2 Chronicles 32

32:1-23 The Chronicler summarizes in twenty-three verses the lengthy account of the siege against Jerusalem (cp. 2 Kgs 18:17–19:37; Isa 36–38). God’s response to the attack of King Sennacherib of Assyria was a blessing that resulted from Judah’s and Hezekiah’s faithfulness in seeking the Lord.

32:3-5 Sennacherib’s attack did not come as a surprise; Hezekiah provoked it by breaking a treaty (2 Kgs 18:7, 20). Because water was critical to both attacker and defender in siege warfare, Hezekiah made sure that Sennacherib’s army would not have access to the city’s water supply. In one of the most famous engineering feats of ancient times, Hezekiah’s tunnel connected the fresh waters of the Gihon Spring to the pool of Siloam, making water accessible from within the city walls. This famous tunnel is almost one-third of a mile long (approximately 580 yards [530 meters]) and about six feet [2 meters] high. The famous Hezekiah inscription, discovered in the tunnel in 1880, describes how the excavators met to join the two ends. Although much of the tunnel consisted of natural underground aqueducts, it was a tremendous strategy for protecting the citizens of the city.

32:10-19 The Assyrian king’s threats clarified the critical issues for the people of Jerusalem. The real question was whether or not to trust in God. The enemy king suggested that Hezekiah could not be trusted (32:11-12) because he had offended the Lord by tearing down God’s shrines and altars. However, just the opposite was true. This reform was Hezekiah’s greatest act of faithfulness to the Lord. The question came down to whether God could be trusted against the power of Assyria (32:11-15).

32:21 The fate of Sennacherib is reported similarly to the account in Kings (see 2 Kgs 19:35-37).

32:22-23 The Chronicler’s conclusion provides a fitting end to the story: The disaster for Assyria resulted in domestic peace for Judah, and both the Lord and Hezekiah received honor from other nations.

32:26 The humble repentance of both Hezekiah and the people pleased God, so the Lord’s anger did not fall on them during Hezekiah’s lifetime.

32:27-30 Hezekiah’s wealth marked him as a king like Solomon.

32:31 The details of the visit by the Babylonian envoys is recorded more fully in 2 Kgs 20:12-20. The Chronicler provides a commentary on God’s purposes in that visit.