The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 316

OYer in eilenoo the ot.her two. Speak ye seem, "halted between two opinions.'' He now to Hesekiah. It was a rude, almost hoped for aid from Egypt; but, if it foiled, an ineulting commencement, to give Heze- then he hoped for the Divine help promised kiRh no title-neither " the king," nor by Isaiah. Now on whom dost thou trll8t, •• King of Judah," nor even "yonr mo.ster," that thon rebelle■ t againat me 1 • but to call him merely "Hezekiah." The Ver. 21.-Now, behold, thou trll8te■t upon Eame rudeness is persisted in throughout the ■ta.ft' of thia bruised reed, even upon (vel'!'I. 22, 29, 30, 31, 32), and it is emphasized Egypt. Sennacherib had good informntion. by the employment of some title or other, Hezekiah's embusy to Egypt (Isa, xxx. generally a lofty title, when Sennncherib 2-7) was known to him; and ho rightly is spoken of. Sennaoherib himself is less judged that Hezekiah we.s expecting aitl rude in his inscriptions (see the • Eponym from this qunrter. Thie expectation he Canon,' pp. 133, line 45; 134, line 6; 136, ridicules. What is Egypt but a "bruised lines 21, 15). Thll8 saith the great king, reed"? The Nile bulrush (~i) has a the King of Assyria. The" great king"- goodly show; it rears itself a.loft, and looks 84rru rabll-WO.S the ordinary title assumed strong a.nd stately ; but use it as II staff, bv Assyrian monarchs. lt pa.seed from lean upon it, and it snaps at once. Such is them to the Babylonians and the Persians. Pharnoh-nRy, he is worse; he is o. bl'Uised Sennacherib call~ himself, on Bellino's reed, which can give no support at o.11, even cylinder," the grea.t king, the powerful king, for a moment. The Assyrian monarch wo.s the King of Assyria., the king unrivalled, justified in Lis contempt. Egypt had ne,·er the pious monarch, the worshipper of the yet given a.ny effectual snpport to the states grea.t gods, the protector of the just, the attacked by Assyria. Shebek gave no lover of the righteous, the noble warrior, manner of aid to Hoehea, but allowed the valiant hero, the first of all kings, the Samaria to be c-0114 uered in B.O. 722 without grea.t punisher of unbelievers" (see • Records making the slightest effort on her behalf. of the Past,' vol. i. p. 25). What oon1idence In B.c. 720 he e&me to the a.id of Gaza is this wherein thou trustest 1 We may (' Eponym Canon,' p. 126), but Gaza was assume that Hezekiah had, at the be~nning cCLptured notwithstanding. In B.c. 711 of tlie vear, withheld his tribute. He had either he_ or Sa.ba.tok undertook the protec- oertainiy not gone out to meet the •• great tion of Ashdod, but with the same lack of king" as he approached his territories, to success (ibid., pp. 130, 181). "Kings of do homage, and place the forces of J ude.h Egypt " assisted the Aecalonites against at his disposo.l. On the contrary, he had Sennacherib himself in B.o. 701, and were taken up an e.ttitnde of hostility. He had again completely defeated (ibid., pp. 133, fortified his capital (2 Chron. xxxii. 2-5); 134). Snrgon calls the King of Egypt, whose he had collected arms and soldiers, a.nd had a.id was invited by the Ashdodites (ibid., shut himself np in Jeruse.lem, having me.de p. 130, line 37), "a monarch who could not every prepa.ra.tion for a. .,iege. Sennacherib sa.ve them." On which if a ma.n lean, it will inquires why he has dared to do all this- go into hia hand, and pierce it ; i.e. trw;t on what strength does he rely? What is in Egypt will not only bring a country no the ground of his confidence? advantage, but it will bring positive injnry. Ver. 20.-Thou sayest (but they are bnt The sharp silicious casing of a reed might vain words); literally, words of lips; i.e. ran into the hand and give an ugly wound. words which the lips spea.k, without the So is Pharaoh King of Egypt unto all that hea.rt having any conviction of their truth. trast on him. Sargon in one pince (ibid., We mllBt suppose tliat Sennacherib has p. 130, line 36) speaks of a King of Egypt either heard from hie epiea that HezRkiah under the title of "Pharaoh." is speaking to the people as he represents Ver. 22.-:But if ye say unto mo, We trust him to be speaking, or conjectnres what he in the Lord our God. Sennacherib had also is likely to say. According to the writer heard of this second ground of trnst, which of Chronicles (2 Cbron. ll.l:ii. 7, 8), what Hezekiah had certainly put forward with he did say was very different. He neither great openness (2 Chron. xxxii. 8). No boasted of " oouDBel " nor of material donbt he thought it purely fantastical o.nd ••strength;" but simply said, " There be illusory. But he wa.s not unaware tho.t it more with us than with him: with him is might inspire a determined resistance. He au arm of flesh ; but with us is the Lord therefore condescended to ar~e against our God to help 1111 and to fight our battles." reliance ou it. ls not that he, whose high I have coDI1Sel o.nd Btrength for the war. places and whoBB alto.re Hezekiah bath Sennacherib imagines that Hezekiah's real taken awayt His counsellors have sug- trust is in the "fleshly arm " of Egypt, and gested to Senaacherib e. specious argument- in the coUll;ellr,rs who have advised and How can Hezekiah confidently rely on the brought about the alliance. And perhaps protection of the God of the land, Jehovah, All is not fa.r wrong. Hezekiah, it would when he has been employing himself for OH, XVIII. 1-37.) THE SECOND BOOK OF 'fHE KINGS. 868