2 Kings 18 16

2 Kings 18:16 kjv

At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

2 Kings 18:16 nkjv

At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

2 Kings 18:16 niv

At this time Hezekiah king of Judah stripped off the gold with which he had covered the doors and doorposts of the temple of the LORD, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

2 Kings 18:16 esv

At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD and from the doorposts that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria.

2 Kings 18:16 nlt

Hezekiah even stripped the gold from the doors of the LORD's Temple and from the doorposts he had overlaid with gold, and he gave it all to the Assyrian king.

2 Kings 18 verses

2 Kings 18 16 Meaning

At this critical juncture, King Hezekiah of Judah was forced by the overwhelming demands of the Assyrian king Sennacherib to strip the very gold that he himself had meticulously used to overlay the doors and doorposts of the Temple of the Lord. This desperate act, following a previously agreed upon tribute, represented a significant moment of human reliance and perceived sacrilege for the sake of Judah's survival against the formidable Assyrian empire.

2 Kings 18 16 Context

h2 ContextThis verse immediately follows Hezekiah's agreement to pay an enormous tribute of 300 talents of silver and 30 talents of gold to Sennacherib, the king of Assyria (2 Kgs 18:14). Having likely exhausted all his royal treasuries and temple silver (2 Kgs 18:15), Hezekiah resorted to this desperate measure to meet the Assyrian demand. The broader context of 2 Kings 18 details Hezekiah's righteous reign, including his reforms to purge idolatry and restore proper worship of the Lord, explicitly mentioning that he "removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made" (2 Kgs 18:4). The tragic irony is highlighted as a king who had worked so diligently to purify and restore the Temple is now forced to desecrate it in a moment of extreme political duress. This act occurs during Sennacherib's campaign against Judah in 701 BC, marking the climax of Assyrian power and Judah's near-total subjugation.

2 Kings 18 16 Word analysis

h2 Word analysis

• At that time (בָּעֵת הַהִיא - ba'et hahi):
  • Meaning: "In that particular time" or "at that specific moment."
  • Significance: Connects this desperate act directly to the Assyrian siege and tribute demands just described. Emphasizes it was an immediate reaction to Sennacherib's escalating pressure.
• Hezekiah (חִזְקִיָּהוּ - Chizqiyahu):
  • Meaning: King of Judah (715-686 BC), son of Ahaz. Name means "Yahweh is my strength" or "Yahweh has strengthened."
  • Significance: Hezekiah is otherwise presented as a godly king who initiated significant religious reforms (2 Kgs 18:3-6; 2 Chron 29-31). This action, however, shows a momentary lapse or expediency driven by immense fear, temporarily compromising his devotion for survival.
• cut off (קִצָּה - qitzzah):
  • Meaning: Hebrew verb for "to cut off," "strip," "trim," or "peel."
  • Significance: Implies a violent, forceful removal rather than a careful detachment. This was a crude and hasty action, suggesting urgency and desperation.
• the gold (הַזָּהָב - hazahav):
  • Meaning: The precious yellow metal, highly valued for its rarity and beauty.
  • Significance: Gold frequently symbolized purity, sacredness, and immense wealth in ancient Near Eastern temples. Stripping it from God's Temple underscores the magnitude of the sacrifice and desperation.
• from the doors (מִדַּלְתוֹת - middaltot):
  • Meaning: "From the doors," referring to the main entrance structures of the Temple.
  • Significance: The doors were the entry point to the holy space, often grand and symbolic. Their embellishment with gold signified the reverence and sanctity of the structure.
• of the temple of the Lord (הֵיכַל יְהוָה - hekhal YHWH):
  • Meaning: "The House/Palace of Yahweh," referring to Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.
  • Significance: This was the holiest site in Israel, representing God's dwelling among His people. Any desecration or stripping of its elements was deeply sacrilegious and indicative of dire circumstances.
• and from the doorposts (וּמֵהַאֹמְנוֹת - umeha'omnot):
  • Meaning: "And from the doorposts/pilasters" flanking the doors.
  • Significance: Indicates that the stripping extended beyond just the doors, suggesting thoroughness in extracting every possible piece of gold.
• that Hezekiah himself had overlaid (אֲשֶׁר צִפָּה חִזְקִיָּהוּ - asher tzippah Chizqiyahu):
  • Meaning: "Which Hezekiah had himself covered/plated."
  • Significance: This phrase is a powerful parenthetical clause highlighting the irony and tragedy. Hezekiah, who invested in beautifying God's house, is now compelled to deface it, emphasizing the severity of his plight and the reversal of his earlier pious acts.
• and gave it (וַיִּתְּנֵם - vayyittenem):
  • Meaning: "And he gave them." Simple verb for giving.
  • Significance: In this context, it implies an act of surrender, tribute payment, or appeasement to an oppressive foreign power.
• to the king of Assyria (לְמֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר - lemelekh Ashur):
  • Meaning: Sennacherib, the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (reigned 705–681 BC).
  • Significance: Names the recipient, the ruthless empire that was God's chosen "rod" for judgment (Isa 10:5), underscoring Judah's desperate situation under its dominance.
  • Words-group by words-group analysis:
  • "At that time Hezekiah cut off the gold...": This phrase immediately points to the king's direct involvement in the defacement of holy objects, stressing his personal desperation rather than that of his subordinates.
  • "...from the doors of the temple of the Lord and from the doorposts...": This specific enumeration highlights that valuable gold was being removed from prominent, visible, and deeply symbolic parts of the most sacred building, marking a profound indignity.
  • "...that Hezekiah himself had overlaid...": This detail serves as a stark commentary on the extreme reversal of Hezekiah's policy and earlier piety. It underscores the profound psychological and spiritual cost of Assyrian pressure, as he undoes his own works of devotion.
  • "...and gave it to the king of Assyria.": The culminating act. This signifies a capitulation and tribute, showcasing the stark reality of Judah's political subjugation to a pagan power, driven by the belief that this material sacrifice would avert destruction.

