2 Chronicles 32:22
Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all other, and guided them on every side. Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all other, and guided them on every side.
Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and guided and protected them on every side. The rescue reached beyond the Assyrian forces to every other threat and danger, and His care continued afterward in guiding them on every side. Sennacherib came against Jerusalem with a great display of power and tried to discourage its people by making light of God. He argued with emphasis in their hearing that since no god of any nation or kingdom had been able to deliver his people out of the hand of Assyria, the God of Hezekiah could do so even less.
The Lord answered by sending an angel who cut off all the mighty men of valor and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. The angel struck down its warriors and leaders, overthrowing the Assyrians, so Sennacherib returned with shame of face to his own land in disgrace. The deliverance followed and brought relief after the prayer of Hezekiah and Isaiah. The overthrow by the angel came in answer to the humility and prayers of Hezekiah and the people.
The victory vindicated the Lord against the Assyrians' blasphemous claims. It displayed to Judah and the surrounding nations that the God of heaven is mightier than the gods of the nations, leading the surrounding nations to honor the Lord and to honor Hezekiah. The rescue was miraculous, accomplished by God's direct intervention rather than human strength. It shows that God is willing and able to help His people when they seek Him wholeheartedly. The deliverance teaches that God's people need not defend themselves with carnal weapons against an armed foe, for the Lord helps them and fights their battles.
The victory and the gifts it brought should have reminded the people of human weakness and of God's greatness and mercy, and given Hezekiah an opportunity to honor God. Instead they became a source of pride and were treated as evidence of human power. The chapter's account of the Assyrian campaign does not fulfill Isaiah 30:33 concerning the destruction of the Assyrian army, since the army was not shown to have perished in Tophet, and the king returned to his own land and died there.