Familypedia
Advertisement

Biography

Hezekiah -A righteous king of the nation of Judah in the Old Testament. He reigned for twenty-nine years, during the time that Isaiah was the prophet in Judah (2 Kgs. 18–20; 2 Chr. 29–32; Isa. 36–39). Isaiah assisted him in reforming both church and state. He suppressed idolatry and reinstated the temple services. Hezekiah’s life was extended fifteen years through prayer and faith (2 Kgs. 20:1–7). The early part of his reign was prosperous, but his rebellion against the king of Assyria (2 Kgs. 18:7) resulted in two Assyrian invasions: the first is described in Isaiah 10:24–32, the second in 2 Kings 18:13–19:7. In the second invasion, Jerusalem was saved by an angel of the Lord (2 Kgs. 19:35).

Hezekiah (/ˌhɛzɪˈkaɪ.ə/)[a] was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the son of Ahaz and the 13th king of Judah.[1] Archaeologist Edwin Thiele has concluded that his reign was between c. 715 and 686 BC.[2] He is considered a very righteous king by the author of the Books of Kings.[3] He is also one of the most prominent kings of Judah mentioned in the Bible and is one of the kings mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.

According to the Bible, Hezekiah witnessed the destruction of the northern Kingdom of Israel by Sargon's Assyrians in c. 722 BC and was king of Judah during the siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib in 701 BC.[5] Hezekiah enacted sweeping religious reforms, including a strict mandate for the sole worship of Yahweh and a prohibition on venerating other deities within the Temple of Jerusalem.[1] Isaiah and Micah prophesied during his reign.


Marriage and Family

Hezekiah was the son of King Ahaz and Abijah. His mother, Abijah (also called Abi),[8] was a daughter of the high priest Zechariah. Based on Thiele's dating, Hezekiah was born in c. 741 BC. He was married to Hephzi-bah. (2 Kings 21:1) He died from natural causes at the age of 54 in c. 687 BC, and was succeeded by his son Manasseh (2 Kings 20:21).



Siblings


Offspring of Achaz of Judah and unknown parent
Name Birth Death Joined with
Hezekiah of Judah 9999 Israel (Land of Canaan) 686 Land of Canaan Hephzi-bah



Children


Offspring of Hezekiah or Ezekias and Hephzi-bah
Name Birth Death Joined with
Manasses of Judah 709 Israel (Land of Canaan) 642 Land of Canaan Meshullemeth, daughter of Haruz of Jotbah


Hezekiah of Judah
43rd Biblical Patriarch
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Ahaz
12th King of Judah
Coregent: 729 – 716 BC
Sole reign: 716 – 697 BC
Coregent: 697 – 687 BC
Succeeded by
Manasses

References



Footnotes (including sources)

Ω Birth
  • about 741 BC
Some information in this article or section has not been verified and may not be reliable.
Please check for any inaccuracies, and modify and cite sources as needed.
Advertisement