2 kings 18:14 - Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, “I have offended you. Return from me. That which you put on me, I will bear.” The king of Assyria appointed to Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
Select Bible Verse
Filter Categories
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W
What does "2 kings 18:14" mean?
This verse describes a moment of surrender and appeasement by Hezekiah, the king of Judah, to the Assyrian king during a time of Assyrian dominance in the region. Here's a breakdown of what it means:
"Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish..." This sets the scene. Lachish was a key fortified city in Judah. The Assyrian king, Sennacherib, had laid siege to it (and possibly already captured it, though the Bible's timeline isn't perfectly clear). Hezekiah's message is being sent to Sennacherib's location.
"...saying, 'I have offended you. Return from me.'" This is Hezekiah acknowledging his wrongdoing. He likely offended the Assyrian king by rebelling, refusing to pay tribute that Judah had previously been paying to Assyria. This rebellion was probably encouraged by prophets like Isaiah who were trusting that God would protect Jerusalem. He's now admitting defeat and asking the Assyrian king to withdraw his forces from Judah.
"'That which you put on me, I will bear.'" This means Hezekiah is offering to pay whatever price or tribute the Assyrian king demands in order to prevent further destruction and invasion. He is essentially saying, "Name your price, and I will pay it."
"The king of Assyria appointed to Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold." This is the price demanded by the Assyrian king. A talent was a unit of weight, so this was a huge amount of wealth. This shows the power and dominance of the Assyrian empire at the time. It also highlights how Hezekiah's attempt to break free from Assyrian control had backfired, resulting in a heavy financial burden on Judah.
In essence, the verse describes:
Submission: Hezekiah's recognition of Assyria's superior power.
Repentance (of a sort): Hezekiah acknowledging his rebellion.
Tribute: The imposition of a heavy fine on Judah.
Consequences: The direct result of Hezekiah's failed revolt against Assyria.
This verse is important because it sets the stage for the subsequent events in the narrative, including the eventual siege of Jerusalem and the divine intervention that the Bible describes as saving the city from the Assyrians. It also shows the complex political landscape of the time, where smaller kingdoms like Judah were constantly navigating the power dynamics with larger empires like Assyria. This is part of a narrative that shows Hezekiah as a king who both trusts God and attempts strategic resistance.
2 kings 18:14 - Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, “I have offended you. Return from me. That which you put on me, I will bear.” The king of Assyria appointed to Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
What does "2 kings 18:14" mean?
This verse describes a moment of surrender and appeasement by Hezekiah, the king of Judah, to the Assyrian king during a time of Assyrian dominance in the region. Here's a breakdown of what it means:
"Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish..." This sets the scene. Lachish was a key fortified city in Judah. The Assyrian king, Sennacherib, had laid siege to it (and possibly already captured it, though the Bible's timeline isn't perfectly clear). Hezekiah's message is being sent to Sennacherib's location.
"...saying, 'I have offended you. Return from me.'" This is Hezekiah acknowledging his wrongdoing. He likely offended the Assyrian king by rebelling, refusing to pay tribute that Judah had previously been paying to Assyria. This rebellion was probably encouraged by prophets like Isaiah who were trusting that God would protect Jerusalem. He's now admitting defeat and asking the Assyrian king to withdraw his forces from Judah.
"'That which you put on me, I will bear.'" This means Hezekiah is offering to pay whatever price or tribute the Assyrian king demands in order to prevent further destruction and invasion. He is essentially saying, "Name your price, and I will pay it."
"The king of Assyria appointed to Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold." This is the price demanded by the Assyrian king. A talent was a unit of weight, so this was a huge amount of wealth. This shows the power and dominance of the Assyrian empire at the time. It also highlights how Hezekiah's attempt to break free from Assyrian control had backfired, resulting in a heavy financial burden on Judah.
In essence, the verse describes:
Submission: Hezekiah's recognition of Assyria's superior power.
Repentance (of a sort): Hezekiah acknowledging his rebellion.
Tribute: The imposition of a heavy fine on Judah.
Consequences: The direct result of Hezekiah's failed revolt against Assyria.
This verse is important because it sets the stage for the subsequent events in the narrative, including the eventual siege of Jerusalem and the divine intervention that the Bible describes as saving the city from the Assyrians. It also shows the complex political landscape of the time, where smaller kingdoms like Judah were constantly navigating the power dynamics with larger empires like Assyria. This is part of a narrative that shows Hezekiah as a king who both trusts God and attempts strategic resistance.