2 Kings 19:37

_AND IT CAME TO PASS, AS HE WAS WORSHIPPING IN THE HOUSE OF NISROCH HIS GOD, THAT ADRAMMELECH AND SHAREZER HIS SONS SMOTE HIM WITH THE SWORD: AND THEY ESCAPED INTO THE LAND OF ARMENIA. AND ESARHADDON HIS SON REIGNED IN HIS STEAD._ As he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch. Nisroch, a great eagle (Gesenius). The eagle was declared to be the form of this Assyrian god long before the discovery of the Ninevite monuments (Selden, 'De Diis Syris. Syntag.,' 2:, cap. 10:; Beyer, 'Addimenta,' p. 325); and conformably to that ancient belief, it was supposed that the eagle, or vulture-headed figure, which so frequently occurs among the sculptured remains, had a reference to some deified hero who was worshipped under that title-either Asshur, the founder and tutelary deity of Assyria (Rawlinson's 'Outlines,' p. 18), or Nimrod, whose personal qualities and pursuits were expressed by that rapacio...

35-37 That night which followed the sending of this message to Hezekiah, the main body of their army was slain. See how weak the mightiest men are before Almighty God. Who ever hardened himself against Him and prospered? The king of Assyria's own sons became his murderers. Those whose children are undutiful, ought to consider whether they have not been so to their Father in heaven? This history exhibits a strong proof of the good of firm trust and confidence in God. He will afflict, but not forsake his people. It is well when our troubles drive us to our knees. But does it not reprove our unbelief? How unwilling are we to rest on the declaration of Jehovah! How desirous to know in what way he will save us! How impatient when relief is delayed! But we must wait for the fulfilling of his word. Lord, help our unbelief....

Verse 2 Kings 19:37. _NISROCH HIS GOD_] We know nothing of this deity; he is nowhere else mentioned. _SMOTE HIM WITH THE SWORD_] The rabbins say that his sons had learned that he intended to sacrifice them to this god, and that they could only prevent this by slaying _him_. The same writers add, that he consulted his wise men how it was that such miracles should be wrought for the Israelites; who told him that it was because of the merit of Abraham who had offered his only son to God: he then said, I will offer to him my two sons; which when _they_ heard, they rose up and slew him. When a rabbin cannot untie a knot, he feels neither scruple nor difficulty to cut it....

The death of Sennacherib, which took place many years afterward (680 B.C.), is related here, as, from the divine point of view, the sequel to his Syrian expeditions. NISROCH HIS GOD - Nisroch has not been as yet identified with any known Assyrian deity. The word may not be the name of a god at all but the name of the temple, as Josephus understood it. Assyrian temples were almost all distinguished by special names. If this be the true solution, the translation should run - “As he was worshipping his god in the house Nisroch.” THEY ESCAPED INTO THE LAND OF ARMENIA - literally, “the land of Ararat,” or the northeastern portion of Armenia, where it adjoined Media. The Assyrian inscriptions show that Armenia was at this time independent of Assyria, and might thus afford a safe refuge to the rebels. Esar-haddon (or Esar-chaddon), is be

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 19:1 SECOND EXPEDITION OF SENNACHERIB AGAINST HEZEKIAH (_continued_)._ _The chapter falls into four portions: (1) The sequel to the embassy of Rabshakeh (2 Kings 19:1); (2) the insulting letter of Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:9); (3) Hezekiah's prayer, and God's answer to it by the mouth of Isaiah (verses 15-34); and (4) the destruction of Sennacherib's host, his hurried flight, and his murder at Nineveh by his sons (verses 35-37). The narrative runs parallel w

2 Kings 19:1...

2. HEZEKIAH AND ISAIAH AND THE DELIVERANCE CHAPTER 19 _ 1. Hezekiah's message to Isaiah (2 Kings 19:1)_ 2. Isaiah's answer. (2 Kings 19:6) 3. Sennacherib's message to Hezekiah (2 Kings 19:8; 2 Chronicles 32:17) 4. Hezekiah's Prayer (2 Kings 19:14; 2 Chronicles 32:20) 5. Jehovah's answer through Isaiah (2 Kin

2 KINGS 19:2. UNTO ISAIAH: from the Book of Isaiah we learn that the prophet had steadily opposed Hezekiah's intrigues against Assyria. SHELNA: Isaiah 22:15 *. 2 Kings 19:9. Ethiopia was the country S. of Egypt. At a time later than this (681 B.C. ?), Tirhakah seems to have established his government in Egypt. There is, therefore, a chronological difficulty in the mention of him here (p. 72). He is, however, not called king of Egypt, and he may have been acting as an ally of the princes of the Nile valley. 2 Kings 19:10. Sennacherib's letter to Hezekiah, showing how hopeless it was for a king of Juda

NISROCH. Mentioned in the inscriptions. HIS SONS.. cylinder recently acquired (1910) by, and now in the British Museum, states: "On the twentieth day of the month Tebet (Dee.), Sennacherib, king of Assyria, his son slew him in. rebellion. "The rebellion (it says) lasted till the twenty-eighth of Sivan (June) of next year, "when Esarhaddon his son sat on the throne of Assyria. "The will, or rather deed of gift, of Sennacherib (2 inches by 1, containing eleven lines; in the Kouyoujik Gallery) gives all to Esarhaddon. This probably led to Esarhaddon having afterwards to fight his two brothers, Sennacherib's murderers. SMOTE HIM. Some years later; but mentioned here as the sequel to this history. ARMENIA. Hebrew Ararat. ESARHADDON. See note, above....

in _the house of Nisroch_ The LXX. gives the name as Μεσεράχ. Of Nisroch we have no information except this passage, and it is uncertain whether the name be rightly represented in the Hebrew. Some have connected the word with the Hebrew _nesher_= an eagle, and because on the Assyrian monuments one most conspicuous figure is an eagle-headed man have thought that the name given to the god by the Hebrews refers to this representation. Probably the name is incorrect either because the Jews did not learn it correctly, or connected it with a false etymology. Josephus (_Ant._x. 1, 5) says Sennacherib was murdered -in his own temple Arasce" (ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ ναῷ Ἀράσκῃ), which looks as if he had had some different name before him. _Adrammclech and Sharezer_his sons] Just as in verse 31 the Massoretic text had an omission of consonants and gave only the vowels of the word, so it is done with -his sons...