Melakhim II Chapter 18 | The Reign of Chizkiyahu

King Chizkiyahu emerges in a challenging period. In the verses, he is described as one who: “Placed his trust in the Lord, God of Israel; there were none like him among all the kings of Yehuda who succeeded him or those who came before him” (18:5). Indeed, Chizkiyahu undertakes a thorough religious reform, removing the high shrines, worship pillars, and sacred trees. The extensive religious purification carried out by Chizkiyahu in Jerusalem and throughout Israel is elaborated on in Divrei HaYamim II (Chapters 29–31). There, it is mentioned that Chizkiyahu even gathered the entire nation to join in the practice of Korban Pesach, about which it is said: “There was great joy in Jerusalem, for nothing like this had happened in Jerusalem since the days of Shlomo son of David, king of Israel” (Divrei HaYamim II 30:26). Moreover, the verses describe that this Pesach included participation even from the tribes of Efrayim, Menashe, Asher, Yissakhar, and Zevulun.

Nevertheless, it is surprising that the king of Assyria rises against Chizkiyahu: “In the fourteenth year of King Chizkiya, Sancheriv, king of Assyria, marched up against all the fortified cities of Yehuda and seized them” (18:13). The king of Assyria succeeds in capturing all the fortified cities of Yehuda, forcing Chizkiyahu to pay a heavy tribute, including treasures from the Temple. Later, Ravshakeh comes to lay siege to Jerusalem and delivers the famous Speech of Ravshakeh, attempting to persuade the people to surrender to the king of Assyria. An interesting point in Ravshakeh’s speech is his argument to the people not to trust Chizkiyahu’s claims to rely on God: “If you say to me, ‘We have placed our trust in the Lord, our God’ – is  that not the one whose high shrines and altars Chizkiyahu removed, telling Yehuda and Jerusalem, ‘Bow only before this altar, in Jerusalem’?” (18:22). From an idolatrous perspective, Chizkiyahu’s removal of the high shrines is seen as an affront to divine worship since these altars were intended for God. Hence, Ravshakeh tells the people: God will not help you, as you have offended His altars for the political interest of centralizing worship in Jerusalem. It is unclear to what extent these claims resonated with the common people. Was there genuine discontent with Chizkiyahu’s reforms? Or were these merely the claims of an idolater unfamiliar with the religious sentiments of Jerusalem’s inhabitants?

How, then, did the Kingdom of Yehuda find itself in such a dire security situation during the reign of such a righteous king? To complete the picture, one must examine the Book of Yeshayahu, which raises two critical points:
1. The social state: Yeshayahu sharply criticizes the social conditions in Jerusalem during Chizkiyahu’s reign, as seen in Yeshayahu Chapter 1 (widely considered to be from Chizkiyahu’s time) and Chapter 22, which refers to a senior official in Chizkiyahu’s kingdom.
2. Reliance on Egypt: This issue is already hinted at in Ravshakeh’s speech. In Yeshayahu, there is fierce criticism of the desire to rely on Egypt: “Woe to the wayward sons, so says the Lord, who live by a plan that is not Mine, who pour out thoughts not of My spirit, add sin upon sin, who set out to go down to Egypt, without having sought My word, to seek refuge in Pharaoh’s stronghold and shelter in the shadow of Egypt” (Yeshayahu 30:1–2).
The Book of Yeshayahu extensively addresses the challenges facing Chizkiyahu against the king of Assyria — a topic we will revisit when studying Yeshayahu. Rav Yuval Cherlow discusses in his shiur why Sancheriv’s campaign occurred during the reign of the righteous Chizkiyahu.

It is also recommended to read Rav Yoel Ben Nun's article on the coronation of King Chizkiyahu and the unification of the tribes of Israel.