II Chronicles 32:31 · Bible study
2 Chronicles 32:31 Commentary: When God Tests to Know Your Heart
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore why God tested Hezekiah through Babylon's ambassadors. The meaning of 'test' and 'know' in light of God's omniscience, with commentary insights.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God allowed Hezekiah to be tested by the Babylonian embassy to reveal the pride in his heart, not to inform God, but to expose Hezekiah’s weakness to himself and others.
- Key words: left (‛āzav, withdrew restraint), test (nāsāh, prove, try), know (yāda‘, acknowledge, make known), heart (lēvāv, inner character).
- Main debate: Whether “know” is anthropomorphic language for God’s action (the test is for human benefit) or judicial recognition (God’s verdict on character based on evidence).
- Theological theme: Divine testing reveals and refines human character; prosperity often precedes vulnerability.
- Best use: A cautionary lesson on pride after success and God’s grace that uses testing to bring hidden sin to light.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And so when ambassadors of the rulers of Babylon were sent to him to inquire about the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone to test him, that He might know all that was in Hezekiah’s heart.
WEB World English Bible 2000
However, concerning the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him to test him, that he might know all that was in his heart.
KJV King James Version 1769
Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and so with the ambassadors of the heads of Babylon, those sending unto him to inquire of the wonder that hath been in the land, God hath left him to try him, to know all in his heart,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
However in [the matter of] the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all [that was] in his heart.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But yet in the embassy of the princes of Babylon, that were sent to him, to inquire of the wonder that had happened upon the earth, God left him that he might be tempted, and all things might be made known that were in his heart.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Empero en lo de los embajadores de los príncipes de Babilonia, que enviaron á él para saber del prodigio que había acaecido en aquella tierra, Dios lo dejó, para probarle, para hacer conocer todo lo que estaba en su corazón.
Porém no dos embaixadores dos príncipes de Babilônia, que enviaram a ele para saber do prodígio que havia acontecido naquela terra, Deus o deixou, para provar-lhe, para fazer conhecer tudo o que estava em seu coração.
Cependant, lorsque les chefs de Babylone envoyèrent des messagers auprès de lui pour s’ informer du prodige qui avait eu lieu dans le pays, Dieu l’ abandonna pour l’ éprouver, afin de connaître tout ce qui était dans son cœur.
Da aber die Botschafter der Fürsten von Babel zu ihm gesandt waren, zu fragen nach dem Wunder, das im Lande geschehen war, verließ ihn Gott also, daß er ihn versuchte, auf daß kund würde alles, was in seinem Herzen war.
Maar het is alzo, als de gezanten der vorsten van Babel, die tot hem gezonden hadden, om te vragen naar dat wonderteken, dat in het land geschied was, bij hem waren, verliet hem God, om hem te verzoeken, om te weten al wat in zijn hart was.
Nondimeno, quando i capi di Babilonia gl’inviarono de’ messi per informarsi del prodigio ch’era avvenuto nel paese, Iddio lo abbandonò, per metterlo alla prova, affin di conoscere tutto quello ch’egli aveva in cuore.
A wszakże dla posłów książąt Babilońskich, którzy byli posłani do niego, aby go pytali o znak, który się był stał w ziemi, opuścił go Bóg, aby go kusił, a iżby wiedziano wszystko, co było w sercu jego.
Только при послах царей Вавилонских, которые присылали к нему спросить о знамении, бывшем на земле, оставил его Бог, чтоб испытать его и открыть все, что у него на сердце.
惟有一件事，就是巴比倫 王 差遣 使者 來見希西家，訪問 國中 所 現 的奇事；這件事 神 離開他，要試驗他，好知道 他心內如何。
However, in the business of the representatives sent by the rulers of Babylon to get news of the wonder which had taken place in the land, God gave up guiding him, testing him to see what was in his heart.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Chronicles 32:31
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that God did not test Hezekiah to discover something God did not already know. Gill explains that “that he might know all that was in his heart” is spoken “after the manner of men”; the test was for Hezekiah to see the pride lurking in his own heart, or for others to witness it. Cambridge Bible notes the phrase is based on Deuteronomy 8:2, where God tests Israel in the wilderness “to know what was in your heart.” The point is not divine ignorance but revealed exposure. Ellicott adds that amid Hezekiah’s prosperity “God left him for a moment to himself, by way of putting him to the proof.” The test’s purpose was to bring hidden pride into the open, so that Hezekiah would recognize his own weakness and repent, which he did (v.26).
