worst kind. He invnded and rnvaged the lan,l of Israel, tl,rew Hoshea into prison, laid siege to S1,m11ria, carried the Israelites into Assyria, and located in their homes strangers from various parts of the Assyrian dominions. Thus he utterly destroyed the kingdom of Israel, The other despot is Sennacherib (vers. 13-16). Shalmaneser is gone, and this Sennacherib takes his place. The ruthlessness of this mall's despoti8m appears in the followin~ facts, recorded in the pnsent chapter. 1. He had already invaded a country in which he had no right. '' Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah did Sennacherib King of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and too'k them." "The names of the principal of these cities are perhaps enumerated by Micah (i.11-16), viz. Saphir, lying between Ashdod and E\eutheropolis (Eusebius and Jerome,' Ono mast.,' Saphir; cf. Robinson,' Bibi. Researches,' ii. p. 370); Zaanan or Zenan (Josh. xv. 37), (Septuagint Sevva«p); Beth-Ezel or Azel (Zech. xiv. 5), near Saphir and Zaanan; Maroth or Maarath (Josh. xv. 5!J), between these towns and Jerusalem; Larhish ( Um Lalcis); Moresheth-Gath, situated in the direction of Gath; Achzib, between Keilah and Ma.:esoah (Josh. xv. 44); Mareshah, situated in the low country of Judah (Josh. xv. 44); Adu/lam, near· Mareshah (cf. Isa. xxiv. 1-12). Overrunning Palestine, Sennacherib laid siege to the fortress of Lachish, whieh lay seven Ruman miles from Eleutheropolis, and, therefore, south-west of Jerusalem on the way to Egypt. Amongst the interesting illustrations of sacred history, furnished by the recent Assyrian excavations, is a series of bas-reliefs repre- senting the siego of a. town-a fenced town-among the uttermost cities of Judah (Josh. xv, 39; Robinson's 'Biblical Researches')." Now mark, he now determines on another invasion, although: 2. lle had received from t',e king most humble submis- sion and large contributions to leave his country alone. Mark his humiliating appeal, "And Hezekiah King of Judah sent to the King of Assyria t" Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttcst on me will I bear." Alas! herein is a yielding of this great man's courage. Why did he apologize, pay the tribute which his ancestor had immorally pledged? Up to this point he had been bold in withholding it. But here, in crouching fear, he makes an apolo~y. And more than this, he unri~hteously promises a large contribution in ans\ver to the despot's demands. "And the King of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah King of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold." Tbe sum that he promised was extra- vagant, amounting to three hundred and fifty thonsand pounds; but what was worse, this sum was abstracted from the public fnnds, to wbich he had no right, and was also rifled from t.he temple, which was a desecration. "And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house. At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the tem1•le of the Lord, BDd from the pillars which Hezekiah King of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the King of Assyria." 'l'he conduct of Hezekiah in this matter cannot be justified. Inasmuch as Sennacherib accepted the offering, he was in honour bound to abandon all idea of another invasion. Albeit, contrary to every principle of justice and kindness, not to say honour, he despatches his army again into Judrea. "And the King of Assyria. sent Tartan,'' etc. (ver, 17). What monsters are such desputs! and yet they are not rare. Is there a nation existing on the face of the earth to-day, whatever its form of government, that has not at one time or another played this part? III. .AN UNPRINCIPLED DIPLOMACY, On behalf of Hezekiah, "Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the bousehold, and Shebna the scribe, and Joa.h the son of Asaph the recorder,'' appeared before the invading soldiers, and they are thus addressed by Rabshakeh, one of the leaders of the invading host: "And Rabshakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, 'l'hus saith the gre,,t king, the King of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?" etc. He appears as the diplomatist of the Assyrian war--king, nnd what does he do? By an impassioned haraugue, i'rau;,;ht with insolence, fahehoo<l, and blasphemy, he urges Hezekiah and his country to surrender. In doing this: 1. He represents Ms master, the K-in9 of ..dssyria, to be far greate:r than he is. "Thus saith the great king, the King of A~syria." Great, indeed! A flashing meteor and II gorgeous bubble, nothing more! A diplomatist is ever tempted to make his own country fabulously great in the presence of the one with whom he seeks to negotiate. 2. He seeks to terrify them with a s.11188 of their 376 THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. [011. xvm. 1-3'1.
vttei· inability to fWIBt tM inwding army. "What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?"-D. T.