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THE MESSAGE

2 Chronicles 32:2

When Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib's strategy was to take Jerusalem, he talked to his advisors and military leaders about eliminating all the water supplies outside the city; they thought it was a good idea. There was a great turnout of people to plug the springs and tear down the aqueduct. They said, "Why should the kings of Assyria march in and be furnished with running water?"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Sennacherib;   Siege;   Thompson Chain Reference - Hezekiah;  

Dictionaries:

- Easton Bible Dictionary - Sennacherib;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Chronicles, the Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Chronicles, I;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Sennacherib ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Hezekiah;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Hezekiah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he planned war on Jerusalem,
Hebrew Names Version
When Hizkiyahu saw that Sancheriv was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Yerushalayim,
King James Version
And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,
English Standard Version
And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem,
New Century Version
Hezekiah knew that Sennacherib had come to Jerusalem to attack it.
New English Translation
When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had invaded and intended to attack Jerusalem,
Amplified Bible
When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to go to war against Jerusalem,
New American Standard Bible
Now when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to wage war against Jerusalem,
World English Bible
When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,
Geneva Bible (1587)
When Hezekiah sawe that Saneherib was come, and that his purpose was to fight against Ierusalem,
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he had set his face to make war on Jerusalem,
Berean Standard Bible
When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come to make war against Jerusalem,
Contemporary English Version
As soon as Hezekiah learned that Sennacherib was planning to attack Jerusalem,
Complete Jewish Bible
When Hizkiyahu saw that Sancheriv had come and intended to attack Yerushalayim,
Darby Translation
And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was minded to fight against Jerusalem,
Easy-to-Read Version
Hezekiah knew that Sennacherib came to Jerusalem to attack it.
George Lamsa Translation
And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib king of Assyria and his armies had come to fight against Jerusalem,
Good News Translation
When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib intended to attack Jerusalem also,
Lexham English Bible
When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that his face was set for battle against Jerusalem,
Literal Translation
And Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and his face was set to battle against Jerusalem;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And whan Ezechias sawe that Sennacherib came, and that his face stode to fighte agaynst Ierusalem,
American Standard Version
And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,
Bible in Basic English
And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come for the purpose of fighting against Jerusalem,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And so when Hezekia sawe that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Hierusalem,
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,
King James Version (1611)
And when Hezekiah sawe that Sennacherib was come, and that hee was purposed to fight against Ierusalem,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Ezekias saw that Sennacherim was come, and that his face was set to fight against Jerusalem.
English Revised Version
And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne Ezechie hadde herd this thing, that is, that Senacherib was comun, and that al the fersnesse of batel was turned ayens Jerusalem,
Update Bible Version
And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib came, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,
Webster's Bible Translation
And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that he purposed to fight against Jerusalem,
New King James Version
And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that his purpose was to make war against Jerusalem,
New Living Translation
When Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib also intended to attack Jerusalem,
New Life Bible
When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come to fight against Jerusalem,
New Revised Standard
When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, - and that, his face, was - to war, against Jerusalem,
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when Ezechias saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,
Revised Standard Version
And when Hezeki'ah saw that Sennach'erib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem,
Young's Literal Translation
And Hezekiah seeth that Sennacherib hath come, and his face [is] to the battle against Jerusalem,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to make war on Jerusalem,

