Who Was Hezekiah in the Bible? The King of Judah Who Trusted God

Hezekiah was a king of Judah who reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem and is remembered for trusting God when the Assyrian army threatened the city (2 Kings 18:1-2, 18:5). He removed idolatry, reopened and cleansed the temple, and restored the Passover (2 Chronicles 29-30). When Sennacherib of Assyria demanded surrender, Hezekiah prayed, and the Lord struck the Assyrian camp (2 Kings 19:14-19, 19:35). Later, when he was ill and near death, God added fifteen years to his life (2 Kings 20:1-6).

Quick Facts About Hezekiah

Fact	Details
Name meaning	Usually understood as "the LORD strengthens" or "the LORD is my strength"
Testament	Old Testament
Key books	2 Kings 18-20; 2 Chronicles 29-32; Isaiah 36-39
Time period	Reign often dated about 715-686 BC (traditional dating)
Family	Son of King Ahaz; mother Abijah daughter of Zechariah; father of Manasseh (2 Kings 18:1-2; 20:21)
Known for	Religious reform, deliverance from Sennacherib, his healing, and the water tunnel into Jerusalem

Who Was Hezekiah in the Bible? His Background

Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:2). He followed his father Ahaz, who worshiped other gods, sacrificed his son in the fire, and shut the doors of the temple (2 Kings 16:3; 2 Chronicles 28:23-25). Hezekiah was a descendant of David, and the text says he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as David had done (2 Kings 18:3).

The Bible gives him a strong commendation:

"Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him." (2 Kings 18:5)

The prophets Isaiah and Micah were active during his reign (Isaiah 1:1; Micah 1:1). A century later, elders in Jerusalem recalled that Hezekiah had responded to Micah's warnings by seeking the Lord, and cited this as a reason to spare the prophet Jeremiah from execution (Jeremiah 26:17-19, 26:24).

Reforming Worship in Judah

Reopening the Temple

In the first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah opened the doors of the temple and repaired them (2 Chronicles 29:3). He told the priests and Levites to consecrate themselves and remove everything unclean from the sanctuary (2 Chronicles 29:5). The work took sixteen days (2 Chronicles 29:17).

He then restored the sacrifices and stationed the Levites with cymbals, harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David, Gad the seer, and Nathan the prophet (2 Chronicles 29:25).

Breaking the Bronze Snake

Hezekiah removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones, and cut down the Asherah poles (2 Kings 18:4). He also broke into pieces the bronze snake that Moses had made in the wilderness, because the Israelites had been burning incense to it. It was called Nehushtan (2 Kings 18:4; Numbers 21:8-9).

The Great Passover

Hezekiah sent couriers from Beersheba to Dan, inviting the people of Judah and the remaining Israelites of the north, including Ephraim and Manasseh, to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 30:1, 30:5). Because not enough priests had consecrated themselves in time, the feast was held in the second month (2 Chronicles 30:2-3).

Many who came had not purified themselves, and Hezekiah prayed that the Lord would pardon everyone who set their heart on seeking God. The Lord heard him (2 Chronicles 30:18-20). The assembly agreed to celebrate seven more days, and the text says there had been nothing like it in Jerusalem since the days of Solomon (2 Chronicles 30:23, 30:26).

Assyria and the Siege of Jerusalem

The Fall of Samaria

In the sixth year of Hezekiah's reign, the Assyrians captured Samaria and carried the northern kingdom of Israel into exile because they had not obeyed the Lord (2 Kings 18:10-12). Hezekiah had rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him (2 Kings 18:7).

Sennacherib's Invasion

In Hezekiah's fourteenth year, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked and captured the fortified cities of Judah (2 Kings 18:13). Hezekiah sent word to him at Lachish, admitting wrong and agreeing to pay tribute. He gave 300 talents of silver and 30 talents of gold, stripping gold from the temple doors to pay it (2 Kings 18:14-16).

Hezekiah also prepared Jerusalem for a siege. He blocked the springs outside the city, repaired the wall, built towers, and made weapons and shields (2 Chronicles 32:2-5). He told the military officers that the Lord was with them to help them and fight their battles (2 Chronicles 32:7-8).

The Field Commander's Threats

Sennacherib sent his supreme commander, chief officer and field commander to Jerusalem with a large army (2 Kings 18:17). The field commander mocked Hezekiah's trust in Egypt and in the Lord. Hezekiah's officials asked him to speak in Aramaic so the people on the wall would not understand, but he stood and called out in Hebrew to the people on the wall (2 Kings 18:19-28). The people stayed silent, as the king had commanded (2 Kings 18:36).

