12 Hath not the same Hezekiah H3169 taken away H5493 his high places H1116 and his altars, H4196 and commanded H559 Judah H3063 and Jerusalem, H3389 saying, H559 Ye shall worship H7812 before H6440 one H259 altar, H4196 and burn incense H6999 upon it?
Now when all this was finished, H3615 all Israel H3478 that were present H4672 went out H3318 to the cities H5892 of Judah, H3063 and brake H7665 the images H4676 in pieces, H7665 and cut down H1438 the groves, H842 and threw down H5422 the high places H1116 and the altars H4196 out of all Judah H3063 and Benjamin, H1144 in Ephraim H669 also and Manasseh, H4519 until they had utterly destroyed H3615 them all. Then all the children H1121 of Israel H3478 returned, H7725 every man H376 to his possession, H272 into their own cities. H5892
And thou shalt make H6213 an altar H4196 of shittim H7848 wood, H6086 five H2568 cubits H520 long, H753 and five H2568 cubits H520 broad; H7341 the altar H4196 shall be foursquare: H7251 and the height H6967 thereof shall be three H7969 cubits. H520 And thou shalt make H6213 the horns H7161 of it upon the four H702 corners H6438 thereof: his horns H7161 shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay H6823 it with brass. H5178 And thou shalt make H6213 his pans H5518 to receive his ashes, H1878 and his shovels, H3257 and his basons, H4219 and his fleshhooks, H4207 and his firepans: H4289 all the vessels H3627 thereof thou shalt make H6213 of brass. H5178 And thou shalt make H6213 for it a grate H4345 of network H4639 of brass; H5178 and upon the net H7568 shalt thou make H6213 four H702 brasen H5178 rings H2885 in the four H702 corners H7098 thereof. And thou shalt put H5414 it under the compass H3749 of the altar H4196 beneath, H4295 that the net H7568 may be even to H5704 the midst H2677 of the altar. H4196 And thou shalt make H6213 staves H905 for the altar, H4196 staves H905 of shittim H7848 wood, H6086 and overlay H6823 them with brass. H5178 And the staves H905 shall be put H935 into the rings, H2885 and the staves H905 shall be upon the two H8147 sides H6763 of the altar, H4196 to bear H5375 it. Hollow H5014 with boards H3871 shalt thou make H6213 it: as it was shewed H7200 thee in the mount, H2022 so shall they make H6213 it.
And thou shalt make H6213 an altar H4196 to burn H4729 incense H7004 upon: of shittim H7848 wood H6086 shalt thou make H6213 it. A cubit H520 shall be the length H753 thereof, and a cubit H520 the breadth H7341 thereof; foursquare H7251 shall it be: and two cubits H520 shall be the height H6967 thereof: the horns H7161 thereof shall be of the same. And thou shalt overlay H6823 it with pure H2889 gold, H2091 the top H1406 thereof, and the sides H7023 thereof round about, H5439 and the horns H7161 thereof; and thou shalt make H6213 unto it a crown H2213 of gold H2091 round about. H5439 And two H8147 golden H2091 rings H2885 shalt thou make H6213 to it under the crown H2213 of it, by the two H8147 corners H6763 thereof, upon the two H8147 sides H6654 of it shalt thou make H6213 it; and they shall be for places H1004 for the staves H905 to bear H5375 it withal. H1992 And thou shalt make H6213 the staves H905 of shittim H7848 wood, H6086 and overlay H6823 them with gold. H2091 And thou shalt put H5414 it before H6440 the vail H6532 that is by the ark H727 of the testimony, H5715 before H6440 the mercy seat H3727 that is over the testimony, H5715 where I will meet H3259 with thee.
