Bible Commentaries

SENNACHERIB’S INVASION AND DEFEAT, 2 Chronicles 32:1-23.

1. And the establishment thereof — Literally, and this truth; allusion to the “good and right and truth,” (2 Chronicles 31:20,) which Hezekiah wrought.

Sennacherib… came — 2 Chronicles 32:1-8 are to be understood of Sennacherib’s first invasion of Judah, and are parallel with 2 Kings 18:13-16, where see notes. A comparison of the two passages will show that this is largely supplementary to Kings, informing us of the provision Hezekiah made for defending his capital against the Assyrian invader.

3. To stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city — The object was thereby to distress the enemy, by preventing him from obtaining water near the city. He probably not only hid the springs from view, but drew off the water by secret aqueducts into the city.

4. The brook that ran through the midst of the land is probably the Gihon, and the work wrought on it identical with what is more fully described in 2 Chronicles 32:30. See also 2 Kings 20:20, note.

5. The wall that was broken — What particular part of the walls, and when and how they were broken, is not told. Rawlinson suggests that they had fallen by neglect and carelessness in the reign of Ahaz, or by the natural process of decay, and were hastily repaired with the ruins of neighbouring houses. Isaiah 22:10.

Raised it up to the towers — The Hebrew text reads, literally, he brought up upon the towers, but the meaning is obscure. The text seems to be defective, and the most plausible emendation is, he raised up towers upon it; that is, he built towers upon the wall. Perhaps he merely fortified the towers which Uzziah had built. 2 Chronicles 26:9.

Another wall without — Thought by some to be the wall of the lower city, but the reference is uncertain.

Millo — The ancient fortress or rampart which David built on Zion. See note on 2 Samuel 5:11.

6. The street of the gate of the city — This is indefinite, but may most naturally be understood of a broad open space in front of the principal gate of the city, perhaps the northern gate, or “gate of Ephraim.” 2 Kings 14:13; Nehemiah 8:16.

Spake comfortably — Encouragingly. Compare chap. 2 Chronicles 30:22, note. Hezekiah’s words of faith and encouragement, as here given, do not well accord with his submission and payment of treasure to the invader, as recorded in 2 Kings 18:14-16. But the records are by no means contradictory. Together they furnish a lesson of human weakness. The people for awhile were encouraged by Hezekiah’s words, (2 Chronicles 32:8,) but when Sennacherib had captured “all the fenced cities of Judah,” (2 Kings 18:13,) they probably became disheartened, and Hezekiah himself trembled for the safety of his capital, and was glad to hire the invader to depart.

2 Chronicles 32:9-23 are a brief summary of the events of Sennacherib’s second invasion. This is much more fully detailed in 2 Kings 18:17-19; 2 Kings 18:37, where see notes. The rest of the chapter (2 Chronicles 32:24-33) is also an abbreviation of what is more fully recorded in 2 Kings 20.

27. Pleasant jewels — Rather, precious vessels. The reference may be to jewels or to splendid furniture.

28. Cotes for flocks — Rather, flocks for the stalls. He not only provided stalls for cattle, but cattle for the stalls.

33. In the chiefest of the sepulchres — Or, in the ascent of the sepulchres of the sons of David — This may mean either a slope or ascent leading to the royal sepulchre, or some elevation above the sepulchre — a higher place than that where the other kings were buried. Perhaps there was no more room in the sepulchre of David.