2 Chronicles 32 Study Notes: Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem
Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah; Hezekiah blocks the springs, repairs the walls and urges trust in the LORD. When the Assyrians mock God, Hezekiah and Isaiah pray and an angel strikes their camp. Later Hezekiah falls ill and prays, grows proud, humbles himself, is tested as Babylon’s envoys visit and dies honored.
General
True or False: Hezekiah told the people that Assyria had only human strength, while the LORD their God was with Judah to help them and fight for them (2 Chronicles 32:8).
Answer: True
This is true. Hezekiah contrasted the two sides: the Assyrian king had nothing but human power behind him, while Judah had the LORD Himself to help them and to wage their battles, and the people took courage from what he said (32:8). Scripture repeatedly warns against relying on mere human strength and blesses the one who relies on the LORD (Jeremiah 17:5, 7). A psalm likewise sets confidence in chariots and horses against trust in the LORD’s name (Psalm 20:7), and Isaiah reminded Judah that the Egyptians were men, not God, and their horses flesh, not spirit (Isaiah 31:3).
- 2 Chronicles 32:8 (BSB)“With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”Hezekiah contrasts mere human strength with the LORD who helps and fights for Judah.
- Jeremiah 17:5 (BSB)“This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes mere flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.”The LORD pronounces a curse on the one who relies on mere human strength.
- Jeremiah 17:7 (BSB)“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.”The LORD blesses the one whose confidence rests in Him.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”The psalm sets trust in chariots and horses against trust in the LORD’s name.
- Isaiah 31:3 (BSB)“But the Egyptians are men, not God; their horses are flesh, not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, the helper will stumble, and the one he helps will fall; both will perish together.”Isaiah reminded Judah that the Egyptians were men, not God, and their horses flesh, not spirit.
Theological
True or False: In 2 Chronicles 32:8 Hezekiah contrasts Assyria’s merely human power with the LORD, who is with Judah to help and to fight for them.
Answer: True
This is true. Hezekiah frames the conflict as creaturely power against divine power: on Assyria’s side stands only flesh, on Judah’s the LORD who helps His people and fights for them (32:8), and the people are strengthened by the word. This is the book’s recurring theme of reliance. Through Jeremiah the LORD curses confidence in human strength and blesses confidence in Himself (Jeremiah 17:5, 7); the psalmist contrasts reliance on chariots and horses with trust in the LORD’s name (Psalm 20:7); and Isaiah exposes Egypt’s men as not God and its horses as flesh, not spirit (Isaiah 31:3).
- 2 Chronicles 32:8 (BSB)“With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.”Hezekiah contrasts mere human strength with the LORD who helps and fights for Judah.
- Jeremiah 17:5 (BSB)“This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes mere flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.”The LORD pronounces a curse on the one who relies on mere human strength.
- Jeremiah 17:7 (BSB)“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.”The LORD blesses the one whose confidence rests in Him.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”The psalm sets trust in chariots and horses against trust in the LORD’s name.
- Isaiah 31:3 (BSB)“But the Egyptians are men, not God; their horses are flesh, not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, the helper will stumble, and the one he helps will fall; both will perish together.”Isaiah reminded Judah that the Egyptians were men, not God, and their horses flesh, not spirit.
General
When envoys from Babylon’s rulers came to ask about the marvel done in the land, what does 2 Chronicles 32:31 say God did?
Answer: He left Hezekiah to himself to test him and know his heart
Rulers in Babylon sent ambassadors to Hezekiah to ask about the marvel that had taken place in the land (32:31). At that point God withdrew and let Hezekiah act on his own, in order to test him and to know everything in his heart. This does not mean God was unaware of what was inside Hezekiah. The LORD searches every heart and already knows it fully (Jeremiah 17:9-10). Rather, as with Israel in the wilderness, God’s testing brings into the open what is truly there (Deuteronomy 8:2). God remained in full control even in stepping back, yet testing is not tempting: God Himself tempts no one (James 1:13). Believers may even ask God for this kind of searching, praying that He would test the heart and lead it in the right way (Psalm 139:23-24).
- 2 Chronicles 32:31 (BSB)“And so when ambassadors of the rulers of Babylon were sent to him to inquire about the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone to test him, that He might know all that was in Hezekiah’s heart.”When Babylon’s envoys come, God leaves Hezekiah alone to test him and know his heart.
- Deuteronomy 8:2 (BSB)“Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments.”God humbled and tested Israel in the wilderness to know what was in their heart.
- Jeremiah 17:9-10 (BSB)“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.”The LORD searches the heart and already knows it fully.
