אַחֲרֵי הַדְּבָרִים וְהָאֱמֶת הָאֵלֶּה בָּא סַנְחֵרִיב מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר וַיָּבֹא בִיהוּדָה וַיִּחַן עַל־הֶעָרִים הַבְּצֻרוֹת וַיֹּאמֶר לְבִקְעָם אֵלָיו

After these true matters, Hizkiyahu’s righteous deeds, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, intending to breach and capture them for himself. He did not head immediately to Jerusalem, the center of the Kingdom of Judah’s power, in the manner of other conquerors of the land. This was because Sennacherib was not interested in the conquest of Judah for its own sake, but only as part of his broader attack against Egypt. Since he considered Judah a nuisance in his path to Egypt that had to be removed, he initially besieged and fought against the smaller fortified cities of Judah before approaching Jerusalem.

וַיַּרְא יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ כִּי־בָא סַנְחֵרִיב וּפָנָיו לַמִּלְחָמָה עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָם

Yehizkiyahu saw that Sennacherib had come, and that his intent was for war against Jerusalem.

וַיִּוָּעַץ עִם־שָׂרָיו וְגִבֹּרָיו לִסְתּוֹם אֶת־מֵימֵי הָעֲיָנוֹת אֲשֶׁר מִחוּץ לָעִיר וַיַּעְזְרֻהוּ

He, Hizkiyahu, took counsel with his princes and his mighty ones to plug the waters in the springs that were outside the city so that the enemies could not access the water, and they assisted him.

וַיִּקָּבְצוּ עַם־רָב וַיִּסְתְּמוּ אֶת־כָּל־הַמַּעְיָנוֹת וְאֶת־הַנַּחַל הַשּׁוֹטֵף בְּתוֹךְ־הָאָרֶץ לֵאמֹר לָמָּה יָבוֹאוּ מַלְכֵי אַשּׁוּר וּמָצְאוּ מַיִם רַבִּים !

A great many people were gathered, and they plugged all the springs, and the stream, that flowed through the midst of the land, the Gihon (see 32:30), saying: Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water? Most sieges are conducted in the summer, when water sources are vital.

וַיִּתְחַזַּק וַיִּבֶן אֶת־כָּל־הַחוֹמָה הַפְּרוּצָה וַיַּעַל עַל הַמִּגְדָּלוֹת וְלַחוּצָה הַחוֹמָה אַחֶרֶת וַיְחַזֵּק אֶת־הַמִּלּוֹא עִיר דָּוִיד וַיַּעַשׂ שֶׁלַח לָרֹב וּמָגִנִּים

He took courage and rebuilt the entire breached wall and raised it, the height of the wall, above and beyond the towers, and he raised another wall outside, a secondary, external wall, which was built to protect the primary wall. He fortified the Milo, the area that Solomon had filled in [mileh] and built up, in order that there should be no gap between the different sections in the City of David, and Hizkiyahu made weapons of war and shields in abundance.

וַיִּתֵּן שָׂרֵי מִלְחָמוֹת עַל־הָעָם וַיִּקְבְּצֵם אֵלָיו אֶל־רְחוֹב שַׁעַר הָעִיר וַיְדַבֵּר עַל־לְבָבָם לֵאמֹר׃

He installed military commanders over the people of the army, and he gathered them to himself in the plaza at the gate of the city and spoke encouragingly to them, saying:

חִזְקוּ וְאִמְצוּ! אַל־תִּירְאוּ וְאַל־תֵּחַתּוּ מִפְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר וּמִלִּפְנֵי כָּל־הֶהָמוֹן אֲשֶׁר־עִמּוֹ כִּי עִמָּנוּ רַב מֵעִמּוֹ

Be strong and courageous, do not fear and do not be frightened of the king of Assyria, and of the entire horde that is with him, as with us there is more, a Greater Power, than with him.

עִמּוֹ זְרוֹעַ בָּשָׂר וְעִמָּנוּ ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ לְעָזְרֵנוּ וּלְהִלָּחֵם מִלְחֲמֹתֵינוּ וַיִּסָּמְכוּ הָעָם עַל־דִּבְרֵי יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה

With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our wars. The people were bolstered by the words of encouragement and reassurance of Yehizkiyahu king of Judah.

אַחַר זֶה שָׁלַח סַנְחֵרִיב מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר עֲבָדָיו יְרוּשָׁלַיְמָה וְהוּא עַל־לָכִישׁ וְכָל־מֶמְשַׁלְתּוֹ עִמּוֹ עַל־יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וְעַל־כָּל־יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר בִּירוּשָׁלִַם לֵאמֹר

After this, Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem; in the meantime, he himself was near Lakhish, besieging that city, a siege that is depicted in highly graphic form in Assyrian reliefs, and all his command staff was with him. During his siege of Lakhish he sent messengers to speak to Hizkiyahu, and also to lower the morale of the people, undermine their confidence, and call for their surrender. He sent this message to Yehizkiyahu king of Judah and to all Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying:

כֹּה אָמַר סַנְחֵרִיב מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר עַל־מָה אַתֶּם בֹּטְחִים וְיֹשְׁבִים בְּמָצוֹר בִּירוּשָׁלִָם !

