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Sennacherib

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleEmperor of assyria

Sennacherib and Sargon were Assyrian kings who led military campaigns against Judah during the reigns of King Hezekiah and King Ahaz, respectively.

Sennacherib illustration
Sennacherib

Biography

Sennacherib was king of Assyria from approximately 705 to 681 BC and one of the ancient world's most formidable military commanders. His campaign against Judah in 701 BC, during the reign of King Hezekiah, is one of the best-documented events in the entire Old Testament, attested both in 2 Kings 18–19, Isaiah 36–37, and 2 Chronicles 32, as well as in Sennacherib's own annals and the famous Taylor Prism. After capturing forty-six Judean cities and besieging Jerusalem, his army was devastated overnight by the angel of the LORD, 185,000 soldiers killed, forcing his ignominious withdrawal (2 Kings 19:35–36; Isaiah 37:36). He was subsequently murdered by his own sons while worshipping in the temple of his god Nisroch, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy (2 Kings 19:7; Isaiah 37:7).

Significance

Sennacherib's confrontation with Hezekiah's Jerusalem is one of Scripture's most dramatic demonstrations of divine sovereignty over the greatest military power of the ancient world. His blasphemous taunt, equating the LORD with the gods of other conquered nations (2 Kings 18:33–35; Isaiah 36:18–20), provoked a direct divine response that validated Hezekiah's prayer and Isaiah's prophecy and preserved the Davidic line from which the Messiah would come. The deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib became a touchstone of hope in Israelite memory and a paradigm for trusting God against impossible odds. Theologically, his failure underscores that no earthly empire, however powerful, can frustrate the purposes of the LORD when His covenant commitments are at stake.

Verse Appearances (14)

References

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

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