2 Chronicles 32:15 kjv
Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you on this manner, neither yet believe him: for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand?
2 Chronicles 32:15 nkjv
Now therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or persuade you like this, and do not believe him; for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand?' "
2 Chronicles 32:15 niv
Now do not let Hezekiah deceive you and mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my predecessors. How much less will your god deliver you from my hand!"
2 Chronicles 32:15 esv
Now, therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you in this fashion, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!'"
2 Chronicles 32:15 nlt
Don't let Hezekiah deceive you! Don't let him fool you like this! I say it again ? no god of any nation or kingdom has ever yet been able to rescue his people from me or my ancestors. How much less will your God rescue you from my power!"
2 Chronicles 32 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 5:2 | But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.” | Pharaoh's similar arrogant challenge to God's authority. |
| Exod 15:11 | “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” | Affirmation of God's unique power above all gods. |
| Deut 4:35 | To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord Himself is God; there is none other besides Him. | God's uniqueness and sole divinity. |
| Deut 4:39 | Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. | Reiterates God's supreme and sole authority. |
| 1 Sam 4:8 | “Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness." | Pagan recognition, though distorted, of God's power. |
| Ps 33:16-17 | No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength... a horse is a vain hope for safety... | Deliverance is not by human might, but God's. |
| Ps 44:6 | For I will not trust in my bow, Nor shall my sword save me. | Deliverance comes from God, not human weapons. |
| Ps 115:3-7 | But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases... Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands... They have mouths, but they do not speak; | Contrasting the living God with powerless idols. |
| Isa 10:10-11 | As my hand has reached the kingdoms of the idols, whose carved images were more numerous than those of Jerusalem and Samaria, Shall I not, as I have done to Samaria and her idols | Sennacherib's previous victories used as an argument. |
| Isa 10:15 | Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? | God's response to Assyria's arrogance, a tool in God's hand. |
| Isa 14:24-27 | The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying, “Surely as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, And as I have purposed, so it shall stand... to break the Assyrian in My land." | God's sovereign plan to break Assyria. |
| Isa 30:7 | For the Egyptians are mere men, and not God; And their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, both he who helps and he who is helped will fall | Trusting in human alliances (Egypt) instead of God. |
| Isa 36:18-20 | beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Has any of the gods of the nations delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria?... | Parallel account and very similar blasphemous speech. |
| Isa 37:10-13 | “Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, “Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king | Another rendition of Sennacherib's identical message. |
| Isa 37:18-19 | Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the nations and their lands; and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s | Hezekiah's prayer acknowledges the human origin of other "gods." |
| Isa 43:10 | You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, | God declaring His singular existence before all others. |
| Isa 44:6-8 | Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God...’ | YHWH as the exclusive and eternal God. |
| Isa 45:5 | I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, | God asserting His solitary divinity and sovereignty. |
| Jer 10:10-12 | But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King... The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under | Contrasting the living God with false, perishing gods. |
| Hos 1:7 | Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, Nor by sword or battle, By horses or horsemen. | God promises deliverance, not by human means. |
| Rom 1:21-23 | because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God... and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man— | Humans substituting created things for the Creator. |
| Col 2:8 | Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. | Warning against being deceived by human ideologies. |
2 Chronicles 32 verses
2 Chronicles 32 15 Meaning
2 Chronicles 32:15 records Sennacherib's defiant and blasphemous message to the people of Judah during the siege of Jerusalem. He commands them not to be deceived or persuaded by King Hezekiah to trust in their God. His argument is rooted in a syncretistic, polytheistic worldview, claiming that no god of any nation or kingdom, neither in his own campaigns nor those of his fathers, had been able to deliver their people from the might of Assyria. Therefore, he arrogantly concludes, their God (YHWH) would be even less able to deliver Judah from his powerful hand. This statement represents the pinnacle of Assyrian pride and a direct challenge to the uniqueness and sovereignty of the God of Israel.
2 Chronicles 32 15 Context
2 Chronicles 32:15 is a pivotal statement within the larger narrative of Sennacherib's invasion of Judah, specifically during the siege of Jerusalem (701 BC). King Hezekiah had implemented significant religious reforms, purifying the temple and restoring true worship of YHWH. This revival made the subsequent Assyrian threat a theological battle as much as a military one. Sennacherib, after devastating other cities in Judah, set his sights on Jerusalem. His strategy included psychological warfare, and this verse is part of his taunting message delivered by his high-ranking officials to the people on the wall, aiming to sow distrust between them and their king, and ultimately, to erode their faith in God's ability to protect them. Sennacherib’s speech frames the conflict not just as one nation against another, but as Assyria's gods/might against the God of Judah, presuming that YHWH is merely another local deity susceptible to the same fate as those of other conquered nations. This boast sets the stage for God's miraculous intervention, showcasing His unique power in contrast to Sennacherib's arrogance.
2 Chronicles 32 15 Word analysis
- Now therefore: Connects this statement directly to his preceding accusations and threats. It marks a decisive conclusion in his propaganda.
