2 Kings 18:1-8
HEZEKIAH KING OVER JUDAH... [ Continue Reading ]
HEZEKIAH KING OVER JUDAH... [ Continue Reading ]
Now, It came to pass in the third year of Hoshea, son of Elah, king of Israel, that Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. The apparent difficulty with regard to the dates at this period is readily solved by remembering that the years of the two kings do not run exactly parallel.... [ Continue Reading ]
Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi (or Abijah, 2 Chronicles 29:1), THE DAUGHTER OF ZACHARIAH.... [ Continue Reading ]
And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David, his father, did. Instead of patterning after his wicked father, Hezekiah, most likely under the influence of a pious mother, took the example of his illustrious ancestor, the founder of the dynasty, before him.... [ Continue Reading ]
He removed the high places, something which even the sincere believers before him had not accomplished, AND BRAKE THE IMAGES, the stone statues erected to idols, AND CUT DOWN THE GROVES, the wooden Asherah idols or Astarte columns 1 Kings 14:23, AND BRAKE IN PIECES THE BRAZEN SERPENT THAT MOSES HAD... [ Continue Reading ]
He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. He was distinguished by a most unusual amount of confidence and firmness of faith.... [ Continue Reading ]
For he clave to the Lord, and departed not from following Him, never became guilty of idolatry, BUT KEPT HIS COMMANDMENTS WHICH THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Lord was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth, he was fortunate in all his undertakings. AND HE REBELLED AGAINST THE KING OF ASSYRIA, AND SERVED HIM NOT. The wicked Ahaz placed his kingdom in the power of Assyria; Hezekiah, faithful to Jehovah, declared Judah to be an indep... [ Continue Reading ]
He smote the Philistines, the ancient enemy of Judah on the west, EVEN UNTO GAZA AND THE BORDERS THEREOF, the southernmost of their city-states, FROM THE TOWER OF THE WATCHMEN TO THE FENCED CITY, the smallest hamlet as well as the most strongly fortified town. When any person, especially, however, a... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea, son of Elah, king of Israel, that Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, came up against Samaria and besieged it.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ASSYRIAN CAMPAIGN AGAINST SAMARIA AND JERUSALEM... [ Continue Reading ]
And at the end of three years they took it; even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is the ninth year of Hoshea, king of Israel, Samaria was taken.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,... [ Continue Reading ]
because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord, their God, but transgressed His covenant, and all that Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded, and would not hear them nor do them. Cf 2 Kings 17:5. The account is here repeated because the catastrophe which overtook Israel was of great importance to... [ Continue Reading ]
Now, in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah did Sennacherib, king of Assyria, come up against all the fenced cities of Judah and took them, all the fortified towns outside of Jerusalem, his purpose being to leave behind him conquered territory as he advanced against Egypt.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Hezekiah, King of Judah, sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, a city some fifteen hours southwest of Jerusalem, on the way to Egypt, against which Sennacherib (or Sargon, as the inscriptions have his real name) was then encamped, SAYING, I HAVE OFFENDED, he acknowledged that he had acted fool... [ Continue Reading ]
And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the king's house.... [ Continue Reading ]
At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the Temple of the Lord, which he himself had put on the door-casings, 2 Chronicles 29:3, AND FROM THE PILLARS WHICH HEZEKIAH, KING OF JUDAH, HAD OVERLAID, AND GAVE IT TO THE KING OF ASSYRIA. It was a very heavy tribute and drained the reso... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king of Assyria, intending to take Jerusalem in spite of the heavy ransom-money which he had received, SENT TARTAN AND RABSARIS AND RABSHAKEH, three of his highest civil and military officers, FROM LACHISH, where his advance was still checked, TO KING HEZEKIAH WITH A GREAT HOST AGAINST JERUS... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ASSYRIAN EXPEDITION AGAINST JERUSALEM... [ Continue Reading ]
And when they had called to the king, announcing to the soldiers on the wall that they had a message for Hezekiah, THERE CAME OUT TO THEM ELIAKIM, THE SON OF HILKIAH, WHICH WAS OVER THE HOUSEHOLD, the master of the palace, AND SHEBNA, THE SCRIBE, the secretary of state, AND JOAH, THE SON OF ASAPH, t... [ Continue Reading ]
