Commentary on the Holy Bible

On Egypt] The Bodl. MS. adds "jb-D melech, the king of Egypt; and so perhaps the Chaldee might read.

It will go into his hand, and pierce it] AVill take subsidy after subsidy, and do nothing for it.

Verse 7. But if thou say — " But if ye say"] Two ancient MSS. have noND tomeru in the plural number; so likewise the Septuagint, Chaldee, and the other copy, 2 Kings xviii. 22.

Ye shall worship before this altar — " To worship only before this altar"] See 2 Chron. xxxii. 12.

Verse 10. Am I now come up u-ithoiit the Lord] Probably some apostate Israelitish priest might have encouraged the king of Assyria by telling him that

Oiymp. XVII. 3. thee, unto thy servants in the Nu^miE i^mSJiiii, Syrian language; for we under- R. Roman., fi. gtand it: and speak not to us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.

12 But Rabshakeh said, Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own d ing, and drink their own piss with you?

13 Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and said. Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.

14 Thus saitli the king. Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you.

15 Neither let Hezekiah make you trast in the Lord, saying. The Lord will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.

1 6 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, '' Make ' an agree?nent with me by a present, and come out to me: ^ and eat ye every one of his vine, and every

Verse 12. That they may eat their own dung — " Destined to eat their owni dung"] Sdn'? leechol, that they may eat, as our translation literally renders it. But the Syriac reads SoNT meechol, that they may not eat, perhaps rightly, and afterward nintyDl umishshethoth, or nin^'l ushethnth, to the same purpose. Seventeen of Dr. KennicotVs MSS., ten of De Rossi's, and two of my own, read 'Va meymey, the ivater; mine have On-Jty 'O'D meymey sheneyhem, and write in the margin Drrbjl "a'D meymey regaleyhem, the water of their feet, a modest way of expressing urine.

Verse 15. This city shall not be delivered] ^\ ve-ln. And this city. Ten of KennicotCs MSS., and nine of De Rossi's, with one (ancient) of my own, add the conjunction.

Verse 16. Make an agreement] n3-\3 berachah, make a blessing with me; i. e.. Give me a ransom for the city, and I will not destroy it; give me the yearly tribute thou hast promised.

17 Until I come and take you ^- ^°°'""' "' away to a land like yoiu: own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.

1 8 Bcivare lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying. The Lord will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

20 Who «re they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Je rusalem out of my hand?

2 1 But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying. Answer him not.

22 Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that luas over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

Verse 17. And vineyards] The other copy, 2 Kings xviii. 32, adds here: "A land of oil-olive, and of honey; that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah when he seduceth you."

Verse 19. Where are the gods] Many MSS. add the conjunction here also: And, or But, where are the gods, &c.

For other matters relative to this chapter, see tho notes on 2 Kings xviii. 13, &c.

Have they delivered] Ol vechi. The copulative is not expressed here by the Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, and three MSS.; nor is it in any other copy. lb. Houbigant reads OH hachi, with the interrogative particle; a probable conjecture, which the ancient Versions above quoted seem to favour.

Verse 2 1. But they held their peace — " But the people held their peace"] The word C2).'T\ haam, the people, is supplied from the other copy, and is authorized by a MS. which inserts it after ins otho.

Hezekiah is greatly distressed, and sends to Isaiah the prophet to pray for him, 1-4. Isaiah returns a comfortable ansivcr, and predicts the destruction of the king of Assyria and his army, 5-7. Sennacherib, hearing that his kingdom was invaded by the Ethiopians, sends a terrible letter to Hezekiah, to induce Mm to surrender, 9-13. Hezekiah goes to the temple, spreads the letter before the Lord, and makes a most affecting prayer, 14-20. Isaiah is sent to him to assure him that his prayer is heard; that Jerusalem shall he delivered; and that the Assyrians shall be destroyed, 21-35. That very night a messenger of God stays one hundred and eighty-fice thousand Assyrians, 36. Sennacherib returns to Nineveh, and is slain by his own sons, 37, 38.

A ND * it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lone.

2 And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.

3 And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This daj- is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of '' blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

4 It may be the Lord thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is "= left.

5 So the servants of king Hezekiah came lo Isaiah.

6 And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto your master. Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast

Verse 6. Thus shall ye say] jn^Xn T\2 ho tomerun, " thus shall ye (explicitly, earnestly, and posilivdy) say." The paragogie j nun deepens and increases the sense.

