Matthew Poole's Commentary 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. Sennacherib invading Judah, Hezekiah fortifieth himself, 2 Chronicles 32:1-8; and sendeth letters to Isaiah concerning the blasphemies of Sennacherib, 2 Chronicles 32:9-20. An angel destroyeth the host of the Assyrians, 2 Chronicles 32:21-23. Hezekiah’s sickness and sign of recovery, 2 Chronicles 32:24; and waxing proud, is humbled by God, 2 Chronicles 32:25,26. His wealth and error, 2 Chronicles 32:27-31. His death and successor, 2 Chronicles 32:32,33. After these things, and the establishment thereof; an emphatical preface, signifying, that notwithstanding all his pious care and zeal for God, yet God saw fit to exercise him with a sore trial and calamity; which yet he turned to his great honour and advantage. He designed and bragged that he would win them all, and did actually win many of them, 2 Kings 18:13. And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem, No text from Poole on this verse. 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, with earth or other things cast into them; and withal to derive the waters by secret paths and pipes under ground to Jerusalem. 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? Which was a scarce commodity in this country, and the want of it might much annoy the Assyrian army. 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. The wall that was broken by Joash, 2 Chronicles 25:23, and not since repaired. Up to the towers; either, 1. As high as the towers, or the tops of the wall. Or, 2. As far as the two towers, or gates, which were made in the form of towers, and had the use of towers, to wit, that of Ephraim and the corner gate, both mentioned above, 2 Chronicles 25:23. Or, brought up engines or instruments of defence upon the towers. Millo; of which see 1 Kings 9:24 11:27. 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, No text from Poole on this verse. 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: No text from Poole on this verse. 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. No text from Poole on this verse. After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem, (but he himself laid siege against Lachish, and all his power with him,) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that were at Jerusalem, saying, Of this and the following verses, See Poole "2 Kings 18:17", &c.; See Poole "2 Kings 19:10", &c. Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem? No text from Poole on this verse. Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The LORD our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria? No text from Poole on this verse. Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it? No text from Poole on this verse. Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? were the gods of the nations of those lands any ways able to deliver their lands out of mine hand? No text from Poole on this verse. Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand? No text from Poole on this verse. Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you on this manner, neither yet believe him: for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand? Seeing I have destroyed so many nations, and some of them stronger than you, in spite of all their gods, it is not probable that your God should defend you, which none of the rest could do for their people. And his servants spake yet more against the LORD God, and against his servant Hezekiah. No text from Poole on this verse. He wrote also letters to rail on the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand. No text from Poole on this verse. Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews' speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city. No text from Poole on this verse. And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man. No text from Poole on this verse. And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven. No text from Poole on this verse. And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword. No text from Poole on this verse. Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all other, and guided them on every side. No text from Poole on this verse. And many brought gifts unto the LORD to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah: so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth. Or, of all those nations which were not very remote from Canaan, and heard these matters. In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, and prayed unto the LORD: and he spake unto him, and he gave him a sign. Of which see a more particular account 2 Kings 20:1. But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem. His heart was lifted up, for that prodigious victory over the Assyrians, above, 2 Chronicles 32:21, and for his miraculous restoration from sickness, and the confirmation of that work by a strange and supernatural motion of the sun, and by the honour since done him by an embassy from the great and potent king of Babylon; all which probably raised in him too great an opinion of himself, as if these things were done, if not by his power, yet, at least, for his piety and virtues. And instead of walking humbly with God, and giving the glory of all entirely to him, he took the honour to himself, and vain-gloriously showed his riches and precious treasures to the Babylonish ambassadors, 2 Kings 20:12, &c. Upon Judah and Jerusalem; who might justly be punished for Hezekiah’s sin, because they followed him in it, as they confess in the next verse. Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah. No text from Poole on this verse. And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honour: and he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of pleasant jewels; No text from Poole on this verse. Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks. No text from Poole on this verse. Moreover he provided him cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance: for God had given him substance very much. He provided him cities, Heb. he made, &c. Either he purchased them to himself by his gold or silver; or he repaired, and fortified, and beautified them for the honour and safety of his kingdom. But the former sense seems to agree better with the following words. This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. The upper water-course of Gihon; a rivulet near Jerusalem consisting of two streams, the upper, which was brought into one pool, called the upper pool, Isaiah 7:3; and the lower, which was brought into another, called the lower pool, Isaiah 22:9. The former he diverted and brought by secret pipes into Jerusalem, which was a work of great art, and labour, and policy, and therefore is here commended. Brought it straight down; whereas before it fetched a compass, and thereby might have been beneficial to the Assyrian host. Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart. God left him, to wit, to himself, and his own impotency and corruption. God withdrew from him those supplies and assistances of his Spirit which would certainly and effectually have kept him from that sin, and suffered Satan to tempt him, and him to fall into the sin of pride and ostentation. That he might know; either, 1. That God might know it. So it is spoken of God after the manner of men; whereof we have had many instances. Or, 2. That Hezekiah might know that he had infirmities and sins as well as virtues; and therefore that the great mercies which he had received were not the effects of his own merits, as he might be prone to believe, but of God’s free grace. Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. No text from Poole on this verse. And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honour at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead. No text from Poole on this verse. |
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