2 Kings 19:18 Meaning and Explanation
“And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Hezekiah explains that the conquered nations' gods fell because they were mere idols of wood and stone.
What Does 2 Kings 19:18 Mean?
Hezekiah explains why those nations and their gods fell so easily. Their gods were cast into the fire because they were no gods at all, only the work of human hands, wood and stone. Idols cannot save anyone, and so they perished with the people who made them.
Here Hezekiah lays bare the flaw in Sennacherib's reasoning. The Assyrian assumed every god was like every other, but the gods he had defeated were lifeless carvings, and the LORD is the living God who made the very heavens. To set a handmade idol beside the Maker of all things is no comparison at all. The prayer quietly draws the line that Sennacherib could not see, between what human hands have shaped and the One who shaped human hands.
2 Kings 19:18 in the Original Language
elohim (אֱלֹהִים), 'gods' -- the word for deity; Hezekiah uses it of the idols only to deny that they truly were any.
Frequently Asked Questions About 2 Kings 19:18
What does 2 Kings 19:18 mean?
Hezekiah explains that the conquered nations' gods fell because they were mere idols of wood and stone.