The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 393

II. lIEZEIUAn AND ms PROPHET, Their supplications to the Goel of heaven (ver, 20). 1. The prayer nf Hezelciah. Recorded in 2 Kings xix. 14--19 and Isa. xxxvii. 16-19. (1) Where offered. "In the house of the Lord." Having read the A8syrian's letter, Hezekiah repaired to the temple and spread it before the Lord; in which act lay a double propriety-Jehovah having invited bis people to call upon him in the day of trouble (Pe. 1. 16), and promised to deliver them (Ps. xci. 15); and Jehovah being the One most insulted by Sennacherib's reproaches. (2) To whom addressed. 'l'o Jehovah, the cove~ant God of Israel, whose presence was with bis people, who alone governed the nat10ns, and was supreme Creator of heaven and earth (cf. Jc:hosha- phat's prayer, eh. xx. 6-12). (3) la what terms couched. Earnest, reverential, direct, and hopeful. Requesting a favourable audience for bis intercession, he first called God to see and hear the reproaches of Sennacherib, next acknowletlged the truth of Sennacherib's language concerning the gods of the nations he destroyed, and finally besought God to show that be alone was God, by saving them out of the Kincr0 of Assyria's hand. (4) With what result followed. It was answered by Isaiah, the son of Amoz, who, speaking in God's name, assured him that "Sennacherib should not come into the city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it, but should return by the way that he came, and should not come into the city" (2 Kings xix. 32, 33; Isa. xx.x.vii. 33, 34). 2. The prayer of Isaiah. Though not recorded· by the writer of 2 Kings that Isaiah prayed along with or in addition to Hezekiah, the fact mentioned that, on Rabshakeh's first approach, Hezekiah requested Isaiah to "lift up his prayer" on their behalf (2 Kings xix. 4), renders it probable that on this occasion also he joined the king in crying unto Heaven. Ilf. JEHOVAH AND HIS ANGEL. Their interposition on behalf of Judah and Jeru- salem (vers. 21, 22). 1. The destruction of Sennacherib's army. (1) Where? "In the camp of the King of Assyria;" most probably in that of the tartan lying before Jerusalem (Delitzsch), though it may have been in that of Sennacherib's army. Accord- ing to Herodotus (ii. 141), the disaster occurred at Pelusium, whither Sennacherib, "King of the Arabians and Assyrians," had marched with a great host on his way to Egypt. If so (Ewald, Cheyne, and others), then Sennacherib must have broken up his camp at Libnab, and moved south to intercept Tirhakah (cf. Driver, 'Isaiah: his Life and Times,' pp. 81, 82). (2) When? "That night" (2 Kings xb:. 35); but whether the night after Hezekiah's prayer (Rawlinson, Bahr) is uncertain. Hardly, if Pelusium was the scene of the overthrow; possibly, if the Assyrian camp still remained at Libnah (Keil). 'fbat the night was that in which Sennacherib, in the following year, sat down to besiege Jerusalem with his own army (Keil, Delitzscb) does not seem likely. • (3) How? By an angel-the angel of the Lord (2 Kings xix. 35 ; Isa. xxxvii. 36). Whether the blow was supernatural or natural cannot be deter- mined from the language of Scripture. The destruction of the firstborn of Egypt (Exod. xii. 29) and the diminution of David's army (2 Sam. xxiv. 15, 16) were both accomplished by the angel of the Lord; yet the former only appear to hav.i been sud- denly smitten, while the latter were cut off by pestilence. Herodotus's notion, that the bow-strings, and shield-straps of Sennacherib's soldiers were gnawed through during the night by inuumerable field-mice, favours the pestilence-theory-among the Egyptians the mouse having been the hieroglyph of devastation by pestilence (J. D. Michaelis). (4) To what extent? To the cutting off of" all the mighty men of valour," with "the leaders and the captains" (ver. 21); in all, 185,000 (2 Kings xix. 35; Isa. xxxvii. 36). (5) With what effect? 'l'he return of Sennacherib to Assyria with shame of face, because of having failed to effect the object of his expedition. Whether the fleeing Assyrians were pursued by the liberated Juda.bites (Ewaltl) is not stated by the Chro- nicler, and is only a doubtful inference from Ps. xlvi. 7, 8; lxxvi. 3, 6. That the Assy- rian monuments have preserved no record of Sennacherib's humiliation is not surprisiug. 'l'he Egyptian monuments of the nineteenth dynasty contain no memorial of Meneph- tah's overthrow in the Red Sea. Nations, like individuals, do not publish tlieir misfortunes, least of all perpetuate the remembrance oi their defeats. 2. The assassina- tion of Sennacherib himself. 'l'he usual end of kings in Assyria (Sargon, anu prob,tbly Slmliunneser II. and Assur-nirari), no less than iu Israel and Judah. "Within the holluw crown that rollllds the mortal temples of u king keeps death hill court," e.tc. 008 THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [en. xxxn. 1-33.