Chapter 32
After these things, and the establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them for himself.
these things
20:1,2 2 Kings 18:13-37 Isaiah 36:1-22
king of Assyria
2 Kings 15:19 17:6 18:11,19,20 Isaiah 7:17,18 8:6-8 10:5,6 Hosea 11:5
win them
Heb. break them up.
Isaiah 10:7-11 37:24,25 Micah 2:13
And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,
he was purposed to fight
Heb. his face was to war.
He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city: and they did help him.
took counsel
30:2 2 Kings 18:20 Proverbs 15:22 20:18 24:6 Isaiah 40:13 Romans 11:34
to stop
So there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?
who stopped
This was prudently done; for, without water, how could an immense army subsist in ar arid country? No doubt the Assyrian army suffered much through this; as a Christian army did, through the same cause, 1,800 years afterwards.
the brook
ran through the midst of
Heb. overflowed. kings. The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic read king, in the singular number.
1 2 Kings 18:9,13 19:17 Isaiah 10:8
find
Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.
he strengthened
12:1 14:5-7 17:1,2 23:1 26:8 Isaiah 22:9,10
that was broken
another wall
Millo
Judges 9:6 2 Samuel 5:9 1 Kings 9:24 11:27 2 Kings 12:20
darts
or, swords, or weapons.
And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them, saying,
he set captains
17:14-19 1 Chronicles 27:3,4-34
in the street
comfortably to them
Heb. to their heart.
30:22 Genesis 34:3 Isaiah 40:2 *margins
Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:
strong
Deuteronomy 31:6,7,23 Joshua 1:6-9 1 Chronicles 28:10,20 Isaiah 35:4 Daniel 10:19 Zechariah 8:9,23 Ephesians 6:10 2 Timothy 2:1
be not afraid
for there
2 Kings 6:16 Romans 8:31 1 John 4:4
With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
an arm
Job 40:9 Jeremiah 17:5 1 John 4:4
with us
13:12 14:11 Psalms 46:7,11 Isaiah 8:10 41:10 Acts 18:10 2 Timothy 4:17,22
to fight
20:15 Deuteronomy 20:1,4 Joshua 10:42
rested
Heb. leaned.
upon the words
After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, (but he himself laid siege against Lachish, and all his power with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying,
A. M. 3294. B.C. 710. Sennacherib
Lachish
Joshua 10:31 12:11 15:39 Isaiah 37:8 Micah 1:13
power
Heb. dominion.
Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem?
Thus saith
siege
Heb. strong-hold.
Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The LORD our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
to give over
The Lord our God
15 2 Kings 18:30 19:10 Psalms 3:2 11:1-3 22:8 42:10 71:11 Matthew 27:43
Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it?
Hath not
31:1 2 Kings 18:4,22 Isaiah 36:7
taken away
This was artfully malicious: many of the people had sacrificed to Jehovah on high places, (ch. 31:1;) and Hezekiah had removed them, as incentives to idolatry. Hence Rabshakeh insinuates that by so doing he had offended Jehovah, deprived the people of their religious rights, and that, consequently, he could neither expect the blessing of God, nor the cooperation of the people.
Ye shall worship
one altar
4:1 Exodus 27:1-8 30:1-6 40:26-29 1 Kings 7:48
Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? were the gods of the nations of those lands any ways able to deliver their lands out of mine hand?
I and my
2 Kings 15:29 17:5,6 19:11-13,17,18 Isaiah 10:9,10,14 37:12,13,18-20 Daniel 4:30,37 5:19
were the gods
19 2 Kings 18:33-35 19:18,19 Psalms 115:3-8 Isaiah 44:8-10 Jeremiah 10:11,12,16 Acts 19:26 1 Corinthians 8:4
Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand?
among
your God
Exodus 14:3 15:9-11 Isaiah 42:8
Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you on this manner, neither yet believe him: for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand?
deceive
persuade
11 1 Kings 22:22 Isaiah 36:18 Acts 19:26 Galatians 1:10
much less
Exodus 5:2 Daniel 3:15 John 19:10,11
And his servants spake yet more against the LORD God, and against his servant Hezekiah.
yet
against
He wrote also letters to rail on the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand.