Verse 7. / will send a blast—" I will infuse a spirit into him"'] " nn U jnu nothen bo ruach never signifies any thing but putting a spirit into a person: this was •ffveufAa ^EiXiaf, the spirit vf deceit." — Seeker. " I will send a blast" — I do not think that Archbishop Seeker has hit the true meaning of these words. I believe nn ruach means here a pestilential wind, such as the Arabs call simoom, that instantly suffocates both man and beast; and is what is termed '' the angel of the Lord," God's messenger of death to the Assyrians,

Verse 8. Rabshakeh returned] From chap, xxxvi. 2, we learn that the king of Assyria had sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem; now it is likelv that Rabshakeh had besieged that place, and that the king of Assyria had taken his station before this city, and despatched Rabshakeh against Jerusalem. But, as in the verse above it is said, " he had departed from Lachish," probably he had been obliged to raise the siege, and sat down before Libnah, which promised an easier conquest.

heard, wherewith the servants of ^g'^'^JJ',: 7J0* the king of Assyria have bias- oiymp. xvn. 3, phemed me.

7 Behold, I will •>■ seitd a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumoiu", and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

8 So Rabshakeh retiurned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.

9 And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He is come forth to make war with thee. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

10 Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying. Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.

1 1 Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly; and shall thou be delivered?

Verse 9. He heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia] When he heard that Tirhakah king of Ethiopia had come out against him, then he sent that blasphemous manifesto which is contained in ver. 10-13, to terrify Hezekiah into submission. How much was this like, in words and spuut, to the manifesto sent to the Parisians by the late Duke of Brunsivick, from the plains of Champaigne, in 1792. which was the forerunner of the mighty torrents of human blood which was shed in the French revolution! And what a blast of God fell upon him and his army — nearly like that which fell on the army of Sennacherib!

He sent messengers — " He sent messengers again"] The word i'atyi vaiyishma, " and he heard," which occurs the second time in this verse, is repeated by mistake from the beginning of the verse. It is omitted in an ancient MS. It is a mere tautology, and embarrasses the sense. The true reading instead of it is, nU''! I'eyesheb, " and he returned," which the Scptuagint read in this place, wrstTT^i-^s, and which is preserved in the other copy, 2 Kings xix. 9: " He returned and sent," that is, according to the Hebrew idiom, " he sent again."

Oiymp.xvii. 3. destroyed, as (jozan, and Haran, Nums Pompiiii, and Rczeph, and the cliildren of ^ ^°""'"' ^ Eden which were in Telassar?

13 Where is the king of * Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?

14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the liand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord.

15 And Hezekiah prayed unto the Lord,

16 0 Lord of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the ciierubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.

17 ''Incline thine ear, 0 Lord, and hear: open thine eyes, 0 Lord, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which liath sent to reproach the living God.

18 Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the ^ nations, and their countries,

Verse 14. And read it — " And read them"] QNIp'l vayikraem. So MS. Bodl. in this place; and so the other copy; instead of insip'l vaiyikraehu, " and read it."

And spread it — " And spread them"] intyiil'l vaiyiphresehu. in hu is upon a rasure in a MS., which probably was at first □ mem. The same mistake as in the foregoing note.

Verse 18. The nations] jTVINH AaraiioM, " the lands;" instead of this word, which destroys the sense, ten of KennicolCs axiAfive of De Rossi's MSS. (one ancient) have here □''U goyim, " nations;" which is undoubtedly the true reading, being preserved also in the other copy; 2 Kings xix. 17. Another MS. suggests another method of rectifying the sense in this place, by reading QoSo malcam, " their king," instead of asiX artsam, " their land;" but it ought to be arr'^'iO makheyhem, "all the countries and their kings."

Averse 20. Sai-c us — " Save us, we beseech thee"] The supplicating particle, x: na, is supplied here from eighteen MSS., three ancient, of Dr. Kennicoll, and ten of De Rossi, and from the other copy; 2 Kings xix. 19.

That thou art the Lord, even thou only — " That thou Jehovah art the only God."] The word Q'mx Elohim, " God," is lost here in the Hebrew text, but

20 Now therefore, 0 Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know thai thou art the Lord, even thou only.

21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria:

22 This is the word which the Lord hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.

23 Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed; and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel.

24 ' By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord, and hast said, By the multitude of

preserved in the other copy; 2 Kings xix. 19. The Syriac and Septuagint seem here to have had in their copies Q^ribx Elohim, instead of niD' Yehovah.

