2 Kings 18 Commentary

“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.”

Like him. Ezechias was remarkable for many excellent qualities. Yet we must not push these comparisons too far, contrary to the intention of the sacred writers. The same eulogium is given to Josias, (chap. xxiii. 25.) and David seems to be preferred, chap. xix. 34. These three are particularly commended, Ecclesiasticus xlix. 5. (Calmet) — Their virtues were certainly different in some respects. (Tirinus)

“For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses. from: Heb. from after him”

Ephraim, where the men of that tribe had formerly signalized themselves, Judges vii., and viii., and xii. (Calmet)

“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.”

Wisely. Hebrew, “with success.” Syriac, &c., “he was victorious wherever he went.” — Rebelled. The Assyrian assumed an undue authority in consequence of the words of Achaz, (chap. xvi. 7.) and arrogated to himself the authority of doing what he pleased with the people, ver. 32. Ezechias having formed various alliances, judged it necessary to make some resistance. Yet the prophet Isaias (xxx. 1.) complains of his applying to the Egyptians. (Calmet)

“He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. Gaza: Heb. Azzah”

City. Thus he punished them for their late invasion, 2 Paralipomenon xxviii. 18.

“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.”

Samaria. The same history is given, chap. xvii. 3. (Calmet)

“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:”

By the rivers. Gozan was the name of the river, as above; (Haydock) so that Salien suspects it should be fluvii, “of the river.” (Menochius)

“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.”

Save. Protestants, “beware that none touch the young man.”

“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. Sennacherib: Heb. Sanherib”

Sennacherib’s expedition in Egypt and Asia are mentioned by Herodotus (ii. 141.) and Berosus, (Josephus, [Antiquities?] x. 1.) but they do not say that he passed farther then Pelusium, (Calmet) the frontier on the Egyptian side of Palestine. (Haydock) — These expeditions might have been performed in less than eight months, during the 14th year of Ezechias, who fell sick, perhaps soon after the ruin of Sennacherib’s army, chap. xx. 1. Isaias (x. 28.) represents the Assyrian proceeding from Gabaa towards Egypt, and thence he ascended to attack the cities of Juda, (ver. 25.) Manresa, (Micheas i. 15.) &c. While he was before Lachis, Ezechias, dreading the horrors of war, purchased a peace: but the tyrant soon after sent to require him to surrender at discretion; and in the mean time he went to besiege Lebna, where his envoys found him, having received no answer from the king of Juda. The haughty Assyrian being obliged to go to meet the king of Chus, sent insolent letters to Ezechias; but the latter was assured that all his menaces were to be despised, and on the same night that Sennacherib left Lebna, the angel destroyed 185,000 of his men. It is thought that the siege of Lachis did not take place till three years after Sennacherib had come into Palestine, and after he had spent that time in attacking Egypt, chap. xix. 24. (Josephus, [Antiquities?] x. 2., and 3.) — He attempted afterwards to take the southern cities of Juda, in order to cut off all communication with Egypt; as Nabuchodonosor, Holofernes, and Eupator probably intended to do, Jeremias xxiv. 7., Judith vi., and vii., and 1 Machabees vi. 31. (Calmet) — Offended, and been imprudent. (Menochius) — Gold, so that the value of each was equal. (Du Hamel) — Josephus reads, “or thirty,” as if that quantity of gold would suffice. (Haydock) — The talent contains 3000 sicles. (Menochius) — The heart of Ezechias fainted at the approach of so great an army, though he had before made the greatest preparations, chap. xx. 2., 2 Paralipomenon xxxii. 5., and Ecclesiasticus xlviii. 19. (Tirinus)

“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.”

Sight. Hebrew, “I will not tarry thus with thee.” I will not stand to refute these reasons, nor imitate thy example. (Haydock)

“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.”

