TRV
Translation
King James Version
At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
Complete Jewish Bible
It was at that time that Hizkiyahu stripped the gold from the doors of the sanctuary of ADONAI and from the doorposts which Hizkiyahu king of Y'hudah himself had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Ashur.
Berean Standard Bible
At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold with which he had plated the doors and doorposts of the temple of the LORD, and he gave it to the king of Assyria.
American Standard Version
At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of Jehovah, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
World English Bible Messianic
At that time, Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the LORD’s temple, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
Geneva Bible (1599)
At the same season did Hezekiah pul off the plates of the doores of the Temple of the Lord, and the pillars (which the sayd Hezekiah King of Iudah had couered ouer) and gaue them to the King of Asshur.
Young's Literal Translation
at that time hath Hezekiah cut off the doors of the temple of Jehovah, and the pillars that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and giveth them to the king of Asshur.
See on the biblical-era map
In the KJVVerse 10,041 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on 2 Kings 18 verses 9–16
9 ¶ And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.
10 And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
11 And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:
12 Because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them.
13 Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.
14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house.
16 At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
The kingdom of Assyria had now grown considerable, though we never read of it till the last reign. Such changes there are in the affairs of nations and families: those that have been despicable become formidable, and those, on the contrary, are brought low that have made a great noise and figure. We have here an account,
I. Of the success of Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, against Israel, his besieging Samaria (Kg2 18:9), taking it (Kg2 18:10), and carrying the people into captivity (Kg2 18:11), with the reason why God brought this judgment upon them (Kg2 18:12): Because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord their God. This was related more largely in the foregoing chapter, but it is here repeated, 1. As that which stirred up Hezekiah and his people to purge out idolatry with so much zeal, because they saw the ruin which it brought upon Israel. When their neighbour's house was on fire, and their own in danger, it was time to cast away the accursed thing. 2. As that which Hezekiah much lamented, but had not strength to prevent. Though the ten tribes had revolted from, and often been vexatious to, the house of David, no longer ago than in his father's reign, yet being of the seed of Israel he could not be glad at their calamities. 3. As that which laid Hezekiah and his kingdom open to the king of Assyria, and made it much more easy for him to invade the land. It is said of the ten tribes here that they would neither hear God's commandments nor do them, Kg2 18:12. Many will be content to give God the hearing that will give him no more (Eze 33:31), but these, being resolved not to do their duty, did not care to hear of it.
II. Of the attempt of Sennacherib, the succeeding king of Assyria, against Judah, in which he was encouraged by his predecessor's success against Israel, whose honours he would vie with and whose victories he would push forward. The descent he made upon Judah was a great calamity to that kingdom, by which God would try the faith of Hezekiah and chastise the people, who are called a hypocritical nation (Isa 10:6), because they did not comply with Hezekiah's reformation, nor willingly part with their idols, but kept them up in their hearts, and perhaps in their houses, though their high places were removed. Even times of reformation may prove troublesome times, made so by those that oppose it, and then the blame is laid upon the reformers. This calamity will appear great upon Hezekiah if we consider, 1. How much he lost of his country, Kg2 18:13. The king of Assyria took all or most of the fenced cities of Judah, the frontier-towns and the garrisons, and then all the rest fell into his hands of course. The confusion which the country was put into by this invasion is described by the prophet, Isa 10:28-31. 2. How dearly he paid for his peace. He saw Jerusalem itself in danger of falling into the enemies' hand, as Samaria had done, and was willing to purchase its safety at the expense, (1.) Of a mean submission: "I have offended in denying the usual tribute, and am ready to make satisfaction as shall be demanded," Kg2 18:14. Where was Hezekiah's courage? Where his confidence in God? Why did he not advise with Isaiah before he sent this crouching message? (2.) Of a vast sum of money - 300 talents of silver and thirty of gold (above 200,000l.), not to be paid annually, but as a present ransom. To raise this sum, he was forced not only to empty the public treasures (Kg2 18:15), but to take the golden plates off from the doors of the temple, and from the pillars, Kg2 18:16. Though the temple sanctified the gold which he had dedicated, yet, the necessity being urgent, he thought he might make as bold with that as his father David (whom he took for his pattern) did with the show-bread, and that it was neither impious nor imprudent to give a part for the preservation of the whole. His father Ahaz had plundered the temple in contempt of it, Ch2 28:24. He had repaid with interest what his father took; and now, with all due reverence, he only begged leave to borrow it again in an exigency and for a greater good, with a resolution to restore it in full as soon as he should be in a capacity to do so.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 9–16. Public domain.
