2 Kings Chapters 18-19 Commentary

Second Kings Chapters 18-19 Chapter 18 18:1-3 In 729 B.C., Hezekiah began reigning in Judah. The commendation that Hezekiah did right as David had done is made of only three other kings of Judah, Asa (1 Kings 15:11); Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 17:3), and Josiah (2 Kings 22:2).

Hezekiah will reign for twenty-nine years, until 686 B.C. When we look at the numbers and dates given, it appears that Hezekiah reigned as coregent with his father Ahaz for 14 years (729-715 B.C.) He then reigned alone for 18 years (715697), and then 11 years with his son Manasseh (697-686 B.C.). Together these two reigns, with Hezekiah as the top man, lasted 29 years. “Such Hezekiah-times are not final solutions, but they are gracious provisions and should be received as such” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 236).

Hezekiah was a unique individual. He was raised by an extremely wicked father (King Ahaz, 2 Kings 16), and was followed on the throne by an extremely wicked son—who later repented (Manasseh, 2 Kings 21). We may have to stand alone in our family. Are we prepared to remain faithful to God even when close family members, even parents or children forsake Him? The example of Hezekiah also informs us that people can overcome bad parenting and a sinful unbringing.

18:4 His faithfulness to God is revealed in several actions. First, he abolished the unauthorized places of worship and various pagan shrines—finally! The kings before Hezekiah had did right up to a point, but they never got dead serious about it. Second, he smashed or pulverized the bronze serpent that Moses had made in connection with the lifting of God’s judgment in the wilderness (see Numbers 21:4-9). All these years the Israelites had hung on to this bronze serpent and had even begun to worship it. The name “Nehushtan”, means “bronze thing”. This is one reason why we don’t want Noah’s ark discovered, or such biblical objects as the Ark of the Covenant, for people would turn such things into idols.

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18:5 This statement obviously is qualified a bit, for before him, David had been just as faithful as Hezekiah, and sometime later, Josiah would be another faithful king. But for the most part, Hezekiah was a bright spot in a long line of failures.

18:6 Trusting in God (18:5), is manifested in keeping the commandments of God. Jesus said, “If you love Me you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15), this verse says, “If you believe Me you will keep My commandments”. In addition to the above reforms, the book of Second Chronicles points out that Hezekiah cleansed and reconsecrated the temple (2 Chron. 29:3-36). In so doing he was undoing the evil deeds of his father Ahaz who had closed down the temple and stripped it of various valuables. He also celebrated the Passover and other feast days (2 Chron. 30). In essence, Hezekiah turned the people back to the Bible and restored the true faith. He opened the doors of the temple. He led the Levites to sanctify themselves and began their service again in the temple. He restored the scriptural worship of God in the temple. He reinstituted the Passover feast as it had been commanded by Moses. He invited the remnant of the Northern tribes to worship with the people of Judah in Jerusalem. He returned the nation to the Lord, so that He heard their prayers. Note, this is what one dedicated man was able to do!

18:7 In contrast with his father, Hezekiah was anti-Assyrian. “Because of its problems with Babylon and Urartu, Assyria had not campaigned in Judah’s territory for some time when Hezekiah came to power (as sole ruler) in 715 B.C. It is therefore possible that Judah’s king thought the moment had come for his country to test the limits of Assyrian power” (House p. 353). In addition, Hezekiah probably knew that subjection to the heathen Assyrians was wrong, and that they needed to stand with God, even if that meant making the Assyrians mad. 18:8 During this same period of time, Hezekiah invaded Philistia and regained Israelite territory that had been lost. Gaza was the southernmost city in Philistine territory. The expression, “from watchtower to fortified city” means, “wherever he turned”.

