Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 19
The king of Assyria had boldly promised that he would return to destroy Jerusalem (19:9-13). However, he would not do it. God declared that he would not permit the king of Assyria to do it. That king’s plan to destroy Jerusalem would completely fail.
He would not even manage to send his army to surround the city. That was the normal way for an army to attack a strong city. The army would not permit anyone to enter or to leave the city. It might take several years until the city’s inhabitants were too hungry and desperate to defend themselves. Then, if they still did not hand the city over to the enemy, that army would attack.
None of this would happen in Jerusalem at this time. Assyria’s army would not even shoot a single arrow at the city. God was forcing the king of Assyria to return to Assyria. He would take with him whatever remained of his vast army. We shall soon discover what happened to that army. It left Judah in a much weaker state than when it first came.
God declared that he himself would rescue Jerusalem from this cruel and powerful enemy. He explained the reasons for his actions. He was not rewarding the people for their good works – in reality, many of them had lived in an evil manner.
Rather, God acted, as Hezekiah had prayed (19:19), for his (God’s) own honour. Also, God acted because of the promises that he made to David (2 Samuel 7:8-16).
Next part: The angel of death in Assyria's camp (2 Kings 19:35-36)
Please use the links at the top of the page to find our other articles in this series. You can download all our articles if you go to the download page for our free 1000+ page course book.
© 2025, Keith Simons.