Who was Sennacherib in the bible?
Sennacherib was an Assyrian king appearing in 2 Kings 18–19, 2 Chronicles 32, and Isaiah 37 during Hezekiah’s time.
Against Judah
He “came up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them” (2 Kings 18:13). He “encamped against the fortified cities, and intended to win them for himself” (2 Chronicles 32:1).
Learn More →Words and Outcome
He sent messages “to defy the living God” (2 Kings 19:16; Isaiah 37:17) and challenged Jerusalem, saying, “In whom do you trust?” (2 Chronicles 32:10). “Thus Yahweh saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib” (2 Chronicles 32:22), and Sennacherib “departed… returned, and lived at Nineveh” (2 Kings 19:36).
Learn More →Sennacherib (a name of foreign origin) is presented in Scripture as “Sennacherib king of Assyria,” an Assyrian ruler who invaded Judah and challenged Jerusalem in the days of Hezekiah.
Sennacherib in Scripture
Chronicles introduces him as the aggressor against Judah’s fortified cities. It states:
“After these things and this faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, entered into Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and intended to win them for himself.” (2 Chronicles 32:1, WEB)
When Hezekiah perceived that Sennacherib’s designs extended to Jerusalem, the narrative describes preparations and public encouragement in the city. The king’s approach is summarized:
“When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that he was planning to fight against Jerusalem,” (2 Chronicles 32:2, WEB)
Hezekiah then acted to strengthen defenses and limit resources available to the invading forces, including stopping waters outside the city (2 Chronicles 32:3–5). He encouraged the people not to fear the Assyrian king and his multitude, contrasting human power with divine help (2 Chronicles 32:7–8).
Sennacherib is then shown exerting pressure from a position of strength, while his forces were engaged elsewhere:
“After this, Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem, (now he was before Lachish, and all his power with him), to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah who were at Jerusalem, saying,” (2 Chronicles 32:9, WEB)
The message attributed to him aims to shake Jerusalem’s confidence and to frame their situation as hopeless. The account records his challenge:
“Sennacherib king of Assyria says, “In whom do you trust, that you remain under siege in Jerusalem?” (2 Chronicles 32:10, WEB)
His words (and the words of his servants) accuse Hezekiah of misleading the people with the promise that Yahweh would deliver them (2 Chronicles 32:11). They also argue from Assyrian military history and the impotence of other nations’ gods, pressing the claim that Jerusalem’s God would be no different (2 Chronicles 32:13–15). The narrative then summarizes the tone of these communications: “His servants spoke yet more against Yahweh God, and against his servant Hezekiah” (2 Chronicles 32:16), and it adds that Sennacherib “also wrote letters insulting Yahweh, the God of Israel” (2 Chronicles 32:17). The intimidation campaign is described as public and targeted: “They called out with a loud voice in the Jews’ language to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city.” (2 Chronicles 32:18, WEB)
Hezekiah and Isaiah respond not with counter-propaganda but with prayer: “Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz, prayed because of this, and cried to heaven.” (2 Chronicles 32:20, WEB) The outcome is attributed to Yahweh’s action against Assyria’s camp:
“Yahweh sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains, in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land.” (2 Chronicles 32:21a, WEB)
Chronicles continues the report of his end in connection with his worship: “When he had come into the house of his god, those who came out of his own body killed him there with the sword.” (2 Chronicles 32:21b, WEB) The chapter interprets the deliverance of Jerusalem as decisive:
“Thus Yahweh saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side.” (2 Chronicles 32:22, WEB)
In Kings, Sennacherib appears in a compressed statement of conquest in Judah: “Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them.” (2 Kings 18:13, WEB) In the prayer language preserved in Kings (and echoed in Isaiah), Sennacherib’s embassy is characterized as a deliberate religious affront: “Hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to defy the living God.” (2 Kings 19:16, WEB). The prophet Isaiah is then portrayed as bearing a divine response to Hezekiah’s prayer:
“Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says ‘You have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, and I have heard you.” (2 Kings 19:20, WEB)
Both Kings and Isaiah conclude Sennacherib’s episode with his withdrawal to Assyria’s capital: “So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and lived at Nineveh.” (2 Kings 19:36, WEB) Isaiah parallels this phrasing: “So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, went away, returned to Nineveh, and stayed there.” (Isaiah 37:37, WEB). In Isaiah’s version of the prayer appeal, the same request is made: “Hear all of the words of Sennacherib, who has sent to defy the living God.” (Isaiah 37:17, WEB), and Isaiah likewise frames the response as tied to Hezekiah’s prayer “against Sennacherib king of Assyria” (Isaiah 37:21, WEB).
Name and Meaning
The Hebrew form is סַנְחֵרִיב, transliterated Cancheriyb and pronounced san-khay-reeb’. Lexically, the name is described as being of foreign origin, and Scripture identifies its bearer here as “Sennacherib king of Assyria.”
Observation
Across Chronicles, Kings, and Isaiah, Sennacherib is consistently portrayed as one who “sent… to defy the living God” (2 Kings 19:16; Isaiah 37:17) and as the king from whose “hand” Jerusalem was saved (2 Chronicles 32:22).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the name Sennacherib mean?
Sennacherib is presented as a name of foreign origin and refers to Sancherib, an Assyrian king.
How many times does Sennacherib appear in the Bible?
Sennacherib appears 11 times.
Who was Sennacherib?
Sennacherib was an Assyrian king. He is described as coming against Judah and Jerusalem during the days of Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:13; 2 Chronicles 32:2).
What did Sennacherib do during Hezekiah’s reign?
He came up against Judah’s fortified cities and took them (2 Kings 18:13), and he was planning to fight against Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 32:2).
Explore Further
If you found this page about Sennacherib interesting and would like to discover more about other biblical characters, explore our comprehensive Encyclopedia of Biblical Characters. For those looking to delve deeper into the Greek origins of these names and terms, our Greek Lexicon is an invaluable resource.
Sources: Name and occurrence data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and STEPBible reference data (CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).
