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Ver. 6. For he clave to the Lord.] Indivulse: and this he knew to be his duty, from Deuteronomy 4:4 10:20 Jos 23:8, sc., to embrace the Lord with faith and love: to adhere unto him as his head and husband, with all his heart and soul. He “departed not from following him,” as it is here expounded, “but kept his commandments,” the best proof of his love.
Ver. 7. And the Lord was with him.] The Lord is with all those that are with him. (2 Chronicles 15:3 Ezra 8:22) And he prospered.] Or, He dealt prudently. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria.] That is, He cast off his yoke, and refused to stand to his father’s wicked covenant. This the Assyrian counted and called rebellion.
Ver. 8. He smote the Philistines.] A warlike people, and therefore his glory was the greater: as Plutarch praiseth the Romans above Alexander, because he subdued Asiatics that were pusillanimous and effeminate; but these, the Germans, Spaniards, Britons, hardy and headstrong nations. From the tower of the watchmen.] See 2 Kings 17:9.
Ver. 9. In the fourth year, &c.] See on 2 Kings 18:1. That Shalmaneser, &c.] At which time Hezekiah sat in safety, and might keep a passover for his preservation. To teach us thus much it is, saith Pellican, that Israel’s ruin is here repeated.
Ver. 10. And at the end of three years.] See 2 Kings 17:6.
Ver. 11. And the king of Assyria, &c.] See 2 Kings 17:6.
Ver. 12. Because they obeyed not.] See 2 Kings 17:7-17.
Ver. 13. Now in the fourteenth year, &c.] Not long after Hezekiah’s great sickness and signal recovery: whereupon he received that gracious promise, (2 Kings 20:6) “And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria,” &c. Did Sennacherib.] The son of Salmaneser, called by Herodotus king of the Assyrians and Arabians. Come up against all the fenced cities.] After that he had invaded Egypt, and made foul work there: “leading away prisoners, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.” (Isaiah 20:4) And took them.] This great war with Hezekiah is set forth—as one well observeth—in manner of a comedy, having (1.) Its προθεσις in this and the three next following verses; (2.) Its επιτασις, containing four different acts, in this and the next chapter; (3.) Its καταστροφη: (2 Kings 19) where we have, 1: Solamen, comfort promised; 2. Levamen, help vouchsafed.
Ver. 14. And Hezekiah king of Judah sent.] This showed his weakness and pusillanimity. Had he still kept up his trust in God, this had never been done; but the best have their frailties, and the strongest faith may sometimes seem to fail; adeo nihil est in nobis magnum, quod non potest minui. Return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear.] Hezekiah held it good policy to make his enemy a golden bridge to go over: so to be rid of him.
Ver. 15. And Hezekiah gave him.] See on 2 Kings 18:14.
Ver. 16. At that time did Hezekiah cut off.] If Ahaz, that church robber, had done this, it would better have become him. Hezekiah for doing it lost his cost. (2 Kings 18:16)
Ver. 17. And the king of Assyria sent Tartan.] Notwithstanding that great present, worth two hundred and twenty-five thousand pounds: all of which this Cerberus swallowed, and yet was not satisfied; but demanded also the city to be delivered to him. And Rabsaris and Rabshakeh.] Some think that these were names of office: for Rabsaris signifieth chief of the eunuchs, and Rabshakeh chief of the cupbearers. That is an odd conceit of the Jewish doctors, that Rabshakeh was son to the prophet Isaiah, who fell from the true religion, and ran away to the Assyrians, by whom he was therefore now employed. By the conduit of the upper pool.] Whereof see also Isaiah 7:3; as of the lower pool, Isaiah 22:9. Jerome, De Tradit. Hebr.
Ver. 18. Eliakim…which was over the household.] In the place of false Shebna, who had been controller in Ahaz’s days, but was now made secretary, a place of honour, but less power, and not of so great pains; fitter therefore for a man now grown old. (Isaiah 36:3) See Jun. on Isaiah 22:15.
Ver. 19. Thus saith the great king.] An expression that savoureth of intolerable pride, and, as some think, uttered in way of deriding the prophets of Israel, who usually prefaced, Thus saith the Lord God. Hezekiah might well have replied, as afterward Agesilaus, king of Sparta, did upon a like occasion, Nemo me maior nisi qui iustior: or, as Seneca, Anime magno nihil magnum. But empty spirits affect swelling titles: the Grand Signor, for instance, and great John O’Neal.
Ver. 20. Thou sayest (but they are but vain words).] Heb., Words of the lips, i.e., frothy and fruitless, forasmuch as thou hast neither counsel nor strength for the war, but dost only word it, as Philip afterwards said the Athenians did. Some read the text not in a parenthesis, and thus paraphrase it: What can Hezekiah say to embolden him? What? I say, saith Hezekiah, I have words of my lips, that is, Prayer, prayer! Saith Rabshakeh: These are empty words, an airy nothing: for counsel and strength are for the war; but of these Hezekiah makes no reckoning, as thinking to do all by prayer, which I hold no better than prittle prattle.