Verse 21. Then Isaiah — seiit unto Hezekiah] The Syriac and Septuagint understand and render the verb passively, was sent.

Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib^" Thy prayer unto me concerning Sennacherib — I have heard"] 'nytty shamati; this word, necessary to the sense, is lost in this place out of the Hebrew text. One MS. oi Dr. Kenmcott's and oncoiDe Rossi's have it \\Titten above the line in a later hand. The Septuagint and Syriac found it in their copies; and it is preserved in the other copy; 2 Kings xix. 20.

Verse 23. Against the Holy One of Israel.] For '7X el, to, the other copy has hy al, against, rather more properly.

Verse 24. By thy servants — " By thy messengers"] The text has 1"13J/' aldeycha, thy servants; but the true reading seems to be 1''Dx'7"D malacheycha, thy messengers, as in the other copy, 2 Kings xix. 23; and as the Septuagint and Syriac found it in their copies in this place.

Reproached the Lord] 'JIX Adonai: but one of my MSS. has 'JIX nirr' Yehm-ah Adonai, Jehovah the Lord. This reading is not found, I think, in any other MS., but several have nin"' Yehovah for 'J^X Adonai.

I will enter into the height of his bordei " I will

penetrate into his extreme retreats"] The text has Qno marom, the height which seems to have been taken by mistake from the line but one above. Two M.SS. have here pbo malon, the lodge or retreat; v^hioh

thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the height of his border, and 'the forest of his Carmel.

25 I have digged, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the " besieged places.

26 " Hast thou not heard long ago, Jww I have done it; and of ancient times, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps.

27 Therefore their inhabitants were ° of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.

28 But I know thy p abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me.

I have made it long ago, and formed it of ancient times? should I now bring it to be laid waste, and defenced cities to be ruinous is the word in the other copy, 2 Kings six. 23, and I think is the true reading.

The forest of his Cannel.] The forest and his fruitful field; that is, I will possess myself of the whole

Verse 25. Water — " Strange waters"] The word Q'lT zarim, strange, lost out of the Hebrew text in this place, is supplied from the other copy. A MS. supplies the word O'DT rahbim, many, instead of it.

All the rivers of the besieged places — " AH the canals of fenced places."] The principal cities of Egypt, the scene of his late exploits, were chiefly defended by deep moats, canals, or large lakes, made by labour and art, with which they were surrounded. See Harmer^s Observ. ii. p. 304. Claudian introduces Alaric boasting of his conquests in the same extravagant manner: —

" Subsidere nostris Sub pedibus monies; arescere vidimus amnes. — Fregi Alpes, galeisque Padum victricibus hausi." De Bello Getic. 526. " The mountains have passed away under our feet; we have seen the rivers dried up. I have broken the Alps, and laden out the Po with our victorious helmets."

Verse 26 Lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps — " Lay waste warlike nations, strong fenced

into mine ears, thereiore "i will 1 Numa; Pompiiii, put my hook in thy nose, and my ' °"'°" ' ^' bridle in thy hps, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.

30 And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such as groweth of itself: and the second year that which springeth of the same: and in the tlmxl year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat tlie fruit

31 And '^the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:

32 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and ^ they that escape out of Mount Zion: the ' zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this.

33 Therefore thus saith the Lord concern ing the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come be|"ore it with ^ shields, nor cast a bank against it.

cities."] D'XJ D'Sj gallim nitstsim. It is not easy to give a satisfactory account of these two words, which have greatly embarrassed all the interpreters, ancient and modern. For D'Sj gallim I read O'lJ goyim, as the Septuagint do in this place, £()vr). The word D"XJ netsim the Vulgate renders in this place compugnantium; in the parallel place, 2 Kings xix. 25, pvgnantiiim; and the Septuagint jj,a')(^iii.u\i, fighting, warlike. This rendering is as well authorized as any other that I know of; and, with the reading of the Septttagint., perfectly clears up the construction. See the margin on all the preceding verses.

Verse 27. Corn blasted] nDnt? shedemah, parched: it does not appear that there is any good authority for this word. The true reading seems to be niJntJ' shedephah, blasted, as it is in six MS.S. (two ancient) here, and in the other copy.

