The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 361

oords of the Pe.st,' vol. vii. p. 40; vol. ix. tho valuable balsam oil, which was obtainod p. 13, etc.). Ye.Jdn, however, me.y he.ve from the royRl gardens, is intended. And all been his grandfather, e.s Nimshi was the the house of hia armour; or, of hiR 1Jessels ; grandfather of Jehu, and Dalade.n (Bel- but arms and armom arc probo.bly intended. daan ?) his father. King of Babylon, sent It would be almost as important to show letters and a pr88ent unto Hezekiah. Thus that he had abuude.nt arms in store, ns that opening diplomatic eommunication. It has he had nbnndant riches. And all that waa been almost universe.Uy felt that the object found in his treasures-a clo.nse implying of the embassy must have been to conclude, that there was much more which ho.d not or at any rate to pave the way for, an al- been specified, as preoious stones, ivory, liance. So Josephus (' Ant. Jud.,' x. 2. § ebony, and the like-there was nothing in 2). Ewald, Von Gerlach, Thenius, Keil, his house, nor in all his dominion, that Bii.hr. and othere. Assyria menaced both B:ezekie.h showed them not. This is a countries, and the common danger produced manifest hyperbole ; but it can soarcely naturally a mntunl a.ttraction. But it wa.s mean less than that he gave orders for them prudent to disguise this motive. For he had to be shown the collections of arms and heard that Hezeliiah had been sick. As- stores which existed in his other strong- syria could not take umbrage at an embassy holds besides Jerusalem. Hezekiah, no of congratulation, nor at one for scientific doubt, had many " store cities,'' as Solomon purposes (2 Chron. x:xxiii. 31). So these (2 Chron. viii. 6) and Rehoboe.m (2 Chron. two objects were paraded. xi. 5-12) had. Ver. 13.-And Hezekiah hearkened unto Ver.14.-Then oame Isaiah the prophet them. Hezekiah wa.s dazzled by the pro- unto Xing B:ezekiah, and said unto him. spect that opened upon him. It was a When e. prophet came, unsummoned, into a grand thing that his fame should have king's presence, it was usually to rebuke reachcJ so far e.s Babylon, a still grander him (comp. 2 Sam. xii. l: xxiv. 11-13; 1 thing to be offered such e.n alliance. It Kings xiii. 1, 2; xviii. 15-18; xxi. 18-22; must be remembered that he and his coun- eh. i. 15,")6; 2 Chron. xii. 5; xvi. 7; xx. sellors were inclined from the first to meet 37; xxv. 7, 15, etc.). What said these Assyrian menace by calling in foreign aid ( eh. men 1 and from whenoe came they unto xviii. 21-24; Isa. xx. 6; xxx. 2-7; x:xxvi. thee 1 Isaiah does not ask because he does 6). He had not yet accepted the view of not know, but to obtain a confession, on which Isaiah, that human aid was vain, and that he may base the message that he has to the only ree.sona.ble ground of hope or con- deliver. And Xezekiah said, They a.re come fidence was in Jehovo.h. And showed them from a far country, even from Babylon. all the house of his precious things ;- i.e. Note first, that Hezekiah does not give any his treasury. Hezekiah did not do this in answer to tho prophet's firet question, mere ostentation, though he may have Lad " What said these men ? " bring unwilling a certain pride in exhibiting his wealth. probab'y to make known the overtures tho.t His me.in wish, no doubt, was to make he had received from them, since he knows known his resources, and show that he was that Isaiah is opposed to any reliance on a valuable ally. So OrClltes acted towards an "arm of flesh ; " and secondly, that he Polycrates (Herod., iii. 123), and Hannibal answers the second question, not with shame, towards the Gortynians (Corn. Nep., • Vit. but with complacency, "They are come to Hanuib.,' § 9). It is to be borne in mind me from a very far country, whither my fama that Hezekiah's tree.sure9 were, in B.C. 712, has reached-even from Babylon a.re they still intact, aud included ell that o.mple come, 'the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of store which he sacrificed to save Jerusalem the Chaldees' excellency ' (Isa. xiii. 19)." e.t the time of the first expedition of Sen- Self-satisfaction shows itself in the answer. riacherib (see eh. xviii. 14-16, and comp. He thinks it redounds to his honour thut he • Eponym Canon,' p. 135, where we find has been sought out from so great a distance, enumerated among the trea!lures given up, and by so greo.t a city. Lesides gold and silver, "precious car- Ver. 15.-And he said, What have they buncles, couches of ivory, elevated thrones seen in thine houae t i.e. What ho.et thou of irnry, skins of buff:,loes, horns of buffa- shOlVed them? Hast thou treated them liko loes, and wee.pons"). The silver, and the gold, ordinary ambassadors, or hast thou gonfl out and the spioes. Compare the description of of thy way to court au alliance with their the wealth of Solomon (l Kings x. 25). master? And Hezekiah answered, All 1Lo "Spices" al ways form an important portion things that arc in mine house have they of the treasure of Oriental kings (comp. seen : there is nothing among my treasureJ Herod., iii. 97, sub fin.). And the preoious that I have not showed them. The reply is ointment; rather, tke precious oil-1~1',, open and straightforward. Hozekie.h is not not nt1 (compare the Septuagint, ..-b (Au.,011-rb ashamed of what he has done, or at any re.to, a., o.86•). It is thought (Keil, Bii.hr) that will not, to escape blame, take refuge in lie, OH. XX, l-21.] THE SECOND BoOK OF 'l'HE KINGS. 409