Isaiah 37:7

This verse may give the impression that Sennacherib’s death happened very soon afterwards. In fact, Sennacherib ruled the *Assyrian *empire for another 20 years. But he never again entered the country called Judah.

• What made Sennacherib return to his own country was probably the news about Tirhakah (see verse 9). Sennacherib had just lost huge numbers of his own soldiers (see verse 36).

• Sennacherib died in 681 *BC. Two of his sons murdered him (see Isaiah 37:37; Isaiah 37:38).

Sennacherib again warns Hezekiah

v8 Then the *Rabshakeh heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish. He had gone to Libnah where his army was now fighting. So the *Rabshakeh went to Libnah and he found the king there. v9 Then Sennacherib, king of Assyria, heard that a large army was coming from Egypt. The leader of this army was Tirhakah, king of *Cush. And the army was coming to attack the *Assyrian army. When Sennacherib heard this news, he sent *messengers with a letter to Hezekiah in *Jerusalem. v10 ‘This is what you must say to Hezekiah: Your god has told you that the Great King of Assyria will never *seize *Jerusalem. Do not trust what your god says! It is not true! v11 Listen! You know what the kings of Assyria have done to every nation. They have destroyed them all. None of their gods could save them. v12 Kings of Assyria before me destroyed the cities called Gozan and Haran and Rezeph. And they killed the people from Eden in Telassar. The gods of these nations could not rescue them. v13 You know what happened to the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah. The *Assyrian army defeated them all.’