XXXII. THE INVASION OF SENNACHERIB — HEZEKIAH’S RECOVERY FROM DEADLY SICKNESS — His PRIDE AND WEALTH — His RECEPTION OF THE EMBASSY FROM BABYLON — END OF THE REIGN. The narrative is once more parallel to that of Kings (2 Kings 18:13 to 2 Kings 20:21), which is repeated in the Book of Isaiah (Isaia... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THESE THINGS, AND THE ESTABLISHMENT THEREOF. — Rather, _After these matters, and this faithfulness_ (2 Chronicles 31:20). For the date, see Note on 2 Kings 18:13. SENNACHERIB. — So the Vulg. The LXX. gives Σενναχηριμ or είμ; Herodotus, Σαναχάριβος; Josephus, Σενναχήριβος. The Hebrew is S_anch... [ Continue Reading ]
(1-23) Invasion and Divine overthrow of Sennacherib. (Comp. 2 Kings 18:13 to 2 Kings 19:37.) The Assyrian monarch’s own record of the campaign may be read on his great hexagonal prism of terra-cotta, preserved in the British Museum, containing an inscription in 487 lines of cuneiform writing, which... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THAT HE WAS PURPOSED TO FIGHT. — Literally, _and his face was for the war._ (Comp. 2 Chronicles 20:3; Luke 9:53.) TO STOP. — _To close in_ with masonry, so as to conceal. (But comp. 2 Kings 3:19; 2 Kings 3:25.) LXX., ἐμφράξαι τά ὕδατα. THEY DID HELP HIM. — By “gathering much people together” ... [ Continue Reading ]
PREPARATIONS FOR THE DEFENCE (2 Chronicles 32:2). This section is peculiar to the Chronicles. Its contents are “perfectly credible” (_Thenius_)_,_ and are borne out by Isaiah 22:8, and 2 Kings 20:20, and by the inscription of Sennacherib.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FOUNTAINS. — _Ma‘yânôth._ 2 Chronicles 32:3 has “springs” (_‘ayânôth_). THE BROOK. — _Nàchal._ “The _wâdy.”_ The Gihon is meant, a watercourse in the Valley of Hinnom, supplied with water by the springs which Hezekiah closed in and diverted. See Note on 2 Chronicles 32:30, and 2 Kings 20:20; co... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO HE STRENGTHENED HIMSELF. — _And h_E _took courage._ (2 Chronicles 15:8; 2 Chronicles 18:1.) BUILT UP ALL THE WALL THAT WAS BROKEN. — Isaiah 22:9, where “many breaches” are spoken of, and it is said that “houses were pulled down to fortify the wall.” RAISED IT UP TO THE TOWERS. — Heb., _and wen... [ Continue Reading ]
CAPTAINS OF WAR. — Literally, _captains of battles:_ a phrase found here only. IN THE STREET. — _Into the open space._ In like manner, “the open space that was before the water gate” is mentioned in Nehemiah 8:1; Nehemiah 8:16. THE GATE. — Which gate we are not told; but the LXX. reads, τὴν πλατε... [ Continue Reading ]
BE NOT AFRAID... THE MULTITUDE. — Comp. 2 Chronicles 20:15, “Be not afraid nor dismayed for this great multitude.” “Be strong and courageous, be not afraid” occurs in Deuteronomy 31:6 (Heb.). FOR THERE BE MORE WITH US THAN WITH HIM. — A reminiscence of 2 Kings 6:16, “Be not thou afraid; for more ar... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH HIM IS AN ARM OF FLESH. — A reminiscence of Jeremiah 17:5, “the man that maketh flesh his arm.” (Comp. Isaiah 31:3 : “Their horses are flesh and not spirit.”) His power is human, ours superhuman. TO FIGHT OUR BATTLES. — 1 Samuel 8:20, “a king... to fight our battles.” RESTED THEMSELVES UPON.... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THIS DID SENNACHERIB... SEND. — See 2 Kings 18:17. BUT HE HIMSELF... LACHISH. — The verb _nilkham, “_fought,” has perhaps fallen out. The great inscription of Sennacherib says nothing about the siege of Lachish; but a bas-relief, now in the British Museum, represents him seated on his throne... [ Continue Reading ]
(9-21) A brief summary of what is related in 2 Kings 18:17 to 2 Kings 19:37.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREON... THE SIEGE. — Rather, _Whereon are ye trusting, and why are ye sitting in distress in Jerusalem?_ The phrase _sitting_ or _abiding in distress_ occurs in Jeremiah 10:17. (Comp. also Deuteronomy 28:53.) 2 Chronicles 32:10 reproduce in brief the leading ideas of 2 Kings 18:19; 2 Kings 18:28... [ Continue Reading ]
