Vcrs. 35-37.-Thc mighty deliverance. God's word ,ms not long in being ful6lled. That very night the nngel of the Lord smote a hundred and eighty-five thous1md of the host of the Assyrians. In few words-for the end is as good as reaohed with Isaiah's oracle-the sacred narrator sums up the facts of the catastrophe. L Tm: DESTRUCTION OF SENNACHERrn's ARMY, 1. Its historic truth. On all hands, !hough Sennacherib's own annals pass over the event in silence, this seoms to be admitted. "Thus," says W ellhausen, "it proved in the issuo. By a still unexplained catastrophe, the main army of Sennacherib was annihilated on the frontier between Egypt and Palestine, and Jerusalem thereby freed from all danger. The Assyrian king had to save himself by a hurried retreat to Nineveh; Isaiah was triumphant." 2. Its miraculous character. Granting that the event happened, it seems impossible, in view of Isaiah's distinct prediction, to deny its supernatural character. God's hand i~ almost seen visibly stretched out for the deliverance of his city, and the bringing low of Sennacherib's pride. Allow that the sweeping off of this great army was in any way connected with Isaiah's faith, hope, and prayers, and a supernatural government of the world is established. 3. Its spiritual lessO'll,S. (1) We see the end wbich com- monly overtakes worldly boasters. Greek story delights to dwell on the Nemesis which overtakes inordinate pride. Napoleon, the modern Sennacherib, met with a discomfiture not dissimilar to that here recorded. (2) We learn not to be afraid of spiritual boasters. The nations may rage, and the people imagine a vain thing ; the kings of the earth may set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and his anointed. But "he that sits in the heavens will laugh; the Lord will have them in derision" (Ps. ii. 4). Scientific and philosophic boasters have not pre- vailed against the Church yet, and are not likely to do so. (3) We learn the advantage of entire reliance on God. While Hezekiah leaned on the help of man, he could accomplish nothing. When he cast himself on God's help, he was saved. God has all power in heaven and earth at his command, and is able to do all things for us. II. THE E1'"D OF SEXNACHERIB. 1. The great king's retreat. At this point "the great king," tbe King of Assyria., his boasting effectually silenced, disappears for ever from Jewish history. He" departed, and went and returned, and dwelt in Nineveh." No more is heard of his exploits in these pages. 2. His miserable end. His end was a fittincr satire on his boasts. Two of his own sons, Adrammelech and Sharezer, con- spired ;gainst him, and slew him while he was worshipping ~n the hou~~ of his god. This is the god to whose power, it may be presumed, he attributed all his conquests, Poor god I tbat could not save his own worshipper. Sic transit gloria mundi. The sons who slew him could not keep the throne, which was taken by Esarhaddon.-J. 0.
EXPOSITION. Vera. 1-11.-The illneas and recovery of CHAPTER XX. Hezekiah. Vera. 1-21.-ILLNEse OF lliZEXIAH AND Ver. 1.-In. those days. This is a very EMBASSY OF MEBODACB-BALADAN. HEZE- vague note of time, and cannot be regarded KIAB'S DEATH. The writer proceeds to relate 0.3 determining the position of the event& an illness and a recovery of Hezekiah, which here related with respect to the preceding happened abont the middle of hie reign, narrative. Ver. 6, however, shows tbo.t a probably in B.c. 713, and which wi:is e.c- time auterior to Sennacherib's discomfiture is intended: and the same verse also fixes companied by strange, if not miraculous, the date to Hezekie.h's fourteenth year, circumstances (vera. 1-11). Hezekiah's which was B.a. 713. If the date in oh. recovery was followed by an embassy of xviii. 13 be regarded as genuine, we must congratulation from Merodach-Bala.dan, King consider that the illness happened in the of Babylon. which led Hezekiah into an e.ct vear of Sennacherib's first expedition against Palestine: but if we regard that date Ill of folly, and brought upon him tl>i, rebuke of interpolated, and accept the Assyrian in- Isaiah (vera. 12-19). The naaative termi- scriptions e.s our chronological authorities. nates with a notice of some of Hezekiah'• we must place the events of the preaont t;ret.t work& &11d ,,, !iiB decea.ae (vert, 2Q, ii). oha11ter twelve 1eare e,,rlier than thut ei• cm. n. 1-21.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. 405