2 Chronicles 32:8

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) With him is an arm of flesh.—A reminiscence of Jeremiah 17:5, “the man that maketh flesh his arm.” (Comp. Isaiah 31:3 : “Their horses are flesh and not spirit.”) His power is human, ours superhuman.

To fight our battles.—1Samuel 8:20, “a king . . . to fight our battles.”

Rested themselves upon.—Leaned on—e.g., a staff, Isaiah 36:6; and so trusted in, Isaiah 48:2.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

32:1-23 Those who trust God with their safety, must use proper means, else they tempt him. God will provide, but so must we also. Hezekiah gathered his people together, and spake comfortably to them. A believing confidence in God, will raise us above the prevailing fear of man. Let the good subjects and soldiers of Jesus Christ, rest upon his word, and boldly say, Since God is for us, who can be against us? By the favour of God, enemies are lost, and friends gained.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The faith, which Hezekiah's words express, presently wavered, died away, and was succeeded by despair and submission (compare 2 Kings 18:14-16 notes).

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

6. he … gathered them together … in the street—that is, the large open space at the gate of Eastern cities. Having equipped his soldiers with a full suit of military accoutrements, he addressed them in an animated strain, dwelling on the motives they had to inspire courage and confidence of success, especially on their consciousness of the favor and helping power of God.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

With him is an arm of flesh,.... Only weak, frail, mortal men, not at all to be feared; nothing in comparison of the Lord:

but with us is the Lord our God, to help us, and to fight our battles; who is the Lord God Almighty, who has the host of heaven at his command, and with whom all the inhabitants of the earth are as nothing; the Targum is,"the Word of the Lord our God is for us to help us, and fight our battles:"

and the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah; not upon his bare words, but on what was contained in them, on the strength and power of the Lord God he assured them was on their side; they believed what he said to be true, and trusted in the Lord that he would save them.

Geneva Study Bible

With him is an {d} arm of flesh; but with us is the {e} LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

(d) That is, the power of man.

(e) This declares that Hezekiah always put his trust in God, and yet made himself strong and used lawful means, lest he should seem to tempt God.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

8. an arm of flesh] Cp. Jeremiah 17:5. Contrast the frequent phrase “a mighty hand and a stretched out arm” (of Jehovah). An “arm” is an ally or helper.

with us is the Lord] Cp. 2 Chronicles 15:2; 2 Chronicles 20:17; Isaiah 8:10.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 8. - (See 2 Kings 6:16; Jeremiah 17:5.) The admirable language of Hezekiah here quickens our desire to feel sure that this was after (and after genuine repentance for) his faithlessness (2 Kings 18:14-16). 2 Chronicles 32:8

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

And, moreover, he set captains of war over the people, i.e., the populace of Jerusalem, assembled them in the open space at the city gate (which gate is not stated; cf. Nehemiah 8:1, Nehemiah 8:16), and addressed them in encouraging words; cf. 2 Chronicles 30:22. On 2 Chronicles 32:7, cf. 2 Chronicles 20:15, Deuteronomy 31:6, etc. "For with us is more than with him." רב, quite general, the closer definition following in 2 Chronicles 32:8 : "With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is Jahve, our God, to help us." An arm of flesh equals frail human power; cf. Isaiah 21:3 : their (the Egyptians') horses are flesh, not spirit; Jeremiah 17:5; Psalm 56:5. "And the people leaned themselves on (i.e., trusted in) the words of Hezekiah." These statements are not inconsistent with the account in 2 Kings 18:14-16, that Hezekiah began to negotiate with the Assyrian king Sennacherib when he had begun to take the fenced cities of the land unto Lachish, promised to pay him tribute, and actually paid the sum demanded, employing for that purpose even the sheet gold on the temple doors. These negotiations are passed over, not only in our narrative, but also in Isaiah 36, because they had no influence upon the after course and the issue of the war. Sennacherib was not induced to withdraw by the payment of the sum demanded, and soon after the receipt of it he sent a detachment from Lachish against Jerusalem, to summon the city to surrender. The fortification of Jerusalem which the Chronicle records began before these negotiations, and was continued while they were in progress.