- James 1:13 (BSB)“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.”No one should blame God for temptation, for God cannot be tempted by evil and tempts no one.
- Psalm 139:23-24 (BSB)“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.”The psalmist asks God to search and test his heart and lead him in the right way.
Theological
According to 2 Chronicles 32:31, what was God doing when the Babylonian envoys came to Hezekiah?
Answer: He left Hezekiah to himself to test him and know his heart
When the Babylonian envoys arrived to ask about the marvel, God left Hezekiah to himself in order to test him and to know the whole of his heart (32:31). The language is not a statement of divine ignorance, for the LORD searches every heart and knows it exhaustively (Jeremiah 17:9-10). Rather, as in the wilderness, the test brings into the open what was already there, making it manifest in history (Deuteronomy 8:2). God is sovereign even in leaving a man to himself, yet He is never the author of sin and Himself tempts no one (James 1:13). The proper response is the psalmist’s prayer for God to search, test and lead the heart (Psalm 139:23-24).
- 2 Chronicles 32:31 (BSB)“And so when ambassadors of the rulers of Babylon were sent to him to inquire about the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone to test him, that He might know all that was in Hezekiah’s heart.”When Babylon’s envoys come, God leaves Hezekiah alone to test him and know his heart.
- Deuteronomy 8:2 (BSB)“Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments.”God humbled and tested Israel in the wilderness to know what was in their heart.
- Jeremiah 17:9-10 (BSB)“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.”The LORD searches the heart and already knows it fully.
- James 1:13 (BSB)“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.”No one should blame God for temptation, for God cannot be tempted by evil and tempts no one.
- Psalm 139:23-24 (BSB)“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.”The psalmist asks God to search and test his heart and lead him in the right way.
General
What reason did Hezekiah give the people for not being afraid of Assyria’s king (2 Chronicles 32:7)?
Answer: The One on Judah’s side was greater than any on Assyria’s side
Having prepared the city, Hezekiah gathered the people at the open square by the city gate and encouraged them (32:6-7). He told them to be strong and brave and not to fear the Assyrian king or his huge army, because the One with Judah was greater than all who were with Assyria (32:7). He did not point to the new walls or the weapons but to God. His words echo Moses’ charge to Israel, which grounded courage in the LORD’s presence (Deuteronomy 31:6). The same confidence runs through the New Testament: the One who lives in believers is greater than the one in the world (1 John 4:4), and with God on our side, no opponent can finally win (Romans 8:31).
- 2 Chronicles 32:7 (BSB)““Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater One with us than with him.”Hezekiah urges the people not to fear the Assyrian king and his army.
- Deuteronomy 31:6 (BSB)“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.””Moses grounded Israel’s courage in the LORD’s presence with His people.
- 1 John 4:4 (BSB)“You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”John grounds believers’ victory in the One who is in them being greater than the one in the world.
- Romans 8:31 (BSB)“What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”Paul reasons that with God on our side, no opponent can finally prevail.
Theological
On what ground did Hezekiah tell the people not to fear Sennacherib and his army (2 Chronicles 32:7)?
Answer: The One on Judah’s side was greater than any on Assyria’s side
Hezekiah’s exhortation grounds courage not in the fortifications he has just built but in the presence of God: the One with Judah is greater than all who are with Assyria (32:7). The charge to be strong and brave recalls Moses’ charge to Israel, where courage rests on the LORD going with His people (Deuteronomy 31:6). The New Testament carries the same logic into the believer’s life: the indwelling One is greater than the one in the world (1 John 4:4), and with God on our side, no adversary can finally prevail (Romans 8:31).
- 2 Chronicles 32:7 (BSB)““Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater One with us than with him.”Hezekiah urges the people not to fear the Assyrian king and his army.
- Deuteronomy 31:6 (BSB)“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.””Moses grounded Israel’s courage in the LORD’s presence with His people.
- 1 John 4:4 (BSB)“You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”John grounds believers’ victory in the One who is in them being greater than the one in the world.
- Romans 8:31 (BSB)“What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”Paul reasons that with God on our side, no opponent can finally prevail.
General
After Hezekiah prayed in his illness and received a sign from the LORD, why did wrath come on him and on Judah (2 Chronicles 32:24-25)?
Answer: His heart grew proud, so he failed to respond to the kindness shown
Around this time Hezekiah became so sick he was near death. He prayed, and the LORD answered him and provided a sign (32:24). But Hezekiah did not respond in a way that matched the kindness he had received, because his heart became proud, and so wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem (32:25). Then Hezekiah humbled himself, together with Jerusalem’s people, and the LORD’s wrath did not fall on them during his lifetime (32:26). This is the book’s repeated pattern: God sets Himself against the proud and shows favor to the humble (James 4:6), as He did when Rehoboam humbled himself (12:12). A psalm shows the right response to mercy received, asking what can be given back to the LORD for His goodness (Psalm 116:12).
