2 Chronicles 32

American Standard Version (1901) (ASV) · English

1 After these things, and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to win them for himself. 2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem, 3 he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city; and they helped him. 4 So there was gathered much people together, and they stopped all the fountains, and the brook that flowed through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water? 5 And he took courage, and built up all the wall that was broken down, and raised it up to the towers, and the other wall without, and strengthened Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance. 6 And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the broad place at the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them, saying, 7 Be strong and of good courage, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him; for there is a greater with us than with him: 8 with him is an arm of flesh; but with us is Jehovah our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. 9 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, 10 Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide the siege in Jerusalem? 11 Doth not Hezekiah persuade you, to give you over to die by famine and by thirst, saying, Jehovah our God will deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 12 Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and upon it shall ye burn incense? 13 Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of the lands in any wise able to deliver their land out of my hand? 14 Who was there among all the gods of those nations which my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand? 15 Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you after this manner, neither believe ye him; for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of my hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of my hand? 16 And his servants spake yet more against Jehovah God, and against his servant Hezekiah. 17 He wrote also letters, to rail on Jehovah, the God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of the lands, which have not delivered their people out of my hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of my hand. 18 And they cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city. 19 And they spake of the God of Jerusalem, as of the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of men’s hands. 20 And Hezekiah the king, and Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz, prayed because of this, and cried to heaven. 21 And Jehovah sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains, in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth from his own bowels slew him there with the sword. 22 Thus Jehovah saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side. 23 And many brought gifts unto Jehovah to Jerusalem, and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah; so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from thenceforth. 24 In those days Hezekiah was sick even unto death: and he prayed unto Jehovah; and he spake unto him, and gave him a sign. 25 But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem. 26 Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of Jehovah came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah. 27 And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honor: and he provided him treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of goodly vessels; 28 store-houses also for the increase of grain and new wine and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and flocks in folds. 29 Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him very much substance. 30 This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper spring of the waters of Gihon, and brought them straight down on the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. 31 Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart. 32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his good deeds, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz, in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 33 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the ascent of the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honor at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.

Commentary — not Bible text

2 Chronicles 32:1

Introduction

Sennacherib invades Judea, 2Chr 32:1. Hezekiah takes proper measures for the defense of his kingdom, 2Chr 32:2-6. His exhortation, 2Chr 32:7, 2Chr 32:8. Sennacherib sends a blasphemous message to Hezekiah, and to the people, 2Chr 32:9-15. His servants rail against God; and he and they blaspheme most grievously, 2Chr 32:16-19. Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah cry to God; he answers, and the Assyrians are destroyed, and Sennacherib is slain by his own sons, 2Chr 32:20, 2Chr 32:21. The Lord is magnified, 2Chr 32:22, 2Chr 32:23. Hezekiah's sickness and recovery, 2Chr 32:24. His ingratitude, 2Chr 32:25. His humiliation, 2Chr 32:26. His riches, 2Chr 32:27-30. His error relative to the Babylonish ambassadors, 2Chr 32:31. His acts and death, 2Chr 32:32, 2Chr 32:33.

Verse 1

After these things - God did not permit this pious prince to be disturbed till he had completed the reformation which he had begun.

2 Chronicles 32:2-3

Verse 2

When Hezekiah saw - This was in the fourteenth year of the reign of Hezekiah; and at first the Jewish king bought him off at the great price of three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold; and even emptied his own treasures, and spoiled the house of the Lord, to gratify the oppressive avarice of the Assyrian king. See the whole account, 2Kgs 18:13, etc.

2 Chronicles 32:4

Verse 4

Stopped all the fountains - This was prudently done, for without water how could an immense army subsist in an arid country? No doubt the Assyrian army suffered much through this, as a Christian army did eighteen hundred years after this. When the crusaders came, in a.d. 1099, to besiege Jerusalem, the people of the city stopped up the wells, so that the Christian army was reduced to the greatest necessities and distress.

2 Chronicles 32:5

Verse 5

Raised it up to the towers - He built the wall up to the height of the towers, or, having built the wall, he raised towers on it.

2 Chronicles 32:6

Verse 6

Set captains of war over the people - in the street of the gate of the city - That is, the open places at the gate of the city, whither the people came for judgment, etc.

2 Chronicles 32:7-8

Verse 7

There be more with us than with him - We have more power than they have. (These words he quotes from the prophet Elisha, 2Kgs 6:16). This was soon proved to be true by the slaughter made by the angel of the Lord in the Assyrian camp.

