2 Chronicles 32

Hezekiah prepares for attack by Sennacherib 1
Hezekiah prepared the wall and the army 5
Blasphemy of Sennacherib and prayer 9
Assyrian host destroyed by an angel 21
Hezekiah prays for healing 24
He is humbled by God 25
National wealth 27
Error in showing all to the Babylonians 31
His death; Manesseh follows 32
Text
Comments
Except for verses 2 to 8, this chapter parallels 2ki1813 to 2021 and is36 to 39.
.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?
  1 - Win them He had conquered many cities already 2ki1813. His annals record having taken 46 walled cities of Judah and 200,150 captives.
  4 - Fountains The main spring was called the Gihon v30. It was in a cave. The Jebusites had made its water accessible by a shaft within the city 2sa0508. Later an aqueduct sent it to the Lower Pool is2209. Hezekiah made a new aqueduct taking the water to the Pool of Siloam 2ki2020, ne0315, jn0907.
.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.
  5 - Built up ... wall ... broken See is2209.
  6 - Street An open place.
  6 - Spake comfortably Literally "spoke to their hearts."
  7 - More with us He had remembered the statement or Elisha 2ki0616.
.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?
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 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.
   13 - Know ye not ... other lands? Here is the strong argument declaring that Jerusalem has no chance but to give in to the Assyrians. We may personally feel that the call of Christ requires too much forgetting that He promises the needed help ph0413. See more information at 2ki1833,34.
  14 - Among all the gods Compare 2ki1835.
  15 - Hezekiah deceive Hezekiah was strong because he appealed to the God of heaven. The argument of 2 ki1829,30 continues.
 17 He wrote also letters to rail on the LORD God of Israel [And he wrote letters to cast contempt on the LORD the God of Israel (RSV)], 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.   17 - Letters Reference is to the message Sennacherib sent when the messengers had returned to Libnah, when they learned that Egyptian armies under Tirhakah were coming to help Hezekiah. See 2ki1908-14.
 
 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.
  18 - Jews' speech. "After having mentioned the letter sent by the envoys on their second trip to Jerusalem, the chronicler now either returns to an incident that occurred earlier in the first visit (2ki18:28), which he gives in greatly abbreviated form, or mentions as a second propaganda attempt 'to affright them, and to trouble' the people." (SDA Bible Commentary).
  20 - Isaiah He had been called to pray. He assured Hezekiah that the Lord would send a blast on Sennacherib 2ki1901-7.
.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.
  21 - Sent an angel Compare the parallel account: 2ki19,34,36 and is3736,37.
.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.
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.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.
 28 - And store-houses for the produce of grain and wine and oil; and buildings for all sorts of beasts and flocks. (Bible in Basic English).
 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.
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.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.
  33 - Chiefest The word isn't precisely understood. See it in nu3404. Hezekiah may have been buried at a higher place on the cliff. The NIV reads "where the tombs of David's descendants are."
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