1.
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.
third year of Hoshea. Hoshea began in the twelfth year of Ahaz. Therefore Hezekiah began in the fifteenth year of Ahaz. Ahaz reigned sixteen years, but was deposed by Shalmaneser (2 Kings 17:3 , 2 Kings 17:4 ), who set up Hezekiah. Hezekiah rebelled (2 Kings 18:7 ), which shows he was under Assyria till then. See App-50 .
2.
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, the daughter of Zachariah.
Abi. In 2 Chronicles 29:1 it is "Abijah", but "Abi" may be the abbreviation of "Abijah", the "i" or "j" standing for "jah".
3.
And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
4.
He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
groves = 'Asherah, singular. See note on Exodus 34:13 , and App-42 .
brasen serpent. Compare Numbers 21:9 . Now 835 years old. (From 1452 to 617 = 835).
children = sons.
Nehushtan = a brass thing.
5.
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.
trusted = confided. Hebrew. batah. App-69 .
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .
none like him: i.e. for trust in Jehovah. Same praise given of Josiah (2 Kings 23:25 ), but in a different respect.
6.
For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.
and. This "and" is contained in some codices, two early printed editions, Syriac, and Vulgate. The Figure of speech Polysyndeton ( App-6 ) emphasizing the Figure of speech Synonymies, by which the phrases are heaped up to express Hezekiah's goodness,
7.
And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.
8.
He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
9.
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.
it came to pass. Compare 2 Kings 17:3-6 .
Shalmaneser. Commenced the siege; Sargon, his successor, completed it after three years. Compare 2 Kings 17:5 , 2 Kings 17:6 , where we have the same interval as here. In Saigon's own inscription he refers to the "tributes imposed upon them by the former king".
10.
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.
the end of three years. See note on 2 Kings 17:5 .
they. Septuagint and Syriac read "he": i.e. Sargon. See note on 2 Kings 17:5 , 2 Kings 17:6 . Sargon took it after Shalmanoser's death.
11.
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:
Halah. Some codices, with two early printed editions, read "Halath".
12.
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.
Moses the servant of the LORD. See note on Deuteronomy 34:5 .
13.
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.
the fourteenth year. This was the first invasion of Judah which Sennacherib's inscription enlarges upon, but is only mentioned here. See note on 2 Kings 18:17 . Compare Isaiah 36 , Isaiah 37 , and 2 Chronicles 32 .
all the fenced cities. Forty-six are mentioned in the inscriptions (see App-67 ).
14.
And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
sent. Sennacherib had not approached Jerusalem yet.
I have offended. See 2 Kings 18:7 .
three hundred talents. The Assyrian inscriptions say 800, the exact equivalent of 300 Hebrew (silver) talents. See note on "twenty" (2 Kings 15:27 ).
15.
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.
treasures = treasuries. See note on Isaiah 39:2 .
16.
At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
pillars , or supports.
it = them.
17.
And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller's field.
king of Assyria. Some suppose Sargon, and treat Sennacherib as a mistake here. But probably Sennacherib was the co-regent in the field. Compare Jerusalem's being taken by Nebuchadnezzar, while Nabo-polassar was king in Babylon. So Belshazzar was co-regent with Nabonnedus at the taking of Babylon.
sent. The gift of verses: 2 Kings 18:14-16 did not prevent a further assault. Compromise seldom does.
Tartan. A title = commander-in-chief.
Rabsaris. A title = chief of the heads.
Rab-shakeh. A title = chief of the captains; possibly a political officer.
Lachish. Ten miles south-east of Jerusalem, on Sennacherib's way to Egypt. See note on 2 Kings 19:8 .
great host = heavy force.
against Jerusalem. See note on Judges 1:8 .
upper pool. On east side of Jebus = Gihon.
18.
And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.
household = palace.
19.
And Rab-shakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
Rab-shakeh said. See the references to this in Hezekiah's "Songs of the degrees". Psalms 120:2 , Psalms 120:3 ; Psalms 128:3 , Psalms 128:4 , and compare Isaiah 37:4 . See App-67 .
What confidence . . . ? Note the Figure of speech Erotesis ( App-6 ), which the Rab-shakeh constantly uses. See verses: 2 Kings 18:18 ; 2 Kings 18:20 ; 2Ki 20:22 , 2Ki 20:24 , 2Ki 20:25 , 2Ki 20:27 , 2Ki 20:33 , 2Ki 20:34 , 2Ki 20:35 . Figure used for emphasis.
20.
Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
vain words. Hebrew word of lips = lip-words.
21.
Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharoah king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.
trustest, &c. A policy opposed by Isaiah (Isaiah 30:2 ; Isaiah 31:4 ).
bruised reed. Compare Ezekiel 29:6 .
king of Egypt. Probably Shabako, the successor of So. See note on 2 Kings 19:9 , and Compare 2 Kings 17:3 , 2 Kings 17:4 .
22.
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?
if ye say. Isaiah 36:7 . If thou say. Spoken to one, but meant for all.
23.
Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to 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.
24.
How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
25.
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.
26.
Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rab-shakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and talk not with us in the Jews' language in the ears of the people that are on the wall.
Syrian = Aramaic.
27.
But Rab-shakeh said unto them, 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, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you.
28.
Then Rab-shakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria:
word = message. Some codices, with two early printed editions, Septuagint, and Syriac, read "words".
29.
Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:
deceived raise false hopes. Note the ( Lamed ) here, as in the first occurrence (Genesis 3:13 ).
his hand = his [i.e. Asshurs king's] hand. Some codices, with one early printed edition, and Vulgate, read "my hand".
30.
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.
31.
Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern:
Make [an agreement] = Get a blessing out of my coming. Literally. Make with me a blessing.
come out: i.e. capitulate.
32.
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, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The LORD will deliver us.
a land. Note the Figure of speech Anaphora ( App-6 ) for emphasis.
wine. Hebrew tirosh. see App-27 .
deliver = rescue
33.
Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
34.
Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?
Hamath. Compare 2 Kings 17:24 .
Arpad. A city of Syria, north-west of Aleppo. Now identified with Tell Erfud.
Sepharvairn. On the Euphrates, north of Babylon. See note on 2 Kings 17:24 .
Hena, and Ivah. Probably the names of gods or goddesses.
Samaria. See note on 2Ki 17:5 , 2 Kings 17:24 . Hamath, Arpad, and Samaria are all mentioned in the inscriptions at Khorsabad. See note on 2 Kings 17:21 .
35.
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?
without the LORD. Either said in pretence, or from having heard Jehovah's prophecies (Compare 2 Kings 19:25 with Isaiah 10:5 ).
36.
But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
37.
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, and told him the words of Rab-shakeh.