Verse 29. Will I put my hook in thy nose] Et frsenum meum: Jonathan vocem jno metheg, interpretatns est DOT zemam, i. e., annulum, sive uncum, eumque ferreum, quera infigunt naribus camelae: eoque trahitur, quoniam ilia feris motibus agitur: et hoc est, quod discimus in Talmude; et camela cum annulo narium: scilicet, egreditur die sabbathi. " And my bridle: Jonathan interprets the word metheg hy zemam, a ring, or that iron hook which they put in the nostrils of a camel to lead her about, check her in her restiveness, &c. And this is what we mean in the Talmud, when we say, And the camel with the ring

35 For I will " defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

36 Then the '*' angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assjrrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in tlie morning.

of her nostrils shall go out on the Sabbath day." — Jarchi in 2 Kings xix. 28. Ponam circulum in naribus tuis. " I will put a ring in thy nostrils." — Jerome. Just as at this day they put a ring into the nose of the bear, the buffalo, and other wild beasts, to lead them, and to govern them when they are unruly. Bulls are often ringed thus in several parts of England. The Hindoos compare a person who is the slave of his wife to a com led by the ring in her nose.

Verse 36. Then the angel] Before "the angel," the other copy, 2 Kings xix. 35, adds, " it came to pass the same night, that"

The Prophet Hosea, chap. i. 7, has given a plain

37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.

38 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the liouse of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of ^ Armenia: and Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.

prediction of this miraculous deliverance of the kingdom of Judah: —

" And to the house of Judah I will be tenderly merciful: And I will save them by Jehovah their God. And I will not save them by the bow; Nor by sword, nor by battle; By horses, nor by horsemen." — L.

Verse 38. His sons smote him] What an awful punishment of his blasphemy! Who can harden his neck against God, and be successful 1 God does not lightly pass by blasphemy against himself, his government, his word, his Son, or his people. Let the profligate take care!

Account of HezehiaVs dangerous sickness and miraculous recofverxj, 1-9. Tender and beautiful so7>g of thanksgiving, in which this pious king breathed out the sentiments of a grateful heart, when his life jvas, as it loere, restored. This ode may be adapted to other cases; and will always afford profit and pleasure to those who are not void of feeling and piety, 10-22.

TN '^ those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto sailh the Lord, '' Set ■= thine

Verse 1. In those days] The reader is requested to consult the notes on 2 Kings xx. in reference to the principal parts of this chapter.

wall] The furniture of an eastern divan or chamber, either for the reception of company or for private use consists chiefly of carpets spread on the floor in the middle; and of sofas, or couches ranged on one or more sides of the room, on a part raised somewhat above the floor. On these they repose themselves in the day, and sleep at night. It is to be observed that the corner of the room is the place of honour. Dr. Pococke, when he was introduced to the Sheikh of Furshout, found him sitting in the corner of his room

2 Then Hezekiah turned his Numas Pompiiii. face toward the wall, and prayed «■ Roman., 3. unto the Lord,

He describes another Arab.Sheikh " as sitting in the corner of a large green tent, pitched in the middle of an encampment of Arabs; and the Bey of Girge as placed on a sofa in a corner to the right as one entered the room." — Harmer\$ Observ. ii. p. 60. Lady Marjr Montague, giving an account of a visit which she made to the Kahya's lady at Adrianople, says, " She ordered cushions to be given me; and took care to place me in the corner, which is the place of honour." — Letter xxxiii. The reason of this seems to be, that the person so placed is distinguished, and in a manner separated, from the rest of the company, and as it were guarded by the wall on each side. \A'e are to suppose Hezekiah's couch placed in the same situation; in which, turning on either side, ho must

3 And said, ^ Remember now, 0 Lord, I beseech tliee, how I have walked before thee in triitli

have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept " sore.

4 Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying,

5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

6 And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and ^ I will defend this city.

7 And this shall be ^ a sign unto tiiee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken;

8 Beliold, I will bring again the shadow of tlie degrees, which is gone down in the '' sun dial of Ahaz, ten deffrees backward.

the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.

9 The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness:

10 I said in the cutting off of my days, 1 shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years.

Ill said, I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord, ' in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of

12'' Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut oflT

turn his face to the wall; • by which he would withdraw himself from those who were attending upon him in his apartment, in order to address Ms private prayer to God.

Ver. 3. And he said, 1 beseech thee. 0 Jehovah, remember now how I have endeavoured to walk before thee m truth, and with a perfect heart; and have done that which is good in thine eyes. And Hezekiah wept, and lamented grievously. — L.