2 Kings 19:36 kjv
So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.
2 Kings 19:36 nkjv
So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh.
2 Kings 19:36 niv
So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.
2 Kings 19:36 esv
Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh.
2 Kings 19:36 nlt
Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there.
2 Kings 19 36 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Ki 19:7 | "Behold, I will put a spirit in him... and return to his own land..." | Prophecy of Sennacherib's return. |
| 2 Ki 19:28 | "...I will turn you back on the way by which you came." | God's sovereign reversal of Assyrian power. |
| 2 Ki 19:32-34 | "He shall not come into this city... for my own sake and for my servant David's sake." | Prophecy of Jerusalem's untouched deliverance. |
| 2 Ki 19:35 | "And that night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000..." | Immediate cause of Sennacherib's departure. |
| Isa 37:7 | "Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land..." | Isaiah's parallel prophecy of his retreat. |
| Isa 37:29 | "...I will put my hook in your nose and my bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back..." | God's absolute control over kings. |
| Isa 37:34 | "By the way that he came, by the same he shall return..." | Confirming the direction of his retreat. |
| Prov 21:1 | "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will." | God's sovereignty over rulers' decisions. |
| Ps 2:4-5 | "He who sits in the heavens laughs... Then he will speak to them in his wrath..." | Divine derision of human pride. |
| Ps 46:1 | "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." | God's deliverance for His people. |
| Ps 124:6-8 | "Blessed be the LORD... Our help is in the name of the LORD..." | Affirmation of divine aid and protection. |
| Isa 10:5-7 | "Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger... but he does not so intend..." | God's use and subsequent judgment of Assyria. |
| Jer 27:5 | "I have made the earth... and given it to whom it pleased me." | God's global sovereignty over nations. |
| Dan 4:17 | "...that the Most High rules the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom he will." | God's ultimate authority over kingdoms. |
| Ex 14:25 | "the LORD fought for them against the Egyptians." | Pattern of divine intervention for Israel. |
| Neh 4:15 | "Then all of us returned to the wall... For God had frustrated their plan." | God frustrating enemy plans. |
| Zeph 2:13 | "And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria..." | Prophecy of Assyria's eventual fall. |
| Job 12:23-24 | "He makes nations great, and he destroys them... and leads princes away stripped." | God's control over the rise and fall of powers. |
| Rom 8:31 | "If God is for us, who can be against us?" | Confidence in God's protective power. |
| Rev 19:19-21 | "And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet... these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire." | The ultimate defeat of God's enemies. |
| 1 Pet 3:12 | "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer..." | God hears and acts on behalf of His people. |
| Jas 5:16 | "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." | Connection between prayer and divine action. |
2 Kings 19 verses
2 Kings 19 36 Meaning
This verse states that Sennacherib, the mighty king of Assyria, having failed in his objective to capture Jerusalem, departed from Judah and returned to his capital city, Nineveh, where he then resided. It marks the miraculous cessation of his formidable military campaign against Judah and fulfills specific prophecies regarding his forced retreat.
2 Kings 19 36 Context
This verse serves as the immediate aftermath and conclusion of the dramatic events described in 2 Kings chapter 19. King Hezekiah of Judah was facing the imminent destruction of Jerusalem by the overwhelming Assyrian army led by Sennacherib, who had already conquered much of Judah. After receiving a blasphemous letter from Sennacherib, Hezekiah prayed fervently to the Lord. The prophet Isaiah delivered God's reply, promising Jerusalem's deliverance and that Sennacherib would hear a rumor, return to his own land, and fall by the sword there. This verse records the first part of that prophecy's fulfillment: the unprecedented withdrawal of the most powerful king of the age, compelled by God's action against his army, detailed in the preceding verse (2 Ki 19:35). The historical context is the Neo-Assyrian Empire at its zenith (circa 701 BCE), making Sennacherib's retreat without capturing Jerusalem an extraordinary event that attested to the power of Yahweh over the pagan deities and the mightiest earthly empire.
