2 Chronicles 32:21

21 The LORD sent an angel. The angel wiped out all of the enemy's fighting men, leaders and officers. He put an end to them right there in the camp of the Assyrian king. So Sennacherib went back to his own land in shame. He went into the temple of his god. There some of his own sons cut him down 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 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

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

2 Chronicles 32:21 In-Context

19 They were comparing the God of Jerusalem to the gods of the other nations of the world. But those gods were only statues. They had been made by the hands of men.

20 King Hezekiah cried out in prayer to God in heaven. He prayed about the problem Jerusalem was facing. So did the prophet Isaiah. He was the son of Amoz.

21 The LORD sent an angel. The angel wiped out all of the enemy's fighting men, leaders and officers. He put an end to them right there in the camp of the Assyrian king. So Sennacherib went back to his own land in shame. He went into the temple of his god. There some of his own sons cut him down with their swords.

22 So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem. He saved them from the power of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria. He also saved them from all of their other enemies. He took care of them on every side.

23 Many people brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord. They brought expensive gifts for Hezekiah, the king of Judah. From then on, all of the nations thought highly of him.