Ver. 21. Now thou trustest upon the staff, &c.] This Hezekiah did not, that we read of: but Rabshakeh thought he would, as Hoshea had done before.
Ver. 22. But if ye say unto me, We trust in the Lord our God.] Thus he thinks to beat them off all their holds, that he may bring them to the bent of his bow. Satan doth the like: “whom resist steadfast in the faith.” Is not that he whose high places, &c.?] This Rabshakeh took for sacrilege and impiety: as Papists still do our Reformation, and rejection of their needless ceremonies and endless superstitions. Some infer from this text that Rabshakeh was no Jew; the Rabbis make him to be a renegade Jew, because he spake Hebrew.
Ver. 23. Give pledges.] Pignora certa. Tremellius rendereth it, Misce bellum, fight with my master, the king of Assyria, if thou darest. Lacessentis atque insultantis, verba. If thou be able on thy part.] A bitter scoff, whereby he mocketh at Hezekiah’s boldness, being no better able.
Ver. 24. And put thy trust in Egypt.] See on 2 Kings 18:21.
Ver. 25. Am I now come up without the Lord?] Without his secret impulse, as 2 Samuel 16:10. The villainous gunpowder plotters pretended that God set them to work to punish this sinful nation. So the Jesuits tell the people that the devil stirred up Luther: and that God sent forth them to oppose him.
Ver. 26. Speak, I pray thee, … in the Syrian language.] This was no wise motion: but they were frightened; and some think it was wicked Shebna rather than good Eliakim that made it, purposely to provoke Rabshakeh to rail the more, and to lay open that whereby the people might be moved to yield up the city.
Ver. 27. Hath he not sent me to the men that sit on the wall?] The soldiers and common sort, of whom your master and you take little care what extremities they undergo, as they are shortly sure to do by a long siege.
Ver. 28. Hear the word of the great king.] See on 2 Kings 18:19.
Ver. 29. Let not Hezekiah deceive you.] He warneth them to beware of Hezekiah as an impostor, and to make sure work for themselves, by yielding up all to Sennacherib, and accepting of him for their liege lord.
Ver. 30. Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord.] Of whom these pagans had the like base and bald conceits as they had of the dunghill deities of other countries. “But our God is in heaven,” saith the psalmist; “he doeth whatsoever he willeth in heaven and in earth”: and “those that trust in him shall never be confounded.” “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in men” or means.
Ver. 31. Make an agreement, &c.] Heb., Make with me a blessing. The Chaldee hath it, Pacem recipite, Accept of peace upon my terms.
Ver. 32. To a land like your own land.] Which was a land that God himself had “espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, the glory of all lands.” (Ezekiel 20:6) Sumen totius orbis, in quo saxa durissima mel et oleum sudabant (Deuteronomy 32:13 Exodus 3:17) This Rabshakeh here acknowledgeth, and is therein more ingenuous than Strabo the geographer (strabus et pravus nimium), who traduceth Judea for dry and barren, nec satis dignam de qua magnopere pugnetur, not worth striving for. And hearken not unto Hezekiah.] This is a string that he much harpeth upon. It is our faith that Satan chiefly striketh at; (Luke 22:32) hold fast this shield. (Ephesians 6:16) Tacitus uber solum Iudaeis attribuit.
Ver. 33. Hath any of the gods of the nations.] These were no gods, and Hezekiah might better say than that heathen once did, Contemno minutulos istos deos, modo, Iovem (Iehovam) mihi propitium habeam; Let the Lord arise, and his enemies shall be scattered.
Ver. 34. Where are the gods?] Os ferreum! This is a most insolent insultation, and might well become an Aiax flagellifer, who knew no god but his own weapons. Have they delivered?] i.e., Have the gods of Samaria?
Ver. 35. Who are they among all the gods?] See 2 Kings 18:30.
Ver. 36. But the people held their peace.] They punished him with silence, as Isaac did Ishmael. Sile, et funestam dedisti plagam, saith Chrysostom. Silence is the best answer to words of scorn and petulancy, saith learned Hooker. Convitia spreta exolescunt, saith Tacitus. It is best to stop an open mouth with saying nothing, saith Basil. “But I as a deaf man heard not: yea, I was as one dumb, in whose mouth there is no reproof.” (Psalms 38:14) Princes use to punish the indecencies of ambassadors by denying them audience. Rabshakeh could not be more spited than with no answer. This sulphurous flask therefore dieth in his own smoke, only leaving a hateful stench behind it. Σιωπη τον ονειδον πνιγειν δει.— Bas., ep. 72.
Ver. 37. With their clothes rent.] To show how deeply they were affected with and offended at Rabshakeh’s blasphemies. Should not we be as much at the Ranters? See Matthew 26:65.