Kingdom of Judah · around 715–686 BC
Hezekiah in the Bible
The king who trusted in the LORD. Name meaning: “The LORD is my strength” or “the LORD strengthens”
Hezekiah, son of the ungodly king Ahaz, reigns twenty-nine years over Judah and leads one of the greatest religious reforms in its history. Faced with the Assyrian army of Sennacherib, he prays with the prophet Isaiah, and God delivers Jerusalem in spectacular fashion. Healed of a fatal illness and granted fifteen more years of life, he nevertheless gives way to pride before the envoys of Babylon.
Key moments
- He breaks the bronze serpent Nehushtan 2 Kings 18:4
- He reopens and repairs the doors of the temple 2 Chronicles 29:3
- A Passover without equal since Solomon 2 Chronicles 30:26
- He spreads Sennacherib’s letter before the LORD 2 Kings 19:14
- The angel strikes the Assyrian camp 2 Kings 19:35
- God adds fifteen years to his life 2 Kings 20:6
- The shadow goes back ten degrees 2 Kings 20:11
- He shows his treasures to the envoys of Babylon 2 Kings 20:13
Strengths
- Trust in God
- Reforming zeal
- Man of prayer
- Courage
- Gift for encouraging
Weaknesses
Faced with Sennacherib, Hezekiah first tried to buy peace with the temple’s gold (2 Kgs 18:14-16). After his healing, his heart was lifted up: he displayed his treasures to the Babylonians and seemed content with peace in his own days (2 Chr 32:25; 2 Kgs 20:13, 19).
Lessons for today
- Spiritual reform begins with the house of God: reopen the doors, remove the defilement, and restore worship (2 Chr 29:3-5).
- Bring your threats to God in prayer, as Hezekiah spread the letter before the LORD (2 Kgs 19:14).
- God hears the prayers and sees the tears of those who turn to him (2 Kgs 20:5).
- Blessings received can become a trap of pride: God tests what is in our hearts (2 Chr 32:25, 31).
He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.
Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only.
Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord.
People around Hezekiah
- Ahaz — Father, an unfaithful king
- Isaiah — The prophet who advises him and prays for Jerusalem
- Sennacherib — King of Assyria who threatens Jerusalem
- Rabshakeh — The Assyrian envoy who insults the living God
- Berodach-baladan — King of Babylon whose envoys he receives
- Manasseh — Son and successor, who rebuilds the high places
Stories with Hezekiah
Quiz: how well do you know Hezekiah?
Which prophet did Hezekiah send his servants to when the Assyrian threat came?
Hezekiah sent Eliakim, Shebna, and the elders of the priests “to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.” 2 Kings 19:2
How many years did God add to Hezekiah’s life?
“I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears… I will add unto thy days fifteen years.” 2 Kings 20:5–6
Which king of Assyria came up against the fortified cities of Judah under Hezekiah?
“In the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.” 2 Kings 18:13
There are many more questions like these in Bible Academy, each with its explanation and verse. Start your free trial.