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Anthropomorphic reading: Gill and Poole argue that 'that he might know' follows Deuteronomy 8:2, where God speaks in human terms. The test is for Hezekiah's benefit, not God's; it reveals pride to the man himself.
- Judicial recognition reading: Some interpreters see 'know' as denoting God's evaluative judgment: through the test, God renders a verdict on Hezekiah's heart (cf. Genesis 22:12: 'now I know that you fear God'). The outcome proves the character publicly.
What is clear: God initiated the test by withdrawing special protection; the test exposed Hezekiah's pride; and the event is recorded as a lesson for all who read it.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| God's knowledge | God does not need to learn anything new; He knows all things perfectly. | Some interpret 'that he might know' as anthropomorphic (God speaks as if He does not know, for our sake); others see it as God's judicial recognition of character through the outcome of the test. |
| Purpose of the test | The test was designed to reveal what was in Hezekiah's heart. | Was the revelation primarily for Hezekiah himself (to humble him) or for others (the ambassadors, the readers of Scripture) to witness? Both positions find support in the commentators. |
| Hezekiah's sin | Hezekiah's heart was lifted up with pride. | Some emphasize the pride of showing off treasures; others stress his failure to give glory to God for the sign of the sun's reversal, missing an opportunity to witness to the heathen. |
| The wonder | A miracle had occurred in the land that attracted Babylonian attention. | Some identify the wonder as the sun's going back ten degrees (2 Kings 20:8, 11); others as the destruction of the Assyrian army (2 Chronicles 32:21). Both are possible given the context. |
| Ambassadors' intent | The ambassadors came to Hezekiah after his recovery. | Some see the embassy as primarily curious about the astronomical wonder; others point to a political motive, Babylon sought an ally against Assyria (supported by 2 Kings 20:12, 13). |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits at the close of Hezekiah’s reign, after a catalogue of his wealth, waterworks, and success (vv.27, 30). The Chronicler has just said “Hezekiah prospered in all his works” (v.30). Then it happened: ambassadors from Babylon arrived. The “wonder” that had occurred in the land is almost certainly the sign given to Hezekiah, the sun’s shadow going back ten degrees (2 Kings 20:8, 11). Babylon was a centre of astronomy, so a celestial miracle would naturally draw their interest. But the embassy had a political side as well. Cambridge Bible notes that Babylon was in chronic revolt against Assyria and wanted an alliance with Judah.
Hezekiah showed the ambassadors “all the storehouse of his precious things” (2 Kings 20:13). Isaiah later confronted him, predicting that all those treasures would be carried off to Babylon (2 Kings 20:16, 18). The Chronicler does not retell that rebuke; instead he focuses on the theological meaning of the event. “God left him to test him.” The Hebrew verb ‛āzav (left) does not mean abandonment but a withdrawal of special providential restraint, allowing Hezekiah to act from natural impulse. The testing (nāsāh) is the same word used of Abraham on Moriah (Genesis 22:1) and Israel in the wilderness. It is a proving that reveals character.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant manuscript variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across the major traditions, and the wording in the witnesses (Septuagint, Peshitta, Vulgate) agrees with the Masoretic Text. Where variations exist in parallel accounts (2 Kings 20:12, 19), they reflect different theological emphases rather than textual corruption.
Reception History
Jewish tradition, as represented by the Targum and Kimchi (cited by Gill), interpreted the test as a revelation of Hezekiah’s heart to others. The Targum even inserted an explanation about the tables of stone. Reformation-era commentators like Calvin and later Protestant exegetes (Matthew Henry, Wesley) used this verse to warn against the dangers of prosperity and to highlight the subtlety of pride in the best of saints. Wesley noted: “O what need have great men, and good men, and useful men, to study their own follies and infirmities.” The verse has also been a key proof-text for the doctrine that divine testing aims at human self-knowledge, not divine discovery, a point stressed in Puritan pastoral literature.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Prosperity can mask weakness. Hezekiah’s success (vv.27, 30) made him vulnerable to pride. The test came at his highest moment.
- God tests, but never to become informed; He tests to expose. The “know” in this verse means “make known” or “reveal.” God already knew; Hezekiah needed to know his own heart.
- Humility after failure is still grace. Verse 26 says Hezekiah humbled himself after his pride. The test was not the end of his story, repentance restored him.
Five-point outline
- The setting: prosperity (vv.27, 30).
- The catalyst: curious ambassadors from a rising empire.
- The divine purpose: “God left him to test him.”