So said Sennacherib king of Assyria: On what are you trusting and staying under siege in Jerusalem?

הֲלֹא יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ מַסִּית אֶתְכֶם לָתֵת אֶתְכֶם לָמוּת בְּרָעָב וּבְצָמָא לֵאמֹר ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ יַצִּילֵנוּ מִכַּף מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר

Truly Yehizkiyahu is misleading you, consigning you to die of hunger and of thirst, saying: The Lord our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria. Your king’s reasoning is that he trusts in God.

הֲלֹא־הוּא יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ הֵסִיר אֶת־בָּמֹתָיו וְאֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לִיהוּדָה וְלִירוּשָׁלִַם לֵאמֹר לִפְנֵי מִזְבֵּחַ אֶחָד תִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ וְעָלָיו תַּקְטִירוּ

Isn’t he Yehizkiyahu who removed His shrines and His altars, and stated to Judah and Jerusalem, saying: Before only one altar you shall prostrate yourselves, and upon it you shall burn offerings? Clearly the messengers of the king of Assyria had good intelligence on what had transpired in the land of Judah. Thus, they were aware of Hizkiyahu’s efforts to eradicate the shrines, most of which were dedicated to the service of God, not idolatry. Although the removal of those altars was in keeping with the Torah’s prohibition against offering sacrifices outside the Temple, the Assyrians attempted to incite the people away from Hizkiyahu by addressing those individuals who had been hurt by the king’s initiative and possibly harbored resentment toward him. Such people had perhaps been offering upon their own altars for the past century, and had recently been informed that their families had acted incorrectly all those years; their altars were destroyed, and they were instructed to ascend to Jerusalem. Sennacherib’s messengers also assumed that the inhabitants of Judah would agree that the smashing of altars that had been built in order to serve God was likely to reduce His influence and limit His strength.

הֲלֹא תֵדְעוּ מֶה עָשִׂיתִי אֲנִי וַאֲבוֹתַי לְכֹל עַמֵּי הָאֲרָצוֹת הֲיָכוֹל יָכְלוּ אֱלֹהֵי גּוֹיֵ הָאֲרָצוֹת לְהַצִּיל אֶת־אַרְצָם מִיָּדִי !

Don’t you know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands throughout this region? Have any of the gods of the nations of the lands we have already conquered been able to deliver their land from my hand?

מִי בְּכָל־אֱלֹהֵי הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱרִימוּ אֲבוֹתַי אֲשֶׁר יָכוֹל לְהַצִּיל אֶת־עַמּוֹ מִיָּדִי כִּי יוּכַל אֱלֹהֵיכֶם לְהַצִּיל אֶתְכֶם מִיָּדִי !

Who is there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers destroyed, who could deliver his people from my hand, that your God will be able to deliver you from my hand? They all bowed down to their gods and relied upon them, and yet not one of those nations was saved, neither by its god nor by its army.

וְעַתָּה אַל־יַשִּׁיא אֶתְכֶם חִזְקִיָּהוּ וְאַל־יַסִּית אֶתְכֶם כָּזֹאת וְאַל־תַּאֲמִינוּ לוֹ כִּי־לֹא יוּכַל כָּל־אֱלוֹהַּ כָּל־גּוֹי וּמַמְלָכָה לְהַצִּיל עַמּוֹ מִיָּדִי וּמִיַּד אֲבוֹתָי; אַף כִּי אֱלֹהֵיכֶם לֹא־יַצִּילוּ אֶתְכֶם מִיָּדִי

Now, do not let Hizkiyahu entice you and do not let him mislead you in this manner, and do not have faith in him, for no god of any nation or kingdom is able to deliver his people from my hand and from the hand of my fathers; also your God will not deliver you from my hand. Just as no power was able to stop me until now, so too, your God will be unable to stand up against me.

וְעוֹד דִּבְּרוּ עֲבָדָיו עַל־ה' הָאֱלֹהִים וְעַל יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ עַבְדּוֹ

His servants spoke more of such matters, against the Lord God, and against Yehizkiyahu His servant.

וּסְפָרִים כָּתַב לְחָרֵף לַה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֵאמֹר עָלָיו לֵאמֹר כֵּאלֹהֵי גּוֹיֵי הָאֲרָצוֹת אֲשֶׁר לֹא־הִצִּילוּ עַמָּם מִיָּדִי כֵּן לֹא־יַצִּיל אֱלֹהֵי יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ עַמּוֹ מִיָּדִי

He wrote scrolls to blaspheme the Lord, God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying: Like the gods of the nations of the lands who did not deliver their people from my hand, so the God of Yehizkiyahu will not deliver His people from my hand.