And Babshakeh, the spokesman for the Assyrian delegation, SAID UNTO THEM, SPEAK YE NOW TO REZEKIAH, THUS SAITH THE GREAT KING, THE KING OF ASSYRIA, the entire message being held in an arrogant and haughty tone, WHAT CONFIDENCE IS THIS WHEREIN THOU TRUSTEST?... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou sayest, in a form of idle talking, ( BUT THEY ARE BUT VAIN WORDS, literally, "a mere word of the lips,") I HAVE COUNSEL AND STRENGTH FOR THE WAR. The mere idea of withstanding the power of the Assyrians was to them the height of foolishness. NOW, ON WHOM DOST THOU TRUST THAT THOU REBELLEST AGAI... [ Continue Reading ]
Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, that was the only explanation which the Assyrians could think of, ON WHICH IF A MAN LEAN, IT WILL GO INTO HIS HAND AND PIERCE IT, it would give way immediately under even a slight weight. SO IS PHARAOH, KING OF EGYPT, U... [ Continue Reading ]
But if ye say unto me, We trust in the Lord, our God, is not that He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem? The argument is that God would surely not be with one who had destroyed all the pla... [ Continue Reading ]
Now, therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to, make a bargain with, MY LORD, THE KING OF ASSYRIA, AND I WILL DELIVER THEE TWO THOUSAND HORSES, IF THOU BE ABLE ON THY PART TO SET RIDERS UPON THEM. It was an expression of supreme contempt: Even if I should furnish you the horses for cavalry, you have n... [ Continue Reading ]
How, then, wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, Hezekiah's whole army, so they mockingly assert, would not be able to put to flight one of the Assyrian officers commanding the smallest number of soldiers, AND PUT THY TRUST ON EGYPT FOR CHARIOTS AND FOR HO... [ Continue Reading ]
Am I now come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land and destroy it. It was a bold lie: So far from their being justified in relying upon Jehovah, the Assyrians say, He was rather on their own side, having commissioned them to destroy Jerus... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language, which the common soldiers and the people on the wall could not understand; FOR WE UNDERSTAND IT; AND TALK NOT WITH US IN THE JEWS' LANGUAGE IN THE EARS OF THE PEOPL... [ Continue Reading ]
But Rabshakeh said unto them, still with the object of influencing the people, HATH MY MASTER SENT ME TO THY MASTER AND TO THEE TO SPEAK THESE WORDS? HATH HE NOT SENT ME TO THE MEN WHICH SIT ON THE WALL, to cause them to bow in submission, THAT THEY MAY EAT THEIR OWN DUNG AND DRINK THEIR OWN PISS WI... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Rabshakeh stood, deliberately approaching and facing the wall, AND CRIED WITH A LOUD VOICE IN THE JEWS' LANGUAGE, AND SPAKE, SAYING, HEAR THE WORD OF THE GREAT KING, WHO HAS SO MANY TRIBUTARY VASSALS, THE KING OF ASSYRIA:... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you; for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his, the Assyrian king's, HAND;... [ Continue Reading ]
neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.... [ Continue Reading ]
Hearken not to Hezekiah; for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, literally, "Make with me a blessing," that is, by seeking his favor and a peaceful solution of the difficulty, AND COME OUT TO ME, AND THEN EAT YE EVERY MAN OF HIS OWN VINE AND EVERY ONE OF HIS FIG-T... [ Continue Reading ]
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, a land of oil-olive and of honey, the description, a mere bit of imagination, being like that of Canaan at its best, Deuteronomy 8:8; Deuteronomy 33:28, THAT YE MAY LIVE AND NOT DIE;... [ Continue Reading ]
Hath any of the gods of the nations, of all the conquered heathen countries, DELIVERED AT ALL HIS LAND OUT OF THE HAND OF THE KING OF ASSYRIA?... [ Continue Reading ]
Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? These were the provinces toward the north and east which had been conquered by the Assyrian forces, 2 Kings 17:24. HAVE THEY DELIVERED SAMARIA OUT OF MINE HAND?... [ Continue Reading ]
Who are they among all the gods of the countries that have delivered their country out of mine hand that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand? He means to say, of course, that Jehovah, the God of such an insignificant nation, would not be able to deliver Judah out of the hand of the As... [ Continue Reading ]
But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word; he found none who would have been willing to discuss his proposal; FOR THE KING'S COMMANDMENT WAS, SAYING, ANSWER HIM NOT, his delegates were merely to report on the contents of the message.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna, the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, their great grief and sorrow being not only on account of the message, but also on account of the insults to the king and the bl... [ Continue Reading ]