INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 32 This chapter relates Sennacherib's invasion of the land of Judah, the preparations Hezekiah made to resist him, and the encouragement he gave his people to trust in the Lord, 2 Chronicles 32:1 the messages and letters Sennacherib sent to Hezekiah and his subjects, fu... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THESE THINGS, AND THE ESTABLISHMENT THEREOF,.... What are recorded in the preceding Chapter s, when matters were well settled, especially with respect to religion and temple service, and when Hezekiah was well established in the throne of his kingdom, had fought with and defeated the Philistin... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HEZEKIAH SAW THAT SENNACHERIB WAS COME,.... Into the land of Judah, which he perceived and understood by reports brought to him: and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem; to besiege it and take it, if possible; this he saw was his design, by taking the fenced cities in his way, a... [ Continue Reading ]
HE TOOK COUNSEL WITH HIS PRINCES, AND HIS MIGHTY MEN,.... With his nobles, and the officers of his army, what steps should be taken to resist, retard, and distress the enemy, and among the rest what follows was proposed: TO STOP THE WATERS OF THE FOUNTAINS WHICH WERE WITHOUT THE CITY; that so the A... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THERE WAS GATHERED MUCH PEOPLE TOGETHER,.... At the instance of Hezekiah, his nobles and officers: WHO STOPPED ALL THE FOUNTAINS; perhaps by laying planks over them, and earth upon them, so that it could not be discerned there were any fountains there: AND THE BROOK THAT RAN THROUGH THE MIDST O... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO HE STRENGTHENED HIMSELF,.... In the Lord his God, and fortified his city, and put it in the best manner of defence he could: AND BUILT UP ALL THE WALL THAT WAS BROKEN; which was broken from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate by Joash king of Israel; and though it might have been repaired b... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SET CAPTAINS OF WAR OVER THE PEOPLE,.... To teach them the exercises of war, to lead them on against the enemy, to direct them where to stand, and what to do in defence of the city: AND GATHERED THEM TOGETHER TO HIM IN THE STREET OF THE GATE OF THE CITY; the street which led to the gate, and... [ Continue Reading ]
BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS,.... Be of good heart and spirit, and quit yourselves like men: BE NOT AFRAID NOR DISMAYED FOR THE KING OF ASSYRIA, NOR FOR ALL THE MULTITUDE THAT IS WITH HIM; which was very large; for no less than 185,000 were slain of them by an angel in one night, 2 Kings 19:35 FOR THE... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH HIM IS AN ARM OF FLESH,.... Only weak, frail, mortal men, not at all to be feared; nothing in comparison of the Lord: BUT WITH US IS THE LORD OUR GOD, TO HELP US, AND TO FIGHT OUR BATTLES; who is the Lord God Almighty, who has the host of heaven at his command, and with whom all the inhabitant... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THIS DID SENNACHERIB KING OF ASSYRIA SEND HIS SERVANTS TO JERUSALEM,.... Who are mentioned by name, 2 Kings 18:17 this was after Hezekiah had given him a large quantity of silver and gold to depart, and he did depart from him, 2 Kings 18:14 BUT HE HIMSELF LAID SIEGE AGAINST LACHISH, and all h... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH SENNACHERIB KING OF ASSYRIA, WHEREON DO YE TRUST,.... On what power in heaven or on earth? THAT YE ABIDE IN THE SIEGE IN JERUSALEM? hold out against the siege of it, and do not deliver it up.... [ Continue Reading ]
DOTH NOT HEZEKIAH PERSUADE YOU TO GIVE OVER YOURSELVES TO DIE BY FAMINE, AND BY THIRST,.... Suggesting that would be their case if they did not surrender: SAYING, THE LORD OUR GOD SHALL DELIVER US OUT OF THE HAND OF THE KING OF ASSYRIA? Isaiah 36:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 12-15. HATH NOT THE SAME HEZEKIAH TAKEN AWAY HIS HIGH PLACES,.... For the sense of this and the three following verses, see the notes on Isaiah 36:17 Isaiah 36:18 Isaiah 36:19 Isaiah 36:20... [ Continue Reading ]
2 Chronicles 32:12... [ Continue Reading ]
2 Chronicles 32:12... [ Continue Reading ]
2 Chronicles 32:12... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS SERVANTS SPAKE YET MORE AGAINST THE LORD GOD, AND AGAINST HIS SERVANT HEZEKIAH. Than what is here recorded, as may be read in 2 Kings 18:1, and Isaiah 36:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WROTE ALSO LETTERS TO RAIL ON THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL,.... See 2 Kings 19:9.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THEY CRIED WITH A LOUD VOICE IN THE JEWS' SPEECH UNTO THE PEOPLE OF JERUSALEM THAT WERE ON THE WALL,.... The messengers of Sennacherib, particularly Rabshakeh the chief speaker; though they were desired to speak in the Syrian language, Isaiah 36:11, BUT THIS THEY DID TO AFFRIGHT THEM, AND TO T... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SPAKE AGAINST THE GOD OF JERUSALEM,.... The only living and true God, whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem professed to be their God, and who was worshipped by them in the temple there: AS AGAINST THE GODS OF THE PEOPLE OF THE EARTH, WHICH WERE THE WORK OF THE HANDS OF MAN; they made no diffe... [ Continue Reading ]
