Barnes' Notes 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. The establishment thereof - literally, "the faithfulness thereof" or, in other words, "after these things had been faithfully accomplished."2 Chronicles 32:1-8 form a passage supplementary to 2 Kings 18:13-16.
And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,
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. To stop the waters ... - Compare 2 Chronicles 32:30. Hezekiah's object was probably twofold - to hide the springs outside the city in order to distress the Assyrians, and to convey their water underground into the city, in order to increase his own supply during the siege.
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? The "brook" intended is probably not the Kidron, but the natural water-course of the Gihon, which ran down the Tyropoeon valley (compare the 1 Kings 1:3 note).
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. The breaches in the wall of Jerusalem were not entirely due to the old hostility of Joash (marginal reference); but may have been caused either by neglect and carelessness in the reign of Ahaz 2 Chronicles 28, or by the simple process of natural decay. Hezekiah pulled down houses for the purpose of his repairs Isaiah 22:10.On Millo, see the marginal references notes.
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, The street of the gate ... - Or, "the square at the gate" (compare 2 Chronicles 29:4 note). The gate intended is probably that of Ephraim 2 Chronicles 25:23 - the great northern gate, opposite the "Camp of the Assyrians " - represented by the modern Damascus gate.
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: On the language, compare the marginal references, for details, see Isaiah 22:5-13; Isaiah 29:3.
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. The faith, which Hezekiah's words express, presently wavered, died away, and was succeeded by despair and submission (compare 2 Kings 18:14-16 notes).
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, The author of Chronicles compresses into 13 verses the history which occupies in Kings a chapter and a half (2 Kings 18:17-19; where see the notes).
Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem? In the siege - Perhaps "in straitness" (compare Jeremiah 19:9). Jerusalem is thought by some to have been not so much besieged at this time, as distressed and straitened for supplies, because the Assyrians were masters of the open country.
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?
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?
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? fathers - i. e. "predecessors." Sennacherib really belonged to a dynasty that had only furnished one king before himself.
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?
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?
And his servants spake yet more against the LORD God, and against his servant Hezekiah.
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.
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.
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.
And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.
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.
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. Guided them ... - A slight alteration of the existing text gives the sense - "gave them rest round about;" a common expression in Chronicles 2 Chronicles 15:15; 2 Chronicles 20:30.
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.
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. Compare 2 Kings 20 and notes. The "sign" is not (as in the margin) the miraculous cure, but the going back of the shadow on the dial of Ahaz (see 2 Chronicles 32:31).
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. His heart was lifted up - Compare the marginal reference. Hezekiah's pride was shown in his unnecessarily exhibiting his treasures to the ambassadors from Babylon (see 2 Kings 20:13).There was wrath upon him - Compare 2 Kings 20:17-18.
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 humbled himself - Perhaps this is the self-humiliation of which Jeremiah speaks (marginal reference) as following on a certain prophecy uttered by Micah. The prophecy Micah 3:12 is by some referred to the earlier part of the reign of Hezekiah; but there is nothing to show that it was not delivered about this time.
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;
Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks.
Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance: for God had given him substance very much.
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. 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).
Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire 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.
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. And in the book - The "and" is not in the original. The meaning is, that the acts were recorded in the prophecy of Isaiah, which formed a part of the compilation known as "the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel." See Introduction.
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. The chiefest of the sepulchres - Most modern commentators render - "on the ascent to the sepulchres;" but some think that an excavation above all the other tombs - in the same repository, but at a higher level (see the margin) - is intended. The catacomb of David was full; and the later princes had sepulchres quite distinct from the old burial-place (see 2 Chronicles 33:20; 2 Kings 21:18, 2 Kings 21:26; 2 Kings 23:30). |
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