2 Kings 19

This chapter narrates how King Hezekiah responds to the threatening letter from the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, after the Assyrian forces mocked Israel's faith in God. Hezekiah seeks divine help through the prophet Isaiah. The chapter highlights God's intervention in the deliverance of Judah from the Assyrians and the downfall of Sennacherib, demonstrating God's power and faithfulness in protecting His people.

2 Kings 19:1-5 (NKJV)
1 And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.
2 Then he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.
3 And they said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah: ‘This day is a day of trouble and rebuke and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth.
4 It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to reproach the living God, and will rebuke the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore, lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’”
5 So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

Hezekiah, devastated by the Assyrian threats, responds with humility and faith. Tearing his clothes and wearing sackcloth symbolize his deep distress. Seeking help from the prophet Isaiah shows his dependence on God’s intervention. The phrase "children have come to birth, but there is no strength" reflects the dire situation, where hope seems imminent but difficult to attain. The appeal to God, through Isaiah, indicates that Hezekiah is asking for God to rebuke the blasphemous claims made by the Assyrians, trusting in God's power to protect the remnant of Judah.

2 Kings 19:6-7 (NKJV)
6 And Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.
7 Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.”’”

Isaiah reassures Hezekiah with a message from God. He tells him not to fear the blasphemous threats of the Assyrians. God promises to deal with the Assyrian king by causing confusion and fear, ultimately leading him to return to his land. The prophecy also reveals that Sennacherib will meet his end by the sword in his own country, a powerful statement showing God's control over all nations and their rulers.

2 Kings 19:8-9 (NKJV)
8 Then the Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he heard that he had departed from Lachish.
9 And the king heard concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, “Look, he has come out to make war with you.” So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

The Rabshakeh, a chief officer of the Assyrian army, returns to find the Assyrian king preoccupied with another conflict. The mention of Tirhakah, king of Ethiopia, adds further pressure to the Assyrian campaign. Sennacherib, sensing the threat of war on multiple fronts, sends another message to Hezekiah, still intent on intimidating Judah and asserting his dominance, even in the face of his growing challenges.

2 Kings 19:10-13 (NKJV)
10 “Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, “Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”
11 Look! You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by utterly destroying them; and shall you be delivered?
12 Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed, Gozan and Haran and Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?
13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?’”

Sennacherib’s new message mocks Hezekiah’s trust in God, aiming to break his spirit. The Assyrian king points to his conquests of other nations, stating that their gods did not save them. This rhetorical challenge is meant to cast doubt on the power of the God of Israel, comparing Him to the powerless idols of other defeated nations. Sennacherib's arrogance reflects his confidence in Assyria’s past military victories, but he underestimates the power of the true God.

2 Kings 19:14-19 (NKJV)
14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord.
15 Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said: “O Lord God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.
16 Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God.
17 Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands,
18 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them.
19 Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone.”

Hezekiah’s response to Sennacherib’s letter is a model of faith. Instead of panicking, he takes the letter to God, laying it before Him in the temple. In his prayer, Hezekiah acknowledges God’s sovereignty over all creation, contrasting the living God with the powerless idols of other nations. He pleads for deliverance not just for Judah’s sake, but to demonstrate to all nations that the Lord is the one true God, capable of saving His people. This prayer reveals Hezekiah’s deep trust in God’s power and glory.

2 Kings 19:20-21 (NKJV)
20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard.’
21 This is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning him:

‘The virgin, the daughter of Zion,
Has despised you, laughed you to scorn;
The daughter of Jerusalem
Has shaken her head behind your back!’

God responds to Hezekiah's prayer through Isaiah, assuring him that his prayer has been heard. The Lord declares that Zion, representing Jerusalem, will scorn and mock Sennacherib. Despite his arrogance, Sennacherib will face humiliation at the hands of a seemingly vulnerable city. This imagery conveys that God will defend His people, and those who defy Him will be put to shame.

