Exposition of the Whole Bible

_ dom to fend pofts throughout his kingdom: dut they laughed them to {corn, and mocked them; the mefiengers that brought the letters, the contents ot which théy defpifed, and paid no regard to; this was the behaviour of many, and probably of the’

greater part, -but not of all, as follows.

y. 14. Neéverthele/s, divers of Afber, and Manaffeb, and of ZLebulun, ‘humbled themjfelves, &c.) Confeffed their idolatries and impieties, and exprefied forrow and repentance for them, and’ were willing to obey the commands of God, and attend his worfhip and ordinances: and came to Ferufalem; to keep the paflover..

y. 12. Alfo in Fudab the band of God was togive them one heart, &c.) To make them unanimous in this fervice, hearty and willing to it, to a man, which was owing to the power and efficacy of divine grace: 40 do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the Lord: to keep the paflover, which they did not only in obedience to their fuperiors, and their orders, but confidering thefe as agreeable to the word and will of God.

¥.13. And there afjembled at Ferufalem much people, &e.} Out of the feveral tribes: to keep the feaft of unleaveyed bread; the paffover, which was eaten with unleavened bread: i” the fecond month; the month [jar: avery great congregation; {uch as had not been feen on fuch an occafion for many years., y¥.14. And they arofe, &c.] Before they flew and eat the paffover: and took away the altars that were in Ferufalem, which Abaz had fet up inevery

¥. 17. For there were many in the congregation that were not fanéified, 8cc.] Or purified from uncleannefs, contracted either by idolatry, or thro’ fuch things which, according to the ceremonial law, made them unclean, and from which they had

not now time to cleanfe themfelves according to the law: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the paffovers, for every one that was not

clean, to fanétify them unto the Lord; this they did for the mafters of families, who were ceremonially unclean, who otherwife might have killed their paffover-lambs themfelves, fee Exod. xii. 6. but now the Levites did it for them, that their paffovers might be fanétified and confecrated to the Lord; for as Philo the Few fays*, one day ina year the whole facrificed, every one aéted as a prieft, and brought and flew his own facrifice, meaning at the pafiover.

¥.18. For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim and Manaffeb, Iffachar, and Zebulun, &c.}] All which were of the ten tribes, where idolatry had prevailed for a long time: had not cleanfed themfelves; from impurity contraéted by idolatry and other things: yet did they eat the paffover otherwife than it was written; becaufe they eat it in their uncleannefs, which was not according to the law, that required that fuch fhould be clean that eat of any holy things, fee John xviii. 28. but fince thefe people came a great way off, and there was no deferring it to another month, the king chofe rather they fhould be admitted to eat of it, though in their uncleannefs: but Hezekiah prayed for them, corner of Ferufalem, to offer facrifices upon, ch. /aying, The good Lord pardon every one; God, who xxviii. 24. and all the altars for incenfe took they away; for as there were fome to offer facrifices on, there were others to burn incenfe upon, not to the Lord, but to idols, as the Targum adds:.and caft them into the brook Kidron, having reduced them to duft and afhes, fee ch. xxix. 16.

y. 15. Then they killed the paffover on the fourteenth day of the fecond month, &c.] For though they could not keep it in the month in which it fhould have been kept, for the reafons before given, yet they kept it on the day of the month in which it

_ was obferved: and the priefts and the Levites were afhamed; of their negligence and backwardnefs to fervice, and to fit themfelves for it, when they faw the people fo forward and ready to attend to it: and they fanétified themfelves; by wafhing their bodies and their garments: and brought in the burntofferings into the houfe of the Lord; to be offered up on the altar of burnt-offerings, to expiate their own fins, and the fins of the people; though fome take thefe to be the paffover-offerings; but they is gracious and merciful, and of his goodnefs, grace, and mercy, forgive fuch who, though ceremonially unclean, eat of the paflover, and efpecially fince they were fincere and cordial in their fervices; and therefore he hoped that this breach of the ceremonial law would not be laid to their charge. Goodnefs is fuch a well-known attribute of God, that the very heathens afcribe it to their deities; hence we read of a temple of the good God, the Gods being the givers of good things to men; Jupiter, or Fove, the fupreme God, is fuppofed to be meant *.

y.19. That prepareth his heart to feck God, the Lord God of bis fathers, &c.) Who was heartily defirous of worfhipping God, and obferving his ordinances, which had been enjoined their fathers, and they had kept; though Aben Ezra, as Kimchi obferves, refers this to Hezekiah, whofe whole heart he diretied or prepared~to feek the Lord, 8c. by prayer and fupplication for every one of the faid perfons: though he be not cleanfed according to the were not offered until the 15th day, and befides! purification of the fenéiuary, according to the cere- were peace-offerings, mentioned y. 22. rather thefe were the daily facrifices. ¥. 16. And they flood in their place after their monial law, which the fervice of the temple required; fince, though they were attended with a ceremonial impurity, had a moral purity, and their manner, according to the law of Mojfes the man of hearts were right with God.