“The author’s high regard for Hezekiah shows that he was measuring history from a religious and theological perspective rather than from a political and secular one. Viewed through the eyes of a technical, classical historian, Hezekiah’s reign had serious political and international problems. He paid quite a price for his rebellion against Assyria” (Dilday p. 431). And yet, serving God is worth any price. Note the contrast here. Israel (the northern tribes) were fearful, unfaithful, disobedient, and they were taken into captivity. Hezekiah is faithful and stands up to the Assyrians, and will survive!

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18:9-12 This text repeats information already covered in 2 Kings 17:1-6, “with the intention of demonstrating Hezekiah’s awareness of the dangers inherent in opposing Assyria. The passage also reminds readers that the fundamental reason Samaria fell was its spiritual rebellion, not merely its refusal to obey Assyria any longer” (House p. 360). In 725, Hezekiah saw the Assyrians begin their siege of Samaria, and in 722 he saw it fall. He knew that the Assyrians were powerful, and he knew the consequences of rebelling against them—but he had greater faith and confidence in God! Are we willing to rebel against the sinful culture around us and face ridicule? Are we willing to pay the price of being faithful? 18:13 Sennacherib (suh NAK uh rib), ruled from 701-681 B.C., and he was the son and successor of Sargon II. From 705-701, the Assyrians had been busy thwarting Babylon’s revolt, so only now do they have time to deal with Judah.

Here is one more place in the Bible where we have secular testimony that confirms the biblical account. Sennacherib, like many other kings, left a record of his own accomplishments, details of his eight military expeditions, including this one against Judah. There he claims to have captured forty-six major cities and an unspecified number of villages in Judah and hemmed up Hezekiah in Jerusalem, “like a bird within its cage”.

18:14-16 This attack apparently caught Hezekiah by surprise, and being desperate to buy time, he offered to pay tribute to Assyria. The amount of silver and gold paid (depending on current prices), one writer lists as $4,646,200. To pay this sum, Hezekiah must empty Judah’s treasuries and strip the temple of its gold ornaments. Now, according to 2 Chronicles 32:1-5,30, Hezekiah also repairs Jerusalem’s walls and provides water for a siege. “Taken together, the biblical accounts leave the impression that Hezekiah is by no means certain about what Sennacherib will decide to do” (House p. 361). In addition, they reveal that Hezekiah is doing everything he can to save Jerusalem. Yet to pay off the Assyrians is always a bad investment—for they return. Observe that Hezekiah is really trying hard to do the right thing and yet the Assyrians have captured just about everything except Jerusalem. We need to learn an important lesson here, our faithfulness does not always protect us from earthly problems. Hezekiah is not being punished, rather, it is simply amazing that Judah still exists!

The text notes that the Assyrian king was in Lachish at this time. “Lachish” (LAY kish), was a fortified city in Judah about 30 miles SW of Jerusalem. The capture of this Judean city was so important to Sennacherib that he memorialized it in a magnificent relief on the wall of his palace at Nineveh. Today this wall relief can 3

be seen in the British Museum. It portrays the Assyrian king on a portable throne in his military camp outside Lachish. Prisoners of war are marching by on foot, and all the booty from the city is being displayed on ox-wagons. The inscription reads, “Sennacherib, king of all, king of Assyria, sitting on his ‘nimedu-throne’ while the spoil of the city of Lachish passes before him”.

18:17 Hezekiah’s generosity served only to whet Sennacherib’s appetite.

“Doubtless he reasoned that these could only be a token payment; surely immense stores of wealth must lie hidden within the fortified walls of Jerusalem.

Accordingly, as he continued operations in the Lachish area and laid plans for the capture of Ekron, Sennacherib sent a strong contingent under the direction of senior members of his staff to place Jerusalem under siege” (Gaebelein p. 257). The Assyrian staff included “Tartan” (TAR tan), “Rab-saris” (RAB suh ris), and “Rabshaken” (RAB shuh kuh).

18:18 Since Sennacherib had not come himself but sent an envoy, Hezekiah decided to respond in a similar fashion. Although the Assyrian delegation demanded that Hezekiah talk to them, he sent his court officials Eliakim, Shebna (SHEB nuh), and Joah (JOE uh).

