Isaiah 37

Isaiah 37:1-7

Shocked at the tidings he received, Hezekiah in sackcloth falls down before God in his sanctuary, v. 1. and sending his chief officers to Isaiah, represents his deplorable situation; as a woman in travail exhausted with her paint, and sinking under her weakness, so ready he seemed to perish, unless the Lord interposed to vindicate his own honour, for which he begs the prophet’s prayers, v. 2—4. Not was his request in vain: Isaiah soon dispatches the messenger; with an answer of peace to the king, and bids him, fearless of danger, he confidant of seeing the speedy destruction of his enemies, v. 4—7. Note, (1.) A day of trouble should be a day of humiliation and prayer; and whatever drives us thus nearer to God, must in the issue prove a blessing. (2.) The prayers of good men are to be earnestly sought; and it is a great encouragement to have them interesting with God in our behalf. (3.) When we are ready to despair, God will often most eminently magnify his power and grace in our deliverance. (4.) They who seek to terrify God’s people from their holy profession, will soon be made a terror to themselves.

8. ¶ So Rabihakeh returned, and found the king of Affyria warning against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachith. 9. And * he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He is come forth to make war with thee: and when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, 10. Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God * in whom thou truisest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Affyria. 11. Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Affyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly, and shall thou be delivered? 12. * Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telafar? 13. Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivah? 14. ¶ And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah * went up unto the house of the LORD, and * spread it before the LORD, 15. And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD, saying, 16. O LORD of both, God of Israel, that dwelleft between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth, thou hast made heaven and earth. 17. * Incline thine ear, O LORD, and hear: Open thine eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God. 18. Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Affyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries. 19. And have cast their gods into the fire, for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them. 20. Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth * may know; that thou art the LORD, even thou only.

Isaiah 37:8-20

Unable to prevail by threatnings and insult, Rabihakeh reports to his master the issue of the conference, v. 8. and the king of Affyria, in hopes yet to force Hezekiah to submit, before the news should reach him of Tirhakah’s armament in his favour, v. 9. wrote a headling and blasphemous letter to the king of Judah, in order to terrify him into a surrender, v. 10—13. which Hezekiah solemnly spread before the Lord in prayer, and refer the case with him to give an answer to this impious blasphemer, v. 14—20. Note, (1.) Though craft and power unite against the faithful, impotent will be the attempts

The image of their enemies. (2) Blasphemous discourse is terrible, but to propagate by writing sentiments of irreligion and infidelity, is perpetuating the dire contagion to the hard times, and will more exceedingly aggravate men’s guilt. (3) When we have God for our friend, and have accels with confidence to pour all our complaints into his compassionate bosom, we may rest in peace, and expect him to appear for us.

21. ¶ Then Isaiah the son of Amos sent unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus faith the LORD God of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Affyria: 22. This is the word which the LORD hath spoken concerning him, The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath deposed thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee. 23. Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? eers against the holy One of Israel. 24. ¶ By thy servants hast thou reproached the LORD, and hast said, By the multitude of my chariots and I come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon: and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir-trees thereof: and I will enter into the height of his border, and the forest of his Carmel. 25. I have digged, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places. 26. Hast thou not heard long ago how I have done it, and of ancient times that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pails, that thou shouldst be to lay waft defended cities into ruinous heaps. 27. Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grafs of the field, and as the green herbs, as the grafs on the house-tops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up. 28. But I know thy abode, and thy going-out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me. 29. Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears; therefore I will I put my book in thy note, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest. 30. And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such as groweth of itself; and the second year that which springeth of the same: and in the third year how ye, and reap; and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof. 31. And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take rose downward, and bear fruit upward. 32. For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of both shall do this. 33. Therefore thus faith the LORD concerning the king of Affyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it. 34. By the way that he came, by the same shall be return, and shall not come into this city, faith the LORD. 35. For I will defend this city to save it for mine own take, and for my servant-David’s take. 36. ¶ Then the angel of the LORD were forth, and smote in the camp of the Affyrians an hundred and fourceroes and five thousand; and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. 37. ¶ So Sennacherib king of Affyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. 38. And it came to pails as he was worshipping in the house of Nifroch his god, that Adrammelech and Slameer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Efar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.

Isaiah 37:11-22

Before Christ 210.

faft, and truft still on him. (4.) Many, like Rabihakeh, pretend the Lord’s commission, who will be found to have a tie in their right hand, v. 10.

