2 Chronicles 32 30

2 Chronicles 32:30 kjv

This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.

2 Chronicles 32:30 nkjv

This same Hezekiah also stopped the water outlet of Upper Gihon, and brought the water by tunnel to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah prospered in all his works.

2 Chronicles 32:30 niv

It was Hezekiah who blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David. He succeeded in everything he undertook.

2 Chronicles 32:30 esv

This same Hezekiah closed the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.

2 Chronicles 32:30 nlt

He blocked up the upper spring of Gihon and brought the water down through a tunnel to the west side of the City of David. And so he succeeded in everything he did.

2 Chronicles 32 verses

2 Chronicles 32 30 Meaning

This verse describes a remarkable feat of engineering undertaken by King Hezekiah, involving the Gihon Spring, Jerusalem's primary water source. Hezekiah skillfully redirected the external flow of the spring water into an underground tunnel, bringing it safely inside the City of David to its western side. The verse concludes by emphasizing that Hezekiah was prosperous and successful in all his endeavors, indicating divine favor and blessing upon his works, particularly in this critical infrastructure project for Jerusalem's defense.

2 Chronicles 32 30 Context

2 Chronicles 32 recounts the Assyrian invasion of Judah under Sennacherib. Faced with this existential threat, King Hezekiah diligently prepared Jerusalem for a siege. He strengthened fortifications, equipped his army, and crucially, secured the city's water supply. The construction of the tunnel, diverting the Gihon Spring water inside the city walls, was an engineering marvel and a vital defensive measure. It deprived the besieging Assyrians of water while ensuring a continuous supply for Jerusalem's inhabitants. This verse concludes the summary of his defensive actions, highlighting his success. Though human effort and prudence were key, the overarching narrative of 2 Chronicles 32 is God's miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem in response to Hezekiah's trust and prayer (2 Chr 32:21-22), implying that Hezekiah's works, including the tunnel, were blessed by God as part of His preservation of Jerusalem and its faithful king.

2 Chronicles 32 30 Word analysis

• This same Hezekiah (וְהוּא יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ, w’hu Y’ḥizqiyyahu): "And this Hezekiah." The phrase emphasizes continuity with the King Hezekiah already extensively discussed in the preceding chapters and verses (2 Chr 29-32) regarding his faithfulness, reforms, and resistance to Sennacherib. It signals that the actions described are characteristic of this righteous and prudent king.
• also stopped (סָתַם, satham): "closed, stopped up, sealed, shut off." This Hebrew verb denotes an intentional and complete blocking or stopping of the water flow at its visible, accessible source. The purpose was to prevent the enemy from accessing it while keeping it hidden from them.
• the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon (מוֹצָא הַמַּיִם הָעֶלְיוֹן גִּיחוֹן, motza hammayim ha‘elyon Gichon): "the upper outflow/source of the waters of Gihon." Refers to the main, surface-level opening or point where the Gihon spring water emerged from the rock in the Kidron Valley, just outside Jerusalem's existing city walls.
• and directed them (וַיַּשְׁקֵם, vayyashkem): "and he caused them to go; he conducted them." This causative verb indicates that Hezekiah actively managed and engineered the water's path. It signifies his decisive and deliberate action in manipulating the natural flow for strategic purposes.
• by tunnel underground (לְמַטָּה לְמַעֲרָבָה לְעִיר דָּוִיד, l’maṭtāh l’ma‘aravah l’ir David): Literally, "downward, westward to the City of David." While "tunnel" is an interpretation based on archeological evidence (Hezekiah's Tunnel) and parallel accounts (2 Kgs 20:20), the Hebrew phrase explicitly describes the water's trajectory as being lowered and brought westward, implying an unseen, subsurface channel, which the tunnel precisely was. It was a remarkable feat given the tools of the time, involving tunneling from both ends to meet in the middle.
• to the west side of the City of David (מַעֲרָבָה לְעִיר דָּוִיד, ma‘aravah l’ir David): The "City of David" refers to the original, oldest part of Jerusalem, situated on the southeastern ridge. The Gihon Spring was to its east. By redirecting the water to the "west side" of the City of David, it means Hezekiah brought the water inside the secure, walled area of the city, culminating in the Pool of Siloam.
• And Hezekiah prospered (וַיַּצְלַח יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ, vayyatzliach Yechizqiyyahu): "and Hezekiah succeeded; prospered." This verb tsalach implies success or prosperity that often stems from divine blessing and favor, particularly when describing leaders or those who act in obedience to God. It highlights God's approval of Hezekiah's diligent efforts.
• in all his works (בְּכָל מַעֲשֵׂהוּ, b’kol ma‘asehu): "in all his doing/work/undertaking." This phrase signifies that God's favor was not limited to the water project alone but extended to all the King's endeavors—his military preparations, his religious reforms, and his overall reign. It underscores a holistic blessing on a righteous king.

2 Chronicles 32 30 Bonus section

The Siloam Inscription, discovered within Hezekiah's Tunnel, is a significant extrabiblical artifact that corroborates the account of the tunnel's construction, providing details on how the workers excavated from opposite ends until they met. This physical evidence underscores the historicity and engineering marvel of this project. The tunnel remains an accessible part of ancient Jerusalem's history, confirming the biblical narrative. The diversion of the Gihon water was a necessary but daring move, revealing Hezekiah's deep understanding of ancient siege warfare and his determination to protect his people, echoing his father David's foresight in capturing Jerusalem from the Jebusites through a water shaft (2 Sam 5:6-9). This act, and the resulting prosperity, points to the principle that while believers are called to trust God implicitly, they are also commanded to be diligent, wise, and proactive stewards of the resources and opportunities God provides. Divine blessing often accompanies prepared and obedient hearts.

2 Chronicles 32 30 Commentary

2 Chronicles 32:30 encapsulates the blend of human prudence and divine blessing in King Hezekiah's reign. In a period of existential threat from the mighty Assyrian empire, Hezekiah exhibited shrewd leadership by implementing crucial defensive measures. The engineering marvel of the Gihon tunnel, commonly known as Hezekiah's Tunnel, was not merely an impressive human achievement; it was an act of foresight driven by an understanding of immediate military threats. This massive undertaking ensured Jerusalem's survival by securing its most vital resource, water, within the city walls, thereby also denying it to the besieging army.

The verse's concluding statement, "And Hezekiah prospered in all his works," is crucial. It serves as a theological statement, not just a historical report. While Hezekiah invested immense effort, ingenuity, and resources, the Bible attributes his overarching success and the favorable outcomes of his actions to divine favor. This narrative emphasizes that diligence and strategic planning, when undertaken by one who trusts and seeks God, are often met with God's blessing and prosperity. It is a powerful example of how God works through human agency, validating their righteous efforts and making them successful. Hezekiah didn't just dig a tunnel; he prepared for a siege while simultaneously relying on God for ultimate deliverance (2 Chr 32:7-8). This verse highlights that prosperity, in a biblical sense, is not just material gain, but the successful realization of God's purposes through human endeavor.