Rabshakeh’s Arrogant Speech 18:19-25 “The message to Hezekiah was couched in terms of brilliant psychological warfare” (Gaebelein p. 258). The Assyrian’s proudly disdained the nation power of Egypt, calling that nation a broken reed. Since this is the same terminology Isaiah used to symbolize Egypt (Isaiah 42:3) some have suggested that Sennacherib was familiar with Isaiah’s prophecies. According to their pagan theology, Judah could no longer call on God because under Hezekiah they had destroyed the high places, which they assumed were the primary sites of God’s worship (22). They also expressed arrogant contempt for Judah’s army, making a wager with Hezekiah that even if he were given two thousand horses he couldn’t find enough soldiers to ride them (23).

18:25 This is an interesting verse. Was Sennacherib aware of Isaiah’s statement that Assyria was the rod which God would use to punish Judah? (Isaiah 10:5). If this is true, then Sennacherib hasn’t read enough of Isaiah, for God clearly says that He will punish Assyria after He is done using her for His purposes (Isaiah 10:7ff). House notes that the Assyrians routinely told their enemies that their gods were angry with them, that the gods had abandoned them, and that these

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gods counseled them to surrender to the Assyrians. Apparently, the Assyrians know that Hezekiah is the man that all the people in Jerusalem are looking to, and they trust Him because of His great confidence in God. So the Assyrians try to undermine that confidence by saying, “The God that Hezekiah claims to serve, has actually told us to attack you”. Today we are still faced with people who claim that God has told them something, or is speaking through them.

18:26 Hezekiah’s ambassadors requested that the conversation be continued in the Aramaic language, the international language of commerce and diplomatic relations in western Asia. In so doing they were trying to avoid a panic on the part of the population in Jerusalem who were listening on the city wall. Only the educated leaders in Israel would understand Aramaic. 18:27-32 But the Assyrian’s refused. They wanted to do everything they could to incite the people to rebel against Hezekiah. They painted a horrible picture of what a siege would involve (eating their excrement). But they painted a rosy picture of surrender, in which they would be transplanted safely to a prosperous and comfortable location in Assyria. Of course this wasn’t entirely true. Deportation included long, forced marches, relocation, and a slave status. Basically, the Assyrians were saying, “better a slave than dead”.

18:33-35 Finally, Rabshaken describes the inability of national deities to save their peoples from the Assyrian war machine. “In lumping Yahweh with all these impotent gods and in denying that He can save Jerusalem from the Assyrians, Rabshaken was overreaching himself and daring Yahweh to prove Himself” (Vos p. 198). Arphad was 13 miles north of Aleppo in Aram. Hena and Ivvah were north of the Euphrates River east of Hamath. The reference to the inability of the gods of Samaria to deliver the Israelites would have been especially effective in scaring the people, since Israel’s God was also Judah’s God. “Since the Jews could produce no example of a national god who had been able to withstand Assyria’s might, they should abandon their hope of supernatural deliverance” (Smith p. 628). “And it is a telling argument; it can claim history as his witness. Off the top of his head the Rabshaken names half a dozen hopeless cases. The Assyrian steamroller flattens every land in its path.

No divinity has been able to protect its people from the invincible hosts of the god Assur (vs. 35b). By a leap of faith and defect of logic he assumes that Yahweh is simply another generic deity of a minuscule kingdom who is no match for a world-class empire. Something snapped somewhere when he said that. He had stepped over the line. He had gone too far. It was the beginning of the end.

Words have consequences” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 272).

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18:36 To the credit of the people of Jerusalem, they obeyed their kings’ command to hold their peace. In addition, they didn’t murmur or complain, or call for Hezekiah’s resignation. Remember, it was because of his determination to serve God that the Assyrians had them surrounded!

18:37 “Horrified at the blasphemies of the Assyrian, Hezekiah’s three ministers ripped their robes and returned to the royal palace to report all that had been said” (Smith p. 628).

