2 Chronicles 32:9
in 2 Chronicles 32Later, 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:
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem (now he was before Lachish, and all his power with him), unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying,
KJV
After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, (but he himself laid siege against Lachish, and all his power with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying,
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 32
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAfter this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem,.... Who are mentioned by name, 2Ki 18:17 this was after Hezekiah had given him a large quantity of silver and gold to depart, and he did depart from him, 2Ki 18:14 but he himself laid siege against Lachish, and all his power with him; one of the cities of Judah, see Isa 36:2, from hence he dispatched them unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem; who had retired thither for safety, upon the invasion of their country by the king of Assyria.
This site's exposition
besieged Lachish
on 2 Chronicles 32:9-15
What Chronicles keeps is the charge Hezekiah’s reform provoked: “Did not Hezekiah himself remove His high places and His altars”. The enemy turns the work into evidence that Judah’s God had been offended. John Gill refers to his notes on the parallel in Isaiah 36 for the speech’s fuller detail.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), but hears that Hezekiah is fortifying Jerusalem and encouraging his people to stand it out; and therefore, before he come in person to besiege it, he sends messengers to make speeches, and he himself writes letters to frighten Hezekiah and his people into a surrender of the city.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
After, &c. - An emphatical preface, signifying, that notwithstanding all his zeal for God, God saw fit to exercise him with a sore trial. And God ordered it at this time, that he might have an opportunity of shewing himself strong, on the behalf of his returning people. It is possible, we may be in the way of our duty, and yet meet with trouble and danger.
The real answer God gave to Sennacherib's blasphemies, and to Hezekiah's prayers, in the total rout of the Assyrian army, to the shame of Sennacherib and the honour of Hezekiah,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The author of Chronicles compresses into 13 verses the history which occupies in Kings a chapter and a half (2Ki 18:17-19; where see the notes). 2Ch 32:10 In the siege - Perhaps “in straitness” (compare Jer 19:9). Jerusalem is thought by some to have been not so much besieged at this time, as distressed and straitened for supplies, because the Assyrians were masters of the open country. 2Ch 32:13 fathers - i. e. “predecessors.” Sennacherib really belonged to a dynasty that had only furnished one king before himself.
After this did Sennacherib - Having received the silver and gold mentioned above, he withdrew his army, but shortly after he sent Rab-shakeh with a blasphemous message. This is the fact mentioned here.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
In what do you trust It is written (I Kings:5): “He trusted in the Lord God of Israel,” and it is also written there: (verse 7) “and he rebelled against the king of Assyria.” Therefore, he asked, “In what do you trust” that you have rebelled against me?
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַ֣חַר | ʾachar | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| זֶ֗ה | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| שָׁ֠לַח | shalach | he sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| סַנְחֵרִ֨יב | sancheriv | Sennacherib | H5576 → | 13 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אַשּׁ֤וּר | ʾashur | Assyria | H804 → | 151 times |
| עֲבָדָיו֙ | ʾavadav | servants his | H5650 → | 799 times |
| יְר֣וּשָׁלַ֔יְמָה | yerushalaymah | Jerusalem towards | H3389 → | 643 times |
| וְהוּא֙ | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [was] at | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לָכִ֔ישׁ | lakhish | Lachish | H3923 → | 24 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מֶמְשַׁלְתּ֖וֹ | memshalto | imperial might his | H4475 → | |
| עִמּ֑וֹ | imo | [was] with him | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | to | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יְחִזְקִיָּ֙הוּ֙ | yechizkiyahu | Hezekiah | H2396 → | 127 times |
| מֶ֣לֶךְ | melekh | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| יְהוּדָ֔ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and to | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יְהוּדָ֛ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם | birushalim | [was] in Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| לֵאמֹֽר׃ | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
אַ֣חַרafter
ʾacharH310 →715 times
זֶ֗הthis
zehH2088 →1180 times
שָׁ֠לַחhe sent
shalachH7971 →845 times
סַנְחֵרִ֨יבSennacherib
sancherivH5576 →13 times
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
אַשּׁ֤וּרAssyria
ʾashurH804 →151 times
עֲבָדָיו֙servants his
ʾavadavH5650 →799 times
יְר֣וּשָׁלַ֔יְמָהJerusalem towards
yerushalaymahH3389 →643 times
וְהוּא֙and he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
עַל־[was] at
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
לָכִ֔ישׁLachish
lakhishH3923 →24 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
מֶמְשַׁלְתּ֖וֹimperial might his
memshaltoH4475 →
עִמּ֑וֹ[was] with him
imoH5973 →1050 times
עַל־to
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
יְחִזְקִיָּ֙הוּ֙Hezekiah
yechizkiyahuH2396 →127 times
מֶ֣לֶךְ[the] king of
melekhH4428 →2525 times
יְהוּדָ֔הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
וְעַל־and to
veal-H5921 →5755 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
יְהוּדָ֛הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם[was] in Jerusalem
birushalimH3389 →643 times
לֵאמֹֽר׃<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Micah 1:13Harness your chariot horses, O dweller of Lachish. You were the beginning of sin to the Daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
it leads to
- Joshua 10:3
Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Kings 18:17
Nevertheless, 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…
- Joshua 10:3
Through
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…
it leads to
- Isaiah 20:1
Before the year that the chief commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it,
- 2 Kings 20:20
As for the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, along with all his might and how he constructed the pool and the tunnel to bring water into the city, are they not written in…
- Isaiah 7:3
Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashub to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct that feeds the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field,
- Isaiah 36:2
And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh, with a great army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And he stopped by the aqueduct of the upper pool, on the road to the…
- Isaiah 20:1
Through
Joshua 10:31And Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish. They laid siege to it and fought against it.
it leads to
- Joshua 12:11
the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 12:11
Through
Joshua 12:11the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;
it leads to
- Joshua 10:31–32
And Joshua and all Israel with him moved on from Libnah to Lachish. They laid siege to it and fought against it.
- Joshua 10:31–32
Where this verse is studied
About 2 Chronicles
Who and where
6 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PersonDivided kingdomHezekiahThe reforming king of Judah who trusted Jehovah against Sennacherib, spread the Assyrian letter before the LORD, was granted fifte…
- PersonDivided kingdomSennacheribKing of Assyria whose siege of Jerusalem in 701 BC ended with the angel of Jehovah in the camp — and whose own annals boast of shu…
- PlaceUpper MesopotamiaAssyriaMesopotamian empire whose capital Nineveh repented at Jonah's preaching and fell to Nahum's burden in 612 BC; the rod of God's ang…
- PlaceShephelahLachishJudah's second city, besieged by Sennacherib in 701 BC, its siege carved on the walls of his palace at Nineveh and confirmed in th…
- PlaceJerusalemJerusalemThe city David took from the Jebusites and made his capital, where Solomon built the temple, where Christ was crucified and rose,…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.