2 KINGS—NOTE ON 2 KINGS 18:1 Hezekiah. In 715 B.C., seven years after the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel, Hezekiah comes to the throne in Judah. He resembles David more closely than any other king so far. He will succeed in reforming Judean worship. Hezekiah’s trust in God will be vindicated... [ Continue Reading ]
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 2 KINGS 18:4 HE REMOVED THE HIGH PLACES. This is significant because even the most faithful of Judean kings prior to Hezekiah had failed to do this (e.g., 1 Kings 3:2; 1 Kings 15:14; 1 Kings 22:43). Hezekiah takes further action against the BRONZE SERPENT named NEHUSHTAN, which Moses... [ Continue Reading ]
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 2 KINGS 18:5 HE TRUSTED IN THE LORD. Hezekiah’s trust was unparalleled in Judean history (THERE WAS NONE LIKE HIM). This could be seen in the way he HELD FAST to God throughout his life (see Deuteronomy 13:4; Deuteronomy 30:20). ⇐ ⇔... [ Continue Reading ]
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 2 KINGS 18:7 Because of Hezekiah’s faithfulness, THE LORD WAS WITH HIM in his military exploits (compare 1 Samuel 16:18; 1 Samuel 18:12, 1 Samuel 18:14; 2 Samuel 5:10). ⇐ ⇔ [ Continue Reading ]
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 2 KINGS 18:9 SHALMANESER KING OF ASSYRIA CAME UP AGAINST SAMARIA. The verses repeat the story of how the northern kingdom fell (see 2 Kings 17:1). This reminds readers of the context of religious apostasy in which Hezekiah pursued his bold policy of rebellion against Assyria. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒... [ Continue Reading ]
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 2 KINGS 18:13 SENNACHERIB KING OF ASSYRIA CAME UP AGAINST ALL THE FORTIFIED CITIES OF JUDAH. After Sargon II’s death, the new Assyrian king Sennacherib (704–681 B.C.) first fought in southern Mesopotamia (703–702) against the king of Babylon (see 2 Kings 20:12). He then turned his at... [ Continue Reading ]
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 2 KINGS 18:14 I HAVE DONE WRONG. Hezekiah’s first response to the crisis is to bargain with Sennacherib. He went on to give him ALL THE SILVER from the temple, and STRIPPED THE GOLD from its doors (compare note on 2 Kings 12:17). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img... [ Continue Reading ]
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 2 KINGS 18:17 While attacking Lachish, Sennacherib decides not to accept Hezekiah’s attempt to persuade him to withdraw (vv. 2 Kings 18:14). Instead, Sennacherib sends an army to Jerusalem to pressure Hezekiah to surrender. The TARTAN and RAB-SARIS were military officers. The RABSHAK... [ Continue Reading ]
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 2 KINGS 18:18 OVER THE HOUSEHOLD... THE SECRETARY... THE RECORDER. Three of the most important Judean officials go out to negotiate with the three Assyrian officials. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 2 KINGS 18:19 Sennacherib’s men claim that EGYPT will not help Hezekiah. They also claim that TRUST IN THE LORD is useless, because the Lord is angry with Hezekiah for removing the HIGH PLACES AND ALTARS! Furthermore, they say, it is the Lord himself who has sent Assyria to DESTROY J... [ Continue Reading ]
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 2 KINGS 18:26 PLEASE SPEAK TO YOUR SERVANTS IN ARAMAIC. Aramaic was the language of the Assyrian Empire west of the Euphrates. The educated Judean royal officials would have understood it, but the ordinary PEOPLE on the city WALL would not. However, the Assyrians were trying to appea... [ Continue Reading ]
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 2 KINGS 18:29 The Rabshakeh says that trust in the Lord will not save the people of Judah. The reader is prepared to see God justify that trust. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 2 KINGS 18:31 EAT OF HIS OWN VINE... HIS OWN FIG TREE... DRINK THE WATER OF HIS OWN CISTERN. The Assyrian king is presented as a powerful god able to provide for his worshipers, in contrast to the supposedly weak God of Israel, who is unable to DELIVER. The language of the false prom... [ Continue Reading ]