Ten. Naharai alone is specified, chap. xxiii. 37. Why he had ten does not appear. (Calmet) — Slew him, inflicting many wounds on him; though Joab had already done sufficient. (Haydock) — These men abused his corpse, as if to revenge the insult offered to David’s ten wives. (Salien) — It is asked whether Joab did wrong? He consulted the public welfare, rather than the parental affection of the king for a son, whom the law condemned to die for rebellion, incest, and murder, Leviticus xviii. 29., and chap. xiii. 28. But still he was not a proper judge to inflict this death in cold blood; and thus to render the salvation of Absalom’s soul more desperate. David would, however, have done well to have punished this son, as incorrigible and dangerous to the state. (Haydock)

“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. it: Heb. them”

On them. All must go to meet the exigencies of the state. (Grotius, Jur. ii. 5.) — The doors of temples and palaces were frequently adorned with the most precious metals, as Homer describes the palace of Alcinous; (Odyssey; H) and Tavernier (vii. 12.) speaks of some mosques in Persia, the doors of which are covered with plates of silver. See Josephus, Jewish Wars vi. 6.

“And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh 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. great: Heb. heavy”

Tharthan, or Thathania, (1 Esdras v. 3.) and in the Greek of Isaias xx. 1., means “the president of tributes,” or presents. The two other names denote “the chief eunuch,” and “the chief butler,” and are not proper names. These officers were sent at the head of a strong army to Jerusalem. — Field, by the torrent Cedron, to the east. There they defied the king, or perhaps endeavoured to persuade him to come out, that they might seize his person. (Calmet) They came in a military capacity, rather than as ambassadors.

“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. scribe: or, secretary”

House. Josephus says, “procurator of the palace or kingdom.” (Haydock) — The house often refers to the temple, when placed without any explanation, Isaias xxii. 15. (Calmet) — Eliacim was prefect of the prętorium, (Salien) or grand master of the palace. He was richly dressed, and possessed a great authority over the people. — Scribe. See Judges viii. 14. This Sobna, according to St. Jerome, is different from the one who was over the house in the days of Manasses, before Eliacim was restored to his office, (Calmet) unless he also was a different person. (Tirinus) — The Jews say Sobna was deprived of his dignity, on account of his having betrayed the lower city to Sennacherib. See Isaias xxii. 21. — Recorder, or chancellor, &c., 2 Kings viii. 16. (Calmet)

“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? sayest: or, talkest vain: Heb. word of the lips I have: or, but counsel and strength are for the war”

Counsel. Hebrew, “Thou sayest (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for the war.” (Protestants) (Haydock) — You have vainly boasted. (Calmet) — Isaias xxvi. 5. (Calmet)

“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 Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him. trustest: Heb. trustest thee”

Pierce it. He alludes to the reeds which grow on the Nile. See Delrio, adag. 210. Egypt had been already greatly harassed in the expedition of Sennacherib, so that no succour could be expected thence. (Calmet)

“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?”

Jerusalem. Many were perhaps displeased at this injunction, and Rabsaces endeavoured to excite them to revolt, and insinuates (Calmet) that the king had made God his enemy, (Haydock) and must expect punishment from him. (Theodoret, in Isaias xxxvi. 5.) He perhaps was ignorant that these altars were contrary to his law. (Menochius) — Yet the Jews say that Rabsaces was son of Isaias, (ap. St. Jerome, bib.) or a Samaritan.

“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. pledges: or, hostages”

Over. Josephus insinuates that it is a challenge to fight, and that Rabsaces was so confident of victory, that he made this contemptuous proposal, (Haydock) knowing that the subjects of Ezechias were not good horsemen, (Calmet) or that they were comparatively (Haydock) so few in number. (Menochius) — Hebrew, “agree, or give pledges to my master.”

“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?”

Two gates, one leading into the town, the other into the country. In the middle was a chamber for public meetings, and another above, Job xxix. 7. On the roof a guard was stationed on this occasion.

“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.”

Destroy. Prosperity renders a man insolent, and the passions blind him. Rabsaces interprets success to be a sure proof of the divine approbation, and thus attempts to justify all the excesses of his master. (Calmet) — God only used Sennacherib as a rod to chastise his people. (Menochius) — The most wicked often represent themselves as the executioners of God’s will, and attribute their ambition to his decrees. (Haydock) — God did not order the Assyrians to destroy the land: he rather threatened to destroy them, Isaias xxxvii., and 2 Paralipomenon xxxii. (Worthington)

“Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, 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.”

