Tyndale Open Study Notes2 Chronicles 32

The Chronicler summarizes the long account of the siege against Jerusalem in twenty-three verses (compare 2 Kings 18:17–19:37; Isaiah 36–38). God responded to King Sennacherib of Assyria's attack by blessing Judah and Hezekiah for their faithfulness in seeking the Lord.

Sennacherib's attack was not a surprise; Hezekiah provoked it by breaking a treaty (2 Kings 18:7, 20). Water was crucial for both attackers and defenders during sieges. Hezekiah ensured Sennacherib's army could not access the city's water supply. In a famous ancient engineering feat, Hezekiah's tunnel connected the fresh waters of the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam, providing water within the city walls. This tunnel is almost 530 meters long (about 580 yards or one-third of a mile) and about two meters (six feet) high. The Hezekiah inscription, found in the tunnel in 1880, describes how the excavators met to connect the two ends. Although much of the tunnel used natural underground aqueducts, it was a brilliant strategy to protect the city's citizens.

The Assyrian king's threats highlighted the main issues for the people of Jerusalem. The real question was whether to trust in God. The enemy king claimed Hezekiah could not be trusted (2 Chronicles 32:11–12) because he had angered the Lord by removing God's shrines and altars. However, the opposite was true. This reform was Hezekiah's greatest act of loyalty to the Lord. The question was whether God could be trusted against Assyria's power (2 Chronicles 32:11–15).

The fate of Sennacherib is similar to the story in the Book of Kings (see 2 Kings 19:35–37).

The Chronicler concludes the story by showing that Assyria's disaster led to peace in Judah. Both the Lord and Hezekiah gained respect from other nations.

Hezekiah and the people's sincere repentance pleased God, so the Lord did not show anger during Hezekiah's lifetime.

Hezekiah's wealth made him a king similar to Solomon.

The visit by the Babylonian envoys is described in more detail in 2 Kings 20:12–20. The Chronicler explains God's reasons for that visit.