaiah 363 verses
- Isaiah 36:1In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked and captured all the fortified cities of Judah.
- Isaiah 36:4The Rabshakeh said to them, “Tell Hezekiah that this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: What is the basis of this confidence of yours?
- Isaiah 36:18Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?
- Read Isaiah 36 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Isaiah 373 verses
- Isaiah 37:14So Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, read it, and went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD.
- Isaiah 37:28But I know your sitting down, your going out and coming in, and your raging against Me.
- Isaiah 37:36Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies!
- Read Isaiah 37 →
Luke 92 verses
- Luke 9:51As the day of His ascension approached, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
- Luke 9:53But the people there refused to welcome Him, because He was heading for Jerusalem.
- Read Luke 9 →
2 Chronicles 312 verses
- 2 Chronicles 31:1When all this had ended, the Israelites in attendance went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own property.
- 2 Chronicles 31:20So this is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He did what was good and upright and true before the LORD his God.
- Read 2 Chronicles 31 →
Psalms 762 verses
- Psalms 76:5The valiant lie plundered; they sleep their last sleep. No men of might could lift a hand.
- Psalms 76:12He breaks the spirits of princes; He is feared by the kings of the earth.
- Read Psalms 76 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.