Copy as
JeromeAD 420
Against the Pelagians 2.21
Of Hezekiah it is written, “And he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. He destroyed the high places, and broke the statues in pieces, and burned the groves and broke the brazen serpent that Moses had made.” And again, “He trusted in the Lord the God of Israel, and after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah who were before him. He stuck to the Lord, and departed not from him and kept his commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses, and the Lord was with him, and in all things to which he went forth, he behaved himself wisely.” And, when Sennacherib, the king of the Assyrians, had taken all the cities of Judah, “Hezekiah sent messengers to him, to Lachish, saying, ‘I have sinned, depart from me, and all that you shall command of me, I will give.’ And the king of the Assyrians put a tax on Hezekiah, king of Judah, of three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. And Hezekiah gave him all the money that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasure houses of the king. At that time, he broke the doors of the temple of the Lord and the plates of gold and gave them all to the king of the Assyrians.” Although such great demands were placed on him, Hezekiah did not hesitate, in the face of stern necessity, to give the Assyrian king all that he had consecrated to the Lord, and it is said to him, “I will protect this city for my own sake and for David my servant’s sake.” Not for your sake, for you had already performed a noble deed when 185, soldiers of the Assyrian army were laid low and slaughtered by an angel.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as
Continue studying 2 Kings 18:16 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Second Kings 18:16 records the desperate and profoundly symbolic act of King Hezekiah, who, under the immense pressure of the invading Assyrian army led by Sennacherib, stripped the gold from the very doors and pillars of the temple of the LORD—elements he himself had previously adorned. This drastic measure was part of an exorbitant tribute paid to avert the destruction of Jerusalem, highlighting the extreme national crisis Judah faced, the futility of human appeasement in the face of divine judgment, and the ultimate need for God's sovereign deliverance.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several Literary Devices to convey its powerful and tragic message. Irony is profoundly prominent, as the righteous King Hezekiah, who had previously purified and honored the temple, is now compelled to deface it. This reversal of his own pious acts underscores the depth of his desperation and the dire circumstances he faced. Symbolism is also richly at play: the stripping of the gold from the temple doors and pillars symbolizes the stripping away of Judah's pride, its perceived security, and perhaps even a temporary compromise of its spiritual integrity under overwhelming external pressure. The temple, a potent symbol of God's presence and protection, is shown to be vulnerable to human actions and external threats, highlighting the fragility of human security and the limitations of material offerings. The narrative also uses Contrast between Hezekiah's earlier zealous reforms and this desperate act, emphasizing the extreme circumstances that led to such a profound and painful compromise.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse powerfully illustrates the tension between human reliance and divine sovereignty. Hezekiah's desperate act of defacing the temple, a place consecrated to God and adorned for His glory, reveals the limits of human ingenuity and material sacrifice in the face of overwhelming threats. Theologically, it highlights the danger of compromising sacred principles or values, even when under extreme duress. While understandable from a human perspective as a last resort to save his people, this action ultimately proved ineffective in appeasing Sennacherib, underscoring that true deliverance comes not from human appeasement or material offerings, but from God's sovereign intervention. It serves as a stark reminder that our ultimate security and salvation rest in God's faithfulness and power, not in our ability to manipulate circumstances or sacrifice what is sacred.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
King Hezekiah's desperate act in 2 Kings 18:16 serves as a poignant reminder that even the most devout leaders and individuals can be pushed to the brink of compromise when faced with overwhelming fear and pressure. In our own lives, we often encounter "Assyrian" threats—be they financial crises, relational conflicts, health scares, or professional pressures—where the temptation to take matters into our own hands, or to sacrifice our spiritual convictions for perceived immediate relief, becomes incredibly strong. This narrative challenges us to critically examine where our ultimate trust lies. Do we, like Hezekiah initially, resort to human solutions and material sacrifices, even at the expense of what is sacred, when faced with overwhelming challenges? Or do we, like Hezekiah later in the narrative, turn wholeheartedly to God in prayer, trusting in His sovereign power and miraculous deliverance, even when circumstances seem dire and all human options appear exhausted? This verse calls us to guard against the slippery slope of compromise, to remember the sanctity of our commitments to God, and to cultivate a deep-seated faith that believes God's deliverance is greater than any human threat or material offering we might attempt to make.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Hezekiah strip the temple of its gold, especially after being a righteous king?
