2 Kings 19:18

And haue cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of mens hands, wood and stone: therfore they haue destroyed them. 2 Kings 19:18 (KJV)

Although the quoted passage does not appear verbatim in the KJV text of 2 Kings 19:18 and seems to be a paraphrase, the surrounding narrative records King Hezekiah’s prayer during the Assyrian crisis. The historical context is the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah, when the Assyrian Empire under King Sennacherib launched a military campaign against several nations, including Judah, capturing many fortified cities and threatening Jerusalem. In the preceding verses Hezekiah receives a threatening letter from the Assyrian king that taunts the God of Israel, and he brings the letter before the temple and spreads it before the Lord, seeking divine intervention. Hezekiah’s prayer acknowledges God’s sovereignty and power, recognizing that the idols of the nations conquered by Assyria were mere objects made by human hands. He points out that these idols were made from wood and stone and had no power to save, a theme that is echoed in other prophetic writings such as Isaiah 44, even though the exact wording is not found in 2 Kings 19:18. The prayer therefore denounces false gods and contrasts them with the living God of Israel, emphasizing the futility of worshiping man‑made images. Later in the chapter, God miraculously delivers Jerusalem; an angel of the LORD strikes down the Assyrian army, demonstrating divine sovereignty and faithfulness. This outcome confirms Hezekiah’s confidence in the true God, who is all‑powerful and capable of delivering His people. Hezekiah reads the threatening letter aloud to the people and to the prophet Isaiah, then prays to the LORD, acknowledging God’s sovereignty and power and asking for deliverance.