2 Chronicles 32 17

2 Chronicles 32:17 kjv

He wrote also letters to rail on the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand.

2 Chronicles 32:17 nkjv

He also wrote letters to revile the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, "As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my hand."

2 Chronicles 32:17 niv

The king also wrote letters ridiculing the LORD, the God of Israel, and saying this against him: "Just as the gods of the peoples of the other lands did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand."

2 Chronicles 32:17 esv

And he wrote letters to cast contempt on the LORD, the God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, "Like the gods of the nations of the lands who have not delivered their people from my hands, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver his people from my hand."

2 Chronicles 32:17 nlt

The king also sent letters scorning the LORD, the God of Israel. He wrote, "Just as the gods of all the other nations failed to rescue their people from my power, so the God of Hezekiah will also fail."

2 Chronicles 32 verses

2 Chronicles 32 17 Meaning

This verse details Sennacherib's blasphemous and strategically disseminated letters, explicitly challenging the sovereignty and power of the Lord God of Israel. In these communications, he directly equates the unique, living God of Judah with the impotent idols of the nations his empire had previously conquered, asserting that the God of Hezekiah would likewise be powerless to deliver His people from the overwhelming might of the Assyrian army. It is a profound act of spiritual warfare, aiming to demoralize the Judeans by undermining their faith in God's ability to save.

2 Chronicles 32 17 Context

Chapter 32 of 2 Chronicles details the Assyrian king Sennacherib's invasion of Judah during King Hezekiah's reign. After fortifying Jerusalem and organizing his defenses, Hezekiah also encouraged his people to trust in God's power over human strength. Sennacherib's primary strategy involved both military might and psychological warfare, sending a field commander (Rabshakeh, previously in 2 Kings 18 and Isaiah 36) to verbally intimidate Jerusalem's inhabitants, disparaging their trust in the Lord and boasting of Assyria's conquests over other nations and their gods. Verse 17 represents an escalation of this psychological and spiritual assault. Sennacherib solidified his verbal threats into written, formal letters, disseminating this blasphemy widely to instill deeper fear and undermine the Judeans' faith. The historical context is crucial: Assyria's vast empire was known for its ruthlessness and the perceived invincibility of its army, making Sennacherib's claims formidable from a human perspective. Their modus operandi was to deport conquered peoples and their gods, seemingly validating the superior might of the Assyrian deities, or at least the superior power of their empire's god-given mandate. By challenging Judah's God, Sennacherib was applying this standard logic of empire to the God of Israel, expecting Him to prove as powerless as other defeated national deities. This sets the stage for a dramatic divine intervention, as the very honor of Yahweh's name is now at stake.

2 Chronicles 32 17 Word analysis

• And he wrote letters also: "He" refers to Sennacherib, king of Assyria. The act of writing "letters" (Hebrew: sepher) signifies a formal, deliberate, and widespread communication. This was not a mere casual utterance but a calculated act of propaganda, meant to be read by many, influencing morale and opinion in Jerusalem and beyond.
• to rail on the Lord God of Israel: "To rail on" (Hebrew: leḫâref, from châraph) means to revile, taunt, reproach, blaspheme, or heap abuse upon. It indicates a severe and direct insult aimed at belittling and dishonoring. The target is explicitly "the Lord God of Israel" (Yahweh Elohim Israel), the covenant-keeping, unique, sovereign God. This is an attack on His divine person and His special relationship with His chosen people.
• and to speak against him: This phrase reinforces the direct confrontational and accusatory nature of Sennacherib's communication. It's an active act of defiance and opposition against the Most High God, reiterating the blasphemous intent.
• saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands: This introduces the core of Sennacherib's polemic. He draws a comparison between the God of Israel and the defeated pagan deities (Hebrew: elohei ha'ammim) of conquered territories. The premise is flawed, equating the living God with dead idols, reflecting the polytheistic mindset that assumed all "gods" operated on the same plane, with success measured by earthly conquest.
• have not delivered their people out of mine hand: Sennacherib boasts of his absolute military success. He attributes his victories not merely to human strength but implicitly to the impotence of the defeated gods, or his own gods being superior. "Mine hand" (Hebrew: yadî) emphasizes his personal power and control, seen as insurmountable.
• so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand. This is the climax of his taunt, drawing a false equivalence. By calling Yahweh "the God of Hezekiah," he attempts to demote the universal, incomparable God to a mere national or tribal deity, suggesting He is just one among many, limited and ultimately vulnerable to Assyrian might, like all the others. This is a direct challenge to God's covenant faithfulness and power, the ultimate test of His divine identity and ability.