2 Kings 19 36 Word analysis
So (וַיִּסַּע - vayyiṣṣaʿ): The Hebrew waw consecutive + verb structure denotes sequential action, indicating that Sennacherib's departure was a direct consequence of the miraculous destruction of his army in the previous verse. It signifies a decisive, sudden movement away.
Sennacherib (סַנְחֵרִיב - Sanḥerîḇ): The specific, historical name of the King of Assyria, reigning 705–681 BCE. His historical accounts (e.g., the Taylor Prism) corroborate his campaign but conspicuously omit any mention of his army's decimation, highlighting the distinctiveness and divine truth of the biblical narrative.
king of Assyria (מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר - meleḵ ʾaššûr): Emphasizes his high status and the immense power of his empire. This title highlights the dramatic nature of his retreat, as a ruler of such might was expected to conquer, not flee. It also implicitly highlights the polemic against Assyrian claims of universal conquest and their patron deities.
departed (וַיִּסַּע - vayyiṣṣaʿ): Repetition of the initial verb, reinforcing the complete act of withdrawal from the land of Judah. It conveys a retreat, not a strategic repositioning.
and went home (וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיָּשׇׁב - vayyēleḵ vayyāšāḇ): A double verb structure meaning "and he went and returned." This emphasizes a full return to his origin, not merely a temporary withdrawal. It implies that his objective was utterly thwarted, and he was driven back to his own territory in defeat, contrary to his initial arrogant boasts.
and lived (וַיֵּשֶׁב - vayyēšeḇ): Means "he settled" or "he dwelt." This indicates a period of residency at Nineveh, signaling the end of his active campaign against Judah, even if his life would soon come to a prophesied end.
at Nineveh (בְּנִינְוֵה - bəNînəweh): The capital city of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, located in modern-day Iraq. This was the heart of his power, yet it was also the place where divine prophecy foretold his demise (fulfilled in 2 Kings 19:37), underscoring God's sovereignty even over a king in his own stronghold.
Words-group analysis:
- "Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home": This phrase starkly contrasts the perceived invincibility of the Assyrian monarch with his divinely-compelled, humiliating retreat. It underscores that even the most formidable earthly power cannot withstand the will of God. His "going home" was not a choice, but an act of submission forced by the Lord.
- "and lived at Nineveh": This highlights God's specific control over the king's movements and destination, setting the stage for the precise fulfillment of the second part of the prophecy concerning his death within his own land (as elaborated in 2 Ki 19:7, 37; Isa 37:7). It signifies God's precision in delivering judgment exactly where and how He declared.
2 Kings 19 36 Bonus section
- The biblical account's details, such as the rapid withdrawal to Nineveh and the king's ultimate fate, are notably different from Assyrian historical records, which deliberately omit this catastrophic defeat while detailing Sennacherib's many conquests. This omission from imperial annals serves as an external, albeit indirect, confirmation of an unexplainable (to them) setback.
- This event serves as a foundational example of God's defense of His people and city, reminding later generations (like those rebuilding Jerusalem under Nehemiah or facing threats in the Maccabean period) of Yahweh's unwavering protective power.
- The "return to his own land" (Isa 37:7) and his subsequent death "in his own land" (2 Ki 19:7, 37) demonstrate the complete and precise fulfillment of prophecy, leaving no room for alternative interpretations of Sennacherib's destiny. God's word is precise and infallible.
2 Kings 19 36 Commentary
This verse delivers a powerful statement on God's sovereignty, providing a concise summation of the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem. After the dramatic decimation of his vast army by the Lord's angel, the once-unassailable Sennacherib, king of Assyria, is depicted as simply departing and returning to his capital. His "going home" is stripped of any glory or strategic purpose, serving rather as a stark witness to a humiliated retreat ordained by the Almighty. This account highlights that even the most formidable human might and the greatest empires are entirely subject to the will of God, who can turn the heart and direction of a king with a mere act. The verse sets the final stage for the complete fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy in the very next verse, confirming that God’s word is perfectly executed.