The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 337

Ver. 11.-Behold, thou hast heard what probnbly shared the fate of Ilu-bld. And the lringll of AIIB}'ria have done to all lands, the King of the oity of Bephe.rvaim, of Rena, by destroying them utterly (see the comment and Ivsh 1 It is probably not meant that on oh. xvi ii. 33). The fact was indisputable tbese threo cities were e.11 of them under the (eeever.17). The question remained-Would dominion of ono rind the so.me king. "King" this triumphant ooreer of success necessarily is to be taken distributively. (On the sitea oontinue? And shalt thou be delivered 1 of the cities, see the oornment upon oil, A porfect induction is impossible in practice.I xviii. 84.) matters. Anything short of a perfeot in- Ver. 14.-And Hezekish reoeived the letter. duction is short of a proof. It had not been previously stated that Ver. 12.-Have the gods of the nations Sennacherib had written e. letter. But the delivered them which my fathers have author forgets this, e.ud so speaks of "the destroyed! The Assyrian kings always letter." Rings generally oommunicated by speak of all their predecessors as thoir letters, and not merely by messages (see ancestors. In point of fact. Sennacherib eh. v. 5; xx. 12; 2 Chron. ii 11; Neh. i. had had only one "father" among the 9, eto. ). Of the hand of the messengers, e.nd previous kings, viz. Snrgon. As Goza.n (see read it. Probably Sennacherib had oe.used the comment on eh. xvii. 6). It is uncertain it to be written in Hebrew. And Hezekish at whnt time Gozan was finally conquered went up into the ho11&e of the Lord, and and absorbed. It was frequently overrun spread it before the Lord. Not e.s if God by the Assyrians from the reign of Tiglnth- would not otherwise know the contents of pileser I. (abont B.C. ll00); but it was the letter, but to emphe.size his detestntion probably not absorbed until a.bout B.C. 809. of the letter, and to make it silently plead The Prefect of Goza.n first appears in the for him with God. Ewald rightly compe.re11 list of Assyrian Eponyms in B.c. 791. And whe.t Judas Me.cce.baius did with the dis- B:a.ra.n. "Haran" is generally admitted to figured copies of the Law a.t Maspha (1 Me.co. be the ~ity of Terah (Gen. xi 32), a.ud iii. 48), but incorrectly calls it (' History of indeed there is no rival claimant of the Israel.' vol. iv. p. 183, note 1, Eng. trans.) "e. name. Its position was in the western part laying down of the object in the sanctuary." of the Gauza.nitis region, on the Belile, Masphe. was " over age.inst" the temple, e.t abont le.t. 36° 50' N. It was probably con- the distance of e. mile or more. quered by Assyria about the same time as Ver. 15.-And Hezekiah prayed before Gozan. And Rezeph. A town ea.lied the Lord, and said, 0 Lord God of Isra.eL " Raza.ppa,'' probably "Rezeph," appears in In the parallel passage of Isaiah (x:u:vii. the Assyrian inscriptions from an early 16) we find, "0 Lord of hosts, God of date. It is thought to have been in the near Israel." Our author probably e.bbrevie.tes. vicinity of Haran, but had been conquered Whioh dwellest between the cherubims; or, and absorbed as early :i.s B.c. 818. Whether on the cherubim-" which hast thy seat,.. it is identical with the Rese.pha of Ptolemy i.e., "behind the veil in the awful holy of (' Geograph.,' v. 15) is doubtful. And the holies, consecrated to thee, and where thou children of Eden. Probe.bly the inhe.bita.nts dost manifest thyself." Hezekiah, as Keil of a city ce.lled "Bit-Adiui" in the Assyrian observes, calls into prominence "the cove- inscriptions, which was on the Middle nant relation into which Jehovah, the Euphrates, not far from Carchemish, on the Almighty Crea.tor and Ruler of the whole left bank (' Rt:cords of the Past,' vol. iii. world, had entered towards Israel. As the pp. 69, 71, etc.). This place was conqnered covenant God, who was enthroned above by Asshur-nazir-peJ, a.bout B.O. 877. Which the cherubim, the Lord wee bound to help were in Thel.uar. "Thela.ee.r" is probably. his people, if they turned to him with faith the Hebrew equivalent of " Tel-Asshur," in the time of their distress and entreo.ted "the hill or fort of A.sshur,'' which me.y have his assistance." Thou a.rt the God, even thou been the Assyrian ne.me of Bit-.!.dini, or of a alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. city dependent on it. Asshur-nazir-pal gave Thou a.rt not, i.e., as Sennacherib supposes, Assyrian no.mes to several cities 011 the a mere local god, presiding over Judme., and Middle Euphrates (see 'Records of the protecting it; but thou o.rt the God of all Past,' vol. iii. p. 55, line 48; p. 6!!, line 50). the earth and of all its kingdoms, inclu,ling Ver. 13.-Where is the King of Ha.ma.th. his own, equally. Moreover, thou alone o.rt Du-bid, King of Hamath, raised a. rebellion the God of the kingdoms. Their supposed against Sargon in B.c. 720, and was ta.ken gods a.re no gods, have no existence, a.re the prisoner the same year and carried to mere fictions of an idle and excited imagina- Assyrie. (sE:e the •Eponym Canon,' p. 127). tion, a.re mere "breath" and "nothingness." And the lung of Arpa.d. Arpe.d rernlted in Thou hast ma.de heaven e.nd earth, Wheree.11 oonjunction with Hamath, and was reduced they have done nothing, have given no proof about the same time (' Eponym Ca.non,' p. of their existence (aee Isa. xii. 28, 24). 1.26). ltAI " king" is not wentioned, but he Ver. 16,-Lorcl, bow don thino ee.r, llll4 011, XIX. 1-37,] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. 380