- The human response: pride and display.
- The outcome: exposure, then humility (v.26).
Illustration hooks
- A newly promoted employee receives a visitor from a prestigious company. The employee shows off every award and connection. Later they realize they said nothing about the team that made the success possible.
- A family that just finished a major home renovation hosts a guest. The tour of the house becomes a boastful monologue. The host feels embarrassed afterward, seeing their own vanity.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Does God test people today the same way He tested Hezekiah?”
- “If God already knows my heart, why does He allow situations that expose my pride?”
- “Was Hezekiah’s sin only pride, or was it also a failure to witness to the Babylonians about God?”
Leading a Discussion
This verse raises a tension between God’s omniscience and the process of testing. The key is to see that testing changes us, not God. Hezekiah’s heart, hidden beneath success, was brought into the light. Read 2 Chronicles 32:24, 31 together.
Discussion questions
- What do we learn about Hezekiah’s situation from the verses just before (vv.27, 30)?
- Why did the Babylonians send ambassadors? What does the text say they wanted to “inquire” about?
- The phrase “God left him to test him” is strong. How does this fit with other biblical examples of testing (Genesis 22:1; Deuteronomy 8:2)?
- If God already knows everything, what does “that he might know all that was in his heart” mean? Who needed to know?
- How did Hezekiah respond to the test? Read 2 Kings 20:12, 19 for the fuller account. How does his response compare to his earlier humility (2 Chronicles 32:24, 26)?
- When have you experienced a “test” at a time of personal success? What did it reveal about your own heart?
- In what areas of your life might you be vulnerable to pride, and how can you invite accountability before a test exposes it?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 22:1 | After these things, God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.” |
| Deuteronomy 8:2 | You shall remember all the way which Yahweh your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, to test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. |
| Deuteronomy 8:16 | who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers didn’t know, that he might humble you, and that he might prove you, to do you good at your latter end; |
| Deuteronomy 13:3 | you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or to that dreamer of dreams; for Yahweh your God is testing you, to know whether you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul. |
| Judges 16:20 | She said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” He awoke out of his sleep, and said, “I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free.” But he didn’t know that Yahweh had departed from him. |
| II Kings 20:8 | Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What will be the sign that Yahweh will heal me, and that I will go up to Yahweh’s house the third day?” |
| II Kings 20:12 | At that time Berodach Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. |
| II Kings 20:13 | Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all the storehouse of his precious things—the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil, and the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures. There was nothing in his house, or in all his dominion, that Hezekiah didn’t show them. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke directs readers to his notes on 2 Kings 20:13 and the observations at the end of that chapter for a fuller understanding of the ambassadors mentioned here. He treats the two accounts as parallel and mutually illuminating, suggesting the context in Kings sheds needed light on this verse.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary identifies a diplomatic motive behind the ambassadors' visit: Babylon sought Judah's alliance against Assyria under the pretense of congratulating Hezekiah. The description of this event as a test echoes Deuteronomy 8:2, signaling a period of trial for the king.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes see the arrival of the Babylonian ambassadors as the occasion when God deliberately withdrew His sustaining grace to test Hezekiah. The test was not random: God allowed this encounter to reveal the true condition of Hezekiah's heart, laying bare what pride or faith lay within.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that the Babylonian ambassadors came specifically to ask about the miracle of the sun moving backward, not about other wonders. God left Hezekiah to test him so that Hezekiah himself might discover the pride hidden in his heart, or so that others might see and take warning.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB focuses on what Hezekiah did wrong with the Babylonian ambassadors. His offense was not showing off his treasures, but failing to give God credit for the miracle of the sun's retreat and his own recovery, thus missing the chance to lead these pagan envoys to know the Lord.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch insists that the connective word "and so" in the account of Hezekiah's reception of Babylon's envoys is not adversative but causal: God permitted Hezekiah's pride and sin on that occasion as a test meant to humble him, not to destroy him. They also note that Hezekiah's burial higher than the other Davidic kings likely indicates the royal tomb was full.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that Hezekiah's greatest failure came right after his greatest blessing: his heart swelled with pride over God's healing. Though his humility turned aside immediate wrath, God still tested him by withdrawing conscious support during the Babylonian visit, exposing what truly lay in his heart.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley sees these extraordinary acts as God's way of shaking a spiritually dull world awake from idols. But he also points out that God sometimes leaves a faithful person to himself, letting him discover his own weaknesses, so that he learns to plead with God to hide pride from him.