And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
2 KINGS 19:35KJVWhat does 2 Kings 19:35 mean?
2 Kings 19:35 describes how, during the night, an angel sent by the LORD went out to the camp of the Assyrian army and killed 185,000 soldiers. When people got up early in the morning, they discovered that all those soldiers were dead bodies.
This verse is part of the story where King Hezekiah of Judah is threatened by the Assyrian king Sennacherib. After Hezekiah prays for help, God responds by sending an angel to deliver Jerusalem from the Assyrian siege in a single, miraculous event. The verse highlights a dramatic turning point, showing God's direct intervention in response to prayer.
The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 19:35
- angel (מַלְאָךְ, mal’akh): This word means "messenger," and here it refers to a supernatural being carrying out God's will. The use of "angel of the LORD" emphasizes that this was a divine action, not a human one.
- smote (נָכָה, nakhah): This verb means "to strike" or "to kill." The word underlines the sudden and decisive nature of what happened to the Assyrian army.
- camp (מַחֲנֶה, machaneh): This word refers to the military encampment of the Assyrians, making it clear that the entire army was affected, not just a small group.
- hundred (מֵאָה, me’ah); fourscore (שְׁמוֹנִים, shemonim); five (חָמֵשׁ, chamesh); thousand (אֶלֶף, eleph): These words add up to 185,000, emphasizing the scale of the event. The specific number stresses the completeness and magnitude of the disaster for the Assyrians.
Why 2 Kings 19:35 matters
- 2 Kings 19:35 clears up any doubt about how Jerusalem was saved; it was not through military strength or negotiation, but by a direct act of God.
- The verse emphasizes the power and authority of the LORD (יהוה, YHWH) over even the mightiest armies, reinforcing a central theme of trust in God rather than human power.
- This event marks a major shift in the story, as it leads to the withdrawal of the Assyrian forces and the deliverance of Jerusalem, shaping the history of Judah and its faith narrative.