Who was the Pharaoh during King Hezekiah's reign?

The Pharaoh mentioned in the context of King Hezekiah is not named in the Bible, but he was a ruler of Egypt's 25th (Kushite) Dynasty. Hezekiah sought an alliance with him against the Assyrian king Sennacherib, a move criticized by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 36:6).

Why did the prophet Isaiah criticize the alliance with Pharaoh?

Isaiah criticized the alliance because it showed a lack of trust in God's protection. He warned that relying on Egypt, a "broken reed," would lead to shame and failure, urging Judah to instead rely on the Lord (Isaiah 30:1-3; 31:1).

What was the significance of Pharaoh in the story of Hezekiah?

This Pharaoh's significance is as a symbol of misplaced trust. The biblical narrative uses the failed alliance to teach that salvation comes from God, not political or military power, highlighting a key theme of faith versus human strategy (2 Kings 18:21).

Pharaoh

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleA pharaoh

Pharaoh, the Egyptian ruler whom Judah's King Hezekiah sought as an ally against the Assyrian threat.

Pharaoh

Biography

This Pharaoh, most likely Shabaka or Shebitku of Egypt's Twenty-fifth (Nubian) Dynasty, figures prominently in the Assyrian crisis of the late eighth century BC. When the Assyrian empire under Sennacherib threatened to engulf Judah, King Hezekiah looked to Egypt for military support, a strategy that both Isaiah and the Rabshakeh, Sennacherib's envoy, condemned in strikingly similar terms. Isaiah 36:6 records the Assyrian taunt that Egypt was a "broken reed" that would pierce the hand of anyone who leaned on it. The prophet Isaiah had already warned against this alliance in Isaiah 30:1-5 and 31:1-3, declaring that those who went down to Egypt for help rather than trusting the Holy One of Israel would find only shame and disgrace. This Pharaoh's inability to deliver Judah vindicated the prophetic message.

Significance

This Pharaoh serves as a theological object lesson about misplaced trust. The prophets consistently portrayed reliance on Egypt as a fundamental failure of faith, a substitution of human military power for divine protection. Isaiah's critique of the Egyptian alliance (Isaiah 30-31) articulates a core biblical principle: security comes from trusting God, not from geopolitical maneuvering. When Sennacherib's army was miraculously destroyed without Egyptian intervention (2 Kings 19:35), the futility of Hezekiah's Egyptian diplomacy was made plain. This Pharaoh's role in the narrative demonstrates that earthly powers, however impressive, are ultimately insufficient, and that God alone is the true defender of His people.

Verse Appearances (5)

2Kgs

2Kgs 18:21

Isaiah

Isaiah 19:11 Isaiah 30:2 Isaiah 30:3 Isaiah 36:6

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

View all sources & licensing →

See our editorial standards →

Content compiled from public domain scholarship, academic sources, and verified references. Editorial standards · View all sources