Bibelkommentare

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.

After these things. — See 2 Kings 18:13 , … When Hezekiah had set all things in good order, up came Sennacherib with his army. So after sweet communion with God, at the sacrament or otherwise, look for "leviathan, that crooked serpent," to disturb all.

And the establishment thereof. — Or, And the truth or faithfulness thereof, i.e., of the author in relating them, or rather of Hezekiah in transacting them. Postquam haec fideliter sunt gesta: so Munster rendereth it.

And thought to win them for himself. — Heb., To break them up, or to divide them, sow dissension among them, which is the mother of dissolution. Divide et impera. Divide and conquer. His father had carried away, captive the ten tribes: he doubted not, therefore but he should conquer the other two; but his hopes ran aground, as the proverb hath it.

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And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,

That Sennacherib was come. — See on 2 Kings 18:13 .

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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 of the fountains. — He trusted in God: but yet used the best means. God is to be trusted, but not tempted. See Isaiah 22:9 ; Isaiah 22:11 .

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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?

And the brook. — Called Gihon. 2 Chronicles 32:30 This was one of those rivers the waters whereof made glad the city of God. See 1 Kings 1:33 .

Come and find much water. — Take we like care that Satan, when he cometh to assault us, find not much matter. "Mortify therefore your earthly members, fornication, … and covetousness." Colossians 3:5

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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.

And raised it up to the towers. — Or, Mounted the warlike engines upon the towers, for his better defence.

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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,

He set captains of war. — He did all that could be done: for he knew that the Assyrian came with a mighty force, as a river that "cometh up over all his channels, and goeth over all his banks." Isaiah 8:7

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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:

Be strong and courageous. — His speech is short but pithy: very cordial and comfortable.

Now for all the multitude that is with him. — Only go to Christ and say, as Isaiah 8:8 , "The stretching out of his wings hath filled the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel."

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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.

With him is an arm of flesh. — Flesh is frail: and God can make the strongest sinew in his arm to crack quickly.

But with us is the Lord our God. — The import of "Immanuel"; by which name Christ now began to be known amongst them.

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