Isaiah 37

ers on an invisible protection: but their own self-confidence will terminate in shame, when the hope, which rests on the word of God, shall ‘be found to praise, and honour, and glory.” The afflicted servant of God will generally find it best to leave ungodly men to revile, boast, insult, and menace, without making any reply: for humiliation, faith, and prayer, are our proper employment, in seasons of personal or public distress. And, however, men attempt to discourage or exasperate us, they will not do us any real harm; unless they can prevail with us to neglect or violate the commandments of our Lord and Master.— T. Scott. Chap. XXVII. Ver. 1—38. Hezekiah’s pious conduct. —Tempters and persecutors are effectually subservient to our highest interest, when their endeavours to terrify us, or seduce us from God, make us more simple in our dependence, and more fervent in our prayers: and when they revile us for the Lord’s sake, and for our reliance on him, and devoted obedience to him; they engage him on our side, and ensure our victory.

Those exploits, in which powerful and wicked men glory, form a counterpart of the conduct of the devil, their father: and when their course is run, some unexpected event sends them to their “own place.” But the Lord will defend his church, for his own sake, and that of his annointed King; and those, who fix their hopes and love on him, shall witness the destruction of all their enemies, and triumph in the most complete answer of their largest prayers.— T. Scott.

Notes on the verses

Scott. Ver. 3. Shebna.—‘This declareth, that there were but few godly to be found in the king’s house, when he was driven to send this wicked man in so weighty a matter.”—T. Scott. Ver. 4. Rab-shakeh.—(The history of the invasion of Sennacherib, observes Bishop Lowth, and the miraculous destruction of his army, which makes the subject of so many of Isaiah’s prophecies, is very properly inserted here, as affording the best light to many parts of these prophecies; and as almost necessary to introduce the prophecy in the thirty-seventh chapter, being the answer of God to Hezekiah’s prayer, which could not be properly understood without it. Sennacherib succeeded his father Shalmaneser on the throne of Assyria, A.

M. 3290. B. C. 714., and reigned only about eight years. Tob. i. 15. Assyria.—Assyria proper, now Kourdistan, was bounded by Armenia on the north, Media and Persia on the east, Babylonia on the south, and the Titis, which divides it from Mesopotamia, on the west, between 33° and 38° N. latitude, and 42° and 46° E. longitude. But the Assyrian empire, the bounds of which were different at different times, in its most flourishing state, according to the descriptions of the Greek and Roman writers, comprehended all the countries and nations between the Mediterranean on the west, and the Indus on the east, and between the deserts of Scythia on the north, and the Indian Ocean on the south.]—Bagster. Ver.

10. ‘‘He interprets his former successes, as if they were an argument that Heaven was on his side: or he may mean, that some oracle or idol had promised him success: and this pretended deity he impiously calls by the name of the true God.—’’Lowth. Ver. 11. The Syrian.—The Syrian tongue is what we now call Chaldee, (Daniel 2:4). (Ezra 4:7).”—Lowth. Ver. 18. Beware lest, &c.—In Kings we read, after “a land of bread and vineyards,” (17.)—‘‘A land of oil olive and of honey; that ye may live and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you.”—T. Ver. 19. Sepharvaim.—{Calmet is of opinion, that Sepharvaim was the capital of the Saspires, who, according to Herodotus, were the only people that inhabited between the Colchians and Medes; and probably the Sarapases whom Strabo places in Armenia.

Hiller considers the name as denoting Sephar of the Parvaim, i. e. Mount Sephar adjacent to the regions of Arabia called Parvaim. But it is more probable, as Wells and others suppose, that Sepharvaim is the Sipphara of Ptolemy, the city of the Sippareni, mentioned by Abydenus, and probably the Hipparenum of Pliny, a city of Mesopotamia, situated upon the Euphrates near where it is divided into two arms, by one of which, it is probable, it was divided into two parts.]—B. Chap. XXXVII. Ver. 3. The children.—‘We are in as great sorrow as a woman that travaileth of child, and cannot be delivered.”—T. Scott. Ver. 9. Ethiopia.—{Cush, which is generally rendered Ethiopia, is applied in Scripture to at least three distinct and different countries.

1. The country watered by the Gihon or Araxes, ((Genesis 2:13).) also called Cush, 2 Kings xvii, 20. 2. A country of Arabia Petra, bordering upon Egypt, which extended from the northern extremity of the Red sea along its eastern shore. (Compare (Exodus 3:1). with (Numbers 12:1). (Habakkuk 3:7). and see Bochart.) 3. Ethiopia Proper, an extensive country of Africa, comprehending Nubia and Abyssinia, being bounded on the north by Egypt, on the east by the Red sea and Indian ocean, and on the south and west by various nations of Africa, and extending from about 6° to 24° N. lat. and 25° to 45° E. long. It is probable that it was this latter Cush, or Ethiopia, of which Tirhakah was king: he being in league with his kinsman Sevechus, son of So or Sabacon, king of Egypt, against Sennacherib the king of Assyria, See Prideaux.|—Bagster.

Ver. 12. Eden, &c.—‘The country where Paradise was situated, was in Mesopotamia, as learned men are generally agreed: and one good proof of that opinion is taken from this text, and from Ezra xxvii. 23. in both of which it is joined with Haran, a noted city in Mesopotamia.”—Lowth. Ver. 20. That all the kingdoms, &c.—‘He declareth for what cause he prayed that they might be delivered; to wit, that God might be glorified thereby throughout the world.”—T. Scott. Scott. Ver. 26. The forest of his Carmel.—‘The forest and his fruitful field."— Ver. 26, Hast thou, &c.— These are the words of God in answer to the boasts of the proud Assyrian, wherein he puts him in mind that all his successes ought to be ascribed to God: that it was his providence pre-determined these events, and brought them to pass in their appointed time; and made him the instrument of the divine vengeance upon such cities as deserved utter destruction, and weakened the bands of their inhabitants, so that they were not able to defend themselves.’’—Lowth.

Ver. 29. Therefore will, &c.— 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 were unruly.”—Lowth. Ver. 38. Esar-haddon.—[Esar-haddon, called Asar-addinus in the Canon of Ptolemy, was the third son of Sennacherib; and having reigned twenty-nine years over the Assyrians, he took advantage of the anarchy and confusion which followed the death of Mesessimordacus, and seized upon Babylon; which he added to his former empire, and reigned over both for thirteen years; when he was succeeded by his son Saosduchinus, A. M. 3336. B. C. 668.]— Bagster.