- 2 Chronicles 32:24 (BSB)“In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. So he prayed to the LORD, who spoke to him and gave him a sign.”Hezekiah, mortally ill, prays and the LORD answers him with a sign.
- 2 Chronicles 32:25 (BSB)“But because his heart was proud, Hezekiah did not repay the favor shown to him. Therefore wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.”Because of his proud heart Hezekiah does not repay the favor, and wrath comes.
- 2 Chronicles 32:26 (BSB)“Then Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart—he and the people of Jerusalem—so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah.”Hezekiah and Jerusalem humble themselves, and the wrath does not come in his days.
- James 4:6 (BSB)“But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.””God sets Himself against the proud and gives grace to the humble.
- 2 Chronicles 12:12 (BSB)“Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the anger of the LORD turned away from him, and He did not destroy him completely. Indeed, conditions were good in Judah.”When Rehoboam humbled himself, the LORD’s anger likewise turned away.
- Psalm 116:12 (BSB)“How can I repay the LORD for all His goodness to me?”The psalmist asks how to respond to the LORD for His goodness, the response Hezekiah failed to give.
Theological
What reason does 2 Chronicles 32:25 give for the wrath that came on Hezekiah, Judah and Jerusalem after his illness?
Answer: His heart grew proud, so he failed to respond to the kindness shown
Even the faithful king is not immune to pride. After the LORD answered his prayer in mortal illness with a sign (32:24), Hezekiah failed to render a return proportionate to the grace shown him, because his heart had grown haughty, and wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem (32:25). His subsequent self-humbling, joined by Jerusalem’s inhabitants, averted the wrath for his lifetime (32:26). This is the book’s recurring theme that the LORD opposes the proud and favors the humble (James 4:6), seen already with Rehoboam (12:12). Grateful response to undeserved mercy is the proper fruit of grace (Psalm 116:12).
- 2 Chronicles 32:24 (BSB)“In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. So he prayed to the LORD, who spoke to him and gave him a sign.”Hezekiah, mortally ill, prays and the LORD answers him with a sign.
- 2 Chronicles 32:25 (BSB)“But because his heart was proud, Hezekiah did not repay the favor shown to him. Therefore wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.”Because of his proud heart Hezekiah does not repay the favor, and wrath comes.
- 2 Chronicles 32:26 (BSB)“Then Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart—he and the people of Jerusalem—so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah.”Hezekiah and Jerusalem humble themselves, and the wrath does not come in his days.
- James 4:6 (BSB)“But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.””God sets Himself against the proud and gives grace to the humble.
- 2 Chronicles 12:12 (BSB)“Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the anger of the LORD turned away from him, and He did not destroy him completely. Indeed, conditions were good in Judah.”When Rehoboam humbled himself, the LORD’s anger likewise turned away.
- Psalm 116:12 (BSB)“How can I repay the LORD for all His goodness to me?”The psalmist asks how to respond to the LORD for His goodness, the response Hezekiah failed to give.
General
According to 2 Chronicles 32:1, when did Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, invade Judah?
Answer: Right after Hezekiah’s many acts of faithful service to the LORD
The chapter opens by linking the invasion to what came just before it. After all of Hezekiah’s faithful work in cleansing the temple, keeping the Passover and restoring the priests’ duties, the Assyrian king came and attacked Judah’s walled towns (32:1). The attack is not presented as a punishment. Hezekiah had acted rightly and faithfully before his God and had prospered (31:20-21), yet his faithfulness did not shield him from trouble. Scripture teaches that trials can come to the faithful to test and strengthen genuine faith (James 1:2-3; 1 Peter 1:6-7).
- 2 Chronicles 32:1 (BSB)“After all these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, intending to conquer them for himself.”The Assyrian invasion follows directly on Hezekiah’s faithful reforms.
- 2 Chronicles 31:20-21 (BSB)“So this is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He did what was good and upright and true before the LORD his God. He acted with all his heart in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law and the commandments, in order to seek his God. And so he prospered.”Just before the invasion Hezekiah is described as doing what was good and right and prospering as he sought his God.
- James 1:2-3 (BSB)“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”Trials put faith to the test, and that testing develops perseverance.
- 1 Peter 1:6-7 (BSB)“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”Peter explains that believers suffer trials so that the genuineness of their faith may be proved.
