2 Kings 19

Hizkia sendeth to the Prophet Isaia, to acquaint him with the blasphemies of Rabsake, v.1, &c. Isaia promiseth deliverance from the Lord, 6. Sanherith is forced to march against the moors, 8. sendeth again messenger to Hizkia with blasphemous letters, 10. Hizkia prayeth unto the Lord for help, 14. which Isaia promiseth him the second time, 20. the same night is the camp of the Assyrians smitten by the Angel of God,and Sanherib being come to Ninive, is murdered by his own sons, 35.

1. And it came to pass when King Hizkia heard (that) then he rent his clothes, [To testify thereby the grief of his heart. So above chapter 18. verse 37.] and covered himself with a sack, [see of this ceremonie, Gen. 37 on verse 34.] and went into the house of the Lord.

2. then he sent Eliakim the steward, [Heb, who was over the house. See above chapter 18. on verse 8.] and Sebna the Scribe, [see above chapter 12 on verse 10.] and the eldest of the priests covered with sacks, to Isaia the prophet, [whose prophetical book is the first among the books of the great prophets] the son of Amoz. [see Isaia 1.1.]

3. And they said unto him, thus saith hizkia; this day is a day of distress and of reviling, and of blasphemy, [To wit, which is come upon us by reason of our enemies, who revile and threaten me and my people, and blespheme the living God] for the children are come to birth, and there is no strength to bring forth. [it is a comparison wherein the King compareth himself to a traveling woman, his people to the fruit of the womb, and the present strait to the pang and peril, wherein a woman is with her fruit, having no strength to bring forth the same into the world, when she is upon the very point and time of her delivery. Compare Hosea 13:13. intimating hereby that they were in the extremest danger, and without any power at all, to save themselves.]

4. It may be the LORD thy God will hear [that is, take into consideration. The word peradventure, or it may be, is not here a word of doubting but of good hope. Compare Numbers 23:3 and Joshua 14:12, &c.] all the words of Robsake, whom his Lord the king of Assyria hath sent to reproach the living God, and to revile (him) with words, which the Lord thy God, hath heard. [Oth. And will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard] lift then up a prayer for the remnant that is found. [That is, which is present, and at hand, and in being. And understand by this remnant the tribe of Juda, which had kept the right worship of God and were not yet driven out of their land.]

5. And the servants of King Hizkia came to Isaia.

6. And Isaia said unto them: thus shall ye say unto your Lord, thus saith the LORD; be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, wherewith the servants [Heb. Young men, i.e. servants, or officers in number three, named above 18. v. 17. of the Hebrew word see Gen. 22. on v. 5.] of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.

7. Behold, I will give a spirit [i.e. will purpose, zeal, inclination, motion. Thus the word spirit is taken sometimes in a good sence. 2 Chron. 36.22. Ezekiel 1:1. Haggai 1:14 and sometimes in a bad, Judges 8:3. job 15.13. Proverbs 16:32 and 25.28. Others take the word spirit for blast, wind, sound, noise] into him, (so) that he shall hear a romour [namely of Tithaka King of curse, that should come forth to fight against him. See below v. 9.] and return into his (own) land: and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his (own) land.

8. So Rabsake returned, and sound the King of Assyria fighting against Libna; [A city in the tribe of Juda: of which see jos. 190.20 and 15.42 and 21.23.] for he heard that he had departed from Lachis

9. Now when he [Namely, the king of Assyria] heard say of Turbaka king cursh, [i.e. of the Arabians, or of the Moors. See num. 12. on v. 1.] Behold he is come forth ot fight against thee; he sent messenger again [Heb, he returned and sent; that is he sent again. See num. 11 on v.4.] unto Hizkia, saying;

10. Thus shall speak to Hizkia the king of Juda, saying, let not thy God, on whom thou trustest, deceive thee saying: Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria

11. Behold, thou hast heard what the king of Assyria have done to all lands, banningthem; [see Deut. 2 on verse 34.] and shouldest thou be delivered? [i.e. thou shalt in no wife be delivered. It is a manner of questioning which dnieth very strongly. See gen. 18 on v.17.]

12. Have the Gods of the Nations, which my fathers have destroyed and delivered them? (as) gozan, [see above chapter 17.6 and the annotate.] and Horam, [a city of Mesopotamia. See Gen. 11 on v. 31.] and reseph, [Hebr. Retseph, lying in Mesopotamia] and the children of Eden [this was a countrey lying in chaldea or Babylonia. See thereof gen. 2 on verse 8. Ezekiel 27:23.] which were in Telasser. [the name (as some conceive) of a fort lying in the midst of the Euphrates. Others hold it to be a countrey.]

