2 Chronicles 32:3-13

3 so he consulted with his officials and his warriors about stopping up the waters of the springs that were outside the city, and they helped him.

4 Many people gathered and stopped up all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land; they said, "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?"

5 Then Hezekiah strengthened his position by rebuilding the entire broken-down wall and heightening the towers and the other outside wall. He repaired the supporting terraces^[a] of the city of David, and made an abundance of weapons and shields.

6 He set military commanders over the people and gathered the people in the square of the city gate. Then he encouraged them,^[b] saying,

7 "Be strong and courageous!^[c] Don't be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria or before all the multitude with him, for there are more with us than with him.^[d]

8 He has only human strength,^[e][f]but we have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles." So the people relied on the words of King Hezekiah of Judah.

Sennacherib's Servant's Speech

9 After this, while Sennacherib king of Assyria with all his armed forces besieged^[g] Lachish, he sent his servants to Jerusalem against King Hezekiah of Judah and against all those of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying,

10 "This is what King Sennacherib of Assyria says: 'What are you trusting in, you who remain under the siege of Jerusalem?

11 Isn't Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by famine and thirst when he says, "The Lord our God will deliver us from the power of the king of Assyria"?

12 Didn't Hezekiah himself remove His high places and His altars and say to Judah and Jerusalem: "You must worship before one altar, and you must burn incense on it"?^[h]

13 " 'Don't you know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Have any of the national gods of the lands been able to deliver their land from my power?

2 Chronicles 32:3-13 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.

Footnotes

• [a] 2 Sm 5:9; 1 Kg 9:15
• [b] Lit he spoke to their hearts
• [c] Dt 31:6; Jos 1:6-9; 10:25; Ps 31:24
• [d] 2 Kg 6:16; 1 Jn 4:4
• [e] Lit With him an arm of flesh
• [f] Isa 31:3; Jr 17:5
• [g] Lit with his dominion was against
• [h] 2 Kg 18:17-22; Isa 36:2-7