The ARGUMENT of Chapter XXXVI.

Here the Prophet gives a fhort Hiftory of the Siege of Jerufalem by Sennacherib fo often hinted at in the foregoing Prophecies. And firft he fixes the Time: in the 4th Year of Hezekiah, the King of Affyria came up against the defenc'd Cities of Judah; and when he had taken most of them, he fent an Embaffy to Hezekiah in Jerufalem, who fent Commiffioners to know his demands. Upon which Rabhakeh, Chief of the Affyrian Ambassadors, makes a Speech to the Jewish Commiffioners, in which he infolently ridicules their Sovereign, for relying on Egypt or Heaven for Af fiftance: The Egyptians he tells them would strangely deceive their expectations; and as for God, fince he was not able to deliver a great many Cities out of his Hand, he endeavours to perfwade them he would be equally unable to protect Jerufalem against his Victorious Arms: Then directing himfelf to the Jews on the Walls, he threatneth them with the fevere effects of his Mafters refentment, if they pretended to make any oppofition, plaufibly infinuating the impoffibility of being refcued out of his Hands, either by Hezekiah a weak, defpicable Monarch, whofe Forces bore no proportion to his; or by God, whofe Infufficiency to deliver them, he falfely argues from his not having deliver'd feveral other Cities, which

had taken: The Jews to be fure were startled at fo frightful a Meffage, but were order'd by King Hezekiah to make no Reply: And the Commiffioners return'd to give an Account of their Conference, and acquaint the King with the haughty demands of the Affyrian. The Notes on thefe 4 Chapters, (except part of the 38th) I have borrow'd from the Bifhop of Ely's Learned Comment on the Second Book of Kings; where the fame Hiftory occurs, without adding a Word of my own, or making any Obfervation where his Lordship's Conjecture may seem to run Counter to what I have fuppos'd in fome of the foregoing Chapters, relating to the Siege of Jerufalem...

Chapter
XXXVI.

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Verse 1.

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CHAP. XXXVI.

OW it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Affyria came up against all the defenced cities of Judah, and took them.] He was the Son of Salmanafar, and Succeeded him in his Kingdom, as we Read in the Book of Tobit, 1. 15.

Ver. 2. And the king of Affyria fent Rabfhakeh from Lachish to ferufalem, unto king Hezekiah with a great army: and he stood by the conduit of the upper pool, in the highway of the fullers field.] Some of the Jews think that Sennacherib, having receiv'd the Tribute from Hezekiah, went to his own Land: But because Hezekiah did not continue to fend it every Year, after fome time he return'd to Judea again, and Befieg'd Jerufalem: But there is not a word of this in the Hiftory, therefore it is more probable that having receiv'd the Mony he demanded, he made his Expedition into Egypt; of which Herodotus and others, and fome think this Prophet alfo fpeaks, chap. 10. 26. 28. But as he was the firft King of Affyria that Invaded Egypt; fo he went no farther then to the entrance of it, Pelufium, which he could not take, and fo at his return broke his Faith with Hezekiah, and notwithstanding his Prefent wherewith he pretended to be fatisfy'd, laid Siege to Jerufalem. He took up his head Quarters, as we now fpeak, by the Conduit or Canal into which Water was deriv'd from the upper Fish-pond or Pool: Which was in the High-way to the Field where the Fullers, after they had wafh'd their Cloaths in that Pool, were wont to spread them.

Ver. 3. Then came forth unto him Eliakim Hilkiahs fon, which was over the house, and Shebna the fcribe, and Joah Afaph's fon the Recorder.] Though the King would not vouchfafe to go himself yet he fent his major Domo, as they now speak, and his Secretary or Principal Doctor of the Law, and the Master of the Requests: For it is very uncertain what Officer Shebnah was, for he is faid to be over the Houfe, Chap. 22. 15. and the LXX fometimes make him Treafurer; fometimes Scribe; and Mr. Selden

thinks he might be Prafectus Pratorio. Lib. de fucceff. in Chapter Pontific. p. 142. XXXVI.

Ver. 4. And Rabfhakeh faid unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus faith the great king, the king of Affyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trufteft?] The Hebrew Doctors will have it that this Rabfbakeh was an Apoftate Jew, and Procopius is of the fame Opinion, which is not altogether improbable, both because he could fpeak readily in the Hebrew Tongue, and when he blafphem'd the Divine Majefty, the King and Nobles rent their Cloths, which was not ufual unless he that utter'd fuch blafphemous Words was an Ifraelite; fome think his Name imports that he was the principal Cup-bearer to the King of Affyria, who affum'd to himself the Title of the Great King, because of his great Conquefts and large Dominions.

