Hezekiah

(1) King of Judah, and a great religious and political reformer (2 Kgs. 18:1–21:3; 2 Chr. 29:1–33:3; Isa. 36–39). He suppressed idolatry and reconstituted the temple services. In his reforms both in church and state he had the assistance of the great prophet Isaiah. The early part of the reign was prosperous. Hezekiah made a successful expedition against the Philistines (2 Kgs. 18:8; 2 Chr. 28:18) and refused to pay the usual tribute to Assyria (2 Kgs. 18:7). Soon after came two Assyrian invasions. The first, under Sargon, is referred to in Isa. 10:24–32. The second, under Sennacherib, is more fully described in 2 Kgs. 18:13–19:7. After a time of great anxiety the city was at length delivered, probably by a pestilence that broke out in the Assyrian camp. A year later Hezekiah died, after a reign of 29 years.

(2) Three others (1 Chr. 3:23; Neh. 7:21; 10:17).