Theological
How does 2 Chronicles 32:1 time Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah?
Answer: Right after Hezekiah’s many acts of faithful service to the LORD
The invasion is placed directly after the reforms of chapters 29-31 (32:1), and it is not framed as retribution. Elsewhere in the book faithfulness and blessing are closely linked, and Hezekiah himself had prospered as he wholeheartedly sought his God (31:20-21); yet covenant faithfulness does not exempt the righteous from trial. The crisis becomes the occasion for God to display His saving power, and the New Testament likewise treats trials as the testing that proves and matures genuine faith (James 1:2-3; 1 Peter 1:6-7).
- 2 Chronicles 32:1 (BSB)“After all these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, intending to conquer them for himself.”The Assyrian invasion follows directly on Hezekiah’s faithful reforms.
- 2 Chronicles 31:20-21 (BSB)“So this is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He did what was good and upright and true before the LORD his God. He acted with all his heart in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law and the commandments, in order to seek his God. And so he prospered.”Just before the invasion Hezekiah is described as doing what was good and right and prospering as he sought his God.
- James 1:2-3 (BSB)“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”Trials put faith to the test, and that testing develops perseverance.
- 1 Peter 1:6-7 (BSB)“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”Peter explains that believers suffer trials so that the genuineness of their faith may be proved.
General
What was the central argument of Sennacherib’s message about the LORD (2 Chronicles 32:13-15)?
Answer: No nation’s god had saved it from Assyria, so neither would Judah’s
Sennacherib’s whole case rested on his record. He reminded Judah what he and his ancestors had done to the peoples around them and asked whether any of their gods had rescued their lands. Since none had, he argued, Judah’s God would be even less able to rescue His people (32:13-15). His error was treating the LORD as one more local god. Scripture insists the LORD alone is God, with none like Him (Isaiah 46:9). He rules every nation’s kingdom, and none can withstand Him (20:6). He does not share His glory with idols (Isaiah 42:8).
- 2 Chronicles 32:14 (BSB)“Who among all the gods of these nations that my fathers devoted to destruction has been able to deliver his people from my hand? How then can your God deliver you from my hand?”Sennacherib boasts that none of the gods of the nations could save their people from him.
- 2 Chronicles 32:15 (BSB)“So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you, and do not let him mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand!””He concludes that Judah’s God will be even less able to rescue them.
- Isaiah 46:9 (BSB)“Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.”The LORD declares that He alone is God and that none is like Him.
- 2 Chronicles 20:6 (BSB)“and said, “O LORD, God of our fathers, are You not the God who is in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can stand against You.”Jehoshaphat’s prayer confesses the LORD as ruler over every kingdom, whom no one can withstand.
- Isaiah 42:8 (BSB)“I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.”The LORD will not give His glory to idols, so He will not be ranked among them.
Theological
What line of reasoning does Sennacherib’s message use against trusting the LORD (2 Chronicles 32:13-15)?
Answer: No nation’s god had saved it from Assyria, so neither would Judah’s
Sennacherib argues by induction from conquest: the gods of every nation his fathers subdued had failed to rescue their peoples, so Judah’s God would fail even more surely (32:13-15). The premise is that the LORD is one deity among many, measured by the same record. Scripture denies the premise outright. The LORD alone is God and incomparable (Isaiah 46:9); He rules over every kingdom and none can stand against Him (20:6); and He will not yield His glory to idols (Isaiah 42:8). The taunt therefore sets the stage for the LORD to vindicate His own name.
- 2 Chronicles 32:14 (BSB)“Who among all the gods of these nations that my fathers devoted to destruction has been able to deliver his people from my hand? How then can your God deliver you from my hand?”Sennacherib boasts that none of the gods of the nations could save their people from him.
- 2 Chronicles 32:15 (BSB)“So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you, and do not let him mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand!””He concludes that Judah’s God will be even less able to rescue them.
- Isaiah 46:9 (BSB)“Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.”The LORD declares that He alone is God and that none is like Him.
- 2 Chronicles 20:6 (BSB)“and said, “O LORD, God of our fathers, are You not the God who is in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can stand against You.”Jehoshaphat’s prayer confesses the LORD as ruler over every kingdom, whom no one can withstand.
- Isaiah 42:8 (BSB)“I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.”The LORD will not give His glory to idols, so He will not be ranked among them.
General
How did Hezekiah respond to Sennacherib’s taunts, and what did the LORD do (2 Chronicles 32:20-22)?
