2 Chronicles 32:21

21 The Lord sent an angel that killed the soldiers and officers of the Assyrian army. So the emperor went back to Assyria disgraced. One day when he was in the temple of his god, some of his sons killed him with their swords.

2 Chronicles 32:21 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 32:21

And the Lord sent an angel
The Targum is,

``the Word of the Lord sent Gabriel;''

Josephus F1 takes this angel, or messenger sent of God, to be the pestilence; and others suppose it to be a hot pestilential wind, common in the eastern countries, called "Samiel", or the poison wind, by which multitudes are sometimes destroyed at once; of which Thevenot and other travellers make mention, (See Gill on Job 27:21), (See Gill on Psalms 91:6), but be it as it may, it was sent of God, was under his direction, and by his power and providence did the execution according to his prediction:

which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and
captains in the camp of the king of Assyria;
the generals and officers of his army, with the common soldiers, to the number of 185,000, ( Isaiah 36:1 ) , among these, no doubt, were the three generals sent with railing letters to Hezekiah, particularly Rabshakeh, (See Gill on Isaiah 37:36)

so he returned with shame of face to his own land;
Assyria, particularly to Nineveh, the metropolis of it, ( Isaiah 37:37 )

and when he was come into the house of his god;
the temple of his idol, whose name was Nisroch:

they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword;
his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer, ( Isaiah 37:38 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F1 Antiqu. l. 10. c. 1. sect. 5.

2 Chronicles 32:21 In-Context

19 They talked about the God of Jerusalem in the same way that they talked about the gods of the other peoples, idols made by human hands.
20 Then King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed to God and cried out to him for help.
21 The Lord sent an angel that killed the soldiers and officers of the Assyrian army. So the emperor went back to Assyria disgraced. One day when he was in the temple of his god, some of his sons killed him with their swords.
22 In this way the Lord rescued King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the power of Sennacherib, the emperor of Assyria, and also from their other enemies. He let the people live in peace with all the neighboring countries.
23 Many people came to Jerusalem, bringing offerings to the Lord and gifts to Hezekiah, so that from then on all the nations held Hezekiah in honor.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.