The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 314

cords, which a.re very e.mplP, rmd of which promised deliverance if trust were placed we have the sotae.J originRls, twenty years in God (Isit. viii. 9-15; x. 24-26; xiv. intervened between the capturo of Same.rie. 24, 25). When the siege commenced, all and the e.tteck of Senne,cberib on Heze- was dismay within the walls-it wu "A kiah ; acoo~ding to the present pe,sse,go, day of trouble, and of tree.ding down, and comp&.red with ve!'B. 9. 10, eight yee,rs only of perplexity" (Isa. xxii. 5). 8ome of the intervened. No contradiction can be more rulers fled (lsB. xxii. 8); others gave them- absolute It he,s been proposed to alter the selves up for Jost, e.nd resolved on "a short de.tl> from " the fourteenth year " to " the life and e. merry oue" (Isa. xxii.18). lieze- tweniy-si.xth yes.r;" but it seems most prob- kiAh found no encouragement to resist in able that the origine,l writer inserted no e.ny of his counsellors except Isaiah, and date, but simply said, "And Sennaeherib, was therefore driven to despo.ir-e.cknow- King of Assyrie., came up," etc., just 11s he ledged himself in the wrong for rebelling, bad said, without a date, "Pu! the King of and besought Sennacherib to "return from Assyria came up Against the land" (eh. xv. him "-ie. to retire e.ud withdraw his troops. 19); and "against him (Hoshea) came up That which thou puttest on me will I bear. Shalme,neser" (eh. xvii. 3); and, with a very Whatever burden Sennacherib chooses to vague date, if it may be called a date, "In , put upon him, Hezekiah says he will bear, the days of Pekah King of Isr11.el came Tig- be it tribute, be it cession of territory, be it lath-pileser King of Assyria" (eh. xv. 29. indignity of e.ny sort or kind. He makes Comp. also eh. x.xiv. 1, 11). Later on, a no reservation; but of course he assumes redactor-perhaps the same who inserted the.t the terms about to be offered him will the whole series of synchronisms-intro- be such as, e.ccording to the usages of we.r dnced the words, " In the fourteenth year at the time, would be regarded e,s reason- of King Hezekiah," having obtained th11 able. And the King of Assyria. appointed number from eh. xx. 6, which he assumed unto Resekie.h King of J'ude.h three hundred to belong to the time of Sennacherib's talents of silver and thirty te.lents of gold, attack. Against all the fenced cities of Senne.cherib se.ys that the payment me.de J'uds.h, and took them. Sennacherib himself him by Hezekiah wo.s thirty talents of gold says," And of Hezekiah of Judah, who did e.nd eight hundred talents of silver(' Records not submit to my yoke, forty-siz strong of the Pa.et,' vol. i. p. 39, line 34). He has, cities, fortresses, aud smaller cities round perhaps, exaggerated, or he may have about them without number, by the me.rch counted in e.11 the silver that he carried off of my troops, . . . by the force of be.ttering- from the whole of Judrea; or, possibly, the re.ms, mining, e.nd missiles, I besieged, I payment to purchase peace we.s eight hun- captured" (' Eponym Canon,' p. 134, lines dred talents, the fixed tribute three hundred. 6-12. Comp. also 2 Chron. xxxii. 1 e.nd We learn from Sennacherib's inscription lso.. mvi. 1). tho.t, besides making this money payment, Ver. 14.-And Hezekiah Xing of .Judah Hezekiah had to consent to (1) e. cession of sent to the King of Assyria. to Le.chish, se.y- territory towards the south-west, which we.a ing. (On the position of Le.chish, see the apportioned between Gaza, Ekron, e.nd Ash- comment upon eh. xiv. 19.) A be.a-relief in dod ; (2) the surrender of an Assyrian vassal the British Museum is thonght to represent king, detained in Jerusalem; and (3) the Sennacherib at the siege of Le.chish. He contribution to the ho.rem e.t Nineveh of is seated on a highly ornamented throne, two if not more of his daughters. and iB engaged in reeeiving prisoners. The Ver. 15.-And Hezekiah gave him e.ll the city is represented e.s strongly fortified, and 1ilver the.t we.a found in the house of the as attacked with see.ling-ladders e.nd batter- Lord, and in the treasures of the king's ing-rams. The surrender is taking place, house, Ahaz he.d exhausted both these and the co.ptives of importance a.re being stores of wee.Ith about thirty years previously conducted from one of the tower-gates to (eh. xvi. 8), e.nd there could not ho.ve been the presence of the conqueror. An accom- very much e.ccumulation since. Hence the panying inscription is to the following stripping of the metal-plating from off the effect: "Sennacherib, the great king, the temple doors (see the next verse). King of ABByria, sitting on tl,c throne of Ver. 16.-At that time did Hezekiah out judgment before the city of Lakl.tisha (La- oft' the gold from the door1 of the temple of ch ish ). I give permission for its destruc- the Lord, e.nd from the pille.ra which Heze- tion." It would seem that, while Sennacherib kiah King of Judah had overle.id, e.nd gave Wll.B persoWl.lly engaged in this siege, e. it to the King of Aasyrie.. lo the time ot portion of his e.rmy Jie.d invested Jerusalem, his great wealt'.l and prosperity, Hezekiah, and were pressing the siege (see Isa. xxii. while engaged in restoring the temple (2 1-7). I have offended; return from me. Chron. xxix. 17-19), had a.domed_ the The ione of the oubmissim is aliject. In pillars e.nd doors of the se.notuary with a niu bad balah aollllB0lled resistll.ll.ce, and metal coverinit, which w1111 i;robe.bly gold, err. xv1TL 1-87.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. 381