Answer: He and Isaiah prayed, and an angel from the LORD struck Assyria’s camp
Hezekiah’s answer to the threats was prayer. He and Isaiah the prophet, a messenger who spoke God’s word, called out to God in heaven (32:20). The LORD responded by sending an angel who wiped out the mighty warriors, leaders and commanders in the Assyrian camp, and Sennacherib went home in shame (32:21). So the LORD rescued Hezekiah and Jerusalem and gave them peace on all sides, and many people came bringing offerings to honor the LORD and gifts for Hezekiah (32:22-23). Hezekiah had said the LORD would fight Judah’s battles, and He did, as He had promised Israel at the sea (Exodus 14:14). God invites His people to call on Him in trouble (Psalm 50:15), and a psalm pictures the LORD’s angel guarding all who revere Him (Psalm 34:7).
- 2 Chronicles 32:20 (BSB)“In response, King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out to heaven in prayer,”Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah cry out to heaven in prayer.
- 2 Chronicles 32:22 (BSB)“So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hands of King Sennacherib of Assyria and all others, and He gave them rest on every side.”The LORD saves Hezekiah and Jerusalem and gives them rest.
- Psalm 50:15 (BSB)“Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.””God invites His people to call on Him in trouble and promises to deliver them.
- Exodus 14:14 (BSB)“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.””Moses promised Israel at the sea that the LORD would fight for them.
- Psalm 34:7 (BSB)“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.”The angel of the LORD guards and delivers those who fear Him.
Theological
What was Hezekiah’s response to the Assyrian blasphemy, and how did the LORD answer it (2 Chronicles 32:20-22)?
Answer: He and Isaiah prayed, and an angel from the LORD struck Assyria’s camp
Against blasphemy Hezekiah’s weapon is intercession: king and prophet together cry to heaven (32:20). The LORD answers by His angel, who destroys the warriors and officers in the Assyrian camp, so that Sennacherib withdraws in disgrace (32:21). The outcome follows: the LORD rescued Hezekiah and Jerusalem and gave them peace all around, and many brought gifts to honor the LORD and presents for the king, who was honored by all nations from then on (32:22-23). Hezekiah’s confession that the LORD fights Judah’s battles is vindicated, as at the sea (Exodus 14:14). God promises deliverance to those who call on Him in trouble (Psalm 50:15), and His angel guards all who revere Him (Psalm 34:7).
- 2 Chronicles 32:20 (BSB)“In response, King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out to heaven in prayer,”Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah cry out to heaven in prayer.
- 2 Chronicles 32:22 (BSB)“So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hands of King Sennacherib of Assyria and all others, and He gave them rest on every side.”The LORD saves Hezekiah and Jerusalem and gives them rest.
- Psalm 50:15 (BSB)“Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.””God invites His people to call on Him in trouble and promises to deliver them.
- Exodus 14:14 (BSB)“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.””Moses promised Israel at the sea that the LORD would fight for them.
- Psalm 34:7 (BSB)“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.”The angel of the LORD guards and delivers those who fear Him.
General
Where was Sennacherib when his sons killed him (2 Chronicles 32:21)?
Answer: Inside his own god’s temple, back in his homeland
After his army was struck down, Sennacherib went back home disgraced. When he went into the house of his god, he was killed there by some of his sons with the sword (32:21). This ending answers his boast that no god could rescue anyone from his hand (32:15): the god he trusted could not even protect him inside its own temple. Idols made by human hands cannot see, hear, or act, and those who trust them share their helplessness (Psalm 115:4-8); idol-makers count for nothing, and what they prize has no value (Isaiah 44:9).
- 2 Chronicles 32:15 (BSB)“So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you, and do not let him mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand!””Sennacherib had boasted that no god could rescue anyone from his hand.
- Psalm 115:4-8 (BSB)“Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel; they have feet, but cannot walk; they cannot even clear their throats. Those who make them become like them, as do all who trust in them.”Idols made by human hands cannot act, and those who trust in them share their helplessness.
- Isaiah 44:9 (BSB)“All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame.”Those who make idols are nothing, and the things they prize are worthless.
Theological
Where does 2 Chronicles 32:21 locate Sennacherib’s death at the hands of his sons?
Answer: Inside his own god’s temple, back in his homeland
The account ends with pointed irony. Sennacherib, who mocked the LORD as no better than any other nation’s god (32:15), returns home in disgrace and is struck down by some of his sons in the house of his own god (32:21). The deity he relied on could not protect him in its own sanctuary. The scene embodies the psalmist’s critique of idolatry, that idols cannot act and those who trust them grow as lifeless as they are (Psalm 115:4-8), and Isaiah’s verdict that idol-makers and their treasured images are nothing (Isaiah 44:9).
