2 Kings 18:15 kjv
And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house.
2 Kings 18:15 nkjv
So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house.
2 Kings 18:15 niv
So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the temple of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace.
2 Kings 18:15 esv
And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house.
2 Kings 18:15 nlt
To gather this amount, King Hezekiah used all the silver stored in the Temple of the LORD and in the palace treasury.
2 Kings 18 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Kgs 18:13-14 | Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria... | Immediate context: Sennacherib's invasion and demand for tribute. |
| 2 Kgs 16:8 | Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD... | Prior instance of a Judahite king (Ahaz) stripping the Temple for foreign alliance. |
| 1 Kgs 14:26 | He took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of... | Similar plunder of Temple and palace by Shishak of Egypt during Rehoboam's reign. |
| 2 Chr 32:3 | ...Hezekiah took counsel with his officials and his mighty men to stop up.. | Hezekiah preparing defenses, indicating awareness of the threat despite tribute. |
| Isa 36:1-2 | In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria... | Prophetic parallel account of Sennacherib's invasion, validating the historical event. |
| Ps 20:7 | Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of... | Contrasts reliance on material wealth/military might with trust in the Lord. |
| Ps 49:6-7 | Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches | Highlights the futility of human riches in the face of ultimate need or judgment. |
| Prov 11:28 | Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish... | Direct proverb on the danger and emptiness of trusting in material possessions. |
| Zeph 1:18 | Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them... | Prophetic declaration that wealth cannot save in the day of the Lord's wrath. |
| Ez 7:19 | They throw their silver into the streets, and their gold is an unclean... | Future prophetic judgment where silver and gold become worthless. |
| Matt 6:19-20 | Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust... | New Testament teaching on valuing spiritual over material treasures. |
| Lk 12:15 | ...life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” | Emphasizes that true life and security are not found in wealth. |
| 1 Tim 6:17 | Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or... | Warning against setting hope on uncertain riches rather than God. |
| 2 Kgs 18:4 | He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. | Hezekiah's earlier acts of faithfulness and reform, contrasting with this desperate act. |
| 2 Kgs 20:13 | Hezekiah welcomed them and showed them all his treasure house... | Later, Hezekiah displays his wealth to Babylonians, an act of pride preceding judgment. |
| 2 Chr 32:26 | Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the... | Hezekiah's humility and prayer later leads to God's intervention, not wealth. |
| 2 Kgs 19:6-7 | Then Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master: ‘Thus says... | God's promise of intervention and deliverance for Jerusalem, despite Hezekiah's payment. |
| 2 Kgs 19:35 | And that night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000... | The miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem by God, independent of human payments. |
| Jer 17:5-6 | Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose... | Warning against trusting in human resources, including wealth, rather than God. |
| Rom 1:25 | ...they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served.. | The error of trusting creation (like wealth/power) over the Creator. |
2 Kings 18 verses
2 Kings 18 15 Meaning
King Hezekiah, under immense pressure from the Assyrian King Sennacherib, handed over every piece of silver available from both the sacred Temple of the Lord and the treasuries of the royal palace. This act was a payment demanded by Sennacherib as tribute after the Assyrian army had already captured many fortified cities of Judah, signaling Hezekiah's desperate attempt to avoid Jerusalem's complete destruction and to appease the invading power.
2 Kings 18 15 Context
2 Kings chapter 18 opens by establishing Hezekiah as a righteous king, unparalleled among Judahite kings, who removed high places and trusted in the Lord (2 Kgs 18:1-7). However, by verse 13, the historical narrative shifts to the formidable threat of the Assyrian Empire under Sennacherib. Assyria had already conquered Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and taken Samaria captive (2 Kgs 18:9-12). Sennacherib then invaded Judah, taking fortified cities. Verse 14 depicts Hezekiah sending a message to Sennacherib at Lachish, admitting his fault and asking for the burden (tribute) to be lifted. Sennacherib demands an exorbitant tribute: three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. Verse 15 details Hezekiah's immediate response to this demand, revealing the severe depletion of the nation's and the Temple's finances in a desperate attempt to placate the powerful Assyrians. This act, while showing immense national distress, precedes the climax where God intervenes directly and miraculously delivers Jerusalem after all human resources (like this payment) fail.
