2 Chronicles 32:30

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(30) This same Hezekiah also stopped.—And he, Hezekiah, had closed in the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon. (See 2Chronicles 32:3.)

And brought . . . city of David.—And conducted them underground to the west of the city of David. (Comp. 2Kings 20:20, where also this great work of Hezekiah is referred to in concluding his history: “He made the pool, and the aqueduct, and brought the waters into the city.”) The chronicler gives further details.

Brought it straight.—Directed or conducted them (wayyashshĕrēm; the form in the Hebrew margin is a peculiar contraction of the ordinary piel form which appears in the text).

And Hezekiah prospered.—2Chronicles 31:21; 1Chronicles 29:23.

Benson Commentary

2 Chronicles 32:30. Hezekiah stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon — A rivulet near Jerusalem, consisting of two streams, the upper, which was brought into one pool, called the upper pool, (Isaiah 7:3,) and the lower, which was brought into another, called the lower pool, Isaiah 22:9. The former he diverted, and brought by pipes into Jerusalem, which was a work of great art and labour. And brought it straight down to the city of David — Whereas before it fetched a compass, and therefore might have been beneficial to the Assyrian host.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

32:24-33 God left Hezekiah to himself, that, by this trial and his weakness in it, what was in his heart might be known; that he was not so perfect in grace as he thought he was. It is good for us to know ourselves, and our own weakness and sinfulness, that we may not be conceited, or self-confident, but may always live in dependence upon Divine grace. We know not the corruption of our own hearts, nor what we shall do if God leaves us to ourselves. His sin was, that his heart was lifted up. What need have great men, and good men, and useful men, to study their own infirmities and follies, and their obligations to free grace, that they may never think highly of themselves; but beg earnestly of God, that he will always keep them humble! Hezekiah made a bad return to God for his favours, by making even those favours the food and fuel of his pride. Let us shun the occasions of sin: let us avoid the company, the amusements, the books, yea, the very sights that may administer to sin. Let us commit ourselves continually to God's care and protection; and beg of him never to leave us nor forsake us. Blessed be God, death will soon end the believer's conflict; then pride and every sin will be abolished. He will no more be tempted to withhold the praise which belongs to the God of his salvation.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See 2 Chronicles 32:3 note. Either then or afterward, Hezekiah conducted the water of this spring by an underground channel down the Tyropoeon valley to a pool or reservoir (marginal reference).

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

30. stopped the … watercourse of Gihon, and brought it … to the west side of the city, &c.—(Compare 2Ki 20:20). Particular notice is here taken of the aqueduct, as among the greatest of Hezekiah's works. "In exploring the subterranean channel conveying the water from Virgin's Fount to Siloam, I discovered a similar channel entering from the north, a few yards from its commencement; and on tracing it up near the Mugrabin gate, where it became so choked with rubbish that it could be traversed no farther, I there found it turn to the west in the direction of the south end of the cleft, or saddle, of Zion, and if this channel was not constructed for the purpose of conveying the waters of Hezekiah's aqueduct, I am unable to suggest any purpose to which it could have been applied. Perhaps the reason why it was not brought down on the Zion side, was that Zion was already well-watered in its lower portion by the Great Pool, 'the lower pool of Gihon.' And accordingly Williams [Holy City] renders this passage, 'He stopped the upper outflow of the waters of Gihon, and led them down westward to the city'" [Barclay, City of the Great King]. The construction of this aqueduct required not only masonic but engineering skill; for the passage was bored through a continuous mass of rock. Hezekiah's pool or reservoir made to receive the water within the northwest part of the city still remains. It is an oblong quadrangular tank, two hundred forty feet in length, from one hundred forty-four to one hundred fifty in breadth, but, from recent excavations, appears to have extended somewhat farther towards the north.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The upper water-course of Gihon; a rivulet near Jerusalem consisting of two streams, the upper, which was brought into one pool, called the upper pool, Isaiah 7:3; and the lower, which was brought into another, called the lower pool, Isaiah 22:9. The former he diverted and brought by secret pipes into Jerusalem, which was a work of great art, and labour, and policy, and therefore is here commended.

Brought it straight down; whereas before it fetched a compass, and thereby might have been beneficial to the Assyrian host.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper water course of Gihon,.... Which Procopius Gazeus says was the same with Siloam, and which it seems had two streams, and this was the upper one; Mr. Maundrell says (c), the pool of Gihon"lies about two furlongs without Bethlehem gate westward; it is a stately pool, one hundred and six paces long, and sixty seven broad, and lined with wall and plaster, and was, when we were there, well stored with water:"

and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David; through canals under the plain of the city of David; as the Targum, by a subterraneous passage; and Siloam, as Dr. Lightfoot (d) observes from Josephus, was behind the west wall, not far from the corner that pointed toward the southwest:

and Hezekiah prospered in all his works; natural, civil, and religious, 2 Chronicles 31:21.

(c) Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. 108. (d) Chorograph. in John, c. 5. sect. 2.

Geneva Study Bible

This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper watercourse of {t} Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.

(t) Which also was called Shiloh, of which mention is made in Isa 8:6, Joh 9:7.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

30. stopped] Cp. 2 Chronicles 32:3-4.

the upper watercourse] R.V. the upper spring of the waters.

Gihon] The upper spring of Gihon is perhaps represented to-day by St Mary’s Well; cp. Bädeker, p. 99, and note on 2 Chronicles 32:3 above.

to the west side] R.V. on the west side. The present Lower Pool of Siloam is rather to the S.E. of the present Jerusalem but it may have been S.W. of the ancient City of David. The Ambrosian MS. of Pesh. reads, on the east side, and this may be right.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 30. - Stopped the upper watercourse, etc. (see our vers. 3, 4). What Hezekiah "stopped" was the spring, or more strictly access to it, and guided its prized waters down, probably by an underground channel, to Siloam, or else to the pool in the city which he had constructed and enclosed by that "another wall without" (ver. 5), west of the "city of David." 2 Chronicles 32:30

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The same Hezekiah covered the upper outlet of the water Gihon, and brought it down westwards to the city of David, i.e., by a subterranean channel into the city of David (see on 2 Chronicles 32:3). The form ויישׁרם is Piel ויישּׁרם; the Keri is the same conjug., only contracted into ויּשּׁרם, as ויּבּשׁ for וייבּשׁ, the ו of the third person having amalgamated with the first radical, under the influence of the ו consec. With the last clause in 2 Chronicles 32:30 cf. 2 Chronicles 31:21; 1 Chronicles 29:23.