DOTH NOT HEZEKIAH PERSUADE YOU. — _Is not Hezekiah inciting you_ (2 Kings 18:32; 1 Chronicles 21:1). The, verb recurs in 2 Chronicles 32:15. TO GIVE OVER YOURSELVES... BY THIRST. — _In order to deliver you to dying_... _by thirst._ A softening down of the coarse expression recorded in 2 Kings 18:27... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SAME HEZEKIAH. — _Hezekiah himself._ YE SHALL WORSHIP... UPON IT. — Literally, _before one altar shall ye worship, and thereon shall ye burn incense._ Comp. 2 Kings 18:22 : “Is it not He whose high places and altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, Before this altar... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT I AND MY FATHERS HAVE DONE. — The Assyrian kings are fond of such references to their predecessors. THE PEOPLE OF OTHER LANDS. — Rather, _the peoples of the countries._ THOSE LANDS. — _The countries._ THEIR LANDS. — _Their country._ The chronicler omits the names of the vanquished states giv... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO WAS THERE AMONG ALL THE GODS. — Comp. 2 Kings 18:35. UTTERLY DESTROYED. — _Put under the ban, devoted_ to destruction.... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER YET BELIEVE HIM. — _And believe him not._ HOW MUCH LESS... DELIVER YOU. — Rather, _much less will your gods deliver you;_ or, _much more will your gods not deliver you._ (Comp. Isaiah 37:10.) According to ancient conceptions the gods of strong nations were strong gods. Now the Assyrians had... [ Continue Reading ]
SPAKE YET MORE. — See the parallel passages in Kings and Isaiah. The verse shows that the chronicler does not profess to give a full report. AGAINST THE LORD GOD. — Literally, _against Jehovah the_ (true) _God. “_Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed?... the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 37:23).... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WROTE ALSO LETTERS TO RAIL ON. — _And letters wrote he to reproach_ (Isaiah 37:23). Sennacherib wrote to Hezekiah demanding submission, _after_ the failure of the mission of the Tartan and his companions (2 Kings 19:8). If, therefore, the chronicler had been careful about the strictly chronologic... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY CRIED... ON THE WALL. — LXX. and Vulg., “he cried” (_i.e.,_ the Rab-sak). (See 2 Kings 18:26.) TO AFFRIGHT THEM, AND TO TROUBLE (_terrify, scare_) THEM; THAT THEY MIGHT TAKE THE CITY. — This is the chronicler’s own statement of the purpose of the words of the Rab-sak reported in 2 Kings 18:28.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SPAKE AGAINST. — Or, _spake of_ Literally, _unto._ (Comp. Psalms 2:7; Psalms 3:2.) PEOPLE. — _Peoples._ THE WORK. — The versions have “works.” Instead of repeating the offers which the Assyrian envoys made to the people of Jerusalem, to induce them to submit, the chronicler dwells on that bla... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THIS CAUSE. — Upon _this_ (_‘al zôth_). The reference is to the Assyrian blasphemies against Jehovah, which Hezekiah urged in his prayer for deliverance (2 Kings 19:16), and to which Isaiah referred in his prophetic answer (Isaiah 37:23). The prayer of Hezekiah is given in 2 Kings 19:15; Isaiah... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SENT AN ANGEL. — See 2 Kings 19:35, _seq.;_ Isaiah 37:36, _seq._ Hitzig thinks that Psalms 46-48. were composed by Isaiah to commemorate this great natural miracle, an hypothesis which is borne out by the similarity observable between the language and ideas of these psalms and those of... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS. — _And._ The whole verse is the chronicler’s own comment on the preceding narrative. (Comp. 2 Kings 18:7.) THE HAND OF ALL. — Some MSS. appropriately add _his enemies,_ an expression which may have fallen out of the text. AND GUIDED THEM ON EVERY SIDE (_round about_). — A somewhat unusual phr... [ Continue Reading ]
