MPV Commentary

Hezekiah had an enormous amount of wealth and honor, similar to that of David and Uzziah (compare 2 Kings 20:13; Isaiah 39:2). His riches included vast possessions of agricultural and pastoral produce, as well as treasures in gold, silver, and precious items he had taken from the Philistines or received as gifts from neighboring states. These states held him in high esteem as a king under God's special protection.

He used much of his wealth to improve Jerusalem, build forts, and promote the welfare of his kingdom. 30 He also constructed an aqueduct, diverting the watercourse of Gihon to the west side of the city (compare 2 Kings 20:20). This remarkable feat required both masonic and engineering skills, as it involved boring through a solid mass of rock.

Hezekiah's pool or reservoir, built to receive the water within the northwest part of the city, still exists today. It is an oblong quadrangular tank measuring 240 feet in length and 144-150 feet in breadth.

31 The ambassadors who came to inquire about the wonder that had occurred in the land brought a gift (2 Chronicles 32:23; see on 2 Kings 20:12, 13) and a congratulatory letter on his recovery. They were particularly interested in learning about the miracle of the sun's apparent reversal, which would have been a remarkable phenomenon even by Babylonian standards, where astronomy was highly valued. It is also possible that they proposed a defensive alliance against the Assyrians.

God allowed Hezekiah to face these challenges as a test (compare 2 Kings 20:12-19). His offense lay not in displaying his military resources and treasures but in failing to give God the glory for both the miracle and his recovery, thereby leading those heathen ambassadors to know Him.