AND FOR THIS CAUSE HEZEKIAH THE KING, AND THE PROPHET ISAIAH, THE SON OF AMOZ, PRAYED AND CRIED TO HEAVEN. To God in heaven; of the prayer of Hezekiah on this account, see Isaiah 37:15, and the notes there; Isaiah 37:15 Isaiah 37:16 Isaiah 37:17 Isaiah 37:18 Isaiah 37:19 Isaiah 37:20 and though we... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SENT AN ANGEL,.... The Targum is, "the Word of the Lord sent Gabriel;'' Josephus a takes this angel, or messenger sent of God, to be the pestilence; and others suppose it to be a hot pestilential wind, common in the eastern countries, called "Samiel", or the poison wind, by which mult... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS THE LORD SAVED HEZEKIAH, AND THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM, FROM THE HAND OF SENNACHERIB THE KING OF ASSYRIA,.... As most clearly appeared; for no stroke was struck but by him: AND FROM THE HAND OF ALL OTHER; the Arabic version adds, "who were round about them;'' who by this defeat were deter... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MANY BROUGHT GIFTS UNTO THE LORD TO JERUSALEM,.... Even out of neighbouring nations, things which they devoted to the service of God in the temple, being convinced that this wonderful deliverance was wrought by the Lord God of Israel, and by him only: AND PRESENTS TO HEZEKIAH KING OF JUDAH; bei... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THOSE DAYS HEZEKIAH WAS SICK,.... Of which sickness, and of his prayer, and of the sign given him, see Isaiah 38:1 and the notes there.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HEZEKIAH RENDERED NOT AGAIN ACCORDING TO THE BENEFIT DONE UNTO HIM,.... Both in the deliverance of him and his people from the king of Assyria, and the recovery of him from his sickness: FOR HIS HEART WAS LIFTED UP; with pride, because of the wonderful defeat of the Assyrian army in his favour,... [ Continue Reading ]
NOTWITHSTANDING, HEZEKIAH HUMBLED HIMSELF FOR THE PRIDE OF HIS HEART, BOTH HE AND THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM,.... In what manner is not said; perhaps by putting on sackcloth, and by fasting and prayer, and making confession of sin, and declaring repentance for it: SO THAT THE WRATH OF THE LORD CA... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HEZEKIAH HAD EXCEEDING MUCH RICHES,.... Increased by the spoil of the Assyrian camp, and the presents sent him after that by neighbouring nations, 2 Chronicles 32:21 AND HONOUR; both from his subjects, and the nations around him: AND HE MADE HIMSELF TREASURIES FOR SILVER, AND FOR GOLD, AND FOR... [ Continue Reading ]
STOREHOUSES ALSO FOR THE INCREASE OF CORN, AND WINE, AND OIL,.... The produce of his fields, vineyards, and oliveyards, such as David had, with persons over them, see 1 Chronicles 27:25 AND STANDS FOR ALL MANNER OF BEASTS; as oxen, horses, camels, and asses, see 2 Chronicles 9:25 AND COTES FOR FLO... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER, HE PROVIDED HIM CITIES,.... Where he had the above storehouses and stalls, and convenient dwellings for those that looked after them, and were over his cattle, small and great, as follows; the Vulgate Latin version reads six cities in some copies b: AND POSSESSIONS OF FLOCKS AND HERDS IN... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS SAME HEZEKIAH ALSO STOPPED THE UPPER WATER COURSE OF GIHON,.... Which Procopius Gazeus says was the same with Siloam, and which it seems had two streams, and this was the upper one; Mr. Maundrell says c, the pool of Gihon "lies about two furlongs without Bethlehem gate westward; it is a statel... [ Continue Reading ]
HOWBEIT, [IN THE BUSINESS OF] THE AMBASSADORS OF THE PRINCES OF BABYLON, WHO SENT UNTO HIM TO INQUIRE THE WONDER THAT WAS [DONE] IN THE LAND,.... Not to see the two tables of stone which were in the ark, with the other two that were broken because of the sin of the calf, as the Targum; nor to ask ab... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE REST OF THE ACTS OF HEZEKIAH, AND HIS GOODNESS,.... His acts of piety and liberality: BEHOLD, THEY ARE WRITTEN IN THE VISION OF ISAIAH THE PROPHET, THE SON OF AMOZ; in the prophecy of Isaiah, Isaiah 36:1, whose book is called the Vision of Isaiah, Isaiah 1:1 AND IN THE BOOK OF THE KINGS OF... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HEZEKIAH SLEPT WITH HIS FATHERS,.... Died, as they did: AND THEY BURIED HIM IN THE CHIEFEST OF THE SEPULCHRES OF THE SONS OF DAVID; in the more honourable and principal of them; there are still to be seen, on the north of Jerusalem, some grottos, called the sepulchres of the kings, though it is... [ Continue Reading ]