Isaiah 36

Sennacherib invadeth Juda, vers.1. He sendeth Rabshakeh, who seeketh to draw Hezekiah and the people by blasphemous speeches to despair and distrust God, and to revolt to Sennacherib, 2, etc. Compare 2 Kings 18. From the 13. Verse to the end, and 2 Chron.32.1. &c.

1. And it came to pass in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, that Sannecherib King of Assyria marched up against all the defenced cities of Juda, and took them. [To wit, some of them. This six & thirtieth chapter, as also the three next following, are inserted here by the Prophet, not onely to give light to the foregoing chapters, but also to draw an inducement thence to speak of the Kingdom of Christ, whereof something is spoken in the foregoing chapters in borrowed terms: and all this by occasion of the glory of King Hezekiah, who was in all things a type and figure of the Kingdom of Christ.]

2. And the king of Assyria sent Rabshaketh from Lachish [A city lying in the tribe of Juda, which the King of Assyria besieged at that time, Compare below chap.37.8. and 2 Chron.32.9.] to Jerusalem, unto King Hezekiah, with an heavy hast, and he stood by the conduit of the upper pool, [See 2 Kings 18:17. and above chap.7.on verse 3.] in the high way of the fullers field. [Or, in the street of the fullers field. See 2 Kings 18:17.]

3. Then went forth unto him Eliakim the son of Hilkiah the steward, and Shebna the scribe. [See the Annotat. 1 Kings 4.on verse 3.] and Joah the son of Asaph, the Chancellor.

4. And Rabshaketh said unto them, Say now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Great King, the king of Assyria, what confidence is this wherewith thou trusteth?

5. I might say, (but it is a word of the lips) there is counsel and strength for war: now on whom-dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

6. Lo, thou trusteth on that broken staff of reed, on Egypt, [Compare Ezek.27.6,7.] whereon if any one lean, it will go into his hand and pierce it through: [Rabshaketh doth King Hezekiah great wrong, in judging and speaking thus of him: for he trusted and relied on the Lord] so is Pharoah King of Egypt to all them that trust in him.

7. But if thou say to me, we trust in the LORD our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Juda and to Jerusalem, [That is, to the inhabitants of Juda and Jerusalem] ye shall bow down [to wit, for to worship] before this altar?

8. Now then, lay a wager, I pray thee, with my Lord the King of Assyria, [Or, put in security. Others, pawn thy self unto my Lord, or set thy self for a pawn, or pledge, unto my lord, as Nehem.5.3. that thou wilt be under his dominion: if thou be not able to produce as many riders as I shall deliver horses unto thee, as followeth in the next] and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou for thy (part) shall be able to give riders upon them.

9. How shouldest thou then turn away the face of one Prince, of the meanest of my Lords servants? But thou trusteth on Egypt for charets, and for horsemen.

10. And now, am I come up without the LORD, [that is, without the command or appointment of the LORD] against this land, to destroy it? The Lord said unto me, march p against that land, and destroy it: [See 2 Kings 18.on verse 25.]

11. Then said Eliakim and Sebna, and Joah unto Rabshaketh, speak, I pray, unto thy servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it (well): [Heb. We bear it, as above chap.33. verse 19.] and talk not with us in the Jews language, before the ears of the people that are on the wall. [They desire this, being afraid the Rabshaketh by his railing and reviling speech’s might persuade and stir up the people to mutiny.]

12. But Rabshaketh said, hath my Lord sent me to thy Lord and to thee, to speak these words? Is it not to the men that sit upon the wall, that there shall eat their (own) dung, and drink their (own) piss with you? [That is, to tell them, that they shall be brought to that extreme want and necessity, when Sennacherib shall besiege the city of Jerusalem, as that they shall be forced to eat their own dung, &c. See 2 Kings chap.18. the Annotat. On verse 27.]

13. So Rabsaketh stood, and cried with a loud voice, [Heb. With a great voice] in the Jews language, and said, Hear the words of the great King, the King of Assyria.

14. Thus saith the King, Let not Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you:

15. Moreover, let not Hezekiah make you to trust in the LORD, saying, the Lord will surely deliver us, [Heb. Delivering the Lord will deliver us] this city shall not be given into the hand of the King of Assyria.

16. Hearken not to Hezekiah, for thus saith the King of Assyria, deal with me by a present, [Heb. By a blessing, that is, by a gift or present. See 2 Kings 18.on verse 31.] and come out to me, [the meaning is, on this condition will I suffer you to come out to me] and eat (ye) every one (of) his vine, and everyone (of) his fig-tree, and drink (ye) everyone the water of his (own) well.

17. Until I come, an fetch [Heb. Take, See Genes.12.15. Jerem.37.17. with the Annotat.] you into a land as your land is [That is, a land that is as fruitful as you own land] a land of corn and of new wine, a land of bread, and of vineyards.

18. Let not Hezekiah seduce you saying, the LORD will, deliver us: have the Gods of the nations every one delivered his land out of the hand of the King of Assyria?

19. Where are the Gods of Hamath, [See of this city, Numb.13.21.] and Arphad? Where are the Gods of Sepharvaim? Have they also delivered Samaria [see of this city 1 Kings 16:24.] out of mine hand?

20. Which are they among all the Gods of these lands that have delivered their land out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?

21. But they [To wit, the men whom Hezekiah had sent to treat with the King of Assyrias General and the people. See 2 Kings 18:36.] held their peace, and answered him not a word, for the Kings commandment was, saying, ye shall not answer him.

22. Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, the Steward, and Sebna the scribe, and Joab the son of Asaph the chancellor, to Hezekiah with (their) clothes rent, and they told him the words of Rabshaketh [which they had rent themselves, in token of their trouble and perplexity, as also in token of their grief, by reason of the blasphemous words which Rabshaketh had uttered. Concerning this custom of rending the garments, See Gen.37.ver.29.]