• Please see License for Copyright notice and Licensing information.
• [ Previous | Next ]

1 After these things, and the establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them for himself.

2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,

3 He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city: and they did help him.

4 So there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?

5 Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.

6 And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them, saying,

7 Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:

8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

9 After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, (but he himself laid siege against Lachish, and all his power with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying,

10 Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem?

11 Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The Lord our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

12 Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it?

13 Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? were the gods of the nations of those lands any ways able to deliver their lands out of mine hand?

14 Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand?

15 Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you on this manner, neither yet believe him: for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand?

16 And his servants spake yet more against the Lord God, and against his servant Hezekiah.

17 He wrote also letters to rail on the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand.

18 Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews' speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city.

19 And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man.

20 And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.

21 And the Lord sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword.

22 Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all other, and guided them on every side.

23 And many brought gifts unto the Lord to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah: so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.

24 In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, and prayed unto the Lord: and he spake unto him, and he gave him a sign.

25 But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

26 Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

27 And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honour: and he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of pleasant jewels;

28 Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks.

29 Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance: for God had given him substance very much.

30 This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.

31 Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.

32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

33 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honour at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.

<html><b>After these deeds of integrity, etc. and planned to make a breach therein</b> - Heb. לְבִקְעָם like לְבָקְעָם like (Amos 2: “For selling (מִכְרָם) [an innocent man] for money,” like (מָכְרָם) and adjacent to that, (ibid. 1:13): “Because they ripped up (בִּקְעָם) the pregnant women of Gilead,” and its meaning and examples of it are (Isa. 7:6): “and let us breach its walls (וְנַבְקְעֶנָה),” and (Gen. 22:3): “Then he split (וַיְבַקַּע) wood for the burnt-offering.”</html>

<html><b>and he reinforced the millo</b> An example is (I Kings 11:27): “built the millo.” <b>and he made many swords</b> - Heb. שֶׁלַח, weapons, similar to (above 23:10): “each one with his sword (שִׁלְחוֹ) in his hand”; (Neh. 4:17): “each man took his sword (שִׁלְחוֹ) to the water.”</html>

<html><b>In what do you trust</b> It is written (I Kings 18:5): “He trusted in the Lord God of Israel,” and it is also written there: (verse 7) “and he rebelled against the king of Assyria.” Therefore, he asked, “In what do you trust” that you have rebelled against me? <b>stay in the siege in Jerusalem</b> as it is written (here): “to die by famine and thirst.”</html>

<html><b>Did not he - Hezekiah -</b> who trusts in his God, did he not transgress? Now even if He had the ability to help him, He would not help him, because he sinned against Him, <b>for he removed His high places and His altars, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem: Before one altar you shall prostrate yourselves</b> Now is it not preferable that the Judeans prostrate themselves before one altar and the Jerusalemites before one, or two and more? What does one altar avail such a large people? For they thought that all those high places that he had removed, as above (31:1): “and cut off the asherim, etc.” were built in the name of the God of Israel.</html>

<html><b>whom my fathers destroyed</b> Pul, the king of Assyria, and Tiglath-Pilneser.</html>

<html><b>And he wrote letters to blaspheme the Lord, the God of Israel</b> And in II Kings (19:14) and in Isaiah (37:14) it is written: “And Hezekiah took the letters from the hand of the messengers and read it; he went up to the House of the Lord, and Hezekiah spread it out before the Lord.”</html>

<html><b>with a loud voice in Judean, etc. to frighten them and to terrify them</b> Here he relates the matter in generalities, but in II Kings (19) and in Isaiah (37) it is thoroughly elaborated upon.</html>

<html><b>And they spoke of the God of Jerusalem</b> The author of this Book complains about the villain Sennacherib, who blasphemed the living God. <b>as of the gods of the peoples of the land</b> which are the handiwork of man, and they compared the God, our Maker, Who formed everything, to the gods of the peoples, who are their own handiwork, as is written above (v. 14): “Who is it among all the gods of, etc. that your God should be able to save you from my hand?”</html>

<html><b>And Hezekiah… prayed</b> In II Kings (19:15–19) and in Isaiah (37:15–19) the prayer is delineated.</html>

<html><b>and some of his own issue</b> as it is written (Isa. 37:38): “and his sons slew him with the sword.”</html>

<html><b>and he prayed to the Lord</b> as is delineated in II Kings (20:3). <b>and he spoke to him</b> What is the sign? <b>and he gave him a sign</b> (ibid. verse 9ff.) “This is your sign, etc.” Everything is delineated there.</html>

<html><b>But…did not repay Him according to that which He had bestowed upon him</b> Hezekiah did not repay the Holy One, blessed be He in accordance with that which He had bestowed upon him by healing him. <b>for his heart became haughty</b> as it is written (ibid. 20:13): “and he showed them his entire treasure-house…and in all his kingdom.” <b>and there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem</b> because of this, and the author of this Book abridged it here because it is described in II Kings (20) and in Isaiah (39).</html>

<html><b>And Hezekiah became humbled when his heart was haughty</b> as it is written there: “And Hezekiah said to Isaiah: [The word of the Lord that you have spoken is] good.” And when he became humble, the wrath did not come upon them in his days.</html>

<html><b>and for all precious vessels</b> he made various kinds of treasure-houses.</html>

<html><b>And storehouses for the increase</b> Regarding storehouses of increase [of grain] it is appropriate to use the term מִסְכְּנוֹת, storehouses, in all places, like (Exod. 1:11): “store cities (עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת) for Pharaoh,” and so, (above 8:4): “And he built Tadmor in the desert and all the store cities (עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת) that he built in Hamath,” and perforce, they were for grain, because in the desert he did not have to store gold and silver. <b>and stalls for all kinds of beasts</b> - Heb. וְאֻרָוֹת, large stables.</html>

<html><b>and he led them straight down on the west</b> He led them along a straight way down on the west to the City of David.</html>

<html><b>And so, because of the emissaries of</b> Heb. בִּמְלִיצֵי, messengers, similar to (Gen. 42:23): “for the interpreter (הַמֵּלִיץ) was between them” because the messenger is the liaison between the sender and the one to whom he is sent. This is related to the verse that states: “and Hezekiah prospered in all his work,” and after all this good, which the Holy One, blessed be He, had bestowed on him, God forsook him to test him, to know what was in his heart through the emissaries of the officers of Babylon, who were sent to him. <b>to seek the sign that was in the land</b> He did not stand up to the test, and he showed them the weakness of his whole house. The verse is to be explained as if the phrases are reversed.</html>

<html><b>in the best</b> - Heb. בְּמַעֲלֵה, in the best, as is explained at the end of the first chapter of <i>Baba Kamma</i> (16b).</html>