Contextual Overview

1 And then, after this exemplary track record, this: Sennacherib king of Assyria came and attacked Judah. He put the fortified cities under siege, determined to take them. 2When Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib's strategy was to take Jerusalem, he talked to his advisors and military leaders about eliminating all the water supplies outside the city; they thought it was a good idea. There was a great turnout of people to plug the springs and tear down the aqueduct. They said, "Why should the kings of Assyria march in and be furnished with running water?" 5Hezekiah also went to work repairing every part of the city wall that was damaged, built defensive towers on it, built another wall of defense further out, and reinforced the defensive rampart (the Millo) of the old City of David. He also built up a large store of armaments—spears and shields. He then appointed military officers to be responsible for the people and got them all together at the public square in front of the city gate. Hezekiah rallied the people, saying, "Be strong! Take courage! Don't be intimidated by the king of Assyria and his troops—there are more on our side than on their side. He only has a bunch of mere men; we have our God to help us and fight for us!" Morale surged. Hezekiah's words put steel in their spines. Later on, Sennacherib, who had set up camp a few miles away at Lachish, sent messengers to Jerusalem, addressing Judah through Hezekiah: "A proclamation of Sennacherib king of Assyria: You poor people—do you think you're safe in that so-called fortress of Jerusalem? You're sitting ducks. Do you think Hezekiah will save you? Don't be stupid—Hezekiah has fed you a pack of lies. When he says, ‘ God will save us from the power of the king of Assyria,' he's lying—you're all going to end up dead. Wasn't it Hezekiah who cleared out all the neighborhood worship shrines and told you, ‘There is only one legitimate place to worship'? Do you have any idea what I and my ancestors have done to all the countries around here? Has there been a single god anywhere strong enough to stand up against me? Can you name one god among all the nations that either I or my ancestors have ravaged that so much as lifted a finger against me? So what makes you think you'll make out any better with your god? Don't let Hezekiah fool you; don't let him get by with his barefaced lies; don't trust him. No god of any country or kingdom ever has been one bit of help against me or my ancestors—what kind of odds does that give your god?" The messengers felt free to throw in their personal comments, putting down both God and God's servant Hezekiah. Sennacherib continued to send letters insulting the God of Israel: "The gods of the nations were powerless to help their people; the god of Hezekiah is no better, probably worse." The messengers would come up to the wall of Jerusalem and shout up to the people standing on the wall, shouting their propaganda in Hebrew, trying to scare them into demoralized submission. They contemptuously lumped the God of Jerusalem in with the handmade gods of other peoples. King Hezekiah, joined by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, responded by praying, calling up to heaven. God answered by sending an angel who wiped out everyone in the Assyrian camp, both warriors and officers. Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace, tail between his legs. When he went into the temple of his god, his own sons killed him. God saved Hezekiah and the citizens of Jerusalem from Sennacherib king of Assyria and everyone else. And he continued to take good care of them. People streamed into Jerusalem bringing offerings for the worship of God and expensive presents to Hezekiah king of Judah. All the surrounding nations were impressed—Hezekiah's stock soared. Some time later Hezekiah became deathly sick. He prayed to God and was given a reassuring sign. But the sign, instead of making Hezekiah grateful, made him arrogant. This made God angry, and his anger spilled over on Judah and Jerusalem. But then Hezekiah, and Jerusalem with him, repented of his arrogance, and God withdrew his anger while Hezekiah lived. Hezekiah ended up very wealthy and much honored. He built treasuries for all his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and valuables, barns for the grain, new wine, and olive oil, stalls for his various breeds of cattle, and pens for his flocks. He founded royal cities for himself and built up huge stocks of sheep and cattle. God saw to it that he was extravagantly rich. Hezekiah was also responsible for diverting the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and rerouting the water to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did. But when the rulers of Babylon sent emissaries to find out about the sign from God that had taken place earlier, God left him on his own to see what he would do; he wanted to test his heart. The rest of the history of Hezekiah and his life of loyal service, you can read for yourself—it's written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Judah and Israel. When Hezekiah died, they buried him in the upper part of the King David cemetery. Everyone in Judah and Jerusalem came to the funeral. He was buried in great honor. Manasseh his son was the next king. 7 And then, after this exemplary track record, this: Sennacherib king of Assyria came and attacked Judah. He put the fortified cities under siege, determined to take them. When Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib's strategy was to take Jerusalem, he talked to his advisors and military leaders about eliminating all the water supplies outside the city; they thought it was a good idea. There was a great turnout of people to plug the springs and tear down the aqueduct. They said, "Why should the kings of Assyria march in and be furnished with running water?" Hezekiah also went to work repairing every part of the city wall that was damaged, built defensive towers on it, built another wall of defense further out, and reinforced the defensive rampart (the Millo) of the old City of David. He also built up a large store of armaments—spears and shields. He then appointed military officers to be responsible for the people and got them all together at the public square in front of the city gate. Hezekiah rallied the people, saying, "Be strong! Take courage! Don't be intimidated by the king of Assyria and his troops—there are more on our side than on their side. He only has a bunch of mere men; we have our God to help us and fight for us!" Morale surged. Hezekiah's words put steel in their spines. Later on, Sennacherib, who had set up camp a few miles away at Lachish, sent messengers to Jerusalem, addressing Judah through Hezekiah: "A proclamation of Sennacherib king of Assyria: You poor people—do you think you're safe in that so-called fortress of Jerusalem? You're sitting ducks. Do you think Hezekiah will save you? Don't be stupid—Hezekiah has fed you a pack of lies. When he says, ‘ God will save us from the power of the king of Assyria,' he's lying—you're all going to end up dead. Wasn't it Hezekiah who cleared out all the neighborhood worship shrines and told you, ‘There is only one legitimate place to worship'? Do you have any idea what I and my ancestors have done to all the countries around here? Has there been a single god anywhere strong enough to stand up against me? Can you name one god among all the nations that either I or my ancestors have ravaged that so much as lifted a finger against me? So what makes you think you'll make out any better with your god? Don't let Hezekiah fool you; don't let him get by with his barefaced lies; don't trust him. No god of any country or kingdom ever has been one bit of help against me or my ancestors—what kind of odds does that give your god?" The messengers felt free to throw in their personal comments, putting down both God and God's servant Hezekiah. Sennacherib continued to send letters insulting the God of Israel: "The gods of the nations were powerless to help their people; the god of Hezekiah is no better, probably worse." The messengers would come up to the wall of Jerusalem and shout up to the people standing on the wall, shouting their propaganda in Hebrew, trying to scare them into demoralized submission. They contemptuously lumped the God of Jerusalem in with the handmade gods of other peoples. King Hezekiah, joined by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, responded by praying, calling up to heaven. God answered by sending an angel who wiped out everyone in the Assyrian camp, both warriors and officers. Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace, tail between his legs. When he went into the temple of his god, his own sons killed him. God saved Hezekiah and the citizens of Jerusalem from Sennacherib king of Assyria and everyone else. And he continued to take good care of them. People streamed into Jerusalem bringing offerings for the worship of God and expensive presents to Hezekiah king of Judah. All the surrounding nations were impressed—Hezekiah's stock soared. Some time later Hezekiah became deathly sick. He prayed to God and was given a reassuring sign. But the sign, instead of making Hezekiah grateful, made him arrogant. This made God angry, and his anger spilled over on Judah and Jerusalem. But then Hezekiah, and Jerusalem with him, repented of his arrogance, and God withdrew his anger while Hezekiah lived. Hezekiah ended up very wealthy and much honored. He built treasuries for all his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and valuables, barns for the grain, new wine, and olive oil, stalls for his various breeds of cattle, and pens for his flocks. He founded royal cities for himself and built up huge stocks of sheep and cattle. God saw to it that he was extravagantly rich. Hezekiah was also responsible for diverting the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and rerouting the water to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah succeeded in everything he did. But when the rulers of Babylon sent emissaries to find out about the sign from God that had taken place earlier, God left him on his own to see what he would do; he wanted to test his heart. The rest of the history of Hezekiah and his life of loyal service, you can read for yourself—it's written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Judah and Israel. When Hezekiah died, they buried him in the upper part of the King David cemetery. Everyone in Judah and Jerusalem came to the funeral. He was buried in great honor. Manasseh his son was the next king. 8 And then, after this exemplary track record, this: Sennacherib king of Assyria came and attacked Judah. He put the fortified cities under siege, determined to take them. When Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib's strategy was to take Jerusalem, he talked to his advisors and military leaders about eliminating all the water supplies outside the city; they thought it was a good idea. There was a great turnout of people to plug the springs and tear down the aqueduct. They said, "Why should the kings of Assyria march in and be furnished with running water?" Hezekiah also went to work repairing every part of the city wall that was damaged, built defensive towers on it, built another wall of defense further out, and reinforced the defensive rampart (the Millo) of the old City of David. He also built up a large store of armaments—spears and shields. He then appointed military officers to be responsible for the people and got them all together at the public square in front of the city gate. Hezekiah rallied the people, saying, "Be strong! Take courage! Don't be intimidated by the king of Assyria and his troops—there are more on our side than on their side. He only has a bunch of mere men; we have our God to help us and fight for us!" Morale surged. Hezekiah's words put steel in their spines.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he was purposed to fight: Heb. his face was to war, 2 Kings 12:17, Luke 9:51, Luke 9:53

