2 Chronicles 32:15, commentary and pictures

The verse belongs to Sennacherib's campaign against Judah after Hezekiah cast off Assyrian rule, when he besieged Lachish, exacted gold and silver from Hezekiah, and sent forces against Jerusalem. The Assyrians pressed the battle to the city gates, but the Lord overthrew them by His angel in answer to the humiliation and prayers of Hezekiah and the people. It is an effort to frighten Jerusalem and turn the people against Hezekiah by calling him deceptive and urging them not to trust him or be persuaded by him. That message was repeated to the people by his servants in order to frighten them.

The argument is that since no god of any nation or kingdom had been able to deliver its people out of his hand and out of the hand of his fathers or predecessors, Judah's God would much less be able to deliver Jerusalem out of his hand. The Assyrian challenge claimed that no nation's god had delivered its people from his power, so Israel's God could not deliver Jerusalem either. In this way the boast belittles God and treats Jehovah as no more powerful than the idols of the nations, which are made by human hands. That comparison is blasphemous and false, and it was disproved when the Lord sent His angel to destroy the Assyrian army.

The appeal used Assyria's victories and the captivity of Israel to discredit Hezekiah and portray Jehovah as powerless. But the fall of the northern kingdom came because Jehovah had withdrawn His protection, which did not show weakness, and He later vindicated His name and delivered Jerusalem. The boast was disproved when the Lord in answer to the humiliation and prayers of Hezekiah and the people saved Hezekiah and Jerusalem by His angel. He struck down the mighty men, leaders and captains of the Assyrian army, destroying 185,000 soldiers in one night, so that Sennacherib returned home in shame. He was later killed by his sons while worshiping his idol.

At the time the angel slew the army it was with the king of Assyria at Libnah and not near Jerusalem. The account therefore does not support the claim that the destruction was a fulfillment of Isaiah 30:33. The surrounding account teaches that when faced with an armed foe the Lord's people need not defend themselves with carnal weapons, for their conflict is spiritual and the Lord helps them and fights for them. As part of Old Testament history connected with God's historical revelation culminating in Christ, the verse widens the horizon and presents the setting for Bible events. It gives spiritual lessons that testify of Christ and make wise unto salvation to eternal life, with Christ as the central light holding all its parts together, unlike the boasting proclamations of heathen kings written to exalt man.