Isaiah 36

This and the three following chapters, excepting part of the thirty-eighth, are almost word for word the same with the second book of Kings, from the thirteenth verse* of the eighteenth chapter to the twentieth verse of the twentieth chapter. From whence we may probably conjecture that this was part of that history of Hezekiah’s reign \tfhich Isaiah wrote, &s\ve read 2 “Chron. xxxii.. 32., It is inserted here because it, gives great light to several particulars of the foregoing prophecies, especially those passages which speak of Sennacherib’s invasion; and the thirty-ninth chapter contains a prophecy of the captivity, and is an introduction to the remainder of Isaiah’s prophecies, a great part of which relate to the restoration of the Jews, and their return into their own land. For the same reason, the history of the taking Jerusalem by the Babylonians is annexed to Jeremiah’s prophecies, because it helps to explain and confirm several passages in them. (See Jer. lii.) I shall be the shorter upon these chapters, because the: greatest part of them is fully explained by Bishop Patrick in his Commentary upon the second book of Kings. Ver..2. jAlNDthe king of Assyria sent Rab-shakeh from La-* chish’ to Jerusalem with a great army.] Archbishop Usher supposes this attempt upon Jerusalem to have been threef years after the former expedition mentioned at the first verse. (See his Annales Vet. Test, ad A. M. 2191. and: By the conduit of the zipper pool.] See note on vii. 3. Ver. G. Thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt.] See xx. 5,0. xxx. 2, &e. xxxi. 1. Ezek. xxixt6,7.

Isaiah 36:8

Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria. Or, give hostages, so a word from the sanie original signifies, 2 Kings xiv. 14. Rab-stiakeh directs his discourse to king Hezekiah, as if he were present, and bids him offer any pledge, pawn, or wager, which he would be willing to forfeit, if he could not pro j vide riders for two thousand horses, which the king of Assyria was to furnish him with. Horses were scarce in Judea, which was the cause that few of the natives were trained up to that sort of military discipline: but they relied upon Egypt for horsemen, as it follows. (See the note onii.7.)

Isaiah 36:10

Tlie Lord said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it. He interprets his former successes, as if they were an argument that Heaven was on his side: (see* ver. 19, 20. x. 9, 10.) or he may mean that some oracle, or idol, in request among the Assyrians, had promised him success: and this pretended deity he impiously calls by the name of the true God.

Isaiah 36:11

Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language. The Syrian tongue is what we now call Chaldee. (See Dan. ii. 4. Ezra iv. 7.) That they may eat their own dung, &c] He threatens them with the utmost extremity of famine which a strait siege would produce, in case they Tefuse to comply with his master’s proposals.

Isaiah 36:16

Make an agreement with me by a present. This was a token of homage which conquered nations paid to their conquerors. (See 2 Sam. viii. 3. 6.)

Isaiah 36:22

With their clothes rent. It was the custom o£ the Jews, when they heard the name of God blasphemed, to rend their clothes. (See 2 Kings v. 7. Matt, xxvii. 65.) This crime Rab-shakeh had been guilty of, in speaking of