2 Chronicles 32

AFter these things and the establishment thereof An Emphatical Preface, signifying, that notwithstanding all his Pious Care and Zeal for God, yet God saw fit to Exercise him with a fore Trial and Calamity; which yet he turned to his great Honour and Advantage., Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entred into Judah, and encamped against the senced cities, and thought to win them for himself He designed and bragged that he would win them all, and did actually win many of them, 2 King. 18. 13..

And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to sight against Jerusalem;

He took counsel with his princes, and his mighty men, to stop the waters of the fountains With Earth or other things cast into them; and withal to derive the Waters by secret Paths and Pipes under ground to Jerusalem., which were without the city: and they did help him.

So there was gathered much people together, who stopt all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water Which was a scarse Commodity in this Country, and the want of it might much annoy the Assyrian Army.?

Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken By Joash, ch. 25. 23. and not since repaired, 2 Chron 25. 23., and raised it up to the towers Either 1. As high as the Towers, or the tops of the Wall. Or, 2. As far as the two Towers, or Gates, which were made in the Form of Towers, and had the use of Towers, to wit, that of Ephraim and the Corner-Gate, both mentioned above, ch. 25. 23. Or, brought up Engines or Instruments of Defence upon the Towers., and another wall without, and repaired Millo Of which see 1 King. 9. 24. & 11. 27. in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.

And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them, saying,

Be strong and couragious, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be mo with us, than with him.

With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us, and to fight our battels. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to Jerusalem Of this and the following Verses see the Notes on 2 King. 18. 17. &c. and 19. 10, &c. (but he himself laid siege against Lachish, and all his power with him) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah, that were at Jerusalem, saying,

Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem?

Does not Hezekiah persuade you to give over your selves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The LORD our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

Has not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places, and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall worship before one altar, and burn incense upon it?

Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? were the gods of the nations of those lands any ways able to deliver their lands out of mine hand?

Who was there among all the gods of those nations, that my fathers utterly destroyed; that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand?

Now there... ore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you on this manner, neither yet believe him: for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of the hand of my fathers: how much less shall your God deliver you Seeing I have destroyed so many Nations and some of them stronger than you in spight of all their gods, it is not probable that your God should defend you, which none of the rest could do for their People. out of mine hand?

And his servants spake yet more against the LORD God, and against his servant Hezekiah.

He wrote also letters to rail on the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand.

Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them, that they might take the city.

And they spake against the God of Jerusasem, as against the gods of the people of the earth which were the work of the hands of men.

And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.

And the LORD sent an angel which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and the captains in the camp of the king of Assyria: so he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his God, they that came forth of his own bowels, slew him there with the sword.

Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all other, and guided them on every side.

And many brought gifts unto the LORD to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah: so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations Or, of all those Nations, which were not very remote from Canaan and heard these matters., from thenceforth.

In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death Of which see a more particular Account, 2 King. 20. 1, &c., and prayed unto the LORD: and he spake unto him, and he gave him a sign.

But Hezekiah rendred not again, according to the benefit done unto him: for his heart was lifted up For that prodigious Victory over the Assyrians, above v. 21. and for his miraculous Restauration from Sickness, and the confirmation of that Work by a strange and supernatural Motion of the Sun; and by the Honour since done him by an Embassy from the great and potent King of Babylon. All which probably raised in him too great an Opinion of himself, as if these things were done, if not by his Power, yet, at least, for his Piety and Virtues. And instead of walking humbly with God, and giving the Glory of all intirely to him, he took the Honour to himself, and vaingloriously showed his Riches and Precious Treasures to the Babylonish Ambassadors, 2 King. 20. 12, &c., therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem Who might justly be punished for Hezekiahs Sin, because they followed him in it, as they confess in the next verse..

Notwithstanding, Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart (both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem) so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honour: and he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of pleasant jewels;

Store-houses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks.

Moreover he provided him cities Heb. he made, &c. Either he purchased them to himself by his Gold or Silver: Or, he repaired, and fortified, and beautified them for the honour and safety of his Kingdom. But the former Sense seems to agree better with the following Words., and possessions of flocks, and herds in abundance: for God had given him substance very much.

This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper water-course of Gihon A Rivulet near Jerusalem consisting of two Streams, the upper which was brought into one Pool called the upper Pool, Isa. 7. 3. and the lower which was brought into another called the lower Pool, Isa. 22. 9. The former he diverted and brought by secret Pipes into Jerusalem; which was a Work of great Art, and Labour, and Policy, and therefore is here commended., and brought it straight down Whereas before it fetched a compass, and thereby might have been beneficial to the Assyrian Host. to the west-side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.

Howbeit in the business of the embassadours of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God lest him To wit, to himself, and his own Impotency and Corruption. God withdrew from him those Supplies and Assistances of his Spirit which would certainly and effectually have kept him from that sin, and suffered Satan to tempt him, and him to fall into the sin of Pride and Ostentation: to try him, that he might know Either 1. That God might know it. So it is spoken of God after the manner of Men; whereof we have had many Instances. Or, 2. That Hezekiah might know that he had Infirmities and Sins as well as Virtues; and therefore that the great Mercies which he had received were not the Effects of his owa Merits, as he might be prone to believe, but of Gods free Grace. all that was in his heart.

Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchres of the sons of David: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honour at his death: and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.