• "He wrote letters also to rail on the Lord God of Israel": This highlights the deliberate, formal, and public nature of Sennacherib's blasphemy. It escalated beyond verbal threats, indicating a determined psychological offensive to crush faith and resolve among Judah. The choice of "Lord God of Israel" underlines the specific affront to Yahweh, the one true God uniquely associated with Israel through covenant.
• "As the gods of the nations... have not delivered... so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver": This forms a direct polemic, framing Sennacherib's attack as a challenge against the very essence of Yahweh's distinctiveness. It's a fundamental theological opposition: Monotheism versus Polytheism, where the true God is erroneously categorized alongside non-existent or impotent idols. Sennacherib's empirical, pragmatic view of gods based on military outcome directly confronts the biblical revelation of God's sovereignty and transcendent power. This comparison fundamentally misrepresents God, for His power is not derived from or limited by human events, but is inherent.

2 Chronicles 32 17 Bonus section

The act of sending letters of defiance (propaganda warfare) was common in ancient Near Eastern empires, specifically Assyria, which heavily relied on demoralizing enemies before or during sieges. Sennacherib’s letters were not just taunts but instruments of psychological warfare, aiming to sow despair and confusion within Jerusalem, weakening the will to resist. The specific insult "God of Hezekiah" was calculated to portray Yahweh as merely a local, powerless deity, confined to Judah, thereby undercutting the belief in His universal sovereignty and encouraging Judah to surrender. However, for Judah, the challenge to "the Lord God of Israel" was profoundly different from a challenge to other gods because their God was seen not just as a national deity, but as the one true God, the Creator. Thus, Sennacherib’s taunt made it an ultimate test of God’s nature and power. This deep affront necessitated a divine response to vindicate God's own honor, not just to save Judah. This divine concern for His Name and glory is a recurring theme throughout Scripture, culminating in God acting for His own sake to demonstrate His power and presence.

2 Chronicles 32 17 Commentary

2 Chronicles 32:17 is a pivotal verse because it marks the zenith of Sennacherib's hubris and blasphemy. His written threats, circulated deliberately, were not merely political intimidation but a direct spiritual assault on the Name and Person of the Lord God. By comparing the Omnipotent Creator of the universe to the finite, lifeless idols of conquered lands, Sennacherib challenged the very foundation of Israel's faith: the uniqueness and saving power of Yahweh. He framed the conflict as a contest of gods, predicting the inevitable failure of "the God of Hezekiah" just as other gods had failed. This act was deeply offensive to God because it demeaned His glory and sovereign rule, implicitly elevating human strength and pagan superstition above divine omnipotence. It set the stage for God's dramatic and unmistakable intervention, demonstrating that He would not allow His holy Name to be profaned with impunity. God's subsequent act of judgment on the Assyrian army was not just deliverance for Judah, but a powerful vindication of His unique identity and an object lesson that no power, human or demonic, can stand against Him.

• Practical Usage: When facing overwhelming threats or pressures that try to diminish God's power in your life, remember this verse. Challenges that aim to equate God's capabilities with human limitations, or imply that past failures in your life mean God is unable to act, are reminiscent of Sennacherib's lie. Trust in the unique and unfailing power of God to deliver.