Topical Bible: Jerusalem: Besieged by Sennacherib

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Historical Context:
The siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, is a significant event recorded in the Bible, occurring during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah. This event is documented in several biblical passages, including 2 Kings 18-19, 2 Chronicles 32, and Isaiah 36-37. Sennacherib's campaign against Judah took place around 701 BC, during a period when the Assyrian Empire was expanding its territory and influence across the Near East.

Biblical Account:
The narrative begins with Sennacherib's invasion of Judah after Hezekiah's refusal to continue paying tribute to Assyria. The Assyrian king captured several fortified cities of Judah, as recorded in 2 Kings 18:13: "In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them."

As Sennacherib's forces approached Jerusalem, Hezekiah sought to fortify the city and prepare for the impending siege. Hezekiah's efforts included strengthening the city's defenses and securing the water supply by constructing the Siloam Tunnel, as noted in 2 Chronicles 32:2-4.

Hezekiah's Faith and Prayer:
Despite the overwhelming threat, Hezekiah demonstrated remarkable faith in God. He sought the counsel of the prophet Isaiah and turned to prayer. In 2 Kings 19:15-19, Hezekiah's prayer is recorded, where he humbly petitions the LORD for deliverance: "And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD: 'O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.'"

Divine Intervention:
In response to Hezekiah's faith and prayer, God delivered Jerusalem from the Assyrian threat. The angel of the LORD struck down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in their camp, as described in 2 Kings 19:35: "That night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies!"

This miraculous intervention forced Sennacherib to withdraw and return to Nineveh, where he was later assassinated by his own sons, as recorded in 2 Kings 19:36-37.

Theological Significance:
The siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib serves as a powerful testament to God's sovereignty and faithfulness. It underscores the importance of trusting in the LORD, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Hezekiah's reliance on prayer and his consultation with the prophet Isaiah highlight the role of faith and divine guidance in overcoming adversity.

The event also illustrates God's protection of His chosen city, Jerusalem, and His commitment to preserving the Davidic line, through which the Messiah would eventually come. The deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib's siege is a vivid demonstration of God's power to save and His ability to intervene in human history for the sake of His people.

Nave's Topical Index

2 Kings 18:13-37
Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.
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2 Kings 19:20-37
Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus said the LORD God of Israel, That which you have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.
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2 Chronicles 32:1
After these things, and the establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them for himself.
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Library

How Sennacherib Made an Expedition against Hezekiah; What
... the gates, and willingly received his army into Jerusalem. ... and that he should not
be besieged at this ... upon the Assyrians, this king Sennacherib was disturbed ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 1 how sennacherib made.htm

Nineveh.
... He invaded Judea, took forty-six cities, and besieged Jerusalem, raising a mound
to ... named Merodach Baladan had set himself up against Sennacherib, and sought ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson ix nineveh.htm

Deliverance from Assyria
... which thou hast prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of ... laughed thee to scorn; the
daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken ... dried up all the rivers of besieged places ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 30 deliverance from assyria.htm

The Great Slaughters and Sacrilege that were in Jerusalem.
... numbers of those that were besieged, only he ... a temple at Jerusalem, or towards Jerusalem
itself, in ... and truly miraculous deliverance from Sennacherib, king of ...
/.../chapter 13 the great slaughters.htm

Sennacherib (705-681 BC )
... thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not ... Sennacherib, without a moment's
hesitation, crossed the ... whose number is unequalled, I besieged and took ...
/.../chapter isennacherib 705-681 b c.htm

Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
... after Hezekiah's religious reign, and the miraculous destruction of Sennacherib's
army, fell ... when the army of the Chaldeans had besieged Jerusalem, the Jews ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon ix jeremiah a lesson.htm

The Antiquities of the Jews
... CHAPTER 1. How Sennacherib Made An Expedition Against Hezekiah; What. ... Aretas And
Hyrcanus Made An Expedition Against Aristobulus And Besieged Jerusalem; And How ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/the antiquities of the jews/

The Tangled Web
... defenses were forsaken while the besieged fell upon ... possessed the first fortification
around Jerusalem, the Wall ... upon the site of Sennacherib's Assyrian bivouac ...
/.../miller/the city of delight/chapter xvii the tangled web.htm

The Hebrew Prophecies.
... each other,...besides the repeated predictions as to the destruction of the mighty
hosts of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, which besieged Jerusalem, and the ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter v the hebrew prophecies.htm

Palestine under Pagan Kings.
... Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian monarch, besieged and took ... to complete the desolation
of Judah and Jerusalem. ... Sennacherib, the monarch who reigned seven hundred ...
/.../headley/half hours in bible lands volume 2/palestine under pagan kings.htm