The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 16

other hond, the rucloness of Ahab in sending Perhaps the beet translation would bo 11 einglo eunuch to bring Mice.iah into hie laclceya. prosonoo, I Kings xxii. 9). The prophets, Ver. 7.-Behold, I will aend a blast upon e.s representatives of Jehove.h, were en- him; rather, I un'll put a •pirit within him; titlocl to reepeot o.ncl observance even from i.e. I will to.ke awe.y from him the spirit of kings. pride and arrogance by which he baa been Ver. 8.-A day . , . of rebuke; rather, of hitherto e.ctnated, e.nd I will infuse into liia reproof, or puniehment (comp. Pe. cxlix. 7 and heart, instead, a spirit of hesitation and fear. Hos. v. 9). The.t Goel ehoulcl he.ve a.llowecl He shall hear a rumour ; literal! y, as De- such an insulting embassy to come e.nd go litzeeh translates, he ahall hear a hearsay; in so.fety was a mode of reproving his people, i.e." e. report," or "tidings." It ia uncertain and to some extent punishing them for theil' what "tidings" are intended. Some sup- sins. Even Hezekiah himself deaerved re- pose " tidings of the movements of Tir- proof for having so long placed his relio.nce hakah ; " others, " tidings of the destruction upon Egypt (eh. xx. 5, 6; xxx. 1--4; xxxvi. of his host;" a few, "tidings of an insurrec- 6, 9), though now o.pparently he ho.cl turned tion in some other part of the Assyrian to Jehovo.h, o.nd reliecl on him only (eh. empire." This last supposition is whotly xxxvi. 7, 15). Blasphemy. Bo Delitzech. gratuitous, since we have no indication, Mr. Cheyne suggests "contumely," and Dr. either in Scripture or in tlie inscriptions, of Kay "contempt." But the meaning" blas- any such insurrection. The choice lies be- phemy," which Mr. Cheyne confesses to tween the other two, or between one or other "suit the context," is required in all the of them, and the two combined. TJy, vague- other passages where (eubsto.ntie.Ily) the ness is owing, not to the time at which the same word occurs (N eh. ix. 18, 2G ; Ezek. present narrative took shape, but to tlie fact xxxv. 12). Hezekiah calls the day one "of that a vague promise-quite sufficient for its blasphemy," on account of Rabshukeh's purpose-was given o.t first, the filling in of impious utterances (eh. xxxvi. 15, 18, 20). the details being reserved for a later period The children are oome to the birth, etc. (see vers. 22-B5). I will oanse him to fall This was a proverbial phrase for a time of by the sword (see ver. 38). extreme difficulty (see Hos. xiii. 13), and ie Ver. 8.-Rabeh.a.keh . . . found the Xing not to be pressed as embodying o.t all a close of Assyria warring a.ga.inst Libnah. Libnah o.nalogy. Judah we.a in sore trouble, and was a town at no great distance from Lachish was expecting deliverance. It seemed now (Josh. x. 31; xv. 39-42). It was also near as if she would not have strength to go Mareshah (Josh. xv. 42-44), and mnst through the crisis, but would perish through therefore !,ave belonged to the more southern weakness. porlion of the Shefeleh, and probably to the Ver. 4.-It may be the Lord . . . will eastern region, where the hills sink down hear; i.e. "will notice," or" will punish." If into the plain. The exact site is very un- Isaiah laicl the matter before God, o.nd prayed certain, and still remains to be discovered. earnestly, it was possible that God woulcl Sennacherib's object in moving upon Libnah intervene to eave Judah, and punish the is doubtful; but it would seem, from his I.Jlapshemous words uttered. The living God. monuments, that he had captured Lachish In opposition to the dead idols of the heathen, (Layard, • Nineveh and Babylon,' pp. 149 which ho.d neither life, nor breath, nor per- -152), and ho.d gone on to Libnal:, as the ception (see Ps. oxv. 4-8; cxxxv. 15- next stronghold on the way to Egypt. 18). The remnant that ill left. It is usuo.l Ver. 9.-Tirhakah, King of Ethiopia. Til'- to explain this of Judah generally, whioh hak11h is among the most famous of the .still survived, although Israel ho.d been mono.rchs belonging to this period. The carded away captive. But perhaps the con- Greeks called him "Tearchon," the As- trast ie rather between the numerous Judrean syrinns "Tarku" or "Tarqu." His name, captives who had been taken and conveyed ae represented on hi, own monuments, ia to Assyria by Sennacherib when he took the 11 Tahark" or II Tnhrak." According to the "fenced cities" (oh. xxxvi. 1), and the por- Egyptian remains, he had a reign of at least tion of the nation which still remained in twenty-six years in Egypt-from B.C. 693 to the land. Bennaoherib says, in hie annals, B.O. 667. He would seem, however, to have that he took "forty-six" oitiee, o.ncl carried been King of Ethiopia, arnl lord paramount captive to Aeeyrin. above two hundred thou- of the lower valley of the Nitc, from about sand per10ne (' Records of the Paet,' vol. i. B.o. 700, Shabatok for some years ruling p. 88). Egypt, or a portion of it, as his deputy Ver. 6.-The servants of the Kin« of Aa- (Rawlinson, 'Hist. of Ancient Egypt,' vol. l)'ria. Mr. Cheyne translates, 11 the million, ii. p. 450). Hezeki11h's negotiations had, it of the King of Assyria," remarking truly is probo.ble, beon with Tirhaknh (oh. xix. that the word used is not the ordinary one for IS; xx. 5; xxx. 1-6). This monarch, " servants," bnt " a disparaging expreBBion." having engugoo to help him, now put his lBAIAB-U, n  18 THE BOOK OF 'l'l!E PROPHET 1S.AJAH. [en. xxxvn. 1-38.