Topical Encyclopedia
Sennacherib, the king of Assyria from 705 to 681 BC, is a significant figure in the biblical narrative, particularly in the context of idolatry and the challenges he posed to the faith of Israel and Judah. His reign is marked by military campaigns and a notable confrontation with the Kingdom of Judah, which is recorded in the books of 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Isaiah.
Historical ContextSennacherib succeeded his father, Sargon II, and continued the expansionist policies of the Assyrian Empire. His reign is characterized by aggressive military campaigns aimed at consolidating Assyrian power and subduing rebellious territories. The Assyrian Empire, during Sennacherib's time, was a dominant force in the Near East, known for its military prowess and the imposition of its gods and idols upon conquered peoples.
Biblical AccountThe biblical narrative of Sennacherib's invasion of Judah is primarily found in
2 Kings 18-19,
2 Chronicles 32, and
Isaiah 36-37. Sennacherib's campaign against Judah occurred during the reign of King Hezekiah, a king noted for his faithfulness to Yahweh and his efforts to rid Judah of idolatry.
In
2 Kings 18:13, the text states, "In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them." Sennacherib's campaign was not only a military endeavor but also a spiritual challenge, as he sought to undermine the faith of the people of Judah by questioning the power of their God.
Sennacherib's envoy, the Rabshakeh, delivered a message to the people of Jerusalem, mocking their reliance on Yahweh and comparing Him to the gods of other nations that Assyria had conquered. In
2 Kings 18:33-35, the Rabshakeh declares, "Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? Who among all the gods of these lands has delivered his land from my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?"
Hezekiah's Response and Divine InterventionIn response to Sennacherib's threats, King Hezekiah sought the counsel of the prophet Isaiah and turned to prayer, seeking deliverance from the LORD. Hezekiah's prayer is recorded in
2 Kings 19:15-19, where he acknowledges the uniqueness of Yahweh as the one true God, distinct from the idols of the nations.
The LORD's response, delivered through Isaiah, assured Hezekiah of divine intervention. In
2 Kings 19:32-34, the LORD declares, "Therefore this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: 'He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came, he will return; he will not enter this city,' declares the LORD. 'I will defend this city and save it for My sake and for the sake of My servant David.'"
The biblical account concludes with a miraculous deliverance, as recorded 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!"
Sennacherib's Idolatry and DownfallSennacherib's reliance on his gods and his blasphemous challenge to the God of Israel highlight the futility of idolatry. Despite his military might and the apparent power of the Assyrian gods, Sennacherib was ultimately defeated by the sovereign power of Yahweh. His downfall is further emphasized in
2 Kings 19:37, where it is recorded that Sennacherib was assassinated by his own sons while worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch.
The narrative of Sennacherib serves as a powerful testament to the supremacy of the God of Israel over the idols of the nations, reinforcing the biblical condemnation of idolatry and the call to exclusive worship of Yahweh.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
2 Kings 19:37And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Library
Nineveh.
... Sennacherib was murdered in the year 720 by two of his sons, while worshipping his
god ... he strove in vain to undo the evil he had done by bringing in idolatry. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson ix nineveh.htm
The Living One
... living God," so as to be kept from the then coming most awful phase of idolatry
the world ... Isaiah 37:4,17, where it is used against the reproach of Sennacherib. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bullinger/commentary on revelation/the living one.htm
Micah
... in which the city was saved beyond all expectation from an attack by Sennacherib,
iii.12. ... all her enemies, v.7-9. All the apparatus of war and idolatry will be ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/micah.htm
Josiah, a Pattern for the Ignorant.
... The miraculous destruction of Sennacherib's army was not so long since, and it ... such
measures as natural conscience suggested; he put away idolatry generally. ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon vii josiah a pattern.htm
The Kingdom of Judah.
... (2) The invasion of Judah by Sennacherib, king of Assyria who at ... (5) The good reign
of Josiah, who destroyed the altars of idolatry, repaired the temple and ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter xiv the kingdom of.htm
Agency of Evil Spirits.
... mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains," from the army of Sennacherib. ...
He had succeeded in establishing idolatry in every part of the earth except ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /31 agency of evil spirits.htm
Agency of Evil Spirits
... mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains," from the army of Sennacherib. ...
He had succeeded in establishing idolatry in every part of the earth except ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 31 agency of evil.htm
What God Is
... men paint or engrave some similitude of God, and there is idolatry in imagination ...
An angel killed many thousands of Sennacherib's army in one night, what would ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture x what god is.htm
The Harbinger
... The shocking effect of their idolatry upon their moral principles and conduct, not ...
Thus Sennacherib, when sent by the God whom he knew not, to execute his ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 1/sermon ii the harbinger.htm
Book 9 Footnotes
... This looks like a prophet's permission for being partaker in idolatry itself, out ...
Josephus, is the very same that Herodotus gives this Sennacherib, as Spanheim ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/book 9 footnotes.htm
Resources
Is religious iconography considered idolatry? What is an icon? | GotQuestions.orgDo Catholics worship idols / practice idolatry? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the difference between fornication and adultery? | GotQuestions.orgIdolatry: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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