2 Kings 18 15 Word analysis
- And Hezekiah: Refers to King Hezekiah of Judah, son of Ahaz. He is generally portrayed as a righteous king, especially in his early reign, undertaking religious reforms.
- gave him: "him" refers to King Sennacherib of Assyria, as demanded in the preceding verse (2 Kgs 18:14). This highlights Judah's position as a subservient state under Assyrian dominance.
- all the silver: (Hebrew: כָּל-הַכֶּסֶף, kol-ha-kesef). "All" emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the payment; nothing was held back. "Silver" (כֶּסֶף, kesef) served as the primary form of currency and accumulated wealth in the ancient Near East. This suggests a total emptying, a sign of utter desperation.
- that was found: Implies a search or inventory to gather every available piece.
- in the house of the Lord: (Hebrew: בֵּית יְהוָה, beit YHWH). This refers to the Temple in Jerusalem. Silver stored here would have included Temple dedicated treasures, possibly accumulated from tithes, offerings, or previous kingly donations, signifying sacred wealth dedicated to God. Stripping it was a profoundly serious act, showcasing the dire circumstances.
- and in the treasuries of the king’s house: (Hebrew: אוֹצְרוֹת בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ, otz'rot beit ha'melech). "Treasuries" (אוֹצְרוֹת, otz'rot) indicates secure storage rooms or vaults. "King's house" (בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ, beit ha'melech) refers to the royal palace. This silver would be the king's personal and governmental wealth.
- words-group: "in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king's house": This phrase meticulously specifies the dual sources of the silver. It emphasizes that both sacred and secular/royal reserves were completely drained. This dual depletion highlights the extreme emergency and the heavy cost of appeasement. It shows Hezekiah was willing to sacrifice both national honor and sacrality in an attempt to save Jerusalem.
2 Kings 18 15 Bonus section
The chronicler's account (2 Chronicles 32) focuses more on Hezekiah's reforms, preparations for siege, and subsequent prayer, largely omitting this specific act of tribute payment. This omission by the Chronicler is often seen as part of his theological emphasis on God's direct and miraculous deliverance of Judah, without dwelling on the king's less noble or more desperate moments that might suggest a lack of faith, thereby preserving Hezekiah's righteous image. This verse (2 Kings 18:15), however, provides a more granular and realistic detail of the king's pragmatic response to an immediate, overwhelming threat before God's ultimate intervention. It serves as a reminder that human actions, even well-intentioned or born of desperation, cannot replace divine provision. This particular tribute ultimately did not save Judah from Sennacherib's direct attack on Jerusalem, underscoring that human wealth cannot buy salvation from the enemies of God's people or the consequences of sin.
2 Kings 18 15 Commentary
2 Kings 18:15 vividly portrays the desperate straits Hezekiah and the kingdom of Judah faced under the overwhelming threat of Sennacherib's Assyrian army. Having witnessed the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel to Assyria, and with fortified cities of Judah already falling, Hezekiah's decision to strip both the sacred Temple and his own royal treasuries of all their silver was an act of survival. This immense tribute was intended to avert the immediate destruction of Jerusalem. The detailed mention of both the "house of the Lord" and "the king's house" underscores the profound humiliation and the ultimate sacrifice Hezekiah felt compelled to make. While previous kings like Ahaz had stripped the Temple for alliances, Hezekiah, despite his general righteousness, now had to do the same for appeasement.
This act, however, proved futile in ultimately deterring Sennacherib, who continued his aggressive demands (2 Kgs 18:17ff). The event serves as a crucial point in the narrative, highlighting the inadequacy of human resources, whether military strength, political maneuvering, or vast wealth, in the face of a crisis that only divine intervention could resolve. It sets the stage for God's miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem (2 Kings 19) after human means have been exhausted and true repentance and reliance on God come to the forefront. The stripping of the Temple was a pragmatic but perhaps faith-straining act, emphasizing that even righteous leaders can resort to earthly solutions before fully trusting in God's power. It ultimately reinforces the Biblical theme that true security and deliverance come from God alone, not from accumulated riches.