- 2 Chronicles 32:15 (BSB)“So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you, and do not let him mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand!””Sennacherib had boasted that no god could rescue anyone from his hand.
- Psalm 115:4-8 (BSB)“Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel; they have feet, but cannot walk; they cannot even clear their throats. Those who make them become like them, as do all who trust in them.”Idols made by human hands cannot act, and those who trust in them share their helplessness.
- Isaiah 44:9 (BSB)“All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame.”Those who make idols are nothing, and the things they prize are worthless.
General
According to 2 Chronicles 32:19, what was wrong with the way the Assyrians spoke about Jerusalem’s God?
Answer: They spoke of Him as if He were an idol made by people
Besides the spoken taunts, Sennacherib wrote letters insulting the LORD, and his men shouted in the Hebrew language at the city’s people standing on the wall, aiming to terrify them so the city could be captured (32:17-18). The deepest insult was that they talked about Jerusalem’s God the same way they talked about other peoples’ gods, which were only objects human beings had made (32:19). The LORD is not like those idols. He is the true and living God, the Maker of the heavens (Jeremiah 10:10-11; Psalm 96:5). The apostles likewise called people to turn from worthless idols to the God who lives (Acts 14:15).
- 2 Chronicles 32:17 (BSB)“He also wrote letters mocking the LORD, the God of Israel, and saying against Him: “Just as the gods of the nations did not deliver their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my hand.””Sennacherib also writes letters mocking the LORD.
- 2 Chronicles 32:19 (BSB)“They spoke against the God of Jerusalem as they had spoken against the gods of the peoples of the earth—the work of human hands.”The Assyrians speak of Jerusalem’s God as they spoke of the man-made gods of other peoples.
- Jeremiah 10:10-11 (BSB)“But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and eternal King. The earth quakes at His wrath, and the nations cannot endure His indignation. Thus you are to tell them: “These gods, who have made neither the heavens nor the earth, will perish from this earth and from under these heavens.””Jeremiah sets the LORD, the true and living God, against gods that did not make the heavens and earth.
- Psalm 96:5 (BSB)“For all the gods of the nations are idols, but it is the LORD who made the heavens.”The psalm calls the gods of the nations idols, while the LORD made the heavens.
- Acts 14:15 (BSB)““Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.”Paul and Barnabas call people to turn from worthless things to the living God, the Creator of all.
Theological
What category error does 2 Chronicles 32:19 identify in the Assyrians’ speech about Jerusalem’s God?
Answer: They spoke of Him as if He were an idol made by people
The Assyrian campaign of intimidation included written blasphemy and shouted threats in Hebrew aimed at the city’s people on the wall (32:17-18). Its root error is stated in 32:19: they spoke of Jerusalem’s God as though He belonged to the same class as other peoples’ gods, artifacts of human manufacture. That collapses the Creator-creature distinction. In truth the LORD alone is the genuine, living, eternal King and Creator of the heavens, while every pagan deity is an idol (Jeremiah 10:10-11; Psalm 96:5), and the apostolic gospel likewise summons people away from useless idols to the living Creator of all things (Acts 14:15).
- 2 Chronicles 32:17 (BSB)“He also wrote letters mocking the LORD, the God of Israel, and saying against Him: “Just as the gods of the nations did not deliver their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my hand.””Sennacherib also writes letters mocking the LORD.
- 2 Chronicles 32:19 (BSB)“They spoke against the God of Jerusalem as they had spoken against the gods of the peoples of the earth—the work of human hands.”The Assyrians speak of Jerusalem’s God as they spoke of the man-made gods of other peoples.
- Jeremiah 10:10-11 (BSB)“But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and eternal King. The earth quakes at His wrath, and the nations cannot endure His indignation. Thus you are to tell them: “These gods, who have made neither the heavens nor the earth, will perish from this earth and from under these heavens.””Jeremiah sets the LORD, the true and living God, against gods that did not make the heavens and earth.
- Psalm 96:5 (BSB)“For all the gods of the nations are idols, but it is the LORD who made the heavens.”The psalm calls the gods of the nations idols, while the LORD made the heavens.
- Acts 14:15 (BSB)““Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.”Paul and Barnabas call people to turn from worthless things to the living God, the Creator of all.
General
When Hezekiah and his leaders stopped up the springs outside Jerusalem, what reason did the people give (2 Chronicles 32:2-4)?
