2Ki 18:1-12 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 2Kgs 18:1-12: 18:1-12 The accession statement concerning Hezekiah ’s reign (18:1-2 ) is accompanied by a lengthy evaluation of Hezekiah’s spiritual commitment (18:3-7a ), followed by background details of the political situation in his time (18:7b-12 ). Summary for 2Kgs 18:1-2: 18:1-2 the third year of King Hoshea’s reign in Israel: The date given for Hezekiah ’s accession refers to his co-regency with his father, Ahaz. Since Hoshea began his reign in 732 BC , Hezekiah began to rule in about 728 BC , when he was twelve years old. When Ahaz died in 715 BC , Hezekiah began his sole reign at age twenty-five . This marks the start of his reign of twenty-nine years (715

Summary for 2Kgs 18:1-12: 18:1-12 ^a The accession statement concerning Hezekiah’s reign (18:1-2 ^b) is accompanied by a lengthy evaluation of Hezekiah’s spiritual commitment (18:3-7a ^c), followed by background details of the political situation in his time (18:7b-12 ^d).
Summary for 2Kgs 18:1-2: 18:1-2 ^e the third year of King Hoshea’s reign in Israel: The date given for Hezekiah’s accession refers to his co-regency with his father, Ahaz. Since Hoshea began his reign in 732 BC, Hezekiah began to rule in about 728 BC, when he was twelve years old. When Ahaz died in 715 BC, Hezekiah began his sole reign at age twenty-five. This marks the start of his reign of twenty-nine years (715–686 BC).
Summary for 2Kgs 18:3-4: 18:3-4 ^f Unlike Ahaz (16:2 ^g), Hezekiah compared favorably with David. Hezekiah destroyed false objects of worship, including the pagan shrines ... sacred pillars, and ... Asherah poles (see 16:3-10 ^h; 17:9-11 ⁱ, 19 ^j).

• Apparently the bronze serpent used by Moses (Num 21 ^k) had become an object of illicit worship.
Summary for 2Kgs 18:5-6: 18:5-6 ^l Hezekiah trusted in the Lord: He was without peer among all the kings of Judah. Later, Josiah was without equal in upholding the law of Moses (23:25 ^m). These two kings were models of piety in times of diminishing spirituality.
Summary for 2Kgs 18:7-8: 18:7-8 ⁿ Because of Hezekiah’s unparalleled spiritual commitment, God blessed him and he was successful in everything he did. Hezekiah began a series of reforms, including the cleansing, repair, and refurbishing of the Temple (2 Chr 29:3-36 ^o); observance of the Passover (2 Chr 30 ^p); and the reconstituting of vital worship in Judah (2 Chr 31:1-19 ^q).

• He revolted against the king of Assyria: In the ancient Near East, rebellion and the withholding of tribute usually took place with the change of government; King Sennacherib of Assyria succeeded Sargon II in 704 BC. Assyria’s preoccupation with matters in southern Mesopotamia at this time might have emboldened Hezekiah. Assyria’s response was to invade Judah in 701 BC (18:13–19:36 ^r).

• He also conquered the Philistines, who had been a menace during Ahaz’s reign (2 Chr 28:18 ^s).
Summary for 2Kgs 18:9-12: 18:9-12 ^t The narrator introduces the fall of Samaria as a reminder that Assyria was the prevailing power of the era and that Samaria fell because of Hoshea’s apostasy, thus setting the stage for the account of Hezekiah’s demonstration of spiritual fiber and God’s dealing with him (18:19–19:19 ^u).