The Meaning of 2 Chronicles 32:1 Explained

2 Chronicles 32:1

KJV: After these things, and the establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them for himself.

YLT: After these things and this truth, come hath Sennacherib king of Asshur, yea, he cometh in to Judah, and encampeth against the cities of the bulwarks, and saith to rend them unto himself.

Darby: After these things and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to break into them.

ASV: After these things, and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to win them for himself.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

After  these things,  and the establishment  thereof, Sennacherib  king  of Assyria  came,  and entered  into Judah,  and encamped  against the fenced  cities,  and thought  to win  them for himself. 

What does 2 Chronicles 32:1 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Chronicles 32:1-15 - Prepared To Meet The Foe
We might have supposed that Hezekiah's faithfulness in cleansing the Temple and restoring the worship of Jehovah would have secured for him and his people complete immunity from invasion. Surely for such a loyal servant, God would graciously interpose and defend from Sennacherib's encampment on the sacred soil of the south country. We are taught the lesson that faith is not rewarded by the unbroken summer of prosperity, but tried, tested, and matured by the stormy blasts of attack and peril. The great Husbandman mined Hezekiah that he might bring forth more fruit.
These careful preparations made by the king and his people for cutting off the water-supply and equipping the soldiers and fortifications against attack, were perfectly consistent with a true faith. Hezekiah's ultimate confidence was not in these things, but in that Greater One who was undoubtedly with them, 2 Chronicles 32:7. There was considerable subtlety in Sennacherib's messages, but he did not understand how much that one altar meant, and how different Jehovah was from the idols of the nations, 2 Chronicles 32:12; 2 Chronicles 15:1-19. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Chronicles 32

1  Sennacherib invading Judah, Hezekiah fortifies himself, and encourages his people
9  Hezekiah and Isaiah pray against the blasphemies of Sennarchib
21  An angel destroys the host of the Assyrians
24  Hezekiah praying in his sickness, God gives him a sign of recovery
25  His proud heart is humbled by God
27  His wealth and works
31  His error in the ambassage of Babylon
32  He dying, Manasseh succeeds him

What do the individual words in 2 Chronicles 32:1 mean?

After deeds and faithfulness these came Sennacherib king of Assyria and entered Judah and he encamped against the cities fortified and thinking to win them over to himself
אַחֲרֵ֨י הַדְּבָרִ֤ים וְהָאֱמֶת֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה בָּ֖א סַנְחֵרִ֣יב מֶֽלֶךְ־ אַשּׁ֑וּר וַיָּבֹ֣א בִֽיהוּדָ֗ה וַיִּ֙חַן֙ עַל־ הֶעָרִ֣ים הַבְּצֻר֔וֹת וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לְבִקְעָ֥ם אֵלָֽיו

אַחֲרֵ֨י  After 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
הַדְּבָרִ֤ים  deeds 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
וְהָאֱמֶת֙  and  faithfulness 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֱמֶת  
Sense: firmness, faithfulness, truth.
הָאֵ֔לֶּה  these 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
בָּ֖א  came 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
סַנְחֵרִ֣יב  Sennacherib 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: סַנְחֵרִיב  
Sense: son of Sargon, father of Esarhaddon, and king of Assyria from 705–68 BC; attacked Judah during the reign of king Hezekiah and Judah was delivered when in response to the prayer of Hezekiah an angel smote 85,000 Assyrian soldiers.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אַשּׁ֑וּר  of  Assyria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשּׁוּר  
Sense: the second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians.
וַיָּבֹ֣א  and  entered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בִֽיהוּדָ֗ה  Judah 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וַיִּ֙חַן֙  and  he  encamped 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָנָה  
Sense: to decline, incline, encamp, bend down, lay siege against.
עַל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הֶעָרִ֣ים  the  cities 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
הַבְּצֻר֔וֹת  fortified 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine plural
Root: בָּצַר 
Sense: to gather, restrain, fence, fortify, make inaccessible, enclose.
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר  and  thinking 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לְבִקְעָ֥ם  to  win  them  over 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּקַע  
Sense: to split, cleave, break open, divide, break through, rip up, break up, tear.
אֵלָֽיו  to  himself 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).