2 Chronicles 32:11, commentary and pictures

Sennacherib king of Assyria sent the taunt by his servants from Lachish while he was besieging it with all his power, to Hezekiah king of Judah and to all Judah abiding the siege in Jerusalem, after the Assyrians had captured cities and sent forces against Jerusalem. Ancient Assyrian records support the biblical account of that campaign.

The message asked whereon the besieged people trusted in remaining in the city, and charged that Hezekiah was persuading them to give themselves over to die by famine and by thirst by saying Jehovah their God would deliver them out of the hand of the king of Assyria. It was meant to frighten and discourage Jerusalem by making light of God and slurring His power, treating Him like the powerless idols of other nations. His servants repeated with much emphasis in the ears of the people of Jerusalem that no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver from Assyria, much less their God.

In answer to Hezekiah and the people's humiliation and prayers, the LORD overthrew the Assyrians by His angel. In one night the angel killed 185,000 men and cut off all the mighty men of valor and the leaders and captains in the camp, so Sennacherib returned with shame of face to his own land at Nineveh, where he was later killed by his sons. The account places Hezekiah among the good kings and shows that God was willing to help His people when they sought Him with all their heart and acted mightily for them. The miraculous deliverance proved that the LORD can save His people and is greater than human rulers and their gods.

The chapter does not support identifying the Tophet of Isaiah 30:33 with the destruction of the Assyrian army, for the army was not near Jerusalem when the angel struck but was with the king at Libnah, and the king returned to his own land and died there, so the passage does not describe his death in Tophet. The verse belongs to 2 Chronicles 30 to 33 set for June 21, to be read not only for contemporary history of the kings and for the setting of Bible events that widens the horizon but for precious spiritual lessons. Old Testament history was not written like the boasting proclamations of heathen kings to exalt man but is connected with God's historical revelation culminating in Christ, who as the central sun holds its parts together and sheds light through all Scripture testifying of Him to make readers wise unto salvation to eternal life.

The lesson drawn is that God's people need not use carnal weapons to defend themselves against an armed enemy, for their conflict is not with flesh and blood unless they make it so. The verse is an example of enemies of truth resorting to the argument of slur to make advocates of righteousness appear mean and insignificant when they fail by legitimate contention.