Analysis of 2 Kings Chapter 18
2 Kings Chapter 18 marks a significant turning point in the history of the Kingdom of Judah, ushering in the reign of King Hezekiah. This chapter is rich in historical, theological, and moral themes that provide valuable lessons for contemporary readers. Through Hezekiah’s reforms, the Assyrian threat, and the covenantal faithfulness, this chapter offers a unique insight into the challenges and triumphs of a godly king leading his people through turbulent times. The analysis below delves into the key elements and verses of this chapter, providing a comprehensive and insightful examination.
Hezekiah’s Reign and Reforms (Verses 1-8)
“In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.) Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the LORD and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses. And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. From watchtower to fortified city, he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory.”
The chapter begins by situating Hezekiah’s reign within the timeline of Israel’s divided monarchy, establishing his ascendancy in a period fraught with idolatry and political instability. Hezekiah is introduced as a king who “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD,” akin to his ancestor David. This description immediately sets the tone for his reign, highlighting a return to covenantal faithfulness.
One of Hezekiah’s most significant accomplishments was his religious reforms. By removing high places, sacred stones, and Asherah poles, Hezekiah directly confronted the syncretism that had plagued Judah. These actions echoed the Deuteronomic code, which forbade the worship of foreign gods and emphasized the worship of Yahweh alone. The destruction of the bronze serpent, which had erroneously become an object of worship, further demonstrated Hezekiah’s commitment to pure worship. The reference to the bronze serpent (Nehushtan) connects back to Numbers 21:8-9, symbolizing the need to continually refocus on true worship rather than ancient relics.
Hezekiah’s trust in the Lord and his unwavering dedication are highlighted as unparalleled among the kings of Judah. His faith and reforms are further validated by divine favor, as the text notes that “the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook.” This success is evidenced by his rebellion against Assyria and his victories over the Philistines, showing that spiritual faithfulness and political/military success were interconnected in the biblical narrative.
Assyrian Threat and Challenges (Verses 9-16)
“In King Hezekiah’s fourth year, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and laid siege to it. At the end of three years, the Assyrians took it. So Samaria was captured in Hezekiah’s sixth year, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel. The king of Assyria deported Israel to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes. This happened because they had not obeyed the LORD their God, but had violated his covenant—all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. They neither listened to the commands nor carried them out.”
“In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: ‘I have done wrong. Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me.’ The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the temple of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace. At this time Hezekiah king of Judah stripped off the gold with which he had covered the doors and doorposts of the temple of the LORD, and gave it to the king of Assyria.”
These verses detail the Assyrian conquest of Israel and their subsequent threat to Judah. The fall of Samaria serves as a backdrop that emphasizes the seriousness of the Assyrian menace and juxtaposes Hezekiah’s Judah with apostate Israel. The theological reason for Israel’s downfall is clearly articulated as covenantal unfaithfulness, thereby stressing the importance of adherence to God’s commands.
In Hezekiah’s fourteenth year, the Assyrian threat looms over Judah as Sennacherib captures the fortified cities. Hezekiah’s initial response is one of conciliation; he admits wrongdoing and agrees to pay a substantial tribute. The extraction of silver and gold from the temple and palace underscores Judah’s vulnerability and the economic strain imposed by Assyrian demands. This passage reflects the tension between political expediency and religious integrity. While Hezekiah’s earlier reforms showcased his fidelity, the tribute to Assyria demonstrates the pragmatic challenges leaders face in safeguarding their people while trying to remain faithful to their divine mandate.
Sennacherib’s Deception and Hezekiah’s Faith (Verses 17-25)
“The king of Assyria sent his supreme commander, his chief officer and his field commander with a large army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They came up to Jerusalem and stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field. They called for the king; and Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to them.
“The field commander said to them, ‘Tell Hezekiah:
‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? You say you have counsel and might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me? Look, I know you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. But if you say to me, ‘We are depending on the LORD our God’—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?
Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them! How can you repulse one officer of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?'”
As the narrative progresses, the Assyrian field commander (Rabshakeh) employs psychological warfare to intimidate and demoralize Jerusalem’s inhabitants. The strategic location at the aqueduct of the upper pool recalls Isaiah’s prophecy during King Ahaz’s reign (Isaiah 7), suggesting a continuity of divine assurance despite political threats.
The Rabshakeh’s message seeks to undermine Hezekiah’s leadership and faith. He questions Hezekiah’s source of confidence, mocking both potential alliances with Egypt and reliance on Yahweh. The argument is cleverly framed to sow doubt among the people, even twisting Hezekiah’s reforms to suggest that he has angered Yahweh by centralizing worship in Jerusalem. This reflection on strategic misinformation highlights the mental and spiritual battles that accompany physical conflict.
The Rabshakeh’s mocking offer to provide horses, knowing Judah cannot muster riders, further seeks to belittle Hezekiah’s military readiness. This taunt underlines the seeming futility of resisting Assyria’s might. The emphasis is on the disproportionate power dynamics, creating a palpable sense of dread and challenging the people’s faith in God’s protection.
Hezekiah’s Response and the People’s Silence (Verses 26-37)
“Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, ‘Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.’
But the commander replied, ‘Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?’
Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew: ‘Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you from my hand. Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, ‘The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’
‘Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree and drink water from your own cistern, until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life and not death!
‘Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?'”
At this juncture, Hezekiah’s officials request the Rabshakeh to converse in Aramaic, hoping to shield the populace from his demoralizing rhetoric. The Rabshakeh, however, deliberately speaks in Hebrew to ensure that his threats reach the common people, amplifying panic and hopelessness.
The Rabshakeh starkly describes the harrowing conditions under siege, aiming to break the will of the defenders by predicting suffering and cannibalism. He reiterates his message in Hebrew, stressing that Hezekiah cannot save them and disparaging Yahweh’s power compared to other defeated gods. This direct confrontation with Judah’s faith is designed to fracture the people’s trust in both their king and their God.
The Rabshakeh’s ‘offer’ of peace, promising prosperity under Assyrian rule, seduces with visions of agrarian idyll while masking the reality of exile. The appeal to “choose life and not death” echoes biblical covenant language but ironically twists it to serve Assyrian propaganda. The invocation of Assyria’s victories over other gods and nations culminates in a blasphemous assertion of Assyrian supremacy over Yahweh, setting the stage for a dramatic conflict between divine and earthly power.
Despite the intimidation, the people’s silence (as commanded by Hezekiah) mirrors an act of collective discipline and faith. This restraint in the face of provocation is a powerful testament to Hezekiah’s influence and the people’s underlying trust in their covenant relationship with God.
Concluding Reflections
2 Kings Chapter 18 provides a multifaceted portrayal of Hezekiah’s leadership characterized by unwavering faith and proactive reform, contrasted against the backdrop of overwhelming political and military threats. His actions reflect a deep commitment to covenantal fidelity, emphasizing the centrality of pure worship and trust in God. The Assyrian challenge, both physical and psychological, magnifies the stakes of this faith, as Hezekiah must navigate between political pragmatism and theological integrity.
This chapter mirrors the broader biblical narrative of faith under siege, typifying the cyclical struggle between divine guidance and worldly pressures. The fidelity of Hezekiah’s reign prefigures the ultimate deliverance that God provides to the faithful, while also foreshadowing the ultimate deliverance through Jesus Christ, who embodies perfect faithfulness and divine kingship.
The lessons from Hezekiah’s reign are timeless, urging contemporary believers to remain steadfast in their faith, prioritize genuine worship, and trust in God’s sovereignty even amid formidable challenges. Such unwavering fidelity promises divine favor and success, echoing the biblical assurance that God remains with those who are faithful to His covenant.