2 Chronicles 32

23.) which, I suppose, was repaired in his son’s days, who was a very powerfid prince, (chap. xxvi. 9.) and therefore he speaks hero of some other breach, which had been made since that timo; and perhaps in the same place, where through neglect the wall might possibly bo fallen down. And raised it up to the toivers.] It was broken down from the gate of Ephraim to the corner-gate (as we read in the forenamed places), where there were towers, for the defence of the gates, unto which he carried the wall: so that it was entirely raised up again. And another wall without.] Ho compassed the city with another wall without the old one; for its stronger defence. And repaired Millo in the city of David.] Some understand by Millo the wall that was about Zion, on the north part of the city: or the street within the city from the palace to the temple. Which he repaired, that is, fortified and made strong with a wall, to defend the entrance of it. And made darts and shields in abundance.’] Both offensive and defensive weapons; of which he took care there should be no want.

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xiiFTER these things, and the establishment thereof. After the reformation of religion, and the establishment of it, by settling the maintenance of the priests and Levites (whom he appointed, according to the ordinance of David, to attend in their courses), he prospered so, that he resolved to be subject no longer to the king of Assyria: who thereupon came and invaded his country, (2 Kings xviii. 7.) Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah.] This was in the fourteenth year of the reign of Hezekiah, 2 Kings xviii. 13. And encamped against the fenced cities."] Many of which he took: God thinking fit to try the faith of Hezekiah, and, by disappointing Sennacherib, to get himself the greater glory. And thought to win them for himself] To conquer the whole country, even Jerusalem itself. *

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And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem.* His success puffed him up, so that he designed, as plainly appeared, to besiege the capital city of the kingdom.

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He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men. Though the prophet Isaiah had assured him of God’s protection, he did not neglect to consult the best means of his preservation. >. To stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city.] To fill them up with earth, that it might not be known there was any water there; which they turned another way, and by pipes and channels under ground brought it to Jerusalem.- And they did help him.] Assisted him in this work. -

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So there was gathered much people together, tvho stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land. That is Gihon, as Kimchi understands it; which some take to be Kidron. It was no easy thing to dry up this brook: but it is supposed the head of it was not far from the city, which being stopped up they diverted the current, and, by conveyance under ground, brought it into great pits within the city; which received the water for the use of the people. For we read afterward (ver. 30.) of his stopping up a course of water, which was above; and bringing it down to this west side of the city. Saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?] Water was scarce in this country; therefore they thought it prudent to distress their enemies by the want of it. He speaks of kings, in the plural number either because there were many kings that served under the king of Assyria, or because he was the great king, as he styled himself.

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Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken. There was a great breach made in It by Joash Icing of Israel in the days of Amaziah:(chap.xxv.

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And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city. In the street of the principal gate, which was very large. And spake comfortably to them, saying.] Encouraged them to stand by him, in defence of their city, religion, and liberties: which he assured them God would protect, as it follows in the next verse.

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Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king ofAssyria,norfor allthemidtitude that is with him: for there be more withns than with him. It is the part of a good commauder to shew himself undaunted before his soldiers; but especially to persuade them, that, having a good cause, God is on their side: t which the Targum in the next verse explains thus, TJie Word of the Lord our God is our helper. Which signifies, as Beckius there thinks, more persons than one in the holy Trinity.

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With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upoii the words ofHezekiah king of Judah. Relied on what he said, as if it had been spoken to them by God himself.

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After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem (but he himself laid siege against Lachish,and all his power with him), unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah, that were at Jerusalem, saying.] See 2 Kings xviii. 17,&c.in which place, and in chap. xix. 10, &c. the following speech is set down more largely; which here is abridged.

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Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege of Jerusalem?. See 2 Kings xviii. 19. The last words seem to signify, that for fear of the king of Assyria, they durst not stir out of the gates of Jerusalem: for so we translate the last words in the margin, the strong hold of Jerusalem.

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Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The Lord our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?. See2 Kings xviii. 22. He did not intend, it appears by this, to storm the city, but to keep them pent up till they were starved.

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Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall ruorship before one altar, and burn incense upon it?. It is evident from hence, that the worship of one God alone was known to be the religion of the Jews. But Sennacherib would have had them believe, Hezekiah had dishonoured him by confining his worship and service to one narrow corner: which was beforo diffused and spread all over the city and country; and therefore would not help them. (See there, 2 Kings xviii. 22.)

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Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all tlte people of other lands? were the gods of the nations of those lands any xvays able to deliver their lands out of mine hand?. If the Lord had a mind to help them, he would have them believe that he was not able: because no gods had been able to deliver those that worshipped them from his power.

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Who was there among all the gods of those nations, that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand 7 that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand?] Upon this argument he enlarges himself very much in 2 Kings xviii. 32 — 35.

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Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuadeyou in this manner, neither yet believe him: for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of the hand of my fathers; how much less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand?] See 2 Kings xviii. 29, 30."

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And his servants spake yet more against the- Lord God, and against his servant Hezekiah. The Targum translates it, Tliey spake perversely against the Word of the Lord God, &c. Which plainly declares, that paraphrast, took the Word of God to be a Divine person, whose servant Hezekiah was.

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He wrote also letters to rail on the JLord God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying. One of these letters is set down at large in 2 Kings xix, 9 — 14. As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God ofHezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand.] He insists upon this so often and so long, it being the most popular argument he could use. Y cr. 18. Then they cried with a loud voice, in the Jew? speech, unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them, that they might take the city.] By a surrenderof it into their hand. (See 2 Kings xviii. 26, 27, &c.)

