Sennacherib was the king of Assyria from 705 to 681 BC. He is one of the main villains described in the Bible for his invasion of Judah and siege of Jerusalem during the reign of king Hezekiah. Here is an overview of the key facts about Sennacherib according to the Bible:
Sennacherib’s Invasion of Judah
In 2 Kings 18, it describes how Sennacherib invaded the kingdom of Judah during the 14th year of king Hezekiah’s reign (around 701 BC). The Assyrians had already conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and deported many of the people. Now Sennacherib turned his sights toward Judah and the capital city of Jerusalem.
2 Kings 18:13 says “In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.” Sennacherib captured many towns and villages in Judah and laid siege to Jerusalem.
In 2 Chronicles 32:1, it says “After these things and these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them for himself.” Sennacherib believed he could easily conquer Judah just as he had done to Israel and other nations.
Sennacherib’s Messengers Sent to Hezekiah
While Sennacherib’s army had Jerusalem surrounded, he sent messengers to king Hezekiah demanding full surrender. This account is recorded in 2 Kings 18:17-19:
“And the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rab-saris, and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they arrived, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the Washer’s Field. And when they called for the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.”
Sennacherib sent three officials (Tartan, Rab-saris and Rabshakeh) to give Hezekiah the message to surrender. They met Eliakim, Shebnah and Joah at the upper pool outside the city walls. Rather than accept their surrender, Hezekiah sought the counsel of the prophet Isaiah.
Sennacherib’s Letter and Hezekiah’s Prayer
When the field commander spoke to them in Hebrew, Eliakim, Shebnah and Joah asked him to switch to Aramaic so the people on the city walls would not understand the threats (2 Kings 18:26-27). Sennacherib then sent Hezekiah a threatening letter to scare the people into surrendering (2 Kings 19:14). When Hezekiah received the letter, he tore his clothes in despair and went to the temple to pray to the Lord for deliverance (2 Kings 19:1, 14-19).
Hezekiah’s prayer acknowledged that Sennacherib had destroyed many nations and their gods. But he asked the Lord to deliver Jerusalem so all kingdoms would know that He alone is God. In response, God sent another message through Isaiah saying He would defend Jerusalem for His own honor and for the sake of His servant David (2 Kings 19:32-34).
God’s Judgment on Sennacherib’s Army
That night, the angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp (2 Kings 19:35). Sennacherib was forced to retreat back to his capital city of Nineveh. 2 Kings 19:36-37 then records Sennacherib’s death:
“Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh. And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.”
Just as God said he would defend Jerusalem, he miraculously delivered them by decimating the Assyrian army and allowing Sennacherib’s own sons to assassinate him.
Sennacherib’s Invasion Remembered
Sennacherib’s invasion attempt left a lasting legacy in Scripture. Hezekiah’s prayer is recorded in 2 Kings 19. In 2 Chronicles 32, Hezekiah’s preparations to defend Jerusalem are described. The prophet Isaiah refers to the Assyrian invasion and contains messages of both warning and deliverance (Isaiah 36-37). King Sennacherib is held up as an example of an arrogant foreign ruler who dared to defy God and threaten His people.
In Psalm 124, David reflects on how God has delivered Israel from the threats of their enemies throughout history. Verse 8 declares: “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” This sums up the lesson from Sennacherib’s invasion – that ultimately God controls the fate of nations, not earthly armies.
Even the great king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon recognized God’s sovereignty demonstrated in Sennacherib’s defeat. After living like an animal for 7 years as divine punishment, Nebuchadnezzar praised God saying in Daniel 4:34-35:
“For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and He does according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand or say to Him, ‘What have you done?'”
Archaeological Confirmation
The campaign against Jerusalem by Sennacherib is one of the few events from the Bible that was confirmed by archaeological discoveries. In 1830, a six-sided clay prism was discovered with an inscription describing Sennacherib’s military campaigns. It boasts of his siege of Jerusalem:
“As to Hezekiah, the Jew, he did not submit to my yoke, I laid siege to 46 of his strong cities, walled forts and to the countless small villages in their vicinity, and conquered them by means of well-stamped earth-ramps and battering-rams brought near the walls with an attack by foot soldiers, using mines, breeches as well as trenches. I drove out 200,150 people, young and old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, big and small cattle beyond counting, and considered them slaves.”
This matches the Biblical description in 2 Kings 18-19 of Sennacherib surrounding cities in Judah and laying siege to Jerusalem. The Bible focuses on Jerusalem being delivered while Sennacherib’s account focuses on the victories leading up to besieging the capital.
Another artifact called the Taylor Prism graphically describes Sennacherib’s assault on Jerusalem:
“As to Hezekiah, the Judahite, he did not submit to my yoke. I laid siege to 46 of his strong cities, walled forts and to the countless small villages in their area. I conquered them. 200,150 people, great and small, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, cattle and sheep without number, I brought away from them and counted as spoil. Himself, like a caged bird, I shut up in Jerusalem, his royal city.”
Once again, through archaeology, details matching the biblical account are seen. This provides external confirmation of the invasion attempt, siege of Jerusalem, and Sennacherib’s arrogant boasting.
Lessons from Sennacherib’s Story
What lessons and applications can be drawn from Sennacherib’s interaction with Hezekiah and Jerusalem in Scripture?
- God is sovereign over earthly kingdoms – he raises nations up and takes them down for His purposes.
- God defends His people and honors those who trust in Him.
- Arrogance and pride come before the fall as evil is self-destructive.
- God keeps His promises to preserve Jerusalem.
- Prayer connects us to God who is able to deliver us from any threat.
- In desperate times, seek God’s wisdom through his prophets and in His Word.
- The way God works in history testifies to His eternal power and glory.
As one of Judah’s greatest villains, Sennacherib stands as a reminder that no human power can thwart the plans and purposes of Almighty God. His defeat was a resounding demonstration that those who oppose the Lord face utter ruin. When we face our own trials and enemies, we can have confidence that the God who delivered Hezekiah and Jerusalem is the same God who cares for us and is able to save today.
Word count: 1893