Chapter 19 19:1 When Hezekiah heard from his ministers the boastful and blasphemous words of Sennacherib through his spokesman Rabshaken, he did the right thing, i.e., he humbled himself before God. “Here is a pungent example of a person with power and position who has come to that painful place where he must admit that he is not sufficient in himself” (Dilday p. 440). 19:2 Immediately, Hezekiah sends for Isaiah, God’s prophet. Hezekiah is so unlike his predecessors. Before, the prophets sought the kings, only to be rebuked. How this king actually wants a word from God. Note, Hezekiah isn’t acting out of desperation, rather, he acts out of his personal convictions. This is the first time Isaiah has been mentioned in 1st or 2nd Kings, even though he had been active since the reign of Hezekiah’s grandfather, Ahaziah (Uzziah) (Isaiah 1:1).

19:3 Hezekiah compared Jerusalem to a mother who was about to have a child but was too weak to deliver the baby. Basically, he is admitting that he doesn’t have the forces to prevent the Assyrians from taking Jerusalem. Note Hezekiah also called “this day”, as a day of rebuke, and rejection. He humbly realized that because of their sins, Judah deserved to be punished. “Had he perpetuated the policies of Ahaz in depending on his own wisdom and the strength of others in dealing with national affairs rather than depending on God? Far greater than the danger of the Assyrian at the walls was divine displeasure” (Gaebelein p. 262).

19:4-5 Yet Hezekiah thought that perhaps God would take note of the contemptuous words which Rabshaken had spoken against the living God, and reprove those words with some mighty act of judgment. 19:6-7 An immediate answer comes from God. God has heard the blasphemy and He will act! On hearing a certain report, the Assyrian king would return home and there meet a violent death. God is assuring Hezekiah that He has everything well in hand—

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even the details. Evidently, Hezekiah then sent a “no” answer to the Assyrian proposal of surrender.

19:8-9 After the fall of Lachish, Sennacherib had moved a few miles northward against Libnah and closer to Jerusalem, intending to tighten the noose on the Judean capital. But about the same time, word came that Tirhakah (tur HAY kuh) (of the Cushite and Sudanese dynasty that had taken over Egypt), an ally of Hezekiah, was marching north against Sennacherib. It is known that in 701 B.C., Tirhakah was 20 years old.

19:10-13 Before Sennacherib left the region, he fired off another blasphemous letter to Hezekiah. He didn’t want Hezekiah to get the idea that he was home free while the Assyrians were off fighting the Egyptians. In these verses it is clear that the Assyrian king granted the true God no greater respect than the idols of the nations. From verse 10, it seems clear that Sennacherib must have had spies in Jerusalem. For he knew that God had told Hezekiah that Jerusalem wouldn’t be taken by the Assyrians. To reinforce his warning, the Assyrian king mentioned ten cities and nations, five of which had not been referred to previously. Gozan was located on the Habur River east of Haran, the town where Abraham lived for some time. Rezeph was probably Rusafah or Risafe which is NE of Palmyra and south of Haran. Eden was a small kingdom in the Euphrates basin west of the Balikh River, and Tel Assar was one of the cities in this area. The five other sites were mentioned in 18:11,34.

19:14-19 Hezeziah entered the temple area and spread out this letter before God. Hezekiah in simple faith laid the issues in God’s sight for resolution. Hezekiah knew that the mercyseat over the ark of the covenant represented God’s throne.

He also knew that God was the only true God. He realized why the Assyrians were so boastful. Sure enough, they had laid waste the aforementioned nations together with their lands. Certainly they had destroyed all the gods of these nations, but they were mere idols! None of that proved anything, for the Assyrians now stood in the presence of the only true God. The objective of his prayer was the defense of God’s reputation so that the whole world would acknowledge Him. David and Elijah had made similar requests (1 Samuel 17:46; 1 Kings 18:37). Since God is the Lord, the creator and ruler of all nations, then Hezekiah can hope for deliverance in this seemingly impossible situation. Are we this concerned about God’s reputation? Do we complain and murmur or do we take our concerns directly to God? When we hear and see people attack God, do we take their blasphemies to the Lord?

