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2 Chronicles 32:13-17
Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the people ofother lands? were the gods of the nations of those lands any ways able to deliver their lands out of mine hand? …

1 Samuel 17:36
Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

Job 15:25,26
For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty…

the God

2 Chronicles 6:6
But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel.

Psalm 76:1,2
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalmor Song of Asaph. In Judahis God known: his nameis great in Israel…

Psalm 78:68
But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.

the work

Deuteronomy 4:28
And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

Deuteronomy 27:15
Cursedbe the man that makethany graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and puttethit ina secretplace. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.

2 Kings 19:18
And have cast their gods into the fire: for theywere no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.

as they had spoken against the gods of the peoples of the earth
The Assyrians had a history of conquering nations and their gods, which they viewed as mere idols. This phrase highlights their arrogance and ignorance in equating the God of Israel with these false gods. Historically, the Assyrians would often mock the deities of the nations they defeated, believing their own gods superior. This reflects a broader cultural context where military success was seen as a sign of divine favor. However, the God of Israel is unique, not made by human hands, and not subject to human manipulation or defeat.

the work of human hands
This phrase underscores the biblical theme of idolatry, where gods are crafted by human hands and thus powerless. In contrast, the God of Israel is the living God, not created by human hands, and sovereign over all creation. This distinction is crucial in the biblical narrative, emphasizing the futility of idol worship. The prophets often ridiculed idols as lifeless and impotent (e.g.,Isaiah 44:9-20). The phrase also serves as a reminder of the first and second commandments, which prohibit the making and worshiping of idols. This sets the stage for God's deliverance of Jerusalem, demonstrating His power and faithfulness in contrast to the impotence of idols.

• The Assyrian envoys did more than rattle swords; they unleashed words intended to break Judah’s resolve. “They spoke” points back to the taunts recorded earlier in the chapter (2 Chron 32:9–15; cf.2 Kings 18:28-35).

• Speech is never neutral.Proverbs 18:21 reminds us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue,” and the Assyrians wielded theirs like a weapon.

• Their strategy was psychological warfare: belittle faith, magnify fear, and persuade the people to surrender before a single arrow flew. The enemy of our souls still works this way (Ephesians 6:16), whispering doubts to shake our confidence in God’s promises.

• The target of their ridicule was “the God of Jerusalem.” He is not a regional deity but the covenant-keeping LORD who chose Zion for His name (2 Chron 6:6;Psalm 48:1-3).

• By singling out Jerusalem’s God, the envoys attacked the heart of Judah’s identity and hope: “Do not let Hezekiah mislead you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us’” (2 Kings 18:30).

• This hostility echoes Goliath’s earlier defiance (1 Samuel 17:45). Both boastful challenges set the stage for God to display His supremacy.

• To the Assyrians, Israel’s God was just one more name on a long list of conquered gods—Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim (Isaiah 36:18-20).

• Their logic:

– Every nation trusted its deity.

– Assyria defeated every nation.

– Therefore no god, including Judah’s, could resist Assyria.

• The flaw? They lumped the living God with powerless idols.Romans 1:21-23 shows the human tendency to exchange the glory of the incorruptible God for images; Assyria simply verbalized that exchange.

• The narrator steps in to expose the error: those other “gods” were “the work of human hands.”Psalm 115:4-8 paints the picture—mouths that cannot speak, eyes that cannot see.

• In contrast, “The LORD made the heavens and the earth” (Psalm 121:2). He is the Maker, not the made; the potter, not the clay (Isaiah 45:9).

• When human pride elevates idols—whether carved wood, bank accounts, or self-reliance—God still asks, “To whom will you liken Me?” (Isaiah 40:25).

2 Chronicles 32:19 spotlights Assyria’s fatal miscalculation. They spoke arrogant words, lumping the living God of Jerusalem with lifeless idols fashioned by human hands. Their taunts set a clear contrast: created objects versus the Creator. By refusing to acknowledge the unique, sovereign LORD, they invited the very judgment that soon fell—“the LORD sent an angel, who annihilated every mighty warrior” (2 Chron 32:21). The verse reminds us that no matter how loud the opposition or how plausible its arguments, God stands unrivaled. Trust in Him is never misplaced; contempt for Him is always catastrophic.

People.--Peoples.

The work.--The versions have "works." Instead of repeating the offers which the Assyrian envoys made to the people of Jerusalem, to induce them to submit, the chronicler dwells on that blasphemy against the God of Israel which was the cause of the Assyrian overthrow.

The work of the hands of man.--A reminiscence of2Kings 19:18 : "And they put their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of human hands, wood and stone" (part of Hezekiah's prayer).