2 Kings 18:13 — Sennacherib’s Invasion

According to the writer of 2 Kings, in the 14th year of Hezekiah's reign in Jerusalem, the Assyrian king Sennacherib attacked Judah's fortified cities and took them. Archaeological evidence confirms this invasion. Sennacherib's records reveal that he initiated this assault in 701 B.C. The Assyrian monarch boasted that he destroyed forty-six Judean cities and took 200,150 prisoners. Enter these interesting statistics in your margin beside 2 Kings 18:13.

Sennacherib's forces also marched on the capital city of Jerusalem (18:17), and his commander bragged that they would take it as well; Jehovah would not be able to protect the city (18:35)! How reckless it is to challenge God.

The Assyrian record states that Hezekiah was, as a prisoner, shut up "like a bird in a cage" (Pritchard 288). Strangely, though, the king never mentions actually taking the royal city.

Why not? Because the messenger of Jehovah went into the enemy camp, and in one night 185,000 Assyrian soldiers were slain (see 2 Kings 19:35,36; 2 Chronicles 32:21,22; Isaiah 37:36-38).

And so, beside 2 Kings 18:35, write: Jerusalem was not taken! See 2 Kings 19:35, 36.