The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 317

years in the destruction of this very God's in the name of Jehovah, by Jewish propheta, high places and oltars? Surely the God will which threa.tened the Ja.nd witb desola.tion not favour one who has been pulling down at the hand of the Assyrians (e.g. Isa. vii. hie ploces of worship I Putting out of sight 17-24; x. 5-12; Joel ii. 1-11, etc.). Or the special requirements of the Jewish Law, he may ha.ve mad.e the statement in mere the argument might well seem unanswer- bravado, ns one that might frighten some, able. At BllY rate, it was calculated to have a.nd a.t nny rate could not be contradicted. a cerbin effect on the minds of those who Ver. 26.-'l'hen said Elia.ki.m the son of were a.ttached to the high-place worship, Hilkiah, and Shebna, a.nd Joa.h, 1111to Rab- and desired its continuance. And ha.th said sha.keh, Speak, I pra.y thee, to thy servants to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye eha.11 worship in the Syrian la.ngua.ge; litera.lly, in the before this altar in Jerusalem. A weak Aramaic langua!7e. Hebrew, Ara.maic, and argument, if addressed to J,;ws of Jerusalem Assyrian were three cogna.te langua.ges, only, but likely to he.ve weight with the closely a.l!ied, and very similar both in their oountry Jews, if, e.s is probe.hie, they had grammatical forms and in tbeir voca.bularies, crowded into the city when the inve.eion but still sufficiently different to be distinct began. languages, which were only intelligible to Ver. 23.-Now therefore, I pray thee, those who bad learnt them. Rabsha.keh had give pledges to my lord the King of Assyria, a.ddressed the Jewish officials in Hebrew, and I will deliver thee two thoUBand horses, probably r.s the la.ngua.ge which they would if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon best understand, if it were not even the only them. " Pledge thyself," i.e. " to find the one tha.t they would understa.nd ; not with men, and I will pledge myself to find the the express ,. object of influencing the horses." It is a. strong expression of con- common people," a.s Bahr supposes. But the tempt for the military power of the Jews. Jewish officials feared tha.t the words uttered They have not only no trained ca.valry, but, were influencing them. They proposed, there- were a.ny one to furnish them with two fore, that the further negotiations should be thousand horses, they could not find the conducted in Aramaic, a tongue which they men to ride them. The Jewish army does, understood, a.nd one which th,·y supposed in fa.et, appear to ha.ve consisted of infantry tha.t Ha.bshakeh, a.a he knew Hebrew, would a.nd cha.riots only. a.lso know. Arama.io was spoken in most Ver. 24.-How then wilt thou turn awa.y of the tra.ct that luy between Assyria r.nd the fa.ce of-i.e. "repulse," ea.use to retreat" Polestioe, in Syria. and Damascus certainly, -one ca.ptain of the lea.at of my ma.ster'a in Upper Mesopotamia, a.Jong the line of tho servants; litera.lly, one goDernor-the word Euphrates, a.nd perhaps as far as the Kha- used is the.t which in modern times takes hour river. For we 1111derstand it. It is the form of "pasha," or "pa.cha.." It not likely tha.t the Jews of this time gene- properly applies to the rulers of provinces; rally understood Ara.ma.io; but high officials but as these were expected to collect e.nd of the court, who might have to deal with comme.nd, upon occasions, the troops of embassies and negotiate treaties, fonnd it their province, it hns o secondary sense of necessa.ry to understand it. just es such "comma.nder" or" ca.pte.in." And -put thy persons in our own country ha.ve to know trust; rather, and tltou puttest thy trust-in French. And talk not wit1l us in the Jews' this extremity of weakness, so fe.r as thine la.ngua.ge in the ears of the people that own forces are concerned, thou a.rt so foolish are on the wall. Besides the sentinefa a.nd a.s to put thy trust in Egypt, a.nd to expect other soldiers, there would probably be tha.t her strength will make up for thine m1lny idlers upon the wall, attracted by the own impotence. Vain hope! (see ver. 21). unwanted epecto.cle of o.n a.mbassadoriol On Egypt for cha.riots e.nd for horsemen 1 or, cortige, o.ncl anxious to pick up intelligence. chariots and chariot-men. The loud voices of Orientals would be hea.rd Ver. 25.-Am I now come up without the to II considera.ble di.stance. Lord against this pla.ce to destroy it 1 The Ver. 27 .-But Ra.bsha.keh ea.id 1111to them, Lord ea.id to me, Go up against this la.nd, Ha.th my master sent me to thy master, and and destroy it. The Assyria.u monarchs to thee, to spea.k these words l ha.lb he not constantly state the.t Asshur, their "great sont me to the men whioh sit 011 the wBll t god,'' directs them to ma.ke war age.inst this An intolerable speech on the part of an or tha.t notion(' Records of the Past,' vol. i. envoy, and one which might have justified pp. 48, GO, 70, 71, 82, eto.), but not tha.t the a.n order to send an arrow through hIB h,,ad. gorl of tho country to be a.ttaoked does so. Ambassa.dors are accredited by governments It is difficult to a.coount for Senna.oherib's to governments, a.nd the safe conduct granted very exceptionol boast, "Jehova.h said to to them is on the understanding that they me, Go up a.gainst this la.nd." Perha.ps he will oouduct themselves according to esta.~ identifies "Jehovoh" with "Asshur." lishod usa.ge. In no state of society ca.n it. Perhaps he ba.s heard of propbeoies, uttered ha.ve been allow11ble for envoys to intervene  864 THE SECOND BOOK OF T!IE KTNGS. [en. xvm.1-aT.