וַיִּקְרְאוּ בְקוֹל־גָּדוֹל יהוּדִית עַל־עַם יְרוּשָׁלִַם אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַחוֹמָה לְיָרְאָם וּלְבַהֲלָם לְמַעַן יִלְכְּדוּ אֶת־הָעִיר

Furthermore, they called in a loud voice, in the language of Judah [Yehudit], the “Hebrew” that was spoken by the common Jews in Judah [Yehuda], to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall. They used the local language rather than their own language, Assyrian, or Aramaic, which served at that time as the international language of diplomacy, in order to frighten them and to unnerve them, so that they could capture the city. They were not trying to scare Hizkiyahu, who more or less understood the historical, geographical, and political state of affairs. Their propaganda was directed at the soldiers standing on the walls to protect the city.

וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֶל אֱלֹהֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם כְּעַל אֱלֹהֵי עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי הָאָדָם

They spoke of the God of Jerusalem, as of the gods of the peoples of the land, the handiwork of man. They blasphemed against God by equating Him with the pagan gods of the other nations, who could not help their people and stop the Assyrians.

וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ וִישַׁעְיָהוּ בֶן־אָמוֹץ הַנָּבִיא עַל־זֹאת וַיִּזְעֲקוּ הַשָּׁמָיִם

Yehizkiyahu the king prayed about this with Isaiah son of Amotz the prophet, and they cried out to the heavens. The conversation between the king and the prophet, and the content of Hizkiyahu’s prayer, appear at length in the books of Isaiah (36) and II Kings (19). Here they are mentioned only in passing.

וַיִּשְׁלַח ה' מַלְאָךְ וַיַּכְחֵד כָּל־גִּבּוֹר חַיִל וְנָגִיד וְשָׂר בְּמַחֲנֵה מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר וַיָּשָׁב בְּבֹשֶׁת פָּנִים לְאַרְצוֹ וַיָּבֹא בֵּית אֱלֹהָיו וּמִיצִיאֵי מֵעָיו שָׁם הִפִּילֻהוּ בֶחָרֶב

The Lord sent an angel, and he annihilated every mighty warrior, high official, and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria. In one night, a heavenly force struck the Assyrians, killing the leaders of the camp, its captains, all its officers, and perhaps other soldiers as well. He, the king of Assyria, returned shamefacedly to his own land, as he had failed to achieve his goals. The sudden departure of the camp of Sennacherib from Jerusalem was a very great miracle. Furthermore, the king’s end proves that he sinned greatly with his derisive comments and his arrogance: He came to the house of his god to pray, and from among those who emerged from his loins, they, his own offspring, conspired against him and struck him down by the sword. As related elsewhere, he was assassinated by two of his own sons.

וַיּוֹשַׁע ה' אֶת־יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ וְאֵת יֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם מִיַּד סַנְחֵרִיב מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר וּמִיַּד־כּל וַיְנַהֲלֵם מִסָּבִיב

The Lord saved Yehizkiyahu and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria, and from the hand of everyone, all their enemies, and guided them toward a peaceful existence, protecting them from their enemies on every side.

וְרַבִּים מְבִיאִים מִנְחָה לַה' לִירוּשָׁלִַם וּמִגְדָּנוֹת לִיחִזְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וַיִּנַּשֵּׂא לְעֵינֵי כָל־הַגּוֹיִם מֵאַחֲרֵי־כֵן

Many were bringing tribute to the Lord to Jerusalem, and gifts to Yehizkiyahu king of Judah, as reports of the miracle had naturally reached far and wide; he became exalted, the name of Hizkiyahu became renowned, in the eyes of all the nations thereafter.

בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם חָלָה יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ עַד לָמוּת וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אֶל־ה' וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ וּמוֹפֵת נָתַן לוֹ

In those days Yehizkiyahu became deathly ill; he prayed to the Lord, and He, God, communicated with him through the prophet Isaiah, informing him that his prayer had been accepted, and gave him a sign that he would recover.