Answer: Hezekiah stripped the temple of its gold out of extreme desperation to appease Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, who had invaded Judah and captured many of its fortified cities (2 Kings 18:13). Sennacherib had demanded an exorbitant tribute of silver and gold (2 Kings 18:14), and after exhausting the palace and temple treasuries (2 Kings 18:15), Hezekiah resorted to stripping the gold overlay from the temple's doors and pillars. This was a last-ditch effort to prevent Jerusalem's destruction and the deportation of its people, reflecting the immense pressure and fear he faced from the formidable Assyrian Empire. It was a profound, albeit temporary, compromise driven by political necessity and the immediate threat of annihilation.
Did Hezekiah's act of paying tribute and stripping the temple work in appeasing Sennacherib?
Answer: Temporarily, it seemed to buy some time, but ultimately, no. Despite Hezekiah's massive tribute, including the gold from the temple, Sennacherib was not satisfied. He continued his advance and sent his high-ranking officials (the Rabshakeh, Tartan, and Rabsaris) with a large army to Jerusalem to demand the city's surrender and to mock Judah's trust in the LORD (2 Kings 18:17-35). This demonstrates the futility of relying solely on human efforts and material sacrifices to solve spiritual or existential crises. True deliverance for Jerusalem would come later, not through this desperate tribute, but through God's miraculous intervention in response to Hezekiah's humble prayer and Isaiah's prophecy (2 Kings 19:35).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Hezekiah's desperate act of stripping the gold from the temple, a place of divine dwelling and glory, serves as a poignant foreshadowing of a far greater "stripping" and sacrifice that would ultimately bring true and lasting deliverance for all humanity. The physical temple, with its precious adornments, symbolized God's presence among His people, yet it was vulnerable to human actions and external threats, ultimately proving insufficient for ultimate salvation. In the New Covenant, Jesus Christ is revealed as the true and ultimate Temple, the very dwelling place of God among humanity (John 1:14 and John 2:19-21). Unlike the physical temple, which could be stripped of its material wealth, Christ willingly "emptied himself" (Greek: kenosis), not of gold, but of His divine glory and privileges, taking on the form of a servant and humbling Himself even to death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8). He was "stripped" not of material adornments, but of His garments, His dignity, and ultimately His life, becoming the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world (Matthew 27:28 and Hebrews 9:26). Where Hezekiah's sacrifice was insufficient and temporary, securing only a brief reprieve from an earthly enemy, Christ's sacrifice was perfect, eternal, and all-sufficient, securing not merely a temporary political victory but eternal salvation from sin and death (Hebrews 10:10-14). Thus, the desperate act of a human king to save his earthly kingdom points forward to the divine act of the King of Kings, who, through His own profound stripping and ultimate sacrifice, truly delivered His people and established a new, indestructible spiritual temple—His body, the Church (1 Corinthians 3:16).