Commentari biblici

And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard [it], that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.

And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it. — And a great deal more, against the Lord and himself, than is recorded in the former chapter. See 2 Chronicles 32:16 . It is easy to wag a wicked tongue; these dead dogs will be barking and blaspheming without measure, till God please to gag them. Hezekiah hasteth hereupon to God’s house, there to say, as Abisha once did to David, Why should these dead dogs curse my Lord the King of glory? As for Rabshakeh, he seems to say unto him, Sirrah, we will complain of you to one that shall shortly take you to task.

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And he sent Eliakim, which [was] over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.

And he sent Eliakim. — This good Josiah did not, when Pharaohnechoh came up against him - though he had at hand the famous prophets Jeremiah and Zephaniah, besides a whole college of seers - and hence he fell, and with him the whole state of Israel.

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And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day [is] a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and [there is] not strength to bring forth.

For the children are come to the birth. — We are greatly pained and perplexed, our hearts do even ache and quake within us, at the hearing of these horrid blasphemies; but we want strength to punish them: we humbly put them into God’s holy hands, and beseech him to take an order with them, for which end thy prayers are requested. Or, We are now in extreme danger, and do therefore earnestly implore Heaven’s help at a dead lift.

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It may be the LORD thy God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God; and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up [thy] prayer for the remnant that are left.

It may be. — We nothing doubt of it, but are well assured he will, for he is a jealous God, and thou canst do much with him. Be pleased to improve thine interest for us in this exigence.

Wherefore lift up thy prayer. — Pray to thine utmost; strive and strain, tug hard, and bestir thee all that may be. Prayer is a laborious exercise: and as a man that would be good at lifting must set his sides and shoulders to work, he must also often use himself to lifting; so here. This gets a dexterity, a handiness to the work.

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So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

So the servants of Hezekiah came. — They came, and did their master’s message. Acta legatorum laconice uno verbo (venerunt) proponuntur.

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And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.

With which the servants. — Heb., The lads, younkers, or striplings: so they are called by way of contempt.

Have blasphemed me. — By railing upon thee, which is blasphemy in the second table; besides the deep dishonour they have done me, by matching me with their base born idols. 2 Kings 18:35

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Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.

Behold, I will send a blast upon him. — A spirit, some render it. God "maketh his angels spirits." An evil messenger was sent against him, a spirit of trouble, a panic terror; a dreadful sound was in his ears, when his army was slaughtered by an angel.

He shall hear a rumour. — Rumours are not always to be credited, nor always to be condemned. What this rumour was, see 2 Kings 19:9 .

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So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.

So Rabshakeh returned. — But left his army, likely, still before Jerusalem.

That he was departed from Lachish. — Which he had taken; or, as some think, out of hope of taking it.

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