Esarhaddon

Biblical Record

Esarhaddon was the son of Sennacherib, king of Assyria. The Bible mentions him by name in only three brief passages.

• 2 Kings 19:37; Isaiah 37:38: After his failed attack on Jerusalem, Sennacherib returned to Nineveh. Later, while worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, he was struck down with the sword by his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer. The two sons fled to the land of Ararat, and Esarhaddon reigned in his stead. 2 Kings and Isaiah relate this episode in nearly identical wording.
• Ezra 4:2: After the return from exile, when the people of Judah began rebuilding the temple, the inhabitants of the land offered to join in the work. They claimed to have sacrificed to God "since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither."

The Bible records nothing specific about Esarhaddon's achievements or character. According to Assyrian records, he came to the throne after a civil war with his brothers. He is known to have later rebuilt Babylon and to have campaigned against Egypt.

Significance in the Bible

In 2 Kings and Isaiah, Esarhaddon's accession comes at the close of the scene in which the prophecy concerning Sennacherib is fulfilled. Isaiah had prophesied, "I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land" (Isaiah 37:7). The narrative connects this prophecy with Sennacherib's death, concluding the account of how God protected Hezekiah and Jerusalem.

The reference in Ezra 4 shows that the Assyrian policy of resettling conquered peoples in other regions continued under Esarhaddon. This verse is often read in connection with the conflict over the rebuilding of the temple and in discussions of the origins of the Samaritans. Esarhaddon is not mentioned in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Debated Points

• Timing of his accession: The text narrates Sennacherib's retreat and his death in immediate succession. However, the commonly accepted chronology based on Assyrian records places an interval of about twenty years between the two events. Many commentators understand the account not as a strictly chronological record but as a compressed narrative intended to show the fulfillment of prophecy.
• Relationship with Manasseh: Esarhaddon's inscriptions are known to list Manasseh, king of Judah, among the kings who supplied Assyria with tribute and building materials. 2 Chronicles 33:11 records that Manasseh was taken captive by the captains of the host of the king of Assyria and carried to Babylon, but it does not name the king. Some identify this king as Esarhaddon, while others identify him as Esarhaddon's son Asnappar (Ezra 4:10), who is commonly identified with Ashurbanipal.
• Apocryphal record: He also appears as Sennacherib's successor in the Book of Tobit, which the Catholic and Orthodox churches accept as canonical. Because Protestants classify Tobit among the Apocrypha, the record in Protestant Bibles is limited to the three passages above.

In the Korean Church

Few sermons or hymns focus on Esarhaddon. His name usually comes up at the conclusion of the narrative in sermons on Hezekiah's prayer and Sennacherib's defeat. In reading through the Bible and in Bible study, he is discussed when 2 Kings and Isaiah are read together with Ezra 4 to explain Assyrian history.