Answer: So the Assyrian kings would arrive to find little water there
Hezekiah did not sit still when the Assyrian army approached. He took counsel with his officials and warriors, and a large crowd blocked every spring and the stream running through the region, reasoning that the Assyrian kings should not arrive to find abundant water (32:2-4). He also repaired the broken parts of the wall, added towers and an outer wall, made many weapons and shields, and put military officers in charge of the people (32:5-6). In Scripture careful preparation and trust in God go together: Nehemiah’s builders both prayed and set a watch (Nehemiah 4:9), and the proverb says a warhorse is made ready though the victory comes from the LORD (Proverbs 21:31).
- 2 Chronicles 32:3-4 (BSB)“he consulted with his leaders and mighty men about stopping up the waters of the springs outside the city, and they helped him carry it out. Many people assembled and stopped up all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land. “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they said.”Hezekiah’s leaders and a large crowd block the springs and the stream to deny Assyria water.
- 2 Chronicles 32:5 (BSB)“Then Hezekiah worked resolutely to rebuild all the broken sections of the wall and to raise up towers on it. He also built an outer wall and reinforced the supporting terraces of the City of David, and he produced an abundance of weapons and shields.”Hezekiah repairs the wall, builds towers and an outer wall, and prepares weapons.
- Nehemiah 4:9 (BSB)“So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night.”Nehemiah’s builders both prayed and posted a guard, joining trust in God with practical action.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”The proverb affirms making ready for battle while confessing that the outcome belongs to the LORD.
Theological
What rationale is given for stopping up the springs outside Jerusalem as Sennacherib approached (2 Chronicles 32:2-4)?
Answer: So the Assyrian kings would arrive to find little water there
Hezekiah’s response to the invasion is prudent and practical. After consulting his officials and warriors, the people sealed off every spring and brook so the Assyrian kings would find no abundant water supply on arrival (32:2-4), and Hezekiah repaired the wall, raised towers and a second outer wall, and armed the people (32:5-6). Such preparation is not opposed to faith; it is the ordinary means God uses, held under trust in Him. Nehemiah’s builders likewise prayed and kept a watch (Nehemiah 4:9), and the proverb holds together readiness for battle and the confession that victory is the LORD’s (Proverbs 21:31).
- 2 Chronicles 32:3-4 (BSB)“he consulted with his leaders and mighty men about stopping up the waters of the springs outside the city, and they helped him carry it out. Many people assembled and stopped up all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land. “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they said.”Hezekiah’s leaders and a large crowd block the springs and the stream to deny Assyria water.
- 2 Chronicles 32:5 (BSB)“Then Hezekiah worked resolutely to rebuild all the broken sections of the wall and to raise up towers on it. He also built an outer wall and reinforced the supporting terraces of the City of David, and he produced an abundance of weapons and shields.”Hezekiah repairs the wall, builds towers and an outer wall, and prepares weapons.
- Nehemiah 4:9 (BSB)“So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night.”Nehemiah’s builders both prayed and posted a guard, joining trust in God with practical action.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”The proverb affirms making ready for battle while confessing that the outcome belongs to the LORD.
General
How did Sennacherib’s message twist Hezekiah’s reforms to make the people doubt him (2 Chronicles 32:11-12)?
Answer: It said he had torn down the LORD’s own shrines and altars
While Sennacherib and his army were besieging Lachish, he dispatched officials to Jerusalem carrying a message to Hezekiah and the people (32:9). The envoys tried to drive a wedge between the people and their king. They asked what the people were relying on and claimed Hezekiah was leading them to die of hunger and thirst with his promise that the LORD would rescue them (32:10-11). Then they twisted his reforms: had he not torn down the LORD’s own high places (hilltop worship sites) and altars and ordered everyone to worship at a single altar (32:12)? In fact, those reforms had cleared away places of worship the law of Moses did not allow. God had commanded His people to bring their offerings only to the place He chose (Deuteronomy 12:13-14), and Hezekiah’s people had broken down such sites across the land (31:1).
- 2 Chronicles 32:11 (BSB)“Is not Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by famine and thirst when he says, ‘The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria?’”Sennacherib’s message accuses Hezekiah of leading the people to death by his promise of rescue.
- 2 Chronicles 32:12 (BSB)“Did not Hezekiah himself remove His high places and His altars and say to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before one altar, and on it you shall burn sacrifices’?”The message turns Hezekiah’s removal of the high places and altars into a charge against him.
- Deuteronomy 12:13-14 (BSB)“Be careful not to offer your burnt offerings in just any place you see; you must offer them only in the place the LORD will choose in one of your tribal territories, and there you shall do all that I command you.”The law required offerings only at the place the LORD would choose, the principle behind Hezekiah’s reform.
- 2 Chronicles 31:1 (BSB)“When all this had ended, the Israelites in attendance went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own property.”Under Hezekiah the people broke down the high places and altars throughout the land.
