CHAPTER XVIII _Hezekiah begins to reign; he removes the high places, breaks to_ _pieces the brazen serpent, and walks uprightly before God_, 1-6. _He endeavours to shake off the Assyrian yoke, and defeats the_ _Philistines_, 7, 8. _Shalmaneser comes up against Samaria, takes it, and carries the... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 18:3. _HE DID_ THAT WHICH WAS _RIGHT IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD_] In 2 Chronicles 29:1 of the second book of Chronicles, we have an account of what this pious king did to restore the worship of God. He caused the priests and Levites to cleanse the holy house, which had been shut up by h... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 18:4. _BRAKE IN PIECES THE BRAZEN SERPENT._] The history of this may be seen in Numbers 21:8; Numbers 21:9; see the notes there. We find that this brazen serpent had become an object of idolatry, and no doubt was supposed to possess, as a _telesm_ or _amulet_, extraordinary virtues, a... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 18:5. _HE TRUSTED IN THE LORD_] See the character of this good king: 1. _He trusted in the Lord God of Israel_; 2. He _clave to the_ _Lord_; 3. He was steady in his religion; he _departed not from_ _following the Lord_; 4. He _kept God's commandments_. And what were the consequence... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 18:8. _FROM THE TOWER OF THE WATCHMEN_] See the same words, 2 Kings 17:9. It seems a proverbial mode of expression: he reduced every kind of fortification; nothing was able to stand before him.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 18:9. _IN THE FOURTH YEAR_] This history has been already given, 2 Kings 17:3, c.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 18:17. _THE KING OF ASSYRIA SENT TARTAN, C._] Calmet has very justly remarked that these are not the names of _persons_, but of _offices_. _Tartan_, תרתן tartan or _tantan_, as in the parallel place in Isaiah, in the Greek version, signifies he who _presides_ over the _gifts_ or _tribu... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 18:18. _CALLED TO THE KING_] They wished him to come out that they might get possession of his person. _ELIAKIM - OVER THE HOUSEHOLD_] What we would call lord chamberlain. _SHEBNA THE SCRIBE_] The king's _secretary_. _JOAH - THE RECORDER._] The writer of the public _annals_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 18:19. _WHAT CONFIDENCE IS THIS_] מה הבטחן הזה _ma habbittachon_ _hazzeh_. The words are excessively insulting: _What little, foolish,_ _or unavailing cause of confidence is it, to which thou trustest_? I translate thus, because I consider the word בטחון _bittachon_ as a _diminutive_,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 18:21. _THE STAFF OF THIS BRUISED REED_] Egypt had already been greatly _bruised_ and _broken_, through the wars carried on against it by the Assyrians.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 18:22. _WHOSE HIGH PLACES AND WHOSE ALTARS HEZEKIAH HATH TAKEN_ _AWAY_] This was artfully malicious. Many of the people sacrificed to Jehovah on the _high_ places; Hezekiah had removed them, (2 Kings 18:4), because they were incentives to idolatry: Rab-shakeh insinuates that by so doin... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 18:23. _I WILL DELIVER THEE TWO THOUSAND HORSES_] Another insult: Were I to give thee _two thousand_ Assyrian horses, thou couldst not find riders for them. How then canst thou think that thou shalt be able to stand against even the _smallest division of_ _my troops_?... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 18:25. _AM I NOW COME UP WITHOUT THE LORD_] As Rab-shakeh saw that the Jews placed the utmost confidence in God, he wished to persuade them that by Hezekiah's conduct Jehovah had departed from them, and was become ally to the king of Assyria, and therefore they could not expect any hel... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 26. _TALK NOT WITH US IN THE JEWS' LANGUAGE_] The object of this blasphemous caitiff was to stir up the people to _sedition_, that the city and the king might be delivered into his hand.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 27. _THAT THEY MAY EAT THEIR OWN DUNG_] That they may be duly apprised, if they hold on Hezekiah's side, Jerusalem shall be most straitly besieged, and they be reduced to such a state of _famine_ as to be obliged to eat their own excrements.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 28. _HEAR THE WORD OF THE GREAT KING - OF ASSYRIA_] This was all intended to cause the people to revolt from their allegiance to their king.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 32. _UNTIL I COME AND TAKE YOU AWAY_] This was well calculated to stir up a seditious spirit. Ye cannot be delivered; your destruction, if ye resist, is inevitable; Sennacherib will do with you, as he does with all the nations he conquers, lead you captive into another land: but if you will su... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 34. _WHERE_ ARE _THE GODS OF HAMATH_] Sennacherib is greater than any of the gods of the nations. The Assyrians have already overthrown the gods of Hamath, Arpad, Hena, and Ivah; therefore, Jehovah shall be like one of them, and shall not be able to deliver Jerusalem out of the hand of my mast... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 36. _ANSWER HIM NOT._] The blasphemy is too barefaced; _Jehovah_ is insulted, not _you_; let him avenge his own quarrel. See the 2 Kings 19.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 2 Kings 18:37. _THEN CAME ELIAKIM - AND SHEBNA - AND JOAH - TO HEZEKIAH WITH_ THEIR _CLOTHES RENT_] It was the custom of the Hebrews, when they heard any blasphemy, to rend their clothes, because this was the greatest of crimes, as it immediately affected the majesty of God, and it was right t... [ Continue Reading ]