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And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the ivork of the hands of man. They ignorantly fancied, there was no difference between the God of the universe, whom the Jews worshipped, and the gods of particular countries, who pretended to no power but only there: though in truth they had no power at all, being made by those that worshipped them.

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And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah, the son ofAmoz s prayed and cried to heaven. See 2 Kings xix. 1, 2, &c. 25, 26, &c.

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And the Lord sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains, in the camp of the king of Assyria. With a vast number of common soldiers, as we read 2 Kings xix. 35. The Hebrew text no where mentions tho name of angel, nor of the time CHAP. XXXII.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. of the year when this stroke was given, nor the kind of plague whereby they were destroyed: but the Targum saith, The Word of the Lord sent Gabriel to do this execution, who in the Passover night smote them with lightning. Which is related in the Babylonian Talmud, after the same manner, as Beckius observes upon the Targum. One would think, that Artabanus had read or heard something of this sudden and dreadful overthrow, when he dissuaded Xerxes from invading Greece, being swoln with confidence that nothing could withstand him. " Dost thou not observe (saith he) how the highest and magnificent buildings are wont to be struck with thunder, when the lower escape? $ikhi yap 6 Oebg ra xrrrepixovra iravra Ko\ofaiv, for God loves to depress all things that are lifted up." And a little after, in the same speech, he admonishes him, Oi yap la pov(uv a^Xov p.(ya 6 Qtbg tj lavrov" for God doth not allow any other to think highly of themselves, but only himself. (Herodotus, lib. vii. cap. 10.) So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword.’] See 2 Kings xix. 37. And with him the Assyrian empire began to fall, and never recovered its former strength, though it still continued in great power. For the next year after Sennacherib’s death the Medes revolted, being encouraged to it, no doubt, by this great defeat at Jerusalem: and by their example several other nations fell off from the Assyrians and asserted their liberty, as Hermannus Conringius hath observed out of Herodotus, in his Adversaria Chronologica, cap. 4. But still their monarchy continued, as appears by what follows in the next chapter of this book.

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Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all other, and guided them on every side. That is, defended them from all their enemies; just as a shepherd doth his sheep, whom he leads into places of safety.

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And many brought gifts unto the Lord to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king ofJudah. His neighbours were* so far from molesting him, that many came to worship God, and to do honour to Hezekiah, who was so highly in God’s favour. So that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.’) That is, all the neighbouring countries, who heard of these things, had him in great esteem.

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In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, and prayed unto the Lord: and he spake unto him, and he gave him a sign. Or, as it is in the margin, wrought a miracle for him. See a large account of this in the twentieth chapter of the second book of the Kings, and my annotations there. Unto which this may be added, that Pliny saith, The application of a very fat fig to a hard swelling is a present remedy; " Carbunculi, si sine ulcere est, quam pinguissimum ficumimponi,pene singulare reraedium est/’ (lib.xxiii. Nat. Histor. cap. 7.) But the schechin wherewith Hezekiah laboured (which we translate bile) was not of this sort: for the word signifies the worst kind of ulcers: and therefore there was nothing in this application of a lump of figs to lessen the wonder.

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But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him. In his deliverance from so powerful an enemy as he could not resist: and from such a dangerous disease, as was incurable, without the special hand of God. For his heart was lifted up.] By the embassy sent to him from the king of Babylon, who came to inquire of the wonder done in the land. Which, together with the slaughter of Sennacherib’s army, his shameful retreat, the presents which had been sent him from other countries, and the fame which he had got, made him have too high an opinion; though not of his power, which was very small; yet of his piety, which was very great. But instead of making him thankful, he grew so presumptuous of God’s favour as to be forgetful of his benefits. Tlierefore tltere was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.] Who, it seems, were as insensible as himself of the mercies they had received: contenting themselves, that they were not idolaters, though they were not truly pious, and mindful of God’s benefits.

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Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart. Upon the admonition which the prophet Isaiah gave him; and the severe sentence he pronounced against him, and his family. (Both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem).] Who were awakened by the same threatening. So that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.] But peace and truth were in his days, as he speaks, 2 Kings xx. 19.'

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And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honour: and he made himself treasuries for silver, and’ for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of pleasant jewels.] All which he shewed to the king of Babylon’s ambassadors, (2 Kings xx. 13.)

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Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks. In the Hebrew the words are, for beast and beast; that is, every beast: as in Esther ix. 21. Year and year; that is, every year: and ver. 28. Generation and generation; i. e. every generation.

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Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him substance very much. The great riches of these countries consisted in abundance of cattle, of all sorts, as I have often observed.

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This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper water-course of Gihon. He seems to speak of the same thing which is mentioned before, ver.‘4. being a work of such great labour and art, that Ezra thought fit to make it memorable, by taking a more particular notice of it, among his great works. From the mention of the upper watercourse, Kimchi gathers, there were several streams of this torrent. And brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David.] The rivulet, I suppose, had many windings before, and did not come straight down to the city, as now it was made to do. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.] It is likely, he contrived many other things for the benefit of the city of Jerusalem; none of which miscarried.

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Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land. Which is mentioned at large, 2 Kings xx. 10, 11. Isa. xxxviii. 7, 8. In the former of which places I have endeavoured to give an account of