2 Kings 19:2-12

2 And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, 1covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz.
3 They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth.
4 2It may be that the LORD your God heard all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent 3to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for 4the remnant that is left."
5 When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah,
6 Isaiah said to them, "Say to your master, 'Thus says the LORD: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which 5the servants of the king of Assyria have 6reviled me.
7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that 7he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him 8fall by the sword in his own land.'"

Sennacherib Defies the Lord

8 The Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria fighting against 9Libnah, for he heard that the king had left 10Lachish.
9 11Now the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Cush, "Behold, he has set out to fight against you." So he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying,
10 "Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah king of Judah: 'Do not let your God 12in whom you trust deceive you by promising that 13Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
11 Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered?
12 14Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, 15Gozan, 16Haran, Rezeph, and the people of 17Eden who were in Telassar?

2 Kings 19:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 19

This chapter relates that King Hezekiah, on a report made to him of Rabshakeh's speech, sent a message to the prophet Isaiah to pray for him, who returned him a comfortable and encouraging answer, 2Ki 19:1-7 and that upon Rabshakeh's return to the king of Assyria, he sent to Hezekiah a terrifying letter, 2Ki 19:8-13, which Hezekiah spread before the Lord, and prayed unto him to save him and his people out of the hands of the king of Assyria, 2Ki 19:14-19, to which he had a gracious answer sent him by the prophet Isaiah, promising him deliverance from the Assyrian army, 2Ki 19:20-34, which accordingly was destroyed by an angel in one night, and Sennacherib fleeing to Nineveh, was slain by his two sons, 2Ki 19:35-37.

Cross References 17

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.