The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 334

EXPOSlTION. OHAPTER XX. inscriptions, pNIBented him to u, in the most distinct and "ivid way, as Icing, con- Vel"I. 1--6.-A PnOPKEOY AGAINST EGYPT queror, and builder. He was the founder of AXD E'l'IITOPIA. The Assyrian iusoliptions the last and greatest of the Ass;yria.n dy- enable us to date this prophC'<'Y with a near ne.sties, the successor of, the biblioa.l She.1- approach to ·exactness. Ash<lod was be- maneser, and the father of Sennacherib. He reigned from B.o. 722 to B.O. 705, He sieged by an Assyrinn army twice in the was the captor of Samaria; he deteated the reign of Sargon-in his ninth year (B.C. 713) forces of Egypt; he warred on •Susianii, and in his eleventh year (B.c. 711). On the M~ia., Armcni&, Asia Mi'.nor, Cyprus; and fo1mer occasion it is probable that the arms he conquered and held in subjection Baby• of a. general (Tartan) were employc<l; on Ion. He built the great city explored 'by Al. Dotta, near Khoraabad, which is some, the latter it is nearly certain that Sargon times called "the French Nineveh." It .is made the expe<lition in person. The capture now found that Ptolemy's 'Canon' contains of Aehdod, here mentioned, is consequently his name under the form of Arkeanus, and the first capture. Egypt a.nd Ethiopia were that Yacut's 'Geograph_y' meutions ·his nt the time united under one head, Shabak, great city under the fo!-'.m of _Sarghun. • l3°it these facts were unsuspected until the or Sha.bat.ok; and the inhabitants of Ashdod 1ecent explorations •in, Mesopotamia, anil looked to this qua.rter for deliverance from Isaiah's wentiou of him alone gave him' 'a the Assyrian power. Shortly after the first place in history. And fought against Ash- capture, they revolted, deposed the J;ing dod, and took it. Ashdod was the strongest whom Sargon had set over tl1em, appoiuteJ of the Philistine cities, and one of·the most ancient (Josh. xv. 47). Its nanie•is probably another, and then proceeded, in conjunction derived from a root meaning "strength." with Philistia., Judah, Edom, a.nd Moa.b, to We hear of its having stood ou one occasion call in the a.id of the Egyptians a.nd. Ethio- o. siege of twenty-nine years (Herod., ii. 157). pians. Ise.iah's misi.ion on this occasion It is now known as Esdud. When Ashdod we.s to discourage Judiea from joining Ash- is first mentioned in the Assyrian inscrip- tions it is tributary to Sargon, having prci- dod nnd her e.llies in this e.ppeal. He was b0,bly subwHted to him in B.c. 720, lifter the iastructed to prophesy that Assyria would battle of R0,phia.. It soon, however, revolts shortly inflict a. severe defeat on the two and reclaims its independence. In B.o. 713 African powers, e.nd carry into captivity the Assyri.o:ns proceed against it; 'and its large numbers of both nations. The pro- capture is implied by the failts • that the Assyrians depose its king, and install one of phc,-cy seems to have had its accomplishment I,ia brothers as monarch in his room (comp. about twelve years le.ter, when Sennacherib 2 Kings x.xiii. 34). <lcfeated the combined forces of Egypt and Ver. 2.-Loose the saokoloth from oft' th;y Ethiopia at Eltekeh, near Ekron (G. Smith, loins. Dr. Kay supposes that Isaiah was 'Eponym Ca.non,' p. 133). wearing sackcloth exooptionally, as during Ver. 1.-In the ;year 'that Tartan came a time of mourning. But it is more probable unto Asb.dod; ra.ther, a tartan. The word that the Hebrew sak represents the huir- was not a. proper ne.me, but a title of office, cloth (" rough garment," Zech. xiii. 4), tquivalent to surena wnong the Perthians, which, as ascetics, the Hebrew prophets and signifying " commander-in-chief." The wore habitually (2 Kings i. 8; Matt. iii 4). tartan held the second position in the We.lking naked. Probably not . acta~!ly empire. L-aiali bas Leen accused of having " naked," for ea pti ves were n<;>t stripped confound<:d together the two sieges of Ash- bare by the Assyrians, but with nothing on dod tChe_ynt-); but it one was conducted by besides his short tunic, as the male captives tbe tartan, and the other by Sargon in are commonly represented in the Assyrian person, his words would distinguish as per- sculptures. f<':Ctly as possible which siege he meant. Yer. 3.-M;y servant Isaiah. Is&lah shnrea When Sargon the King of Ass;yria sent him. this honourable title, "my servant," with o. Tae present passage furnishe<l almost the select few umong God's s0,ints-"ith Abra- &ok lr-ace of the ex.is!ence of this monarch- ham (Gen. xxvi. 2i), Moses (Numb. xii. 7), urn, of the greatest of A.ssyr,a's sovereigns- Caleb (Numb. xiv, 24), Job (Job i. 8; xiii. until about the middle of the present cen- 7, 8), Eliakim (eh. :i.xii. 20), 11,nd Zerubbabel t~y, wheu iLe exploration 9f tl,e Assyl"ian (Hag. ii, 2il), It is u great acknow)edgwent nullll, and the <lbCipherwrnt of the Assyrian for the Cre0,tor to make to the creature, th4,' OH,:µ, 1-6,] Tf{E, BOOK OF THE PROPHE'r ISAIAH. 331