God, &c.] The priefts in their place, and the Le-

¥. 20. And the Lord bearkened to Hezekiah, &c.} vites in theirs, in which they were ordered to ftand when they offered facrifice: the priefts prinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites, the blood either of the burnt-offerings before-mentioned, or of the paffover-lambs, which the Levites Heard his prayer, and accepted of it, and granted what he defired: and healed his people; that is, forgave their fins, as Kimchi interprets it; forgivenefs being exprefled by healing, for which he refers to Pf xli. 4. to which may be added P/ ciii.

flew, and received the blood of them in bafons;

. Mal. iv. 2. and which was known either by a.

and which the priefls took of them, and fprinkled, ~ not on the door-pofts of houfes as in Egypt, but prophet fent to declare it, or by not punifhing them for their offence.:

on the altar round about, and which none but priefts might do, Lev.i. 5.

y. 21. And the children of I/rael that were prefent at Ferufalem, kept the feaft of unleavened bread sett ‘ays days with great gladnefs, &c.] Which, according to the law of Mo/es, were always to follow the paffover, Exod. xii. 18, 19. and the Levites and - the priefts praifed the Lord day by day, finging with loud inftruments unto the Lords or inftruments of Jirength ‘; fo called not from the matter of them, or manner in which they were made, but either from the found of them, as our verfion, or from theftrength and power of God, which they fet forth in praife; the Zargum is, ‘* with inftruments of praife,” and fo the word is fometimes ufed, fee P/: viii. 3. compared with Mart xxi. 16. the priefts blew with trumpets, and the Levites played on harps, pfalteries, &c. and this they did every day when the facrifices were offered, during the feven days of unleavened bread. ¥.22. And Hezekiah {pake comfortably to all the Levites, &c.] Or to the beart* of them, fiich things as were very encouraging to them to go on ’ in the work and worfhip of God, commending their finging, exhorting them to diligence in inftructing the people, promifing them his favour and protection: even thofe that taught the good ‘knowledge of the Lord; who inftructed the people well in his word, worfhip, and ordinances; though fome reftrain this to their fkill in finging the praifes of God, both vocally and inftrumentally, and their abilities and diligence in teaching others: and they did eat throughout the feaft,; or did eat the feaft; that is, the facrifices of it; not the Levies only, but the king, and all the congregation: offering peace-offerings; part of which -belonged to the Lord, another part to the priefts, and a third to the offerers, on which they feafted with their friends; and this they did throughout all the feven days of thefealt: and making confeffion to the Lord God of their fathers; confefling their fins of omiffion and commiffion they had been guilty of; owning the goodnefs, grace, and mercy of God towards them; bleffing and praifing his name for thereftoration of his worfhip and ordinances among them.

y. 23. And the whole affembly took counfel to keep other feven days, &c.] They confulted among themfelves, and with the king and his noblesbout it, who all agreed to it: and they kept oper feven days with gladnefs; not altogether in the fame manner they had kept the preceding feven days; they did not flay and eat paffover-lambs, nor did they eat unleavened bread, but offered peace-offerings, and feafted upon them; and fung the praifes of God, and attended to the inftructions of the priefts and Levites, being in a very agreeable frame of mind for religious exercifes.

y. 24. For Hezekiah king of Fudab did give to the congregation 1000 bullocks, and 7000 fheep, &c.] He feparated them, as Kimchi interprets it, from his own herds and flocks; or out of his own fubftance, at his own expence purchafed them; or lifted them

J idolatrous worfhip, the appointment of the courfes' of the priefts and Levites, and the royal bounty for facrifices, ¥. 1, 2, 3. next follows the order Hezekiah gave, that the people at Feru falem, and throughout the land, fhould make the proper _provifion for the priefts and Levites, as the law directed; and which was chearfully complied with,

