Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. No king of Judah was like him, either before him or after him.
Parallel translations
- WEB He trusted in Yahweh, the God of Israel; so that after him was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among them that were before him.
- KJV He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.
- NKJV He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him.
- NASB He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel; and after him there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who came before him.
- NLT Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Hezekiah trusted in Yahweh so completely that no king of Judah before or after matched him. Trust, not merely outward reform, defines his greatness.
Overview
The heart of Hezekiah's faithfulness was trust in the LORD, the root from which his reforms grew. The text praises him in superlative terms, an honor it also gives Josiah for a different virtue (2 Kings 23:25), each excelling in distinct ways. Such faith pleases God, who delights in those who rely wholly on him. This trust anticipates the gospel call to believe in Christ rather than in our own strength.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- 2 Kgs 23:25Neither before nor after Josiah was there any king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, according to all the Law of Moses.
- 2 Kgs 19:10“Give this message to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you by saying that Jerusalem will not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.
- Matt 27:43He trusts in God. Let God deliver Him now if He wants Him. For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
- Eph 1:12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory.
- 2 Chr 32:7–8“Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater One with us than with him.
- Ps 146:5–6Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,
- Job 13:15Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways to His face.
- Ps 27:1–2Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread?
- Ps 13:5But I have trusted in Your loving devotion; my heart will rejoice in Your salvation.
- Ps 84:12O LORD of Hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in You!
- 2 Chr 16:7–9At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa of Judah and told him, “Because you have relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.
- 2 Chr 20:35Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted wickedly.
- 2 Kgs 19:15–19And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD: “O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.
- 2 Chr 20:20Early in the morning they got up and left for the Wilderness of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, “Hear me, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be upheld; believe in His prophets, and you will succeed.”
- 2 Chr 14:11Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.”
- Ps 46:1–2For the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.
- Jer 17:7–8But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.
How 2 Kings 18:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.