Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 32:8
With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Hezekiah addresses the frightened citizens of Jerusalem during Sennacherib's siege, following his exhortation in verse 7 to be strong and not discouraged.
The words — זְרֹעַ בָּשָׂר (zeroaʿ basar, "arm of flesh") is a fixed idiom for human military might; it names the thing Hezekiah refuses to credit as a savior. The contrast is structural: "with him" (עִמּוֹ) versus "with us" (עִמָּנוּ), two prepositional phrases that do all the theological work.
The thread — Jeremiah 17:5 uses the identical "arm of flesh" idiom and pronounces a curse on the one who makes it his strength, confirming that the phrase carries a negative valence across the canon. 2 Chronicles 20:17 restates the same principle in a different siege: God will fight, the people will stand and watch.
Why it lands — The verse forces a binary: your confidence is either in a human arm or in Yahweh, and Hezekiah's speech is an act of re-aiming the people's trust before the battle begins.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
Cross-references
- Jeremiah 17:5 This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes mere flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.
- 2 Chronicles 20:17 You need not fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you.’”
- Acts 18:10 For I am with you and no one will lay a hand on you, because I have many people in this city.”
- 2 Timothy 4:17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.
- 2 Chronicles 20:15 And he said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God.
- Isaiah 41:10 Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
- Psalms 46:11 The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
- 1 John 4:4 You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
- Deuteronomy 20:1 When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.
- 2 Chronicles 13:12 Now behold, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with their trumpets sound the battle call against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”