Ver. 5. I Jay, fayeft thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war, now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebelleft against me?]. In reafon he thought Hezekiah fhould not ftand out againft his Mafter, unless he had all Things neceffary for his Defence; but he did delude his People if he told them that he wanted neither Skill to manage a War nor Power to execute good Counfels; he derides him as full of vain Hopes, and upbraids him with his Rebellion, of which he was thought formerly to be guilty, but could not now be justly accus'd of it, when he had fubmitted to him with fuch a great Prefent; these are therefore Words of the higheft Pride and Infolence.

Ver. 6. Lo, thou trusteft in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand and pierce it: fo is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.] He thought it probable he would feek for Succour from Egypt, being a neighbouring Country, which would be ready to aflift him, that they might be reveng'd of the King of Affyria for his late Invafion; but he represents Egypt as very weak, as brittle as the Cane or Reeds that grow on the Bank of Nile, (to which he feems to allude) on which if a Man lean'd they brake, and the Splinters run into his Hand; fuch is Pharaoh, faith he, a Man gets no Help, but Mifchief, by relying on him, as he does who takes one of thefe Canes for his Staff to fupport him..

Chapter Ver. 7. But if thou say to me, We trust in the Lord our XXXVI. God is it not he whofe high places, and whofe altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and faid to Judah and to Jerufalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?] This weak Arguing proceeded from his Ignorance of that God and his Law in whom Hezekiah trusted, which made him call thofe Crimes which were his greatest Vertues, in prohibiting their offering Sacrifice in any other Place but that which God appointed.

Ver. 8. Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my mafter the king of Affyria, and I will give thee two thousand horfes, if thou be able on thy part to fet riders upon them.] He feems to challenge him to come out and fight with his Mafter, and if he could give Security to make that use of them, he would furnish him with Two Thousand Horfes, provided he was able to find fo many Men to fet upon them, which are Words of the highest Contempt, and undervaluing of his Power; or the meaning may be, he would lay a Wager with him he could not find Men to fit on fo many Horfes, for few were good Horsemen in Judea, where Horfes were scarce.

"Ver. 9. How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my masters fervants, and put thy truft on Egypt, for chariots and for horsemen?] With which Egypt abounded above most other Countries, who fometimes furnish'd the Ifraelites with Horfes, but none like Egypt, for which Reafon Mofes forbids them to multiply Horfes, left it fhould cause them to return to Egypt, Deut. 17. 16. and the Prophet reproves them feverely for going to Egypt for Help and staying upon Horfes, c. 31. 1, 3.

Ver. 10. And am I now come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it? the Lord faid unto me, Go up against this land and deftroy it.] If he had not been a few, yet he had learn'd the Name of their God, and pretended his Master was come up against Jerufalem by a Commiffion from him, which were vain Words (as he calls Hezekiah's, v. 5.) for there was none of his Prophets among the Affyrians; but perhaps he concluded from what the Affyrian King had done to Samaria, God intended he should do fo to Ferufalem.

Ver. 11. Then faid Eliakim, and Shebna, and Joah unto Rabfhakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy fervants in the Syrian language

Language, for we understand it: and Speak not to us in the Chapter Jews language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.] XXXVI. I fuppofe Eliakim perceiv'd the People to be frighted with big words, and therefore intreated him in the Name of the other Commiffioners fent to treat with him to speak no longer in the Jews Language, but in his own: For he was not sent to treat with the People, but with them who understood the Syrian Tongue very well.

Ver. 12. But Rabfhakeh faid, Hath my mafter fent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not fent me to the men that fit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own pifs with you?] To make them know that he will reduce them to the greatest Extremity, if they do not fubmit to him: For it is an Hyperbolical Speech, importing fuch Streights as were never

known.

and cryed with a loud voice
Hear ye the words of the
He feems to have rais'd

Ver. 13. Then Rabfhakeh food, in the Jews language, and faid, great king, the king of Affyria.] both Himfelf and his Voice higher, that he might be better heard by all.

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Ver. 14. Thus faith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you.] He repeats with the greatest Affurance the Power of his King, and the Weakness of Hezekiah; reprefenting from thence how they were deluded with empty Promifes, if he perfwaded : them he fhould be able to preferve them.

Ver. 15. Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, faying, The Lord will furely deliver us, this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Affyria.] This was

the highest Prefumption to perfwade them not to place their Hope in God: As if his Mafter was ftronger than he.

Ver. 16. Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus faith the king of Affyria, Make an agreement with me by a prefent, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig-tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own ciftern.] Having reprefented to them the Mileries unto which a Siege would reduce them, he invites them to a Surrender upon advantageous Conditions.