2 Kings 19:22-24 (NKJV)
22 “Whom have you reproached and blasphemed?
Against whom have you raised your voice,
And lifted up your eyes on high?
Against the Holy One of Israel.
23 By your messengers you have reproached the Lord,
And said:
‘By the multitude of my chariots
I have come up to the height of the mountains,
To the limits of Lebanon;
I will cut down its tall cedars
And its choice cypress trees;
I will enter the extremity of its borders,
To its fruitful forest.
24 I have dug and drunk strange water,
And with the soles of my feet I have dried up
All the brooks of defense.’”

God directly addresses Sennacherib’s pride, reminding him that his blasphemy and arrogance were not just against Judah but against the “Holy One of Israel.” Sennacherib boasted of his military might, thinking he had conquered the heights of Lebanon and dried up waters, but he failed to recognize that his power was nothing compared to the Almighty.

2 Kings 19:25-26 (NKJV)
25 “Did you not hear long ago
How I made it,
From ancient times that I formed it?
Now I have brought it to pass,
That you should be
For crushing fortified cities into heaps of ruins.
26 Therefore their inhabitants had little power;
They were dismayed and confounded;
They were as the grass of the field
And the green herb,
As the grass on the housetops
And grain blighted before it is grown.”

God reminds Sennacherib that his military victories were only possible because God had allowed them. From ancient times, God had planned for Assyria to rise and conquer nations, but not by Sennacherib’s strength. The defeated nations were powerless like grass in a field, easily overcome by Assyria. Sennacherib's arrogance blinded him to the reality that his success was part of God's overarching plan, not his own doing.

2 Kings 19:27-28 (NKJV)
27 “But I know your dwelling place,
Your going out and your coming in,
And your rage against Me.
28 Because your rage against Me and your tumult
Have come up to My ears,
Therefore I will put My hook in your nose
And My bridle in your lips,
And I will turn you back
By the way which you came.”

God speaks directly to Sennacherib’s rebellion and anger, declaring that He knows all of Sennacherib’s actions. His rage against God has not gone unnoticed. Using powerful imagery of a hook in the nose and a bridle in the lips, God asserts His authority over the Assyrian king, as one would control a wild animal. Sennacherib would be forced to return the way he came, showing that God's power would undo Sennacherib's ambitions.

2 Kings 19:29-31 (NKJV)
29 “This shall be a sign to you:
You shall eat this year such as grows of itself,
And in the second year what springs from the same;
Also in the third year sow and reap,
Plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them.
30 And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah
Shall again take root downward,
And bear fruit upward.
31 For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant,
And those who escape from Mount Zion.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”

God gives Hezekiah a sign that Judah will survive the Assyrian threat. For the first two years, they will rely on what naturally grows, indicating recovery from the devastation of war. By the third year, they will sow and harvest, a sign of stability and future prosperity. God promises that a remnant of Judah will thrive again, planting roots deeply and bearing fruit. The Lord’s zeal ensures that Judah will rise from its crisis, preserved by His power.

2 Kings 19:32-34 (NKJV)
32 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria:
‘He shall not come into this city,
Nor shoot an arrow there,
Nor come before it with shield,
Nor build a siege mound against it.
33 By the way that he came,
By the same shall he return;
And he shall not come into this city,’
Says the Lord.
34 ‘For I will defend this city, to save it
For My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’”

God makes a bold declaration of His protection over Jerusalem. The king of Assyria will not even set foot inside the city, nor will he be able to launch a single arrow or build a siege mound. God assures Hezekiah that Sennacherib will return the way he came, defeated. This promise is grounded in God's commitment to His people, both for the sake of His own name and His covenant with David. God’s defense of Jerusalem showcases His faithfulness and power.

2 Kings 19:35-37 (NKJV)
35 And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead.
36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh.
37 Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the temple of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.

In a miraculous turn of events, the angel of the Lord strikes down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night, rendering Sennacherib’s army powerless. This divine intervention forces the Assyrian king to retreat to Nineveh. Ironically, Sennacherib meets his end while worshiping in the temple of his god, struck down by his own sons. The chapter ends with Sennacherib’s downfall, affirming God's sovereignty and protection over Jerusalem, and how His word against Assyria is fulfilled in a complete reversal of Sennacherib’s boasting.