HIS chapter begins with the deftruction of great abundance, infomuch that there was e and the firft-fruits and tithes were brought in, in

| Pe up, as the word fignifies, as heave-offerings Lord; and gave them to the people for thé ferings’ to feaft upon: and the princes congregation 1000 bullocks, and 10,000 fh the fame purpofes, following the king’s example and a great number of priejts fanfified themfelves + befides thofe who had before, that be fit to offer this great number of facrifices.

y.25. And all the congregation of Fudab with the - pri¢is and Levites, &c.] The people that were gathered together out of the feveral cities of Fudah, which no doubt was the largeft congregation with whom the priefts and Levites are joined, as being of that kingdom, and dwellers in ‘¥erufalem, where their office lay: and all the congregation that came out of Ijrael,; out of the ten tribes, particularly Ephraim, Manaffeh, Ifachar, and Zebulun, ¥. 18. and the firangers that came out of the land of Irael, and that dwelt in Fudab, rejoiced; the profelytes, even fuch as were circumcifed, who eat of the paffover, and kept the feaft of unleavened bread, as well as the other days of rejoicing, the former of which none might partake of, but circumcifed perfons; and it can hardly be thought that any other would come out of J/rael on fuch an occafion, fee Exod. xi. 48.. +

¥. 26. So there was great joy in Ferufalem, &c.] Not merely carnal, expreffed in eating and drinking, and making merry with one another, but {piritual,,on account of the reftoration of temple-fervice, and the feafts of the Lord: for fince the time of Solomon the fon of David, king of Ifrael, there was not the like in Ferufalem; not the like joy, fo {piritual, fincere, and hearty; nor fuch a number of perfons rejoicing together on fuch an occafion; nor for fe many days together, which were as many as at the dedication of the temple by Solomon. * —

¥. 27. Then the priefts the Levites arofe, &c.] The priefts who were of the tribe of Levi; for. * there were fome in J/rael that were not, but were made of.any of the people, as in the times of Feroboam; though fome fupply the copulative and; fo the Targum: and bleffed the people; which was the proper work and bufinefs of the priefts to do; ‘tho? whilft they were bleffing, the Levites might be finging: and their voice was heard, meaning not by the people, though undoubtedly it was, but by the Lord; the Targum is, “ their prayer was heard or received;”” for the bleffing was delivered in a petitionary way, Numb. vi. 24, 25, 26. and was no other than a requeft that God would blefs them, which he did: and their prayer came up to bis holy xviii. 6. by what means it was known their prayer was heard and accepted cannot be faid; there might be fome vifible token of it, as the people were difmiffed and departed. vie and plenty left, ¥. 4—10. wherefore were prepared in the temple to lay it perfons appointed to be the overfeers o: diftribute it faithfully to their brethren < milies, to dmall and great, ¥. 11—19. and the chapter is clofe din praife of the works of Hezekiah, and the fuccefs that attended him, ¥. 20,21. y. 1. Now when all this was finifoed, &c.| “7 temple cleanfed, the priefts and Levites fanctified,

¥. 5. And as foon as the commandment came abroad,

the paflover and feaft of unleavened bread obferved, and other feven days of rejoicing kept: a// I/rael &c.] Not only was: publifhed in the city of Feru- /alem, ‘but the report of it, or rather that itfelf was that were prefent, went. out to the cities of udab, and brake the images in pieces,and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Fudab and Benjamin; which had been erected by baz, ch. xxviii. 2. 25. at or about this time alfo the brazen ferpent was broke to pieces, 2 Kings xviii. 4. in Ephraim alfo and Manaffeb, until they bad utterly deftroyed them all; which mutt be underftood of fuch cities in thofe tribes, that had been taken in former times by the kings of Fudab from the kings of J/rael, or fuch as were now in the hands of the Afyrians, who might not concern themfelves in matters of religion; or this fpread throughout the cities of Fudah: the children of Irael brought in abundance the Jirft-fruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey; the three firft of thefe are exprefled in the law, Deut. xviii. 4. but not honey; wherefore the Targum here, and the Jewifh writers in general, interpret it of the Dub 2 of the palm-tree, as they call it, the fruit and liquor of that, which is‘of a fweet tafte, and which the Scenite Arabs called Dabuja, as Pliny from Fuba relates; for fo it fhould be read, and not Dadulan or Dablan, asin fome copies: but though honey was forbid to be ufed in facrifice, it' was not forbidden to be eaten; and as the land of ‘fudea abounded might be done at the connivance of Ho/bea king of with honey, properly fo called, the priefts might

Trael, who had no regard to any other idolatry than the worfhip of the calves; and befides, having met with trouble. from the dfyrians, and fearing more, might be willing to have his kingdom cleared of idolatry, in hope the divine difpleafure would be removed: then all the children of Ifrael returned every man to his poffeffion into their own cities; and not till then, when all monuments of idolatry were removed.