- do not let Hezekiah deceive (Heb. nāśāʾ - נָשָׁא): To delude, to lead astray, to beguile. Implies that Hezekiah's call for trust in YHWH is a trick or falsehood, aiming to trap the people. Sennacherib frames divine trust as a form of human manipulation.
- or persuade (Heb. pātâ - פָּתָה): To entice, seduce, flatter, convince. While nāśāʾ suggests deception, pātâ implies a more insidious attempt to win them over through plausible, but false, arguments or enticements. It suggests Hezekiah is trying to sway their will.
- in this manner: Refers to Hezekiah's exhortations to trust in God, which were meant to give hope and resolve. Sennacherib dismisses such exhortations as merely a 'manner' or a method of human manipulation.
- and do not believe him: A direct command not to have faith or trust (ʾāman - אָמַן) in Hezekiah's words, implicitly, not in the God Hezekiah speaks of. This strikes at the heart of their relationship with both king and God.
- for no god: This phrase introduces Sennacherib's core argument: a general theological premise for him, asserting the consistent failure of all deities when facing Assyrian power.
- of any nation or kingdom: Emphasizes the universal scope of Assyria's conquests. Assyria had overcome numerous local and national deities, collecting their treasures and absorbing their people. This forms the basis of Sennacherib's perceived supremacy.
- was able to deliver (Heb. nāṣal - נָצַל): To snatch away, rescue, pull out, deliver from danger. This verb highlights the act of salvation or rescue. Sennacherib declares no god has successfully rescued their people from Assyrian might.
- his people: Refers to the adherents or worshipers of specific national gods, implying a failure of the deity to protect its followers.
- from my hand: (Heb. miyadî - מִיַּדִּי) "From my power/dominion." The "hand" metaphorically represents power, authority, and control. This phrase, repeated twice, underlines Sennacherib's self-perception as the ultimate earthly power, effectively personifying the might of Assyria. It's a blasphemous assertion of human might over divine power.
- or from the hand of my fathers: Extends the argument to the previous Assyrian kings, establishing a consistent, generations-long pattern of conquest and perceived divine impotence. This historical record is supposed to solidify his claim.
- how much less will your God deliver you: This is the climax of his argument, a rhetorical question asserting the absolute certainty of Judah's defeat. Based on his faulty premise of divine parity, he concludes that YHWH is even weaker or less effective than other conquered gods because Judah is comparatively small or less significant in his estimation. This phrase embodies ultimate human arrogance and blasphemy against YHWH, directly challenging His uniqueness and sovereignty.
- "for no god...from the hand of my fathers": This phrase encapsulates Sennacherib's polytheistic and imperialistic worldview. He views the gods as territorial deities, each tied to a specific nation, and subject to defeat when their nation falls. His success against other nations confirms his belief that the Assyrian deities (or his own power, acting on their behalf) are superior. This is a direct polemic against Israel's monotheism and YHWH's universal sovereignty.
- "how much less will your God deliver you from my hand?": This concluding rhetorical question is intended to induce despair and immediate surrender. It demonstrates profound spiritual ignorance, as Sennacherib fails to distinguish between finite, created idols/gods and the infinite, Creator God. His entire argument is based on a false equivalence that completely misses the fundamental nature of YHWH.
2 Chronicles 32 15 Bonus section
The historical account of Sennacherib's campaign is corroborated by extra-biblical sources like the Sennacherib Prism (also known as the Taylor Prism and the Oriental Institute Prism). These Assyrian records boast of Sennacherib's successes against Hezekiah, claiming he "shut him up in Jerusalem, his royal city, like a bird in a cage." However, significantly, the Assyrian accounts never claim to have captured Jerusalem, nor do they mention the specific disaster that befell their army outside the city, leaving an implicit void that the biblical narrative fills with divine intervention. This discrepancy strengthens the biblical account by demonstrating a point where Assyrian propaganda ends because the outcome did not favor them, supporting the uniqueness of Jerusalem's deliverance. Sennacherib's rhetorical challenge in 2 Chron 32:15 therefore forms a critical narrative turning point where the boasting of man is dramatically contrasted with the almightiness of God.
2 Chronicles 32 15 Commentary
This verse encapsulates the height of Assyrian arrogance and Sennacherib's profound theological misunderstanding. His argument is rational from a polytheistic worldview, where national gods are bound by their territories and fortunes. Having seen many gods of conquered nations "fail" to deliver their people from the Assyrian war machine, he applies the same logic to YHWH, assuming YHWH is merely another local deity. This constitutes direct blasphemy, as he places YHWH on par with powerless idols. Sennacherib’s focus on "my hand" and "my fathers'" hand reveals a self-deifying pride, attributing all success to human military might and a history of conquest, rather than recognizing a divine hand behind events, or the distinct reality of YHWH. The verse sets the stage for YHWH to prove His unique power, not by human strength or strategies, but by miraculous intervention, thereby demonstrating His singular glory above all supposed "gods" and arrogant human kings. The irony lies in Sennacherib's final rhetorical question being precisely the premise that God will overturn with swift and devastating judgment.