Hezekiah's Prayer

Hezekiah tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went into the temple. He sent his officials to the prophet Isaiah, who told him not to be afraid (2 Kings 19:1-7). When a threatening letter arrived, Hezekiah spread it out before the Lord in the temple and prayed (2 Kings 19:14-19). He ended with this request:

"Now, LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, LORD, are God." (2 Kings 19:19)

Isaiah sent back word that the king of Assyria would not enter the city or shoot an arrow there, and that God would defend it for His own sake and for David's sake (2 Kings 19:32-34). That night the angel of the Lord put to death 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp (2 Kings 19:35-37). Sennacherib returned to Nineveh, where two of his sons later killed him with the sword while he worshiped in the temple of his god.

Hezekiah's Illness and Healing

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. Isaiah told him to put his house in order, because he would not recover (2 Kings 20:1). Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, prayed, and wept bitterly (2 Kings 20:2-3). Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the Lord sent him back with a new message (2 Kings 20:4-5):

"I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you." (2 Kings 20:5)

God promised to add fifteen years to Hezekiah's life and to defend Jerusalem from Assyria (2 Kings 20:6). Isaiah had a poultice of figs applied to the boil, and Hezekiah recovered (2 Kings 20:7). As a sign, the Lord made the shadow go back ten steps on the stairway of Ahaz (2 Kings 20:8-11).

The Babylonian Envoys

Marduk-Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift after hearing of Hezekiah's illness. Hezekiah showed the envoys everything in his storehouses and armory (2 Kings 20:12-13). Chronicles says God left him to test him and to know everything in his heart (2 Chronicles 32:31). It also says Hezekiah's heart was proud after his recovery, and that he later humbled himself, so the Lord's wrath did not come in his days (2 Chronicles 32:25-26).

Isaiah told Hezekiah that everything in his palace would one day be carried off to Babylon, and some of his descendants would become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon (2 Kings 20:16-18). Hezekiah called the word good, thinking there would be peace and security in his lifetime (2 Kings 20:19). Generations later, the book of Daniel describes young men from Judah's royal family and nobility being taken to serve in Nebuchadnezzar's palace (Daniel 1:3-6).

The Tunnel, the Proverbs, and His Death

Hezekiah made a pool and a tunnel that brought water into Jerusalem (2 Kings 20:20). Chronicles says he blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David (2 Chronicles 32:30). Britannica connects this project with the rock-cut tunnel known today as the Siloam tunnel.

The book of Proverbs notes that some of Solomon's proverbs were compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah (Proverbs 25:1). Hezekiah died and was buried on the hill where the tombs of David's descendants are, and his son Manasseh succeeded him (2 Chronicles 32:33). Manasseh rebuilt the high places his father had destroyed (2 Kings 21:3).

Key Lessons From Hezekiah's Life

• Reform can start immediately. Hezekiah reopened the temple in his first month as king (2 Chronicles 29:3).
• Bring threats to God in prayer. He spread Sennacherib's letter before the Lord and asked Him to act for His own glory (2 Kings 19:14-19).
• God hears personal prayer. The Lord answered Hezekiah's tears with fifteen more years (2 Kings 20:5-6).
• Success can lead to pride. After his recovery, his heart became proud and he displayed his wealth to Babylon (2 Chronicles 32:25; 2 Kings 20:13).

Where Hezekiah Appears in the Bible

• 2 Kings 16:20; 18-20: His reign, the Assyrian crisis, his illness, and the Babylonian envoys
• 2 Chronicles 28:27; 29-32: The temple cleansing, the Passover, and his preparations for the siege
• Isaiah 36-39: A parallel account, including Hezekiah's prayer of thanks (Isaiah 38:9-20)
• Proverbs 25:1: His men compiled proverbs of Solomon
• Jeremiah 26:18-19: Remembered for responding to Micah's warning
• Matthew 1:9-10: Matthew lists him in the genealogy of Jesus

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Hezekiah in the Bible?

Hezekiah was a king of Judah, the son of Ahaz, who reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:1-2). He is known for reforming worship and trusting God during the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:5; 19:14-19).

How many years did God add to Hezekiah's life?

God added fifteen years to Hezekiah's life after he prayed and wept during a serious illness (2 Kings 20:5-6). The sign was the shadow going back ten steps on the stairway of Ahaz (2 Kings 20:11).

What did Hezekiah do with the bronze snake?

He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, because the Israelites had been burning incense to it (2 Kings 18:4). It was called Nehushtan.

What happened to the Assyrian army that besieged Jerusalem?

The angel of the Lord put to death 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp in one night (2 Kings 19:35). Sennacherib returned to Nineveh and was later killed by two of his sons (2 Kings 19:36-37).