The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 21

sy riana, theee )Rst " went forth," reoccupied delivered his meeaage, returned to his their lands, and rebuilt th11ir towna and vil- mMter (eh. xxxvii. 8), doubtlees with hie le.gea. The Lles•inK of God Wl\8 upon them, eec01t. Sennacherib then sent a letter by Rnd in a •hort time Jud,ea recovered her mcssengeni, but without an anny, so far ae nncient vigour, so thRt, under JosiRh, she we are told, to. renew his threats, Mean- Wl\8 able to extend her dominion over a.I most while from Lachish ho went to Libnah, after the whole of the olJ Israelite ten-itory (2 which we know nothing of hie movemcute, Chron. xxxiv. G, 1S). unless we accept the Egypti1111 account, Ver. 82.-The seal, et.c. (comp. eh. iL 7). which was, tha.t he advo.nced to Pclueium. The phrase is very emphatic, marking the The declaration, " Dy the wo.y th'o.t he came, greatne•s of the thing to be done, and e.t the by the same shall he return" (comp. ver. snme time bringing the strophe to an end 29) was the most comforting that Hezekia.h with an a.sseveration beyond which nothing could possibly receive. It assured him that could go. he would not even be confronted with hie Ver. 83.-Therefore, etc. A. new clause enemy. Into this city j rather, unto •this is commenced-the concluding clnuse of the city ( as in ver. 82). prophecy. For Ilezekiah's satisfaction and Ver. 35.-I will defend this oity ... for , consolation something more definite is needed mine own sake j literally, I will cover oter than the vague assurances that "the de,ugk- thu city, as a bird coverd its young with its ter of J crusa.lcm shook her head at Sen- wings (comp. .cb. xxxi. 5; Matt. xxiii. 37). nacherib•· (ver. 22), an,) that God would God would do this "for his own eaji;e.;,.". i.e, "put a bridle in Sennacherib's mouth" (ver. because his own honour was concerned in 29). Accordingly, it is now declared, in the the defence of his people. He would also plainest terms, that he shall not even lay do it for bis servant David's sake; i.e. be- siege to the city, but shall return by the cause of the promises made to David, that way by which lie came-the coast route - his children should sit upon his throne (2 leaving Jerusalem untouched, nay, unat- Sam. vii. 16; Ps. lxxxix. 29-37; cxxxii. tempted. He sjia,ll not oome into this city j 11-14, etc.), which involved the continued rather, unto the city. He was at Libnah, in independence of Ju<laia and Jerusalem. the Shcfelel1, thirty or forty miles from Ver. 36.-Then the angel of the Lord went Jerusalem, when we last hell.J'd of him (ver. forth. The para.lie) po.seage of Kings (2 I<); o.ud, l,n,ing then been just informed of Kings xix. 35) has, "It came to pass that the ad vo.uce of Tirbakab, be is likely to night, that the angel of the Lord went out." have proceeded on towards Egypt. 'l'Lcre The word of Isaiah hnd its accomplishment is, at any rate, not the sligLiteet intimation within a few hours. On the oamp of the of his having made a retrogra•le movement A.eeyriane, wherever it was, whether at Lib• towards the Jewish capital. Nor shoot an nab, or at Pelueium (Herod., ii. 141), or be~ arrow there, nor come before it with llh.ields, tween the two, in the d~n.d of night, the nor cast a ba.nk against it, The main point& destroying angel swooped down, and silently, of an A.esyri.an siege are h.,ppily seized. 'fhe without disturbance, took the lives of a first e.t1Sailante were the archers. They hundred nod eighty-five_ thousand men, Lolclly approached in large bodies, and strove The camp was no doubt that in which to clear tbe battlements of the defenders. Sennacherib comma.nded. It is contrury Then shields were brought into play. to tho whole tenor of the Assyrian in- Under their cover the archers drew nearer; scriptions to imagine that a. mere corp, the scaling parties brought up their ladders; d'armee, <leta.ched to three.ton, not to besiege, the miners attaci.ed tht foundations of the Jeruso.lem, could have been one-ha.If, or one- walls; and the torcl,-b,•arers endeavoured to quartcr, so numerous. It wo.s Sennacherib's fire tL" gat• e. Fiulllly, if these tactics did host, not the Tartan's, that was visited. So not avail, banks were raised against the the Egyptian tradition ; so vcr. 37, by im- walls, wi,ich were then assailed with batter- plication, That iu lo.tor ·times the Jews ing-rams till they were breached o.n,I the should have transferred tho scone of the 11.1181Lil.ants coul<l enter. God promises that slaughter lo the vicinity of their own co.pita), JerllBalcw •l1all experience none of those as Jornphu~ docs (' Ant. ,T ud.,' x. 2, § 5), is things at 6enna.chcrib's hands. not surprising, especially II.JI tho Egypl10.ns Ver. 34.-By the way that he oame. It i1 clnimcd the glory of the discomfiture for clear that Sennacherib ou thiH occasion had their own goda, o.nd Orn completion of the warched by tLe usual coast route, tl,rough victory for their own soldiers. 'l'he nature Sharon and the Sbcfeleh, upou Lachish, of the deotruction is not, per hops, very impor- leaving J crllBalem far to biH left. From tant, if it he allowed to ba.ve been super- J .acLish he; seat RuLshakeh to Hezekiah natural; but the "simoom" of Prideaux and with a threatening message, and (as our Milman, the "storm" of Vitrini.:a o.ncl Stan- vcroiou has it) "with a great arrny;" rather, ley, the "nocturnal attack by Tirho.lmh " of .. with a strong fo10e." Ba.l,sha.keh, having U1her, PrdBB, nnd Michaelis, and tho "pcsti-  c11, xxx.vtr, 1-38,] THE BOOK OF THE PROPBE'r ISAIAH,