2 Kings 18:1
_Third, far advanced, as he was associated by his father in the last year of his reign, (Calmet) or three years before its termination. (Du Hamel)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Third, far advanced, as he was associated by his father in the last year of his reign, (Calmet) or three years before its termination. (Du Hamel)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Good; opening the temple, celebrating the Passover with extraordinary magnificence, &c. He had invited people from all Israel, and at their return they broke many statues. Ezechias provided for the subsistence of the Levitical tribe, by ordering the laws to be put in execution in their favour, 2 Pa... [ Continue Reading ]
Groves. The people were now more obedient, being terrified at the chastisement of Israel, (Calmet) though Samaria was not taken till the sixth year of this good king; who carried his reform rather than most of his predecessors, (Haydock) in destroying the high places which had been unlawfully (Calme... [ Continue Reading ]
_Like him. Ezechias was remarkable for many excellent qualities. Yet we must not push these comparisons too far, contrary to the intention of the sacred writers. The same eulogium is given to Josias, (chap. xxiii. 25.) and David seems to be preferred, chap. xix. 34. These three are particularly comm... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wisely. Hebrew, "with success." Syriac, &c., "he was victorious wherever he went." --- Rebelled. The Assyrian assumed an undue authority in consequence of the words of Achaz, (chap. xvi. 7.) and arrogated to himself the authority of doing what he pleased with the people, ver. 32. Ezechias having fo... [ Continue Reading ]
_City. Thus he punished them for their late invasion, 2 Paralipomenon xxviii. 18._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Samaria. The same history is given, chap. xvii. 3. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_By the rivers. Gozan was the name of the river, as above; (Haydock) so that Salien suspects it should be fluvii, "of the river." (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
Sennacherib's expedition in Egypt and Asia are mentioned by Herodotus (ii. 141.) and Berosus, (Josephus, [Antiquities?] x. 1.) but they do not say that he passed farther then Pelusium, (Calmet) the frontier on the Egyptian side of Palestine. (Haydock) --- These expeditions might have been performed... [ Continue Reading ]
_On them. All must go to meet the exigencies of the state. (Grotius, Jur. ii. 5.) --- The doors of temples and palaces were frequently adorned with the most precious metals, as Homer describes the palace of Alcinous; (Odyssey; Haydock) and Tavernier (vii. 12.) speaks of some mosques in Persia, the d... [ Continue Reading ]
_Tharthan, or Thathania, (1 Esdras v. 3.) and in the Greek of Isaias xx. 1., means "the president of tributes," or presents. The two other names denote "the chief eunuch," and "the chief butler," and are not proper names. These officers were sent at the head of a strong army to Jerusalem. --- Field,... [ Continue Reading ]
_House. Josephus says, "procurator of the palace or kingdom." (Haydock) --- The house often refers to the temple, when placed without any explanation, Isaias xxii. 15. (Calmet) --- Eliacim was prefect of the prætorium, (Salien) or grand master of the palace. He was richly dressed, and possessed a gr... [ Continue Reading ]
_Counsel. Hebrew, "Thou sayest ( but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for the war." (Protestants) (Haydock) --- You have vainly boasted. (Calmet) --- Isaias xxvi. 5. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Pierce it. He alludes to the reeds which grow on the Nile. See Delrio, adag. 210. Egypt had been already greatly harassed in the expedition of Sennacherib, so that no succour could be expected thence. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jerusalem. Many were perhaps displeased at this injunction, and Rabsaces endeavoured to excite them to revolt, and insinuates (Calmet) that the king had made God his enemy, (Haydock) and must expect punishment from him. (Theodoret, in Isaias xxxvi. 5.) He perhaps was ignorant that these altars were... [ Continue Reading ]
_Over. Josephus insinuates that it is a challenge to fight, and that Rabsaces was so confident of victory, that he made this contemptuous proposal, (Haydock) knowing that the subjects of Ezechias were not good horsemen, (Calmet) or that they were comparatively (Haydock) so few in number. (Menochius)... [ Continue Reading ]
_Destroy. Prosperity renders a man insolent, and the passions blind him. Rabsaces interprets success to be a sure proof of the divine approbation, and thus attempts to justify all the excesses of his master. (Calmet) --- God only used Sennacherib as a rod to chastise his people. (Menochius) --- The... [ Continue Reading ]
_Syriac, or Chaldean language, which was spoken at the Assyrian court, 1 Esdras iv. 7., and Daniel ii. 4. Rabsaces was acquainted with both the languages; as the Jews say he was an apostate, which they infer from this passage, and from the legates tearing their clothes when they heard him blaspheme;... [ Continue Reading ]
_With you. Insolent bravado! whence some have inferred the probability of pigeons' dung being really eaten, chap. vi. 25. (Calmet) --- Rabsaces threatens them with all the horrors of famine, so that they shall eat such things, if they refuse to give up the city. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_My. Hebrew and Vatican Septuagint, "his (Sennacherib's) hand." But the other reading of the Syriac, &c., is more natural. These words do not occur [in] Isaias xxxvi. 14._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Advantage. Hebrew, "make a blessing," or present. (Calmet) --- Chaldean and Syriac, "peace."_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Till. Sennacherib will remove you to another country, but it will be as good as this. He requires you to surrender at discretion. (Calmet) --- Deliver us. This will not be in his power, no more than it was in that of the other tutelary gods. (Menochius) --- Infidels and heretics are very foolish th... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER XVIII. Emath, Emesa. --- Arphad, or Arad, an island and city on the continent, (Calmet) near Tyre. --- Of Ana, &c., "of," is not expressed in the Vulgate, (Haydock) and it may be explained as if Ana and Ava were idols of Sepharvaim. (Menochius) --- But they are commonly supposed to be citie... [ Continue Reading ]
_The people. The three legates, (Calmet) Isaias xxxvi. 21. And they held their peace. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Rent, as was customary on such dismal occasions. Joakim is reprehended for not shewing this mark of consternation, when he heard the dreadful predictions of Jeremias, xxxvi. 24. (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]