¥. 2. And Hezekiah appointed the courfes of the pricfis, and the Levites after their courfes, &c. have the firit-fruits of that as of other Kiquors 5 As ee the note on Deut. viii. 8. and of all the increafe of the field; of the trees.of it, vines, fig-trees, pomegranates, (Fe. as Kimchi: and the tithe of all things 5 even of herbs, as the fame writer, and fo the Talmud *, which were free from tithes by the law, fee Matt. xxiii. 23. brought they in abundantly; even of all that their vineyards, olive-yards, and fields produced.

¥. 6. And concerning the children of Ifrael and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of ‘Judab, &c.] As

they were fixed by David, and were in the times of for the fupplement concerning, I fee no need of it;

Febofoaphat, and had been fince interrupted, -and which Hezekiah now reftored, and placed them in their regular order: every man according to bis fer- the fenfe is, that when the king’s ediét was known by the inhabitants of. the cities in the country, as well as at Ferujalem: they alfo brought in the tithes of vice, the prisfs and Levites for -burnt-offerings, and oxen, and foeep; according to the law in Lev. xxvii.

for peace-offerings, to minifter and to give thanks, and to praife in the gates of the tents of the Lord; or camp of the Lord, where they were pofted, and lay as an hoft encamped, to keep the watch of the houfe of the Lord; the priefts, they were appoint-

32. and the tithe of boly things, which were confecrated unto the Lord their God; which archi underftands of the fecond tithe the Levies were to give to the priefts; but Kimchi of things confecrated to facred ules, and no longer for their own, and ed to offer the facrifices of every fort; the Levites which were even free from tithing: and laid them to minifter to them in what they needed and required of them, and others of them to be fingers in time of fervice, and others to be porters at the ate. E ¥. 3. He appointed alfo the king’s portion of his Subftance, &c.] Out of his own treafury, of his royal bounty, over and above what was ufual for kings to give for their own facrifices, the treafury of the temple being exhaufted, and the people being brought into low circumftances in the laft reign: for the burnt-offerings, to wit, for the morning and evening burat-offerings; the daily facrifice offered morning and evening, which had been neglected, but now revived: and the burnt-offerings for the fabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the fet feafis;

by beaps; heaps upon heaps, fuch large quantities were brought in.

¥. 7. In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the beaps, &c.] The month Sivan, as the Targum, in which month was the feaft of Pentecoft, called the feaft of the harveft, Exod. xxiii. 16. for then barley-harveft was ended, and wheat-harveft began, and the firft fruits were brought: and finifbed them in the ‘feventh month; the month Ti/ri, as the Targum, in which was the feaft of tabernacles, fometimes called the feaft of in-gathering, of the fruits of the earth, the wine, oil, Sc. and fo a proper time for bringing the tithes of all.

¥. 8. And when Hezekiah and the princes came and

when befide the daily facrifice there were additional /aw the heaps, &c.] Of the tithes and firft-fruits;

ones: a5 itis written in the law of the Lord; in Numb. xxviii. g—31. and xxix. 1—40.

¥. 4. Moreover, be commanded the people that dwelt in Ferufalem, to give the portion of the priefts and the Levites, &c.] What was affigned unto them by the law of God by tithes, firft-fruits, &c. that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord; in the ftudy of it; that they might gain ‘greater knowledge of it themfelves, and be better able to inftruct the people, which of late had been much negleéted; and that they might be more at leifure for fuch fervice, and be free from all worldly bufinefs, care, and diftra€tion of mind, was the defign of this edict. Reb they bleffed the Lord; for the great increafe of the fruits of the earth, and for making the people fo willing to bring in the dues to the priefts and Le:

vites: and his people Ifrael; wifhed all happinefs and profperity to them, being found in the way of their duty. ¥. 9. Then Hezekiah queftioned with the priefts and the Levites concerning the beaps.| How they came to be fo large, or why they let them lie where they did.. ¥. 10. And Azariah ihe chief prieft of the houfe of Zadok, anfwered him, &c] Who was the highprieft of the family of E/eazar, in the line of Zadok, made high-prieft in Solomon’s time, when ape 1Pae thar was thruft out; JFarchi takes him to be the fame Azariab that was in the days of Uzziab, ch. xxvi 17. and faid, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the houfe of the Lord, we bave had enough to eat, and have left plenty; which were now four months fince; and the priefts and Leviées, and their families, had partaken of them, and_eat to fatiety, and yet there was great plenty remain. ing: for the Lord hath bleffed his people, the Targumis, ** the Word of the Lord has blefied them,” given them large crops.this year, anda ready willing mind to bring in what is due for the fervice of the:temple: and that which is left, is this great fore; the heaps the king and princes faw, and enguired about; or what is left is for the great multitude of the priefts and Levites, and their families, both at Ferufalem, and in the cities in the country; fo Kimchi interprets it.

