2 Chronicles 32:1-11

Sennacherib Invades Judah

1 After these acts of faithfulness ¹Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and besieged * the fortified cities, and thought to break into them for himself.

2 Now when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to make war on Jerusalem,

3 he decided with his officers and his warriors to cut off the supply of water from the springs which were outside * the city, and they helped him.

4 So many people assembled ²and stopped up all the springs and ³the stream which flowed through the region, saying, "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?"

5 And he took courage and ⁴rebuilt all the wall that had been broken down and erected towers on it, and built ⁵another outside wall and strengthened the ⁶Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in great number.

6 He appointed military officers over the people and gathered them to him in the square at the city gate, and ⁷spoke encouragingly * to them, saying,

7 "⁸Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because * of the king of Assyria nor because * of all the horde that is with him; ⁹for the one with us is greater than the one with him.

8 "With him is only ¹⁰an arm of flesh, but ¹¹with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Sennacherib Undermines Hezekiah

9 After this ¹²Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem while he was besieging Lachish with all his forces with him, against Hezekiah king of Judah and against all Judah who were at Jerusalem, saying,

10 "Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, 'On what are you trusting that you are remaining in Jerusalem under siege?

11 'Is not Hezekiah misleading you to give yourselves over to die by hunger and by thirst, saying, "The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria "?

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2 Chronicles 32:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 32

This chapter relates Sennacherib's invasion of the land of Judah, the preparations Hezekiah made to resist him, and the encouragement he gave his people to trust in the Lord, 2Ch 32:1-8 the messages and letters Sennacherib sent to Hezekiah and his subjects, full of arrogance and blasphemy, to solicit them to deliver up Jerusalem to him, 2Ch 32:9-19 the destruction of his army by an angel, and the deliverance of the Jews at the prayers of Hezekiah and Isaiah, 2Ch 32:20-23 the sin Hezekiah fell into after this, and his recovery from a fit of illness; but, upon his humiliation for it, wrath was averted, 2Ch 32:24-26 and the chapter is concluded with an account of his honours, riches, and exploits, and of his death and burial, 2Ch 32:27-33.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 12

1. 2 Kin 18:13-19, 37; Is 36:1-37:38
2. 2 Kings 20:20
3. 2 Chronicles 32:30
4. 2 Chronicles 25:23
5. 2 Kings 25:4
6. 1 Kings 9:24
7. 2 Chronicles 30:22
8. 1 Chronicles 22:13
9. 2 Kings 6:16
10. Jeremiah 17:5
11. 2 Chronicles 20:17
12. 2 Kings 18:17

Footnotes 8

[a]. Lit "things and this faithfulness"
[b]. Lit "said"
[c]. Lit "his face for war against"
[d]. Lit "in the midst of the land"
[e]. Lit "raised on the towers"
[f]. Lit "upon their hearts"
[g]. Lit "against"
[h]. Lit "palm"