Syriac, or Chaldean language, which was spoken at the Assyrian court, 1 Esdras iv. 7., and Daniel ii. 4. Rabsaces was acquainted with both the languages; as the Jews say he was an apostate, which they infer from this passage, and from the legates tearing their clothes when they heard him blaspheme; as they pretend this was only done when blasphemy came from the mouth of an Israelite. (Grotius) — But these reasons are very weak. (Calmet) — The like was practised when any thing terrifying was heard, ver. 37. (Haydock) — The reasons why the legates desire Rabsaces not to speak in a language which the common soldiers understood, was to prevent them from shewing their indignation by shooting at him, or out of fear, lest they should be induced to cause some sedition. (Menochius)

“But Rabshakeh 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? their own piss: Heb. the water of their feet”

With you. Insolent bravado! whence some have inferred the probability of pigeons’ dung being really eaten, chap. vi. 25. (Calmet) — Rabsaces threatens them with all the horrors of famine, so that they shall eat such things, if they refuse to give up the city. (Menochius)

“Then Rabshakeh 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:”

Shut up; frustrated the attempts of the enemy, and consigned many to the grave. (Haydock)

“Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:”

My. Hebrew and Vatican Septuagint, “his (Sennacherib’s) hand.” But the other reading of the Syriac, &c., is more natural. These words do not occur [in] Isaias xxxvi. 14.

“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: or, Seek my favour: Heb. Make with me a blessing cistern: or, pit”

Advantage. Hebrew, “make a blessing,” or present. (Calmet) — Chaldean and Syriac, “peace.”

“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. persuadeth: or, deceiveth”

Till. Sennacherib will remove you to another country, but it will be as good as this. He requires you to surrender at discretion. (Calmet) — Deliver us. This will not be in his power, no more than it was in that of the other tutelary gods. (Menochius) — Infidels and heretics are very foolish thus to compare their delusions with God, and his holy religion. (Worthington)

“Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?”

Wept, in private. (Menochius) — Would. David lamented the death of Absalom, because of the wretched state in which he died; and therefore would have been glad to have saved his life, even by dying for him. In this he was a figure of Christ weeping, praying, and dying for his rebellious children, and even for them that crucified him. (Challoner; St. Ambrose (de Ob. Valent.); Theodoret, q. 35.) — David had presently ceased to weep for the son of Bethsabee, because he had reason to hope that he was saved. (Calmet)

“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?”

Emath, Emesa. — Arphad, or Arad, an island and city on the continent, (Calmet) near Tyre. — Of Ana, &c., “of,” is not expressed in the Vulgate, (Haydock) and it may be explained as if Ana and Ava were idols of Sepharvaim. (Menochius) — But they are commonly supposed to be cities. (Haydock) — Ana is probably a city (Du Hamel) built on both sides of the Euphrates, four days’ journey from Bagdat. Isaias does not specify these cities in the parallel passage, but they are found in the letter addressed to Ezechias, Isaias xxxvii. 13. — Samaria, or the inhabitants who had come from distant parts, and had perhaps revolted. We do not however find that Sennacherib had conquered them, nor does the pretend that all these conquests were made by himself. (Calmet) — He gives part of the honour to his ancestors, chap. xix. 12., and 2 Paralipomenon xxxii. 13. But he asserts that all the gods of the respective countries of Samaria, &c., had yielded to his superior force. (Haydock) — Strange infatuation in a man who looked upon the idols as gods! They are in effect nothing, 1 Corinthians viii. 4. But as their votaries were of a different persuasion, ought they not to have acted and spoken consistently? Yet Suetonius (Caius, c. 5.) informs us, that “on the day when Germanicus died, the temples were stoned, the altars of the gods overturned, the domestic lares thrown out by some into the open air;” all to express their grief and indignation at the gods, for not preserving his life. (Haydock)

“But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.”

The people. The three legates, (Calmet) Isaias xxxvi. 21. And they held their peace. (Haydock)

“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 Rabshakeh.”

Rent, as was customary on such dismal occasions. Joakim is reprehended for not shewing this mark of consternation, when he heard the dreadful predictions of Jeremias, xxxvi. 24. (Calmet)