2 Chronicles 32 · Adam Clarke
Introduction Sennacherib invades Judea, 2Chr 32:1 . Hezekiah takes proper measures for the defense of his kingdom, 2Chr 32:2-6 . His exhortation, 2Chr 32:7 , 2Chr 32:8 . Sennacherib sends a blasphemous message to Hezekiah, and to the people, 2Chr 32:9-15 . His servants rail against God; and he and they blaspheme most grievously, 2Chr 32:16-19 . Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah cry to God; he answers, and the Assyrians are destroyed, and Sennacherib is slain by his own sons, 2Chr 32:20 , 2Chr 32:21 . The Lord is magnified, 2Chr 32:22 , 2Chr 32:23 . Hezekiah's sickness and recovery, 2Chr 32:24 . His ingratitude, 2Chr 32:25 . His humiliation, 2Chr 32:26 . His riches, 2Chr 32:27-30 . His error relative to the Babylonish ambassadors, 2Chr 32:31 . His acts and death, 2Chr 32:32 , 2Chr 32:33 . Verse 1 After these things - God did not permit this pious prince to be disturbed till he had completed the reformation which he had begun.
Verse 2 When Hezekiah saw - This was in the fourteenth year of the reign of Hezekiah; and at first the Jewish king bought him off at the great price of three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold; and even emptied his own treasures, and spoiled the house of the Lord, to gratify the oppressive avarice of the Assyrian king. See the whole account, 2Kgs 18:13 , etc.
Verse 4 Stopped all the fountains - This was prudently done, for without water how could an immense army subsist in an arid country? No doubt the Assyrian army suffered much through this, as a Christian army did eighteen hundred years after this. When the crusaders came, in a.d. 1099, to besiege Jerusalem, the people of the city stopped up the wells, so that the Christian army was reduced to the greatest necessities and distress.
Verse 5 Raised it up to the towers - He built the wall up to the height of the towers, or, having built the wall, he raised towers on it.
Verse 6 Set captains of war over the people - in the street of the gate of the city - That is, the open places at the gate of the city, whither the people came for judgment, etc.
Verse 7 There be more with us than with him - We have more power than they have. (These words he quotes from the prophet Elisha, 2Kgs 6:16 ). This was soon proved to be true by the slaughter made by the angel of the Lord in the Assyrian camp.
Verse 9 After this did Sennacherib - Having received the silver and gold mentioned above, he withdrew his army, but shortly after he sent Rab-shakeh with a blasphemous message. This is the fact mentioned here.
Verse 10 Thus saith Sennacherib - See all these circumstances largely explained 2 Kings 18:17-36 (note).
Verse 17 Wrote also letters - See 2Kgs 19:9 , 2Kgs 19:14 .
Verse 21 The Lord sent an angel - See 2Kgs 19:36 (note), and the note there. House of his god - Nisroch. They that came forth of his own bowels - His sons Adrammelech and Sharezer.
Verse 23 Many brought gifts unto the Lord - They plainly saw that Jehovah was the protector of the land. And presents to Hezekiah - They saw that God was his friend, and would undertake for him; and they did not wish to have such a man for their enemy.
Verse 24 Hezekiah was sick - See 2Kgs 20:1 (note), etc., and the notes there.
Verse 25 Hezekiah rendered not again - He got into a vain confidence, took pleasure in his riches, and vainly showed them to the messengers of the king of Babylon. See on 2Kgs 20:12 (note), etc.
Verse 26 Humbled himself - Awoke from his sleep, was sorry for his sin, deprecated the wrath of God, and the Divine displeasure was turned away from him.
Verse 27 Pleasant jewels - כלי חמדה keley chemdah, desirable vessels or utensils.
Verse 30 The upper watercourse - He made canals to bring the waters of Gihon from the west side of Jerusalem to the west side of the city of David.
Verse 31 Of the ambassadors - See 2Kgs 20:13 (note), and the observations at the end of that chapter.
Verse 32 The vision of Isaiah - See this prophet, 2 Chronicles 36-39.