2 Chronicles 32
Introduction
Verse 1
After these things, and the establishment thereof What are recorded in the preceding chapters, when matters were well settled, especially with respect to religion and temple service, and when Hezekiah was well established in the throne of his kingdom, had fought with and defeated the Philistines,…
Verse 2
And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come Into the land of Judah, which he perceived and understood by reports brought to him: and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem; to besiege it and take it, if possible; this he saw was his design, by taking the fenced cities in his way, and…
Verse 3
He took counsel with his princes, and his mighty men With his nobles, and the officers of his army, what steps should be taken to resist, retard, and distress the enemy, and among the rest what follows was proposed: to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city; that so the…
Verse 4
So there was gathered much people together At the instance of Hezekiah, his nobles and officers: who stopped all the fountains; perhaps by laying planks over them, and earth upon them, so that it could not be discerned there were any fountains there: and the brook that ran through the midst of the…
Verse 5
Also he strengthened himself In the Lord his God, and fortified his city, and put it in the best manner of defence he could: and built up all the wall that was broken; which was broken from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate by Joash king of Israel; and though it might have been repaired by…
Verse 6
And he set captains of war over the people To teach them the exercises of war, to lead them on against the enemy, to direct them where to stand, and what to do in defence of the city: and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city; the street which led to the gate, and was…
Verse 7
Be strong and courageous Be of good heart and spirit, and quit yourselves like men: be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him; which was very large; for no less than 185,000 were slain of them by an angel in one night, for there be more with us…
Verse 8
With him is an arm of flesh Only weak, frail, mortal men, not at all to be feared; nothing in comparison of the Lord: but with us is the Lord our God, to help us, and to fight our battles; who is the Lord God Almighty, who has the host of heaven at his command, and with whom all the inhabitants of…
Verse 9
After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem Who are mentioned by name, this was after Hezekiah had given him a large quantity of silver and gold to depart, and he did depart from him, but he himself laid siege against Lachish, and all his power with him; one of the…
Verse 10
Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, whereon do ye trust, &c.] On what power in heaven or on earth? that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem? hold out against the siege of it, and do not deliver it up.
Verse 11
Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine, and by thirst Suggesting that would be their case if they did not surrender: saying, the Lord our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria? (See Gill on Isa. 36:15).
Verses 12–15
Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places For the sense of this and the three following verses, see the notes on (See Gill on Isa. 36:17) (See Gill on Isa. 36:18) (See Gill on Isa. 36:19) (See Gill on Isa. 36:20)
Verses 12–15
Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places For the sense of this and the three following verses, see the notes on (See Gill on Isa. 36:17) (See Gill on Isa. 36:18) (See Gill on Isa. 36:19) (See Gill on Isa. 36:20)
Verses 12–15
Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places For the sense of this and the three following verses, see the notes on (See Gill on Isa. 36:17) (See Gill on Isa. 36:18) (See Gill on Isa. 36:19) (See Gill on Isa. 36:20)
Verses 12–15
Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places For the sense of this and the three following verses, see the notes on (See Gill on Isa. 36:17) (See Gill on Isa. 36:18) (See Gill on Isa. 36:19) (See Gill on Isa. 36:20)
Verse 16
And his servants spake yet more against the Lord God, and against his servant Hezekiah. ] Than what is here recorded, as may be read in (2 Kings 18:1–19, 2 Kings 18:37) , and .
Verse 17
He wrote also letters to rail on the Lord God of Israel See .
Verse 18
Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall The messengers of Sennacherib, particularly Rabshakeh the chief speaker; though they were desired to speak in the Syrian language, (Isa. 36:11, Isa.
Verse 19
And they spake against the God of Jerusalem The only living and true God, whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem professed to be their God, and who was worshipped by them in the temple there: as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man; they made no difference…
Verse 20
And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven. ] To God in heaven; of the prayer of Hezekiah on this account, see , and the notes there; (See Gill on Isa. 37:15) (See Gill on Isa. 37:16) (See Gill on Isa. 37:17) (See Gill on Isa.
Verse 21
And the Lord sent an angel The Targum is, “the Word of the Lord sent Gabriel;” Josephus [[0]] 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…
Verse 22
Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria As most clearly appeared; for no stroke was struck but by him: and from the hand of all other; the Arabic version adds, “who were round about them;” who by this defeat were deterred from…
Verse 23
And many brought gifts unto the Lord to Jerusalem Even out of neighbouring nations, things which they devoted to the service of God in the temple, being convinced that this wonderful deliverance was wrought by the Lord God of Israel, and by him only: and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah; being…
Verse 24
In those days Hezekiah was sick Of which sickness, and of his prayer, and of the sign given him, see and the notes there.
Verse 25
But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him Both in the deliverance of him and his people from the king of Assyria, and the recovery of him from his sickness: for his heart was lifted up; with pride, because of the wonderful defeat of the Assyrian army in his favour, the…
Verse 26
Notwithstanding, Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem In what manner is not said; perhaps by putting on sackcloth, and by fasting and prayer, and making confession of sin, and declaring repentance for it: so that the wrath of the Lord came…
Verse 27
And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches Increased by the spoil of the Assyrian camp, and the presents sent him after that by neighbouring nations, (2 Chron. 32:21, 2 Chron.
Verse 28
Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil, &c.] The produce of his fields, vineyards, and oliveyards, such as David had, with persons over them, see and stands for all manner of beasts; as oxen, horses, camels, and asses, see and cotes for flocks; folds for sheep.
Verse 29
Moreover, he provided him cities Where he had the above storehouses and stalls, and convenient dwellings for those that looked after them, and were over his cattle, small and great, as follows; the Vulgate Latin version reads six cities in some copies [[1]]: and possessions of flocks and herds in…
Verse 30
This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper water course of Gihon Which Procopius Gazeus says was the same with Siloam, and which it seems had two streams, and this was the upper one; Mr.
Verse 31
Howbeit, in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire the wonder that was done in the land Not to see the two tables of stone which were in the ark, with the other two that were broken because of the sin of the calf, as the Targum; nor to ask about the…
Verse 32
Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness His acts of piety and liberality: behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz; in the prophecy of Isaiah, (Isa. 36:1–22, Isa.
Verse 33
And Hezekiah slept with his fathers Died, as they did: and they buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchres of the sons of David; in the more honourable and principal of them; there are still to be seen, on the north of Jerusalem, some grottos, called the sepulchres of the kings, though it is…
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, 2 Chron.