13. Where is the king of Hamath, ad the king of Arpad and the king of the city of Sepharvam, of Hena and Juva? [see above chapter 18. on v.34.]

14. Now when Hizkia had received the Letters of the hand of the messengers, and read them, he went up into the house of the Lord, [i.e. the temple] and spread them out before the face of the Lord. [i.e. in the court, over against the Atk of the covenant, which was in the holy of Holies, for a token of Gods present habitation there. See Lev. 1 on v. 3 and 9. on v. 24.]]

15. And Hizkia prayed before the face of the lord, and said, o lord god of Israel, which dweltest [or sittest] between the Cherubims, [understand the two Cherubims, which stood at both ends of the explanation-cover of the Ark. Exodus 25:18. this appellation of God is Likewise used, 1 Samuel 4:4. See Numbers 7:89. with the annotate.] thou thy felt, thou alone art the God of all the Kingdomes of the Earth, thou hast made heaven and earth.

16. O Lord, incline thine ear and hear open LORD, thine eyes and see and hear the words of Sanherib, which hath sent this (man), [Namely, Rabsake. See above chapter 18.17.] to reproach the living God.

17. of a truth, LORd, the king of Assyria have wasted those heathens, and their land:

18. And have cast [Heb. Given] their Gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hand, wood, and stone, therefore they have destroyed them.

19. Now then, 9O) Lord our God, deliver us I pray out of his hand: so all the Kingdome of the earth shall know, that thou, Lord art God alone.

20. then Isaia the son of Amoz sent to Hizkia, saying; Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: that which thou hast prayed tome against Sanherib king of Assyria, I have heard.

21. This is the word which the Lord hath spoken concerning him; [Understand the thing which the Lord had revealed to the prophet Isaia, touching the King of Assyria] the virgin, [Understand the state, or Kingdome of the Jewish people, or of the city of Jerusalem, which is conceived to be so called, because it had not yet been quite overpowered, and taken by any] the daughter of Zion [as the word daughter: being put after the name of the city, signifieth the villages and small towns resorting under it, numb. 21. v.25. Judges 1:27. so the word daughter of Jerusalem shaketh the head at thee. [to shake the head at a man, is to despise and scorn him, Job 16:4. Psalms 22:8 and 44.15. Isaia 37.22. Jeremiah 18:16. lam.2.15.]

22. Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? And against whom hast thou exalted (thy) voice and lift up thine eyes on high? Against the holy one of Israel. [Oth. Yeah thou hast lift up thine eyes against the holy one of Israel. God is called the holy one of Israel, not only because he is holy, yea holiness itself, but also because he fetteth apart a people for himself, which he halloweth by the blood and spirit of Christ. See of this appellation also Isaia 5.24. jer. 51.5.]

23. By the means [Heb, by the hand] of thy messengers, [namely, Tartan, rabsaris and Rabsake, above chapter 18.17.] thou hast reproached the Lord and said: with the multitude of my charets I am come up to the heights of the mountains, to the sides of libanon; [see of this mountain, 1 Kings 4 on v. 33.] and I will cut down the tall Cedar-trees thereof, and the choice fir-trees thereof, [Heb. The height of the cedar-trees thereof, and the choice of the Fir-trees thereof. Some understand hereby the fair and strong cities of Juda, which the king of Assyria had taken. Above chapter 18.13.] And will enter into his uttermost inne, [Heb. The inne of his end, of his end, or extremely, utmost part. Understand all the places of Juda, in what utmost ends or corners soever they lie. The meaning is, that the king of Assyra had an intent to leave no place free and unmolested, but to over-run, take, waste and destroy the whole land]into the forest of his fair field. [oth. Of his carmel. The name of a pleasant and fruitful mountain, lying in the tribe of Issafchar, of which see 1 Kings 18 on verse 19. The word seemeth to be taken here, for a fair pleasant and fruitful place. So Isaia. 10.18. Jeremiah 2:7 and 4.26.]

24. I have digged and have drunk strange waters; [i.e. new waters, never before found, or known. The meaning is, although dry and waterless countreys and that they have sought by all means possible to stop all passages of water from me, that so I might be constrained to remove out of this land, 2 chron.32.3,4. yet by my wisdome and power I have gotten water enough, even in places, where there was none before] and with the soles of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places. [Heb. Rivers or brooks of siege. Intimating that he could not only furnish his host with water, but also deprive his enemies, whom he besieged, of it and that by reason of the great multitude of souldiers that followed him.]