2 Kings 18 16 Bonus section

h2 Bonus section

• The severity of this act is further understood when contrasted with the strict Old Testament laws against misusing sacred items (e.g., Numbers 1:51). While not for idolatry, its purpose of appeasing a pagan king would have felt profoundly compromising.
• This verse captures a powerful theological tension: Does a king trust in his national wealth, even if sacral, or does he trust fully in God? Hezekiah initially wavers here, before ultimately reaffirming his trust later (2 Kings 19).
• The event may reflect a common practice in the ancient Near East where victorious kings often boasted about looting temples of defeated nations. Here, Judah effectively loots its own Temple to avoid this fate by the enemy.
• The "overlaid" gold on the doors and doorposts suggests significant, visible splendor of the Temple's exterior, implying that these were highly prominent features contributing to its majestic appearance. Stripping them would visibly diminish the Temple's glory.

2 Kings 18 16 Commentary

h2 Commentary2 Kings 18:16 presents a pivotal and poignant moment in Hezekiah's reign, laying bare the brutal reality of Judah's confrontation with Assyria. The verse vividly portrays a righteous king resorting to desperate measures, effectively desecrating the very Temple he had recently cleansed and restored with zeal. This act underscores Hezekiah's profound desperation to secure the survival of Jerusalem and its people from the impending Assyrian onslaught. The detail that he stripped "gold that Hezekiah himself had overlaid" intensifies the pathos, as it marks a stark reversal of his earlier piety and investment in the house of the Lord. While driven by survival, it reveals a momentary lapse of full reliance on God, momentarily prioritizing appeasement of human power over sacred trust in divine provision. It highlights that even godly leaders can face circumstances so dire that they are compelled to make agonizing, compromising choices. Ultimately, despite this desperate attempt at human solution, it was God's direct intervention that brought true deliverance, teaching Hezekiah and future generations that ultimate trust must be placed in Him alone (as demonstrated in chapter 19).