2 Chronicles 32:4

4 Many people assembled and stopped up all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land. “Why should the kings ^[a] of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they said.

2 Chronicles 32:4 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 32:4

So there was gathered much people together
At the instance of Hezekiah, his nobles and officers:

who stopped all the fountains;
perhaps by laying planks over them, and earth upon them, so that it could not be discerned there were any fountains there:

and the brook that ran through the midst of the land;
which, according to Kimchi, was Gihon, ( 2 Chronicles 32:30 ) , which was near Jerusalem; the stream of this very probably they turned into channels under ground, whereby it was brought into the city into reservoirs there provided, that that might have a supply during the siege, while the enemy was distressed for want of it:

saying, why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?
by which means they would be able to carry on the siege to a great length, when otherwise they would be obliged to raise it quickly: mention is made of kings of Assyria, though there was but one, with whom there might be petty kings, or tributary ones; and, besides, as he boasted, his princes were altogether kings, ( Isaiah 10:8 ) .

2 Chronicles 32:4 In-Context

2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come to make war against Jerusalem,

3 he consulted with his leaders and mighty men 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,

Footnotes

• [a] Hebrew; LXX and Syriac king