25. Hast thou not heard that I have done that long ago? And have formed that of ancient daies? [Heb. Of daies of antiquity] now I have made that come to pass; that thou shouldest be to disturb fenced cities into waste heaps, [hither to be rehearsed the words of the king of Assyria: Now here follow again the words of God, which he speaketh to the King. As if he should say, thou hast no cause to boast of thy victories, for they are my work, to punish the nations by laying their cities and countries wast.]

26. Therefore their inhabitants were handless, [heb. Short of hand, or short-handed; that is, of small strength, of weak power. So Isaia. 37.27.] they were dismayed, and confounded: [the meaning is, a victory cometh from God, So doth fear, dismayedness and weakness, whereby men are overcome, proceed from him also] they were (as) this grass of the field and (as) the green grass-plants, [Heb. The greenness of the little grass or little herb. Oth. The pot herb of the small herb: that is, the small pot herb] (as) the hay of the house-tops and (as) blasted corn, before it standeth upright.

27. But I know thy sitting, and thy going out and thy coming in: [that is, all thy purpose, counsel, devices, attempts and practice. Compare herewith Deut. 31. the annotate. On verse 2.] and thy rage against me.

28. because of thy rage against me, and for that thy tumult to come up before mine cars therefore I will put my book into thy nose. [This is a similitude taken from those that have to do with fierce and cruel beasts: thereby to express the power of god, which he useth to restrain the malice of cruel and raging tyrants] and my bridle into thy lips, [i.e. into thy lips, [i.e. into thy mouth. Another comparison taken from those that have a wild horse to rule] and I will cause thee to turn back by that way, by which thou camest.

29. And let that be a token unto thee,[this is spoken to king Hizkia, to assure him and his people that thy should be delivered from the violence and the fury of the King of Assyria] that they shall eat this year that which grew of itself; [the Hebrew word signifieth the which grew of itself (after the harvest is ended) out of the feeds that are fallen out without the labor or help of man] and in the second year, that which again sprouteth forth from the same; [the token was, that they should not only in the first years, when the land was over-run by the Assyrians, but also in the next after that find sufficient store of victual sprung up of itself in the field. See further, Isaia 37. On verse 30] but in the third year sow, and reap and plant vineyards and eat the fruits thereof.

30. For the escaped [Heb. The escaping. That is, those that shall have escaped. So in the following verse] that is left remaining in the house of Juda, shall again take root [Heb. Shall adde root] downward and shall bear fruit [Heb. Make fruit. The Hebrew word Peri signifieth not only the fruits, but also the branches that hear the fruits, so Leviticus 23:40. see the annotate.] Upward. [A multitude taken from plants: whereby is signified, that those of Juda should have very great success and prosperity.]

31. For out of Jerusalem shall the remnant go forth. [The remnant, to wit which shall escape the hands of enemies , having been kept and secured in the city of the Assyrians] and they escaped out of Mount Zion: the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this. [that is, the servant love of God towards his people and his fierce wrath towards his enemies shall produce this deliverance. Compare Isaia 9.7]

32. Therefore saith the Lord concerning the King of Assyria, he shall not come into this city nor shoot an arrow into it? Neither shall he come before t (with) a shield, nor shall cast up a bank against it.

33. By the way that he came by the same shall he return; but he shall not come ino this city, saith the LORD.

34. For I will protect the city, to save it, for mine own sake, [That is, that my name will be acknowledge, praised, honoured and feared. Compare prov. 16.4 Isaia. 48.9, 11. Ezekiel 36:21,22,23.] and for my servant David’s sake. [see 1 kings 11. on verse 12.]

35. It came to pass then in that same night, that the Angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of Assyria [understand Sanheribs camp, that lay before Libna, (or according to the opinion of some, was upon the march towards Jerusalem,) above verse 8, where Rabsake returned to him,without besieging Jerusalem as god had promised, ver. 32. compare Isaia 37 on vers. 33.36.] an hundred, four score and five thousand: and when they [to wit, the King of Assyria and his counselours] got them up early in the morning, behold, they were all dead bodied. [to wit, which were smitten by the angel.]

36. So Sanherib King of Assyria departed, and went his way, and returned, and he abode at Ninive. [see Gen. 10 on v. 11,12.]

37. Now it came to pass, as he bowed himself down [to wit, to worship the idol, mentioned in the next words and to honor him with religious worship] in the hose of Nisroch [the name of an idol of the Ninivites] his God, that Adramelech and Sarazer (his sons) smote him with the sword; [as was foretold above v. 7.] but they escaped into the land of Ararat: [see gen. 8. on verse 4.] and Esar Haddon became King in his stead. [this Esar Haddon reigned (as some write) ten years in Nineve. After him the Monarchie was translated from the Assyrians to the Babylonians.]