2Ki 18:17-36 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 17. The king of Assyria sent Tartan, &c. ] Calmet has very justly remarked that these are not the names of persons , but of offices . Tartan , tartan or tantan , as in the parallel place in Isaiah, in the Greek version, signifies he who presides over the gifts or tribute ; chancellor of the exchequer. Rabsaris ] , the chief of the eunuchs . Rab-shakeh , master or chief over the wine cellar ; or he who had the care of the king's drink . From Lachish ] It seems as if the Assyrian troops had been worsted before Lachish, and were obliged to raise the siege, from which they went and sat down before Libnah . While Sennacherib was there with the Assyrian army, he heard that Tirhakah , king of Ethiopia, had invaded the Assyrian territories. Being obliged therefore to hasten, in order to succour his own dominions, he sent a considerable force under the aforementioned officers against Jerusalem, with a most fearful and bloody manifesto , commanding Hezekiah to pay him tribute, to deliver up his kingdom to him, and to submit, he and his people, to be carried away captives into Assyria! This manifesto was accompanied with the vilest insults , and the highest blasphemies . God interposed and the evils threatened against others fell upon himself. Manifestoes of this kind have seldom been honourable to the senders. The conduct of Rab-shakeh was unfortunately copied by the Duke of Brunswick, commander-in-chief of the allied army of the centre, in the French revolution, who was then in the plains of Champagne, August 27,1792, at the head of ninety thousand men, Prussians, Austrians , and emigrants , on his way to Paris, which in his manifesto he threatened to reduce to ashes! This was the cause of the dreadful massacres which immediately took place. And shortly after this time the blast of God fell upon him, for in Sept. 20 of the same year, (three weeks after issuing the manifesto,) almost all his army was destroyed by a fatal disease, and himself obliged to retreat from the French territories with shame and confusion. This, and some other injudicious steps taken by the allies, were the cause of the ruin of the royal family of France, and of enormities and calamities the most extensive, disgraceful, and ruinous, that ever stained the page of history. From all such revolutions God in mercy save mankind! Conduit of the upper pool ] The aqueduct that brought the water from the upper or eastern reservoir , near to the valley of Kidron, into the city. Probably they had seized on this in order to distress the city. The fuller's field. ] The place where the washermen stretched out their clothes to dry.

‏ 2 Kings 18:17-36

Verse 17. The king of Assyria sent Tartan, &c.] Calmet has very justly remarked that these are not the names of persons, but of offices. Tartan, tartan or tantan, as in the parallel place in Isaiah, in the Greek version, signifies he who presides over the gifts or tribute; chancellor of the exchequer.

Rabsaris] , the chief of the eunuchs. Rab-shakeh, master or chief over the wine cellar; or he who had the care of the king's drink.

From Lachish] It seems as if the Assyrian troops had been worsted before Lachish, and were obliged to raise the siege, from which they went and sat down before Libnah. While Sennacherib was there with the Assyrian army, he heard that Tirhakah, king of Ethiopia, had invaded the Assyrian territories. Being obliged therefore to hasten, in order to succour his own dominions, he sent a considerable force under the aforementioned officers against Jerusalem, with a most fearful and bloody manifesto, commanding Hezekiah to pay him tribute, to deliver up his kingdom to him, and to submit, he and his people, to be carried away captives into Assyria! This manifesto was accompanied with the vilest insults, and the highest blasphemies. God interposed and the evils threatened against others fell upon himself.

Manifestoes of this kind have seldom been honourable to the senders. The conduct of Rab-shakeh was unfortunately copied by the Duke of Brunswick, commander-in-chief of the allied army of the centre, in the French revolution, who was then in the plains of Champagne, August 27,1792, at the head of ninety thousand men, Prussians, Austrians, and emigrants, on his way to Paris, which in his manifesto he threatened to reduce to ashes! This was the cause of the dreadful massacres which immediately took place. And shortly after this time the blast of God fell upon him, for in Sept. 20 of the same year, (three weeks after issuing the manifesto,) almost all his army was destroyed by a fatal disease, and himself obliged to retreat from the French territories with shame and confusion. This, and some other injudicious steps taken by the allies, were the cause of the ruin of the royal family of France, and of enormities and calamities the most extensive, disgraceful, and ruinous, that ever stained the page of history. From all such revolutions God in mercy save mankind!

Conduit of the upper pool] The aqueduct that brought the water from the upper or eastern reservoir, near to the valley of Kidron, into the city. Probably they had seized on this in order to distress the city.

The fuller's field.] The place where the washermen stretched out their clothes to dry.

Verse 18. Called to the king] They wished him to come out that they might get possession of his person.

Eliakim-over the household] What we would call lord chamberlain.

Shebna the scribe] The king's secretary.

Joah-the recorder.] The writer of the public annals.

Verse 19. What confidence is this] ma habbittachon hazzeh. The words are excessively insulting: What little, foolish, or unavailing cause of confidence is it, to which thou trustest? I translate thus, because I consider the word bittachon as a diminutive, intended to express the utmost contempt for Hezekiah's God.

Verse 21. The staff of this bruised reed] Egypt had already been greatly bruised and broken, through the wars carried on against it by the Assyrians.

Verse 22. Whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away] This was artfully malicious. Many of the people sacrificed to Jehovah on the high places; Hezekiah had removed them, (2Ki 18:4,) because they were incentives to idolatry: Rab-shakeh insinuates that by so doing he had offended Jehovah, deprived the people of their religious rights, and he could neither expect the blessing of God nor the cooperation of the people.

Verse 23. I will deliver thee two thousand horses] Another insult: Were I to give thee two thousand Assyrian horses, thou couldst not find riders for them. How then canst thou think that thou shalt be able to stand against even the smallest division of my troops?

Verse 25. Am I now come up without the Lord] As Rab-shakeh saw that the Jews placed the utmost confidence in God, he wished to persuade them that by Hezekiah's conduct Jehovah had departed from them, and was become ally to the king of Assyria, and therefore they could not expect any help from that quarter.

Verse 26. Talk not with us in the Jews' language] The object of this blasphemous caitiff was to stir up the people to sedition, that the city and the king might be delivered into his hand.

Verse 27. That they may eat their own dung] That they may be duly apprised, if they hold on Hezekiah's side, Jerusalem shall be most straitly besieged, and they be reduced to such a state of famine as to be obliged to eat their own excrements.

Verse 28. Hear the word of the great king-of Assyria] This was all intended to cause the people to revolt from their allegiance to their king.

Verse 32. Until I come and take you away] This was well calculated to stir up a seditious spirit. Ye cannot be delivered; your destruction, if ye resist, is inevitable; Sennacherib will do with you, as he does with all the nations he conquers, lead you captive into another land: but if you will surrender without farther trouble, he will transport you into a land as good as your own.

Verse 34. Where are the gods of Hamath] Sennacherib is greater than any of the gods of the nations. The Assyrians have already overthrown the gods of Hamath, Arpad, Hena, and Ivah; therefore, Jehovah shall be like one of them, and shall not be able to deliver Jerusalem out of the hand of my master.

The impudent blasphemy of this speech is without parallel. Hezekiah treated it as he ought: it was not properly against him, but against the LORD; therefore he refers the matter to Jehovah himself, who punishes this blasphemy in the most signal manner.

Verse 36. Answer him not.] The blasphemy is too barefaced; Jehovah is insulted, not you; let him avenge his own quarrel. See the succeeding chapter.