y. 11, Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare chambers in the houfe of the Lord, &c.] Either to build new ones, or fit up thofe that were built; and they prepared them; got them ready to lay up the ftores in.

y. 12. And brought in the offerings, and the tithes, ‘and the dedicate things faithfully, &c.] Kept nothing back for their own private ufe, but faithfully delivered in and laid up the whole that was brought which remained; this was done by the priefts and Levites, in whofe hands and care they were: over which Cononiah the Levite was ruler, and Shimei bis brother was the next; thefe two had the charge and care of the whole, the one as deputy to the other.:.

y. 13. And Febiel, and Azaziab, and Nabath, and Afbabel, and Ferimoth, and Fozabad, and Eliel, and I{machiab, and Mabath, and Benaiab, were overfeers under the hand of Cononiah, aud Shimei his brother, &c.| Thefe ten were affiftants to the other two, were under them, and at their command, and were to be ready at hand to do what they fhould order and direé&t them: at the commandment of Hezekiah the king, and Azariah the ruler of the houfe of God; thefe were fixed_in their poft under the other two by the king and the high-prieft, to whom alfo the other two were accountable.

y.14. And Kore the fon of Imnab the Levite, ‘the porter towards the eaft, &c.| At the eaft-gate of the temple; fee 1 Caron, xxvi. 17. was over the free-will offerings of God to diftribute the oblations of

_ the Lord; to the priefts and Levites, for whofe ule they were; or to deliver out the fine flour, oil, and wine, and frankincenfe, for the meat and drinkofferings: and the moft boly things; which belonged to the priefts only to eat of, as the remainder of the meat-offerings, the fin and trefpafs-offerings, and the fhew-bread.

¥. 15. And next ‘to bim were Eden and Minjamin, and Fefoua, and Shemaiah, Amariab, and Shecaniab, &c.| As Kore was the principal, and his bufinefs lay chiefly with the priefts in the temple, and in Ferufalem, thefe men under him. were employed in diftributing to the priefts, im the cities of the friefts, in the feveral parts of the country: z# their fet office; or faithfully; to give to their brethren by courfes,as well to the great as to the {mall; to communicate of the ftores under their hands, according to their feveral courfes, both priefts and Levites, and to all in their families, fmall and great. - y.16, Befide their genealogy of males, from three years old and upwards, &c.|_ Their office was not only-to give to the priefts, but to thofe of their males in their genealogy, who were three years old and upwards; for under that age, according to } Kimchi, they were not fit to come into the temple 5 hor have they knowledge to keep what is put into’ their hands; nor fit to handle offerings, left they fhould defile them; but at that age they mightbe - taught how to hold them, and be ufed toit; butas ~ for females, he fays, they were not admitted at any age: even unto every one that entereth into the houfe of the Lord; of the faid age, and in the genealogy and regifter of the priefts: bis daily por-~ tion for their fervice in their charges, according to their courfes; food for every day, in confideration of their fervice in-their feveral wards, according to their courfes in turn. A is fe

¥. 17. Both to the genealogy of the priefts by the houfe of their fathers, 8cc.] As to the priefts regiftered according to their families from: the age before obferved, a portion was given: fo to the | Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges by their courfes; for though originally they were not admitted into the tabernacle till twenty- — five years of age, nor to officiate till thirty, butin David's time they were allowed at twenty years of age and upwards, 1 Chron. xxiii. 24.