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19:20-28 Here is God’s response, through Isaiah the prophet. Jerusalem is called the “virgin daughter of Zion”, because she had never been conquered since she had been in Israelite hands. 19:22 This time the Assyrians weren’t mocking idols, the work of men’s hands, this time they were mocking the true God! Keep this verse in mind when you hear some comedian attacking things which are sacred.

19:23-26 The Assyrians (like many people today) were under the assumption that “they had done it their way”. “They had no clue why they have been so victorious” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 286). Yet God was the one who had enabled them to have success, God was the one who determined the rise and fall of nations (Jeremiah 18:1ff). Sennacherib’s success has been possible only because God allowed it. His boasting has no foundation, because it was God who brought all his accomplishments to pass. Compare with Isaiah 10:5.

19:27 God knew everything about Sennacherib, including all the boastful things that this Assyrian king had said (Matthew 12:36 “every careless word”). God was aware of his every action and his every word! 19:28 God had granted his success and now God would grant him defeat. The Assyrian monuments often portray the Assyrians leading captives by cords that passed through rings in their noses. This is what God will do to Sennacherib, He will lead him like a dumb animal to his destruction. This expression truly reveals God’s power, His timing, providential control, etc… “In other words, long before Sennacherib was ever a blip on the screen of history Yahweh had ordained his victories and conquests. Knowing the true explanation sucks the pride out of one’s balloon” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 287).

19:29 To Hezekiah, God promised a sign, that He would deliver them from the Assyrians. Though in the midst of the ravages of war (and a siege) the Hebrews had been unable to plant crops, and they would be able to harvest some food that year and the next from seed that had been sown naturally. In the third year there would be a full recovery with a return to the normal cycle of sowing and reaping.

19:30-31 Judah would once again experience a degree of peace and prosperity.

The people who were left in the land would once again exhibit all the outward signs of prosperity. This restoration would be brought about because Hezekiah was zealous for God, and God was zealous for His people.

19:32-35 Sennacherib’s fate is now revealed. He would not forcefully take Jerusalem, besiege it, or even shoot one arrow against it. Instead he would 8

return to his homeland without even entering Jerusalem. God would defend Jerusalem for the sake of His own reputation and because of His promise to David (1 Kings 11:13). That very night as the Assyrian army lay sprawled across the Judean countryside the Angel of the Lord executed 185,000 soldiers. The Assyrians could and did amass large armies, for example, Shalmaneser III moved across the Euphrates westward with an army of 120,000 men in 845 B.C. “With little detail, almost matter-of-factly, the author of Kings declares that the angel of the Lord wiped out the army of Sennacherib in one night” (Dilday p. 449). “The people of God are, admittedly, pretty pathetic, but if you assault them you will find their God is able to deliver them—and, if you mock their God, watch out for the terror of the night” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 290).

19:36-37 Some twenty years later around 681 B.C., as he was worshipping in the temple of Nisroch, Sennacherib was assassinated by his own sons. Thus was fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah (2 Kings 19:7). “The Assyrian records do not give the names of the assassins but state that one of his sons killed him. They also allude to a civil war after Sennacherib’s son Esarhaddon came to power; during the struggle he defeated his enemies and pursued them in the direction of Urartu” (Vos p. 203). Ironically his god was not able to deliver him even in its temple. Ararat (Armenia) is about 300 miles north of Nineveh, the Assyrian capital.

19:37 Esarhaddon (ee zar HAD un)., wasn’t the oldest son, some feel that Sennacherib was killed by his older sons, “Adrammelech” (a DRAM uh leck); and “Sharezer” (shuh REE zur); because they were upset that he had bypassed them in favor of a younger brother.

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