וְלֹא־כִגְמֻל עָלָיו הֵשִׁיב יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ כִּי גָבַהּ לִבּוֹ וַיְהִי עָלָיו קֶצֶף וְעַל־יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם

But Yehizkiyahu did not reciprocate according to the reward bestowed upon him. He did not repay God in accordance with the goodness He had bestowed upon him, as his heart grew haughty. Although it was clear that the rout of the Assyrian army was not due to his own army’s strength, Hizkiyahu nevertheless took credit for the victory as due to his righteousness. There was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

וַיִּכָּנַע יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ בְּגֹבַהּ לִבּוֹ הוּא וְיוֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם וְלֹא־בָא עֲלֵיהֶם קֶצֶף ה' בִּימֵי יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ

As a result of his illness and for other reasons, Yehizkiyahu humbled himself from the haughtiness of his heart, and changed his arrogant ways, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them during the days of Yehizkiyahu. Thus, the land was quiet after the invasion of Sennacherib.

וַיְהִי לִיחִזְקִיָּהוּ עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד וְאוֹצָרוֹת עָשָׂה־לוֹ לְכֶסֶף וּלְזָהָב וּלְאֶבֶן יְקָרָה וְלִבְשָׂמִים וּלְמָגִנִּים וּלְכֹל כְּלֵי חֶמְדָּה

Yehizkiyahu had wealth and honor in great abundance, and he made treasuries, storehouses, for himself, for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all precious vessels. He was an energetic and successful king, and due to his powerful position and the peace that reigned in his days, he was the recipient of many gifts and levies, and great wealth was once again amassed in Jerusalem;

וּמִסְכְּנוֹת לִתְבוּאַת דָּגָן וְתִירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר וְאֻרָוֹת לְכָל־בְּהֵמָה וּבְהֵמָה וַעֲדָרִים לאֲוֵרוֹת

and he made storehouses for produce of grain, wine, and oil, and he built, or renovated, stables for each and every animal, and herds for the stables, with which he filled the royal stables.

וְעָרִים עָשָׂה לוֹ וּמִקְנֵה־צֹאן וּבָקָר לָרֹב כִּי נָתַן־לוֹ אֱלֹהִים רְכוּשׁ רַב מְאֹד

He constructed for himself cities, and had livestock of flocks and herds in abundance, for God gave him very many possessions.

וְהוּא יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ סָתַם אֶת־מוֹצָא מֵימֵי גִיחוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן וַיַּשְּׁרֵם לְמַטָּה־מַעְרָבָה לְעִיר דָּוִיד וַיַּצְלַח יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ בְּכָל־מַעֲשֵׂהוּ

He, Yehizkiyahu, plugged the source of the water of the Upper Gihon, and diverted it down to the west side of the City of David, by digging the Siloam Tunnel. Yehizkiyahu succeeded in all his actions.

וְכֵן בִּמְלִיצֵי שָׂרֵי בָבֶל הַמְשַׁלְּחִים עָלָיו לִדְרֹשׁ הַמּוֹפֵת אֲשֶׁר הָיָה בָאָרֶץ עֲזָבוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים לְנַסּוֹתוֹ לָדַעַת כָּל־בִּלְבָבוֹ

So it was with the emissaries of the princes of Babylon, who were sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was in the land; God had left him, to test him, to know everything in his heart. This is an allusion to an episode that is related at length in the books of Isaiah (39) and II Kings (20:11–20): After Sennacherib’s downfall, Hizkiyahu received a miraculous sign, alluded to above, which involved a change in the natural order of the world, as time itself went backward. As a result, ministers of the king of Babylon came to visit Hizkiyahu, and he received them with great, perhaps even excessive, honor. On this occasion, God allowed him to act as he pleased without seeking to restrain him in any way, even though his behavior was not to his credit.

וְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ וַחֲסָדָיו הִנָּם כְּתוּבִים בַּחֲזוֹן יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בֶן־אָמוֹץ הַנָּבִיא עַל־סֵפֶר מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל

The rest of the deeds of Yehizkiyahu, and his kindnesses, his acts which bestowed good upon others, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah son of Amotz the prophet, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. Isaiah was already a prophet many years before Hizkiyahu’s reign, and during Hizkiyahu’s days was, in fact, the greatest prophet, as his prophecies were being fulfilled. Although some of Hizkiyahu’s deeds are indeed recorded in the book of Isaiah, it seems that the prophet wrote another book which included the rest of the chronicles of King Hizkiyahu (see 26:22).

וַיִּשְׁכַּב יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ עִם־אֲבֹתָיו וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ בְּמַעֲלֵה קִבְרֵי בְנֵי־דָוִיד וְכָבוֹד עָשׂוּ־לוֹ בְמוֹתוֹ כָּל־יְהוּדָה וְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם וַיִּמְלֹךְ מְנַשֶּׁה בְנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו

Yehizkiyahu lay with his fathers, and they buried him in the ascent, the most dignified area, of the graves of the sons of David. Apparently, those graves were somewhat scattered, and were not all located in a single cave. All Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem accorded him honor upon his death, as Hizkiyahu had many achievements to his name, including the fortification of the kingdom, and he was also granted miracles and Heavenly assistance. Menashe his son reigned in his stead.