The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 335

Rny of them were nooeBBible exoept lMiah. between the "living" God, nnd the dead He had been AhRz's oounsollor (Ts1t. vii. 4- idols whom Rebshakeh has placed OH a p11r 16), And was now certainly among the regular with him. And will reprove the words counsellors of Hezekiah. Moreover, be was which the Lord thy God bath heard. The in Jerusalem, and could readily be consulted, "words of lfabshakeh," his contemptuous Hezekiah, therefore., sends to him in hie words conceruing Jehovah (eh. xviii. 3<1-::15) rlistrcse, and sends a most honourable and and his lying words (oh. xviii. 25), consti- dignified embassy. It is his intention to tuted the new fenture in the situation, and, tre11t the prophet with the utmost respect while a ground for "distress," were also a and courtesy. No doubt, at this period the ground for hope: would not God in some prorhclicn1 order stood higher than the signal wny vindioote his own honour, and priestly one in general estimation; and not "reprove" them? Wherefore lift up thy nnwort'hily. If any living man could give prayer for the remnant that are left. Sen- the king sonnd ndvice under the circum- nacherib, in his former expedition, wherein stances. it we.s the son of Amoz. Covered he took forty-six of the J udroan cities, with sackcloth. Probably by the king's besides killiug vast numbers, had, as he command. Hezekiah wished to emphasize himself tells us (' Eponym Canon,' p. 13-l), hie own horror and grief in the eyes of the carried off into captivity 200,150 persons. prophet, and could only do so by making He had also curtailed Hezekiah's domi~ hie messengers a!'Sume the garb which he nious, detaching from them various cities hR.d jndged suitable for himself on the occa- with their territories, and attaching them sion. To Isa.i.e.h the prophet the son of Am.oz. to Ashdod, Gaza, and Ekron (ibid., p. 135). Nothing more is known of Amoz beyond his Thus it was only a "remnant" of the being Isaiah's father. He is not to be con- Jewish people that wne left in the land founded with the Prophet Amos, whose name (comp. Isa. i. 7-9). is spelt qnite differently: D"IC'I!, not l' \o~. Ver. 5.-So the servants of King Hezekiah Ver. 3.-And they Ba.id unto him, Thns oame to Isaiah. Superfluous, according to saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, modem notions, but rounding off the pa.re.- and of rebuke, and of blasphemy. Of graph commenced with ver. 2. " trouble," or " distress," mauifesUy-o. day Ver. 6.-And Isaiah said unto them, Thus on which the whole nation is troubled, shall ye say to your master, Isaiah seems grieved, alarmed, distressed, made miser- to have been ready with a reply. Tbe newe able. It is also a day of "rebuke," or of the words spoken by Rabshakeh had rather of "chastisemeut .. _ day on which probably flown through the city, and reached God's h.e.nd lies heavy upon us and chastisPs him, nnd he bnd already laid the matter us for our sine. And it is a day, not of before God, and received God's instructions "bln.sphemy ," but of "abhorrence" or of concerning it. He was therefore nble to "contumely"-a day on which God contu- return an answer Rt once. ThUB se.ith the melionsly rejects his people, and allows Lord, Be not afraid of the words whioh them to be insulted by their enemies (see thou hast hsard, with whioh the servants the comments of Keil and Bahr). For the -rather, lackeys; the term used is not the children are oome to the birth, and there common one for "servants," viz. 'J=?J!, but ia not strength to bring forth. A prover- a contemptuous one, '.'.1.P,!, "foot-boys," or bial expression, probably meaning th.e.t a "lackeys" -of the King of Assyria have dangerous crisis approaches, and that the blasphemed me. nation bes no strength to carry it through Ver. 7.-Behold, I will send a blast upon tue peril. him. The meaning is doubtful. Most Ver. 4.-It may be the Lord thy God- modem critics translate, with the LXX., Etill "thy God." at any rate, if he will not "I will pnt a spirit within him," and conde.scend to be called our,, since we have understand " a spirit of cowardioe," or " a so grievously offended him by our many despondent mood" (Theniue), or " an ex• Bins and backslid.i.nge-will hear all the traordinary impulse of Di vine inspiration. words of Rabllhakeh. "The words of which is to hnrry him blindly on" (Drechs- Rabshakeh" (lea. :u:xvii 4); but the ex- ler). But the idea of our translators, that pression here nsed is more emphatic. the blast (mi) is external, and sent upon Hezekiah hoped that God would " hear" him, not put in him-that, in fact, the de- lle.bshakeh's words, would note them, and struction of his army is referred to, seems puniah them. Whom the King of Assyria defensible by such passages e.s Exod. xv. 8 hill muter hath aent to reproach the living nnd Isa. xxv. 4. The prophecy was, no doubt, God. (For the "reproaches" intended, see intentionally vague-enough for its imme- oh. xvi.ii 30-35. For the expression, " the diate purpose, which was to comfort and living God," ":I Cl'!'b.~, see Dent, v. 26; Josh. strengthen Hezekiah-but not intended to iii. 10; I Sam. xvu:·26; Ps. xlii 2; lxxxiv. gratify man's curiosity by revealing the 2; Hos. i. 10, etc.) A contrast ia inteu<led exact mode in which God would work. And OH. XIX, 1-87.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. 883