He wrote
2 Kings 19:9,14 Nehemiah 6:5 Isaiah 37:14
to rail
2 Kings 19:22,28 Isaiah 10:15 37:23,24,28,29 Revelation 13:6
As the gods
Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews' speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city.
they cried
to affright
1 Samuel 17:10,26 Nehemiah 6:9
And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man.
spake
13-17 1 Samuel 17:36 Job 15:25,26 Psalms 10:13,14 73:8-11 139:19,20
the God
6:6 Psalms 76:1,2 78:68 87:1-3 132:13,14 Isaiah 14:32 Hebrews 12:22
the work
Deuteronomy 4:28 27:15 2 Kings 19:18 Psalms 135:15-18 Isaiah 2:8 37:19 44:16-20 Jeremiah 1:16 10:3,9 32:30 Hosea 8:5,6
And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.
Hezekiah
2 Kings 19:14-19 Isaiah 37:1,14-20
the prophet
prayed
14:11 20:6-12 Psalms 50:15 91:14,15
And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword.
the Lord
2 Kings 19:20,35-37 Isaiah 10:16-18 37:21,36,37 42:8
angel
2 Samuel 24:16 Psalms 18:50 Daniel 3:28 6:22 Matthew 13:49,50 Acts 12:23
cut off all
the leaders
Isaiah 10:8,16-19,33,34 17:12-14 29:5-8 30:30-33 33:10-12 36:9 Revelation 6:15,16 19:17,18
with shame
Psalms 132:18 Proverbs 11:2 16:18
he was come
2 Kings 19:36,37 Isaiah 37:37,38
slew him
Heb. made him fall.
Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all other, and guided them on every side.
Lord
Psalms 18:48-50 37:39,40 144:10 Isaiah 10:24,25 31:4,5 33:22 Hosea 1:7
guided
Psalms 48:14 71:20,21 73:24 Isaiah 58:11 John 16:13 2 Thessalonians 3:5
And many brought gifts unto the LORD to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah: so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.
gifts
2 Samuel 8:10,11 Ezra 7:15-22,27 Psalms 68:29 72:10 Isaiah 60:7-9 Matthew 2:11
presents
Heb. precious things.
9:9,10,24 17:5,11 1 Kings 4:21 10:10,25
he was magnified
In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, and prayed unto the LORD: and he spake unto him, and he gave him a sign.
Hezekiah
gave him a sign
or, wrought a miracle for him.
2 Kings 20:4-11 Isaiah 38:4-8,21,22
But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
rendered
Deuteronomy 32:6 Psalms 116:12,13 Hosea 14:2 Luke 17:17,18
his heart
31 25:19 26:16 Deuteronomy 8:12-14,17 2 Kings 14:10 20:13 Ezekiel 28:2,5,17 Daniel 5:20,23 Habakkuk 2:4 2 Corinthians 12:7 1 Timothy 3:6 1 Peter 5:5,6
therefore
24:18 2 Samuel 24:1,10-17 1 Chronicles 21:1,12-17
Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah
33:12,19,23 34:27 Leviticus 26:40,41 2 Kings 20:19 Jeremiah 26:18,19 James 4:10
pride
Heb. lifting up. so.
days
34:27,28 1 Kings 21:29 2 Kings 20:16-19 Isaiah 39:6-8
And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honour: and he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of pleasant jewels;
A. M. 3278-3306. B.C. 726-698. exceeding much
treasuries
pleasant jewels
Heb. instruments of desire.
Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks.
Storehouses
stalls
cotes
Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance: for God had given him substance very much.
possessions
26:10 Genesis 13:2-6 1 Chronicles 27:29-31 Job 1:3,9 42:12
God
25:9 Deuteronomy 8:18 1 Samuel 2:7 1 Chronicles 29:12 Proverbs 10:22 1 Timothy 6:17,18
This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.
Hezekiah
Or, "Hezekiah stopped the upper going out (motza, i.e., the egress into the open air,) of the waters of Gihon, and brought them underneath, (lemattah, by a subterraneous course,) to the west of the city of David:" See Note on 1 Ki 1:45.
stopped
Gihon
And Hezekiah
Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.
A. M. 3292. B.C. 712. in the business
2 Kings 20:12,13 Isaiah 39:1,2-8
ambassadors
Heb. interpreters. the wonder.
left him
Judges 16:20 Psalms 27:9 51:11,12 119:116,117 John 15:5
to try him
Genesis 22:1 Deuteronomy 8:2,16 Job 1:11,12 2:3-6 Psalms 139:1,2,23,24 Proverbs 17:3 Zechariah 13:9 Malachi 3:2,3 1 Peter 1:7 James 1:13
that he might
Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
A. M. 3278-3306. B.C. 726-698. goodness. Heb. kindnesses
in the vision
in the book
And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honour at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.
slept
chiefest
or, highest. did him.
16:14 Genesis 50:10,11 Numbers 20:29 Deuteronomy 34:8 1 Samuel 2:30 25:1 Proverbs 10:7