2 Kings 19:1-13

2 Kings 19:1-13

[1] And it came to pass, when king  Hezekiah  heard  it, that he rent  his clothes,  and covered  himself with sackcloth,  and went  into the house  of the LORD.  [2] And he sent  Eliakim,  which was over the household,  and Shebna  the scribe,  and the elders  of the priests,  covered  with sackcloth,  to Isaiah  the prophet  the son  of Amoz.  [3] And they said  Hezekiah,  This day  of trouble,  and of rebuke,  and blasphemy:  for the children  are come  to the birth,  and there is not strength  to bring forth.  [4] It may be  the LORD  thy God  will hear  all the words  of Rabshakeh,  whom the king  of Assyria  his master  hath sent  to reproach  the living  God;  and will reprove  the words  which the LORD  thy God  hath heard:  wherefore lift up  thy prayer  for the remnant  that are left.  [5] So the servants  of king  Hezekiah  came  to Isaiah.  [6] And Isaiah  said  to your master,  Thus saith  the LORD,  Be not afraid  of  the words  which thou hast heard,  with which the servants  of the king  of Assyria  have blasphemed  me. [7] Behold, I will send  a blast  upon him, and he shall hear  a rumour,  and shall return  to his own land;  and I will cause him to fall  by the sword  in his own land.  [8] So Rabshakeh  returned,  and found  the king  of Assyria  warring  against Libnah:  for he had heard  that he was departed  from Lachish.  [9] And when he heard  say  of Tirhakah  king  of Ethiopia,  Behold, he is come out  to fight  against thee: he sent  messengers  again  unto Hezekiah,  saying,  [10] Thus shall ye speak  to Hezekiah  king  of Judah,  saying,  Let not thy God  in whom thou trustest  deceive  thee, saying,  Jerusalem  shall not be delivered  into the hand  of the king  of Assyria.  [11] Behold, thou hast heard  what the kings  of Assyria  have done  to all lands,  by destroying them utterly:  and shalt thou be delivered?  [12] Have the gods  of the nations  delivered  them which my fathers  have destroyed;  as Gozan,  and Haran,  and Rezeph,  and the children  of Eden  which were in Thelasar?  [13] Where is the king  of Hamath,  and the king  of Arpad,  and the king  of the city  of Sepharvaim,  of Hena,  and Ivah? 

What does 2 Kings 19:1-13 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Hezekiah"s response to this crisis was to turn to Yahweh in prayer and to His prophet for an answer. He sensed his position under Yahweh"s authority, humbled himself, and sought God"s help (cf2Samuel7; 1 Kings 8). God rewarded Hezekiah"s attitude and assured him of success because the Assyrians had challenged the reputation of Yahweh.
God"s method of deliverance involved harassing the Assyrian army. First Libnah, a town a few miles northeast of Lachish, needed Sennacherib"s attention. Then he received word that the king of Cush (southern Egypt) was coming to attack from the southwest, the direction opposite from Libnah and Jerusalem. These divinely sent diversions caused Sennacherib to suspend his siege of Jerusalem.