2 Chronicles 32:4-14

4 he gathered together a full great multitude of men, and they stopped (up) all the wells, and the river, that flowed in the midst of the land; and said, Lest the kings of Assyrians come, and find (an) abundance of waters (here).
5 Also Hezekiah did wittingly, and he builded all the wall that was destroyed, and he builded towers on the wall, and another wall withoutforth. And he repaired Millo in the city of David; and made armour of all kind, and shields. (And Hezekiah did knowingly, or with intent, and he rebuilt all the wall that was destroyed, and he built towers on the wall, and another wall outside it. And he repaired the Millo in the City of David; and he made all kinds of arms, or weapons, and shields.)
6 And he ordained princes of warriors in the host; and he called together all (the) men in(to) the street of the gate of the city, and spake to the heart(s) of them, and said,
7 Do ye manly, and be ye comforted (Be ye brave, and be ye strong); do not ye dread, neither be ye afeared of the king of Assyrians, nor of all the multitude that is with him; for many more be with us than with him.
8 A fleshly arm is with him; and the Lord our God is with us, which is our helper, and shall fight for us. And the people was comforted with such words of Hezekiah, king of Judah. (An arm of flesh is with him; but the Lord our God is with us, he is our helper, and shall fight for us. And the people were encouraged by such words from Hezekiah, the king of Judah.)
9 And after that these things were done, Sennacherib, [the king of Assyria,] sent his servants to Jerusalem; for he himself (but he himself), with all the host, besieged Lachish. He sent (them) to Hezekiah, king of Judah, and to all the people that was in the city of Jerusalem, and (they) said,
10 Sennacherib, king of Assyrians, saith these things, In whom have ye trust, and sit besieged in Jerusalem? (Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, saith these things, In whom do ye trust, when ye now sit besieged in Jerusalem?)
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?)

2 Chronicles 32:4-14 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.