Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.
In the third year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah over Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz became king of Judah. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it. Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. No king of Judah was like him, either before him or after him. He remained faithful to the LORD and did not turn from following Him; he kept the commandments that the LORD had given Moses. And the LORD was with Hezekiah, and he prospered wherever he went. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him. He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its borders, from watchtower to fortified city.
Significance
These parallel introductions to Hezekiah's reign illustrate the divergent priorities of Kings and Chronicles. Kings devotes eight verses to Hezekiah's reforms (high places removed, Asherah poles cut down, bronze serpent Nehushtan destroyed), his trust in the LORD (unique commendation: "No king of Judah was like him, either before him or after him," 2 Kgs 18:5), and his military success against Philistia and Assyria. The Chronicler compresses the introduction to just two verses — the accession formula and the David comparison — before pivoting immediately to the temple restoration. For the Chronicler, Hezekiah's significance lies primarily in liturgical reform; for Kings, in theological faithfulness and political courage.
Found via
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type
Direct Quotation
Connection Method(s)
Redemptive-Historical Progression — 2 Chronicles 29:1-2 reproduces the frame of 2 Kings 18:1-3, including the verbatim verdict "he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done," while compressing Kings' reform-and-trust summary (18:4-8) so the account can progress straight into the temple restoration of chapters 29-31; the Chronicler re-presents the earlier canonical history of the faithful Davidic king for a community rebuilding worship, carrying the line of promise onward toward its true King.