1 He ſhook off that Yoke of Subje&ion and Tribute,to which his Father had wickedly ſubmitrred, Chap.16.7. and reaſlumed that full & independent Soveraignty which God had ſetled in rhe Houle of David, which 4haz could nor alienate further, than for his own time: Arid Hezek/ab's Caſe differs much from that of Zedekiah,who is blatned for Rebellion againſt the King of Babylon,both becauſe he had ingaged himſelf to him by a ſolemn Oath and Covenant, which we do not read of haz ; and becauſe he broke the Covenanr which he himfelf had made ; and becauſe God had aQually given the Do- minion of his own Land and People to the King of Babylon, and commanded both Zedekiah and his People ro ſubmit to him. And whereas Hezekiah is here ro Rebel ; that Word implies, only a defe&ion from that Subje&ion which had been profeſſed and per- formed to another ; which ſometimes may be juſtly done, and ſometimes may not : and therefore that Word doth not neceflari- ly prove this Afton to be a Sin. And theſe Words, he rebell:d, Occ. are explained by the next following Words, and he ſerved him not. And that it was not a Sin in him,ſeems moſt probable, becauſe God did own,and aſſiſt him therein 3 and did nor ar all reprove him for it, in that Meſſage which he ſent to him by 1/aiah about this mat-
ter, Chap. 19. 20, &c. nor afterwards, though he did particu/arly reprove him for that which might ſcem a leſs Fault, for his Vain
glory, and Oftenation, 2 Ciron. 32. 25, 26. For what he faith, 1 have offended ; ſee on wer. 19. _
8 He * ſmote the Philiſtines m evez vnto | Gaza,and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen, to the fenced city ».
m And recovered from them what his Father had loſt, Ckron.28. 18. and more. » Of which Phraſe, ice on Cap. 17. g. ;
9 © Andit * came to paſs in the fourth year”of king Hezekiah,( which was the ſeventh year of Hoſhea oſon of Elab king of iſrael) that Shalrnanezer king of Aftyria came up againft Samaria, and beſieged ir.
o The Seventh of thoſe Nine Years expreſſed, Chap. 17.1.
10 And at the end of three years p they took it, ever in the ſixth year of Hekekiah ( that is * the ninth year of Hoſhea king of Iſrael ) Samaria was taken.
> Towit, ofthe Siege; 5. e. In the Third Year, as this Phraſe is uſed; Dewt. 14. 28. Jojb. 9. 16. 17. Jer. 34. 14. comp. with Exod.
21. 2. , 1x And the king of Aſſyria did carry away Ifrael into Affyria, and put them * in Halah, and in Habor,by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes g : ; 9 Of which ſee above on Chap. 17.6. _ | | 12 Becauſe they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their God, bur tranſgreſted lis covenant, nd all that Moſes the ſervant of the LORD commanded r, and would not hear them, nor do them. | + They began with one Sin,the Worſhip of the Calves;but from thence they were led by degrees into the Viohtion of all the other | Commands : although indeed,that one Sin made them in ſome ſort. guilty of the Breach of the whole Law, Jam. 2. 10. | . 13 JNow * in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did f Sennacherib king of Affſyria s come up againſt all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them x. | | s The Son or Succeſfor of Salmaneſſer. i.e. Againſt many of them: univerſal Particles being frequently fo uſed doth in Scripture, and other Authors ; for that all were not taken,appears from Chap.19.8. And this Succeſs God gave him; partly,to lift him up to his own grearer and more ſhameful Deſtruftion : partly, to humble and chaſtiſe his own People for their manifold ſins, &afterwards to raiſe them up with more comfort,and glory: and partly,to gain an emis R nent opportunity to advance his own Honour and Service,by that nuraculous Deliverance which he detigned for his People.
; 14 And Hezekiah king of Judah fent to the king of Aflyria to Lachiſh, ſaying, I have offended #, return = from: me : that which thou putceſt on me, will I bear. And the king of Afſycia appointed unto Hezekiah king cf Judah, three hundred calencs of filver, and thirty ralcnts of gold.
_ © To wit,againſt thee; 78. T have given thee occaſion of Warring
57 againſt me,whereof £ now repent. Or, his ill Succeſs might make
4 him think that he had ſinned againſt God in this Attion,and might
: make him willing to ſubmir ro him, though God graciouſly pre- vented it. « Of which ſee on Exod. 25, 39.
. If And Hezekiah gave him all the filver that was found in the houſe of the LORD, and in the treaſures of the kings houſe. |
16 Ac that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD ; and from the pil- lars, which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid x.and gave Þ it to the king of Aiſyria. :
x So repairing the injury which his Father had done to them and puting them into the ſame condition in which Solomon left them, 1 Kings 6.32.
17 And the king of Aſſyria ſent 7 Tartan, and Rab.
hop.
+ Heb. | From after | kim.
*Iſa14.
" 29. | + Heb. AzLA hs
| * Chap. 175. 3.
* Chap. 17. 6.
* r Chro. 5: 26.
| + Heb. ' Sanheriv,
"ig:
f Heb.
them,
ET IN Ww a
he underſtood not,judging of the gods; and judging of God's Worſhip according to the vain
themſelves into the power of ſuch a Enemy, by going our of the City.
Hath he not ſent me to che me that they may eat their own dung, and drink + their feet,
H
tris, and Rabſhakeh from Lachiſh to king Hezekiah, with a + great hoſt againſt Jeruſalem ; and they wenc up,and came to Jeruſalem : and when they were come up, they came and ſtood * by the conduir of the upper þ: pool,which is in the high-wav of the fullers field.
y Having received the money, upon which he agreed ro depart from Hezekiah and his Land, wer.16. He breaks his faith with Heu24 ktah, thereby juſtifying Hez«kiabs Rebellion,and preparing the way for his own approaching DeſtruRion.
18 And when they had called to the king z, there came out to them Eliakim the fon of Hilkiah a, Which was Hver the houſhold b, and Shebna the || ſcribe c and Joah the ſon of Aſaph the recorder. f
2 7. e. Sent a Meſlage to him, to come, them. 2 Of whom ſee, 1/2.22.20, &c, b Heb. over the houſe ; either of God: or rather, of the King here mentioned ; as appears from
13.22. c So called ro diſtinguith him from another Shebns who was over the houſe, Iſa. 22.15.
19 And Rabſhakek ſaid unto them,Speak 'e NOV HezeF1ah, Thus faith the great king,the Ar Aſſyria What __ zs this wherein thou truſteſt 2
20 Thou || fayeſt 4 ( but e they are but + vain wo d [| 7 have counſel and ſtrength for the war g: rorcsſ') [| Or
[| Oc,