11. ¶ 1 Then said Eliakim, and Shebna, and Joah unto Rabihakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall. 12. ¶ But Rabihakeh said, Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men that fit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own pifa with you? 13. Then Rabihakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews language, and said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Affyria. 14. Thus faith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you, for * he shall not be able to deliver you. 15. Neither let Hezekiah make you truth in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Affyria? 16. Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thim hath the king of Affyria, Make an agreement with me by a pretext, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his figs; one, and drink ye every one the waters of his own citizen: 17. Until I come and take you away to a land * like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. 18. Beware left Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Affyria? 19. Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 20. Who are they amongst all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? 21. But they held their peace, and * answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not. 22. ¶ Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, that was over the houshold, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Afagh the recorder, to Hezekiah * with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabihakeh.

With civil entreaty the persons appointed by Hezekiah for the conference with Rabihakeh, beg the favour of him to speak to them in the Syriac tongue, as his discourse had an evident bad tendency to discourage those who were within hearing: to which he makes a reply as indecent as insolent, v. 12. and addressing his speech, in the Jews language, to the people on the wall, with blasphemous reflections on Israel’s God, endeavours to spread a spirit of mutiny amongst them, v. 13—20. But they are forbidden to reply, v. 21. and, shocked at the blasphemy, or grieved at their distress, the messengers return unto the king, and report the words of this impious Affyrian, v. 22. Note, (1.) Insolent language betrays a safe spirit. (2.) The devil, like Rabihakeh, would infirmize, that it is our advantage to serve him; but his fair promises are foul lies. (3.) Silence is often the properest answer to railing accusations. (4.) It were folly to attempt replying to those who are as unreasonable as they are wicked. (5.) It is a grief to the gracious soul, to hear the name of God dishonoured.

C H A P. XXXVII.

Here we have, 1. Hezekiah’s resentment of Rabihakeh’s impious discourse, ver. 1. 2. The message he sent to Isaiah to defers his prayers, ver. 2—5. 3. The encouraging answer which Isaiah sent him from God, ver. 6, 7. 4. An oblique letter which the king of Affyria sent to Hezekiah, ver. 8—13. 5. Hezekiah’s humble prayer to God upon the receipt of it, ver. 14—20. 6. The further answer which God sent him by Isaiah, promising him speak and fall deliverance, ver. 21—33. 7. The immediate accomplishment of this prophecy in the ruin of his army, ver. 36. and the murder of Sennacherib, ver. 37, 38. All which was largely opened, 2 Kings are.

n a Kings rev. 5, &c. h a Chron. vii. 13. n a Kings &c. 1. Jem.

Isaiah 37:16

1. AND it came to pass when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and * went into the house of the LORD. 2. And he sent Eliakim, who was over the houshold, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah * the prophet, the son of Amoz. 3. And they said unto him, Thus

faith Hezekiah, This day is * a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of * blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and * there is not strength to bring forth. 4. It may be the LORD thy God will hear the words of Rabihakeh, whom the king of Affyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and * will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore * lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left. 5. So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah. 6. ¶ And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto your master, Thus faith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Affyria have blasphemed me. 7. Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall bear a rumour, and return to his own land, and I will cause him * to fall by the sword in his own land.

Isaiah 37:21-38

In answer to Hezekiah’s prayer, Isaiah transmits him a message from God, v. 21. espousing his people’s quarrel as his own, v. 22, 23. He looks with contempt on the impotent threats of Sennacherib. Elated on his past face, he thought he could carry the whole world before him; and, utterly insensible that it was from God alone that he had prevailed hitherto, he ascribes it impiously to his own arm, v. 24—27. But God, who sees his proud designs, will blest them suddenly to his confusion, and stop his mad career, as easily as the rider governs his stead, v. 28, 29. As a sign of the continuance of the divine favour, plenty should be restored as well as peace, notwithstanding the harvest was ruined by the Affyrians, and the succeeding year, as sabbatical, admitted no tillage, v. 30.

The people thus escaped, though but a remnant, should yet take root, and greatly increase, v. 31, 32, and so far should the enemy be from destroying Jerusalem, that he should not so much as shoot an arrow against it, v. 33—35. for before the siege was formed, God would arise to defend them, and his judgment was accordingly executed by an angel, to the entire destruction of the army, v. 36, and though the king escaped to Nineveh, he there met a more grievous death from his own unnatural sons, v. 37, 38. Now, (1.) The inflicts cast on his people God resents, as affirms against himself, and will remember them. (2.) Whatever wisdom or prudence we may profess, it is unbelief to ascribe to ourselves the glory of our enterprises. (3.) The wicked can go no farther than the Lord permits, and he can quickly hurl them headlong into ruin in the midst of their career of prosperity. (4.) When one affirms is removed, another may be in prospect, as here famine threatened though the siege was raised; but he who saves us from all our spiritual foes, can also relieve all our temporal wants; and they who are enabled to trust him in the way of duty, shall not be delirium. (5.) If one angel in a night could spread such fearful havoc, how safe are they who have the God of angels for their protection, and those his hosts their ministrying spirits.