2 Chronicles 32:11-21

11 Whether not Hezekiah deceiveth you, that ye betake you to death in hunger and thirst, and he affirmeth, that the Lord your God shall deliver you from the hand of the king of Assyrians? (Did not Hezekiah deceive you, so that now ye deliver yourselves unto death by hunger and thirst, while he yet affirmeth, that the Lord your God shall rescue you from the hands of the king of Assyria?)
12 Whether this is not Hezekiah, that destroyed (the) high places, and altars of him, and commanded to Judah and Jerusalem, and said, Ye shall worship before one altar, and therein ye shall burn incense? (Is this not the same Hezekiah, who destroyed the Lord's hill shrines, and his altars, and commanded to Judah and Jerusalem, and said, Ye shall worship before one altar, and ye shall burn incense on it?)
13 Whether ye know not what things I have done, and my fathers, to all the peoples of (other) lands? Whether the gods of (those) folks and of all (those) lands might deliver their country from mine hand? (Do ye not know what I and my forefathers have done, to all the peoples of other lands? Did the gods of those nations deliver their lands out of my hands?)
14 Who is, of all the gods of (those) folks, which my fathers destroyed, that might deliver his people from mine hand, that also your God may deliver you from mine hand? (Who was there, of all the gods of the nations whom my forefathers destroyed, that could rescue his people out of my hands? no one! yet ye think that your God shall rescue you out of my hands?)
15 Therefore Hezekiah deceive not you, neither scorn he you by vain counselling, neither believe ye to him; for if no god of all (those) folks and countries might deliver his people from mine hand, and from the hand of my fathers, followingly neither your God shall be able to deliver you from this mine hand. (And so do not let Hezekiah deceive you, nor scorn he you with vain counselling, nor believe ye him; for if no god of any of those other nations or lands could rescue his people out of my hands, or out of the hands of my forefathers, then it followeth, that your God shall not be able to rescue you out of my hands either.)
16 But also his servants spake many other things against the Lord God, and against Hezekiah, his servant.
17 Also he wrote epistles full of blasphemy against the Lord God of Israel, and he spake against God, and said, As the gods of other folks might not deliver their people from mine hand, so and the God of Hezekiah may not deliver his people from mine hand.
18 Furthermore, and with [a] great cry in the language of Jews, he sounded against the people, that sat on the walls of Jerusalem, to make them afeared, and to take the city. (And furthermore, with a great cry in the language of the Jews, they shouted at the people who sat on the walls of Jerusalem, to make them afraid, so it would be easier to take the city.)
19 And he spake against [the] God of Israel, as against the gods of the peoples of [the] earth, the works of men's hands. (And they spoke against the God of Jerusalem, like they spoke against the gods of the other peoples of the earth, which were the work of men's hands.)
20 Therefore Hezekiah, the king, and Isaiah, the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed against this blasphemy, and cried [out] till into heaven (and cried out to heaven).
21 And the Lord sent his angel, the which killed each strong man and warrior, and the prince of the host of the king of Assyrians; and he/Sennacherib turned again with shame to his land. And when he had entered into the house of his god, the sons, which went out of his womb, killed him there with sword. (And the Lord sent his angel, who killed each strong man and warrior, and the leader of the army of the king of Assyria; and he/Sennacherib returned with shame to his own land. And when he had gone into the house of his god, the sons, who went out of his womb, killed him there with the sword.)

2 Chronicles 32:11-21 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.