BROUGHT. — _Were bringing_ =used to bring. GIFTS. — _An offering_ (_minchah_)_,_ or _tribute._ PRESENTS TO HEZEKIAH. — Among those who brought such were the envoys of Meroaach Baladan, king of Babylon (2 Kings 20:12). Probably also the neighbouring peoples — _e.g.,_ the Philistines — relieved from... [ Continue Reading ]
HEZEKIAH’S SICKNESS — HIS PRIDE AND WEALTH — THE BABYLONIAN EMBASSY — CONCLUSION (2 Chronicles 32:24). (24) IN THOSE DAYS HEZEKIAH WAS SICK. — This single verse epitomises 2 Kings 20:1; Isaiah 38 TO THE DEATH. — _Unto dying._ HE SPAKE UNTO HIM. — By the mouth of Isaiah. AND HE GAVE HIM A SIGN. —... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HEZEKIAH. — For Hezekiah’s pride, see the account of his reception of the Babylonian embassy (2 Kings 20:12; Isaiah 39). ACCORDING TO THE BENEFIT DONE UNTO HIM. — In his illness he promised to walk humbly all his days (Isaiah 38:15); but when he had recovered, “his heart was lifted up.” THEREFO... [ Continue Reading ]
NOTWITHSTANDING. — _And._ THE WRATH OF THE LORD... DAYS OF HEZEKIAH. — (Comp. Isaiah 39:8.) On hearing Isaiah’s prophecy of coming evil, Hezekiah humbly acquiesced in the will of Jehovah. “Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah. Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. And he said, There shall... [ Continue Reading ]
HAD. — Or, _got._ RICHES AND HONOUR (or, _wealth; kâbôd_). — Comp. 1 Chronicles 29:28 (David); 2 Chronicles 1:12 (Solomon), 2 Chronicles 17:5; 2 Chronicles 18:1 (Jehoshaphat). HE MADE HIMSELF TREASURIES. — Comp. 2 Kings 20:13; Isaiah 39:2, where silver and gold and spices are mentioned among the t... [ Continue Reading ]
STOREHOUSES ALSO. — _And magazines_ (2 Chronicles 8:4; Exodus 1:11). STALLS. — ‘_Urâwôth_ (Syriac, _‘ûrâwôthô_). (Comp. _ûryôth,_ 2 Chronicles 9:25; and _‘_ă_wçrôth,_ “cotes,” a word only found here.) ALL MANNER OF BEASTS. — _Every kind of cattle._ COTES FOR FLOCKS. — Heb., _and flocks for folds.... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER HE PROVIDED HIM CITIES. — _And he made him watch-towers._ The word rendered “cities” (_ârîm_) appears in this connection to mean watch-towers j or forts for the protection of the flocks and herds. Isaiah 1:8 (“a besieged city “); 2 Kings 17:9; 2 Chronicles 26:10. HAD GIVEN. — _Grave._ SUB... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS SAME HEZEKIAH ALSO STOPPED. — _And he, Hezekiah, had closed in the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon._ (See 2 Chronicles 32:3.) AND BROUGHT... CITY OF DAVID. — _And conducted them underground to the west of the city of David._ (Comp. 2 Kings 20:20, where also this great work of Hezekiah is r... [ Continue Reading ]
HOWBEIT. — Literally, _And thus;_ that is, and when things were thus prosperous with him. In the midst of Hezekiah’s prosperity, God left him for a moment to himself, by way of putting him to the proof. THE PRINCES OF BABYLON. — The same vague plural which we have already noticed in 2 Chronicles 28:... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE REST OF THE ACTS. — See 2 Kings 20:20. AND HIS GOODNESS. — _His good deeds._ So 2 Chronicles 35:26 (Josiah); Nehemiah 13:14. AND IN THE BOOK OF THE KINGS. — Omit _and._ The “vision of Isaiah” is referred to as a section of the “book of the kings of Judah and Israel.” (See _Introduction._)... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY BURIED HIM... HONOUR AT HIS DEATH. — Statements peculiar to the chronicler. They go to prove an authority besides the canonical books of Kings. THE CHIEFEST. — Rather, _the ascent_ — i.e., _the way up to_ the royal tombs. (Comp. 2 Chronicles 20:16.) “The sons of David” are the kings of the... [ Continue Reading ]