Reciprocal: Nehemiah 4:13 - Therefore Zephaniah 3:7 - howsoever

Cross-References

Genesis 32:26
The man said, "Let me go; it's daybreak." Jacob said, "I'm not letting you go 'til you bless me."
Genesis 32:27
The man said, "What's your name?" He answered, "Jacob."
Joshua 5:14
He said, "Neither. I'm commander of God 's army. I've just arrived." Joshua fell, face to the ground, and worshiped. He asked, "What orders does my Master have for his servant?"
Joshua 21:38
From the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead (an asylum-city for the unconvicted killer), Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer, with their pastures—a total of four towns.
2 Samuel 2:8
In the meantime, Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Saul's son Ish-Bosheth to Mahanaim and made him king over Gilead, over Asher, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin—king, as it turns out, over all Israel. Ish-Bosheth Saul's son, was forty years old when he was made king over Israel. He lasted only two years. But the people of Judah stuck with David. David ruled the people of Judah from Hebron for seven and a half years.
2 Samuel 2:12
One day Abner son of Ner set out from Mahanaim with the soldiers of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, headed for Gibeon. Joab son of Zeruiah, with David's soldiers, also set out. They met at the Pool of Gibeon, Abner's group on one side, Joab's on the other.
2 Samuel 17:24
About the time David arrived at Mahanaim, Absalom crossed the Jordan, and the whole army of Israel with him. Absalom had made Amasa head of the army, replacing Joab. (Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, an Ishmaelite who had married Abigail, daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, the mother of Joab.) Israel and Absalom set camp in Gilead.
1 Kings 2:8
"You also will have to deal with Shimei son of Gera the Benjaminite from Bahurim, the one who cursed me so viciously when I was on my way to Mahanaim. Later, when he welcomed me back at the Jordan, I promised him under God , ‘I won't put you to death.' But neither should you treat him as if nothing ever happened. You're wise, you know how to handle these things. You'll know what to do to make him pay before he dies."
2 Kings 6:17
Then Elisha prayed, "O God , open his eyes and let him see." The eyes of the young man were opened and he saw. A wonder! The whole mountainside full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha!
Psalms 34:7
God 's angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 coming forward with his forces.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Chronicles 32:2. When Hezekiah saw — This was in the fourteenth year of the reign of Hezekiah; and at first the Jewish king bought him off at the great price of three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold; and even emptied his own treasures, and spoiled the house of the Lord, to gratify the oppressive avarice of the Assyrian king. See the whole account, 2 Kings 18:13, &c.


 
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