the fourteenth year. This was the first invasion of Judah which Sennacherib's inscription enlarges upon, but is only mentioned here. See note on 2 Kings 18:17 . Compare Isaiah 36:0 , Isaiah 37:0 , and 2 Chronicles 32:0 . all the fenced cities. Forty-six are mentioned in the inscriptions (see App-67 ). read more
THE CAMPAIGN OF SENNACHERIB AGAINST JUDAH IN 701 B.C."Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them. And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. And Hezekiah gave him all the... read more
2 Kings 18:13. Now in the fourteenth year, &c.— As what remains of this chapter, together with the contents of the 19th and 20th, are found in the book of the prophet Isaiah, and with some additional circumstances, we shall defer our comment upon them till we come to that place. read more
13. Sennacherib—the son and successor of Shalmaneser. all the fenced cities of Judah—not absolutely all of them; for, besides the capital, some strong fortresses held out against the invader (2 Kings 18:17; 2 Kings 19:8). The following account of Sennacherib's invasion of Judah and the remarkable destruction of his army, is repeated almost verbatim in 2 Chronicles 32:1-33; Isaiah 36:1-37. The expedition seems to have been directed against Egypt, the conquest of which was long a leading object... read more
2. Sennacherib’s challenge to Hezekiah 18:13-37Samaria’s conqueror, Shalmaneser V, died in 722 B.C. shortly after his conquest. His successor, Sargon II (722-705 B.C.), carried out the deportation of the Israelites. The king who followed him was Sennacherib (705-681 B.C., 2 Kings 18:13). Hezekiah’s fourteenth year (2 Kings 18:13) as sole ruler over Judah was 701 B.C.Sennacherib’s inscriptions claim that he conquered 46 strong cities of Hezekiah, plus many villages. In preparation for his siege... read more
Hezekiah and SennacheribThis chapter describes the reign of Hezekiah of Judah, his religious reforms, and the invasion of Judah by Sennacherib, king of Assyria, who sent one of his officers to demand the surrender of Jerusalem.1. Now it came to pass, etc.] The northern kingdom having been destroyed, the history is henceforward confined to the events connected with Judah only.2. Twenty and five years old] Probably an error, for if Ahaz was only 36 at his death (2 Kings 16:2) his son could... read more
(13-37) THE INVASION OF SENNACHERIB.(13) In the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah.—The fall of Samaria is dated 722-721 B.C. , both by the Bible and by the Assyrian inscriptions. That year was the sixth of Hezekiah, according to 2 Kings 18:10. His fourteenth year, therefore, would be 714-713 B.C. Sennacherib’s own monuments, however, fix the date of the expedition against Judah and Egypt at 701 B.C. (See the careful discussion in Schrader’s Keilinschriften, pp. 313-317.) This divergence is... read more
2 Kings 18:4 I. Turning to Hezekiah's mode of dealing with the brazen serpent, we see that he acted on the principle, common to all genuine reformers, that idolatry is a disease which requires heroic treatment. The only effectual way of getting rid of the superstition was to cut the roots of it. Without hesitation, therefore, he broke the image in pieces. Something would have been wanting to the thoroughness of his action if he had simply destroyed the serpent without giving any reason for... read more
HEZEKIAHB.C. 715-6862 Kings 18:1-37"For Ezekias had done the thing that pleased the Lord, and was strong in the ways of David his father, as Esay the prophet, who was great and faithful in his vision, had commanded him."- Sirach 48:22THE reign of Hezekiah was epoch-making in many respects, but especially for its religious reformation, and the relations of Judah with Assyria and with Babylon. It is also most closely interwoven with the annals of Hebrew prophecy, and acquires unwonted luster from... read more
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 18:13-37
Freed from Assyrian power (18:13-19:37)When news reached Hezekiah that the Assyrian army, under the new king Sennacherib, was heading for Jerusalem, he quickly prepared the defences of the city. He also cut off any water supply outside the city that might be of help to the besieging armies. Above all, he encouraged his troops to trust in God for victory (13; 2 Chronicles 32:1-8). But, on seeing the strength of the siege, Hezekiah began to repent of his rebellion and offered to pay whatever... read more