Theological
How did Sennacherib’s message, sent from the siege of Lachish, use Hezekiah’s religious reforms as propaganda against him (2 Chronicles 32:11-12)?
Answer: It said he had torn down the LORD’s own shrines and altars
Sent by Sennacherib’s servants while he besieged Lachish (32:9), the Assyrian message is psychological warfare. It questions the basis of Judah’s confidence, casts Hezekiah’s promise of deliverance as a deception that will end in death by hunger and thirst (32:10-11), and then reinterprets his reform as sacrilege: he had removed the LORD’s own hilltop shrines and altars and imposed a single altar (32:12). The charge inverts the truth. Hezekiah’s centralizing reform was obedience to the Mosaic requirement that offerings be brought only to the site of the LORD’s choosing (Deuteronomy 12:13-14), carried out when the people dismantled such sites across the land (31:1).
- 2 Chronicles 32:11 (BSB)“Is not Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by famine and thirst when he says, ‘The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria?’”Sennacherib’s message accuses Hezekiah of leading the people to death by his promise of rescue.
- 2 Chronicles 32:12 (BSB)“Did not Hezekiah himself remove His high places and His altars and say to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before one altar, and on it you shall burn sacrifices’?”The message turns Hezekiah’s removal of the high places and altars into a charge against him.
- Deuteronomy 12:13-14 (BSB)“Be careful not to offer your burnt offerings in just any place you see; you must offer them only in the place the LORD will choose in one of your tribal territories, and there you shall do all that I command you.”The law required offerings only at the place the LORD would choose, the principle behind Hezekiah’s reform.
- 2 Chronicles 31:1 (BSB)“When all this had ended, the Israelites in attendance went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own property.”Under Hezekiah the people broke down the high places and altars throughout the land.
General
True or False: 2 Chronicles 32:27-29 says Hezekiah’s great riches came because God gave them to him.
Answer: True
This is true. Hezekiah had treasuries, storehouses, stalls, flocks and cities, and the reason is given plainly: God was the One who made him extremely wealthy (32:27-29). His riches are presented as a gift, not as wages he earned. Earlier in the same chapter this faithful king faced invasion and serious illness, so the passage offers no promise that the faithful will always be rich. Moses warned Israel not to imagine that their own strength had produced their wealth, since the LORD gives the ability to gain it (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). Paul asks what anyone has that was not received (1 Corinthians 4:7), and he tells the rich to hope in God rather than in riches (1 Timothy 6:17). The same section credits Hezekiah with channeling the water of Gihon down to the western part of David’s city (32:30), and at his death all Judah and Jerusalem honored him (32:33).
- 2 Chronicles 32:29 (BSB)“He made cities for himself, and he acquired herds of sheep and cattle in abundance, for God gave him very great wealth.”Hezekiah’s cities and herds are attributed to God’s gift of great wealth.
- Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (BSB)“You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.” But remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers even to this day.”Moses taught that the LORD, not human strength, gives the power to gain wealth.
- 1 Corinthians 4:7 (BSB)“For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?”Paul reminds believers that everything they have was received as a gift.
- 1 Timothy 6:17 (BSB)“Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy.”The rich are to hope in God, not in uncertain riches.
Theological
True or False: 2 Chronicles 32:27-29 attributes Hezekiah’s great riches to God’s giving.
Answer: True
This is true. The catalog of treasuries, storehouses, herds and cities is explained theologically: God granted Hezekiah very abundant possessions (32:27-29). Wealth here is a sovereign gift, not a wage or a formula; the same chapter shows this faithful king under invasion and mortal illness. Scripture consistently traces prosperity to the LORD rather than to human ability (Deuteronomy 8:17-18), reminds believers that they possess nothing they did not receive (1 Corinthians 4:7), and charges the rich to set their hope on God rather than on uncertain riches (1 Timothy 6:17). The account goes on to Hezekiah’s Gihon water channel (32:30) and closes with the honor all Judah and Jerusalem gave him at his death (32:33).
- 2 Chronicles 32:29 (BSB)“He made cities for himself, and he acquired herds of sheep and cattle in abundance, for God gave him very great wealth.”Hezekiah’s cities and herds are attributed to God’s gift of great wealth.
- Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (BSB)“You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.” But remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers even to this day.”Moses taught that the LORD, not human strength, gives the power to gain wealth.
- 1 Corinthians 4:7 (BSB)“For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?”Paul reminds believers that everything they have was received as a gift.
- 1 Timothy 6:17 (BSB)“Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy.”The rich are to hope in God, not in uncertain riches.