¥. 18. And to the genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their fons, and their daughters, through all the congregation, 8c.| Thefe were all genealogized and regiftered, wives and children, fons and daughters, whether {mall or grown up; and a portion was diftributed to them according to their number; greater or lefler: for im their fet ofjice they fanified themfelves in helinefs; which is tobe underftood either of the overfeers, who, in their fet office, faithfully diftributed the holy things to’ the perfons before defcribed or elfe to the priefts and Levites, to whom, and to whofe families, the diftribution was made, becaufe they wholly devoted themfelves to the holy fervice of God,:

¥. 19. Alfo of the fons of Aaron the priefs, which were in the fields of the fuburbs. of their cities, in every feveral city, &c.| Which were allowed to them out of the feveral tribes, and where they dwelt, when it was not the turn of their courfe to officiate in the temple; now to thefe, aswell as to“ thofe in Ferufalem, a portion was diftributed for ~ the fupport of them and their families: she men that were expreffed by name; before-mentioned, yt. 13. though fome.underftand it of fuch as were nominated and appointed by them, and-to aét under them in the country: togive portions ta all the males among the prichs, and to all that were reckoned by genealogies, among the Levites; as before declared.

¥. 20. And thus did Hezekiah throughout ~all Fur dab, &c.] Settled the courfes of the priefts and Levites, and made a provifion for them and their families: and wrought that which was good. and right and truth before the Lord his God; or didthat ~ which was truly right and good, according to the law and will of God, in the fincerity and uprightnefs of his foul, and as in the prefence of. the omnifcient God, he approving and accepting it for Chrift’s fake, eM

¥. 24, Aud in, every work that,be began in the fervice of the koufe of Ged, &c.) In cleanfing — the temple, providing facrifices, plac priefts and Levites in order, taking. care maintenance of them, &c. and in the in the commandments; in the obferyvation of a laws, ftatutes, and judgments of God, me remonial, and judicial: to eek his God; a and worfhip him, and therein his honour ry: he did it with all bis beart; in the moft o fincere, and upright manner: and profpered; he fucceeded in all he undertook, God being with ope the land of Fudab, the preparations Hezekiah made to refift him, and the encouragement he gave his people to truft in the Lord, y. 1—8. the mef- ‘fages and letters Sennacherid fent to Hezekiah and his fubjects, full of arrogance and blafphemy, to folicit them to deliver up Ferufalem to him, ¥ g—rg. the deftruction of his army by an angel, and the deliverance of the Fews at the prayers of Hezekiah and Ifaiab, ¥. 2o—2 3. the fin Hezekiah fell into after this, and his recovery from a fit of illnefs; but upon his humiliation for it, wrath was averted, ¥. 24, 25, 26. and the chapter is concluded with an account of his honours, riches, and exploits, and of his death and burial, y. 2733.

y. 1. After thefe’ things, and rhe eftablifoment thereof, &c.] What are recorded in the preceding chapters, when matters were well fettled, efpecially with refpect to religion and temple-fervice, and when Hezekiah was-well eftablithed in the throne of his kingdom, had fought with and defeated the Philiftines, and caft off the Afhrian yoke, and was in very profperous circumftances; for it was in the- fourteenth year of his reign that what follows was done: Seanacherib king of Afpria came and entred into Judah, and encamped againft the fenced cities, and thought to win them for bimfelf; or to break them, or into them; or through them ”, to break down the walls to take them, and join them to himfelf, as the Targum, and he did take them, fee 2 Kings xviii. 13.

¥. 2. And when Hezekiah faw that Sennacherib was come, &c.] Into the land of Fudab, which he perceived and underftood by reports brought to him: and that he was purpofed to fight againft Ferufalem; to befiege it and take it, if poffible; this he faw was his defign, by taking the fenced cities in his way, and coming forward with his forces,

YW. 3. He took counfel with bis princes, and bis mighty men, &c.] With his. nobles,. and the officers of his army, what fteps fhould be taken to refift, retard, and diftrefs the enemy, and among the reft what follows was propofed: to frop the waters of the fountains which were without the city”; that fo the Affyrian army would find it difficult to fupply themfelves with water, which was an article of great importance: and they did help him; to {top the fountains, not only with their advice how to do it, but with their men, their fervants, who affifted thofe that Hezekiah employed in this work.

_¥. 4. So there was gathered much people together,

&c.] At the inftance of Hezekiah, his nobles and|:

officers: who flopt all the fountains, perhaps by _laying planks over them, and earth upon them, {fo that it could not be difcerned there were any fountains there: and the breok that ran through the midft of the land; which, according to Kimchi was Gibon, y. 30. which was near Yerufalem, the ftream of this very probably.they turned into channels under-ground, whereby it was brought into the city into refervoirs there provided, that that might have a fupply during the fiege, whilft the enemy was diftrefled for want of it: ay-

HIS chapter relates Scinnacherib’s invafion of vy ypad ad perrumpendem eas, Montanus¢ diffindere ing, Why illas, Pifcator; abfcindere, Schmidt.

him, and bleffing him in his civil and religious