2 Kings 18 13

2 Kings 18:13 kjv

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.

2 Kings 18:13 nkjv

And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.

2 Kings 18:13 niv

In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them.

2 Kings 18:13 esv

In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.

2 Kings 18:13 nlt

In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack the fortified towns of Judah and conquered them.

2 Kings 18 verses

2 Kings 18 13 Meaning

This verse precisely marks the beginning of Sennacherib of Assyria's major military campaign against the Kingdom of Judah. It states that in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign, the powerful Assyrian monarch invaded Judah, successfully capturing all its fortified cities. This event signified a dire and overwhelming threat to Judah's existence, culminating in the siege of Jerusalem and setting the stage for a critical test of faith for King Hezekiah and his people.

2 Kings 18 13 Context

The setting for 2 Kings 18:13 is a crucial turning point in the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah. The preceding verses (2 Ki 18:1-12) praise Hezekiah as a righteous king, unparalleled in Judah, who "trusted in the LORD" (2 Ki 18:5). His reforms included destroying pagan idols and the bronze serpent from Moses (2 Ki 18:4), and he successfully rebelled against the mighty Assyrian empire (2 Ki 18:7). This rebellion, alongside his initial withholding of tribute, provoked Sennacherib's massive invasion detailed in verse 13. The fall of the northern kingdom of Israel to Assyria decades earlier (2 Ki 17) loomed as a severe warning, making Judah's survival under Assyrian onslaught precarious. Historically, this event corresponds to Sennacherib's third campaign against the Levant (701 BC), famously depicted on Assyrian palace reliefs (e.g., the Lachish relief), affirming the Bible's historical accuracy regarding the wide-ranging devastation before Jerusalem's miraculous preservation.

2 Kings 18 13 Word analysis

• Now in the fourteenth year: Hebrew: וַיְהִי בְּאַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה (vay'hi b'arba' esreh shana) Significance: This provides a precise chronological marker within Hezekiah's reign, dating this monumental crisis. This aligns with and helps contextualize Sennacherib's documented campaign of 701 BC against the Levant, enhancing the historical grounding of the biblical narrative.
• of King Hezekiah: Hebrew: לַמֶּלֶךְ חִזְקִיָּהוּ (la'melech Chizkiyahu) Significance: Identifies the specific king of Judah. Hezekiah's reign is depicted as a time of renewed faith and religious reform (2 Ki 18:3-7), setting up a contrast between human righteousness and divine sovereignty when faced with overwhelming military might. His character and faith will be severely tested by this invasion.
• Sennacherib king of Assyria: Hebrew: סַנְחֵרִיב מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר (Sancheriv melekh Ashur) Sennacherib: A powerful Neo-Assyrian emperor (reigned 705–681 BC). His annals corroborate this campaign against Judah, showcasing him as a formidable worldly power, a symbol of military dominance against God's chosen people. Assyria: (אַשּׁוּר - Ashur) The dominant imperial power of the ancient Near East, frequently depicted in prophetic literature as a tool for divine judgment against nations, including Israel and Judah, though often prideful in its own might.
• came up against: Hebrew: עָלָה (alah - "went up," "ascended," "came up"). Significance: Denotes an act of aggression and invasion. The term "came up" often implies an ascent, both geographically (from the plains to the hill country of Judah) and in terms of military escalation and superiority.
• all the fortified cities: Hebrew: כָּל עָרֵי בְצוּרֹות (kol arei betsurôt) "Fortified cities" (עָרֵי בְצוּרֹות - arei betsurôt): Walled, defensible cities designed to withstand siege. The capture of all these implies a widespread, thorough, and devastating campaign across Judah, demonstrating the comprehensive nature of the Assyrian invasion and the depth of Judah's peril before the siege of Jerusalem.
• of Judah: Hebrew: יְהוּדָה (Yehudah) Significance: The Southern Kingdom, the last independent Hebrew kingdom with the legitimate Davidic line and the temple. Its very existence was now at stake, distinguishing this event from the earlier fall of the Northern Kingdom, Israel.
• and took them: Hebrew: וַיִּתְפְּשֵׂם (vayit'p'sem - "and he seized them," "captured them"). * Significance: A definitive statement of military success, reinforcing the dire reality of Judah's defeat at this stage of the campaign. It underscores that human efforts alone could not withstand this powerful empire, setting the stage for divine intervention.

• Words-group Analysis:
• "Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah": This phrase establishes the specific temporal and historical context, connecting the narrative to the reign of a righteous king facing an unprecedented crisis. It anchors the theological drama that follows in verifiable historical events.
• "Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against": This clearly identifies the overwhelming foreign antagonist and the nature of the hostile encounter. It paints a picture of a mighty, disciplined imperial force encroaching upon a vulnerable, albeit God-trusting, nation.
• "all the fortified cities of Judah and took them": This phrase details the sweeping success and devastation of the initial phase of the invasion. It emphasizes that no stronghold could resist Sennacherib's power, laying bare Judah's utter helplessness apart from divine intervention. This complete conquest of the provincial cities sets the stage for the dramatic confrontation at Jerusalem, underscoring that human efforts have reached their limit.

2 Kings 18 13 Bonus section

While 2 Kings 18:13 reports Sennacherib's success in taking "all the fortified cities" of Judah, historical and archaeological evidence, particularly Sennacherib's own annals, provide further context. The Assyrian records boast of shutting up Hezekiah "like a caged bird in his royal city Jerusalem," but they do not claim to have taken Jerusalem itself. The biblical account and Sennacherib's records thus remarkably agree on the widespread conquest of Judah but diverge on the fate of Jerusalem, with the Bible attributing its preservation to a divine miracle. This discrepancy serves as a profound theological statement, reinforcing the narrative that Jerusalem was saved not by human strength or tribute (Hezekiah later paid heavy tribute, 2 Ki 18:14-16), but by the direct hand of YHWH against the greatest empire of the time, emphasizing God's unique sovereignty over all earthly powers and His faithfulness to His covenant people.

2 Kings 18 13 Commentary

2 Kings 18:13 acts as a dramatic pivot in Hezekiah's reign, transforming a narrative of righteous reform into one of existential crisis. This verse reports the full-scale Assyrian invasion that follows Hezekiah's daring rebellion and cessation of tribute. The precision of the date ("fourteenth year") underscores the historical reality of the campaign. Sennacherib's widespread conquest of "all the fortified cities" vividly illustrates the immense threat and military might of Assyria, demonstrating Judah's inability to defend itself through conventional means. This dire situation is crucial: it strips away any reliance on human strength or strategic defenses, compelling Hezekiah and Judah to face their absolute vulnerability and to depend solely on God. The stage is thus set for one of the Bible's most profound accounts of divine deliverance, highlighting God's power over human empires when His people trust in Him.