Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 19
The king of Assyria had heard a report that Egypt’s army was preparing to attack his army (19:9). Assyria’s king did not want to fight that battle in Judah. So, he gave an order that his army should return to Assyria. He was afraid of Egypt’s army, which was a very powerful army.
Before he left Judah, the king of Assyria wrote a letter to frighten Hezekiah (19:9-13). Hezekiah then received a message from God, which God gave by Isaiah the prophet (holy man) – 2 Kings 19:20-34.
That night, a very terrible event happened in the camp of Assyria’s soldiers. God issued his judgment against them, and a powerful angel – a spirit – carried it out. This spirit is called ‘the angel of the Lord (God)’ because he was carrying out God’s judgment.
It seems that the angel, or spirit, carried out his task silently. The Bible does not say that these men became ill first. It only records the very great number of soldiers who died, without a battle, all in the same night. The soldiers who lived seemed unaware of this awful event until the next morning. They woke to find the bodies of the men who had died next to them.
Assyria’s king had already decided to leave Judah for a short time. Now, however, his army had suddenly become much weaker. He took his men back to his capital city, Nineveh, and he never returned to attack Judah again.
Next part: The death of Assyria's king, Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:37)
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