2 Chronicles 32:9

Verse 9

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.

2 Chronicles 32:10-16

Verse 10

Thus saith Sennacherib - See all these circumstances largely explained 2 Kings 18:17-36 (note).

2 Chronicles 32:21-22

Verse 21

The Lord sent an angel - See 2Kgs 19:36 (note), and the note there.

House of his god - Nisroch.

They that came forth of his own bowels - His sons Adrammelech and Sharezer.

2 Chronicles 32:23

Verse 23

Many brought gifts unto the Lord - They plainly saw that Jehovah was the protector of the land.

And presents to Hezekiah - They saw that God was his friend, and would undertake for him; and they did not wish to have such a man for their enemy.

2 Chronicles 32:24

Verse 24

Hezekiah was sick - See 2Kgs 20:1 (note), etc., and the notes there.

2 Chronicles 32:25

Verse 25

Hezekiah rendered not again - He got into a vain confidence, took pleasure in his riches, and vainly showed them to the messengers of the king of Babylon. See on 2Kgs 20:12 (note), etc.

2 Chronicles 32:26

Verse 26

Humbled himself - Awoke from his sleep, was sorry for his sin, deprecated the wrath of God, and the Divine displeasure was turned away from him.

2 Chronicles 32:27-29

Verse 27

Pleasant jewels - כלי חמדה keley chemdah, desirable vessels or utensils.

2 Chronicles 32:30

Verse 30

The upper watercourse - He made canals to bring the waters of Gihon from the west side of Jerusalem to the west side of the city of David.

2 Chronicles 32:31

Verse 31

Of the ambassadors - See 2Kgs 20:13 (note), and the observations at the end of that chapter.

2 Chronicles 32:32

Verse 32

The vision of Isaiah - See this prophet, 2 Chronicles 36-39.

2 Chronicles 32:33

Verse 33

Chiefest of the sepulchres - This respect they paid to him who, since David, had been the best of all their kings.

I shall subjoin a few things from the Targum on this chapter. 2Chr 32:1. "After these things which Hezekiah did, and their establishment, the Lord appointed by his Word to bring Sennacherib, king of Assyria, and his army, into the land of Israel, that he might destroy the Assyrians in the land of the house of Judah, and smite their troops on the mountains of Jerusalem, and deliver all their spoils into the hands of Hezekiah and his people: wherefore Sennacherib came with immense armies, which could not be numbered; and having pitched his camps in the land of the tribe of Judah, besieged their fortified cities with his armies, hoping to overthrow them." 2Chr 32:8. Hezekiah said-"His help is the strength of the flesh; but our auxiliary is the Word of the Lord." 2Chr 32:16. "His (Sennacherib's) servants spoke blasphemy against the Word of the Lord God." 2Chr 32:18. In the Jews' speech - "In the language of the holy house." 2Chr 32:21. "And the Word of the Lord sent Michael, and the angel Gabriel, and destroyed them on the night of the passover with a destructive fire; and burnt up their breath within their bodies, and consumed every soldier, captain, and prince, in the army of the king of Assyria; and he returned with shame of face into his own land."

The destruction of God's enemies, and the support and salvation of the faithful, is in every instance in this Targum attributed to the Word of the Lord, personally understood. See the note on 2Chr 34:27. 2Chr 32:24. "In those days was Hezekiah sick near to death; but he prayed before the Lord who spoke to him by his Word to preserve him and to add to his life fifteen years." 2Chr 32:31. "The king of Babylon sent, that they might inquire concerning the miracle that had been done in the land; that they might see the two tables of stone which were in the ark of the covenant of the Lord which Moses had placed there with the two tables which he had broken on account of the sin of the calf which they made in Horeb. The Word of the Lord permitted him to show them these; neither did he suffer for it; that he might try him, and see what was in his heart."

Thus God speaks after the manner of men: he either brings, or permits them to be brought, into such circumstances as shall cause them to show their prevailing propensities; and then warns them against the evils to which they are inclined, after having shown them that they are capable of those evils. To know ourselves, and our own character, is of the utmost importance to our religious growth and perfection. He who does not know where his weakness lies, is not likely to know where his strength lies. Many, by not being fully acquainted with their own character, have been unwatchful and unguarded, and so become an easy prey to their enemies. Know thyself is a lesson which no man can learn but from the Spirit of God.

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