And he put H7760 the golden H2091 altar H4196 in the tent H168 of the congregation H4150 before H6440 the vail: H6532 And he burnt H6999 sweet H5561 incense H7004 thereon; as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses. H4872 And he set up H7760 the hanging H4539 at the door H6607 of the tabernacle. H4908 And he put H7760 the altar H4196 of burnt offering H5930 by the door H6607 of the tabernacle H4908 of the tent H168 of the congregation, H4150 and offered H5927 upon it the burnt offering H5930 and the meat offering; H4503 as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses. H4872
Take heed H8104 to thyself that thou offer H5927 not thy burnt offerings H5930 in every place H4725 that thou seest: H7200 But in the place H4725 which the LORD H3068 shall choose H977 in one H259 of thy tribes, H7626 there thou shalt offer H5927 thy burnt offerings, H5930 and there thou shalt do H6213 all that I command H6680 thee.
Only thy holy things H6944 which thou hast, and thy vows, H5088 thou shalt take, H5375 and go H935 unto the place H4725 which the LORD H3068 shall choose: H977 And thou shalt offer H6213 thy burnt offerings, H5930 the flesh H1320 and the blood, H1818 upon the altar H4196 of the LORD H3068 thy God: H430 and the blood H1818 of thy sacrifices H2077 shall be poured out H8210 upon the altar H4196 of the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and thou shalt eat H398 the flesh. H1320
And Solomon H8010 made H6213 all the vessels H3627 that pertained unto the house H1004 of the LORD: H3068 the altar H4196 of gold, H2091 and the table H7979 of gold, H2091 whereupon the shewbread H3899 H6440 was,
He removed H5493 the high places, H1116 and brake H7665 the images, H4676 and cut down H3772 the groves, H842 and brake in pieces H3807 the brasen H5178 serpent H5175 that Moses H4872 had made: H6213 for unto those days H3117 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 did burn incense H6999 to it: and he called H7121 it Nehushtan. H5180
But if ye say H559 unto me, We trust H982 in the LORD H3068 our God: H430 is not that he, whose high places H1116 and whose altars H4196 Hezekiah H2396 hath taken away, H5493 and hath said H559 to Judah H3063 and Jerusalem, H3389 Ye shall worship H7812 before H6440 this altar H4196 in Jerusalem? H3389
Moreover he made H6213 an altar H4196 of brass, H5178 twenty H6242 cubits H520 the length H753 thereof, and twenty H6242 cubits H520 the breadth H7341 thereof, and ten H6235 cubits H520 the height H6967 thereof.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 32
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 32 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 32
2Ch 32:1-20. Sennacherib Invades Judah.
1. After these things, and the establishment thereof—that is, the restoration of the temple-worship. The precise date is given, 2Ki 18:13. Determined to recover the independence of his country, Hezekiah had decided to refuse to pay the tribute which his father had bound himself to pay to Assyria.
Sennacherib … entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities—The whole land was ravaged; the strong fortresses of Ashdod (Isa 20:1) and Lachish had fallen; the siege of Libnah had commenced, when the king of Judah, doubting his ability to resist, sent to acknowledge his fault, and offer terms of submission by paying the tribute. The commencement of this Assyrian war was disastrous to Hezekiah (2Ki 18:13). But the misfortunes of the early period of the war are here passed over, as the historian hastens to relate the remarkable deliverance which God wrought for His kingdom of Judah.
2-8. when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib … was purposed to fight against Jerusalem—An account of the means taken to fortify Jerusalem against the threatened siege is given only in this passage. The polluting or filling up of wells, and the altering of the course of rivers, is an old practice that still obtains in the wars of the East. Hezekiah's plan was to cover the fountain heads, so that they might not be discovered by the enemy, and to carry the water by subterranean channels or pipes into the city—a plan which, while it would secure a constant supply to the inhabitants, would distress the besiegers, as the country all around Jerusalem was very destitute of water.
4. So there was gathered much people … who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land—"Where these various fountains were, we have now no positive means of ascertaining; though En-rogel, and the spring now called the Virgin's Fount, may well be numbered among them. Josephus mentions the existence of various fountains without the city, but does not mention any of them in this connection but Siloam. 'The brook,' however, is located with sufficient precision to enable us to trace it very definitely. We are told that it 'ran through the midst of the land.' Now a stream running through either the Kedron or Hinnom Valley, could, in no proper sense, be said to run through the midst of the land, but one flowing through the true Gihon valley, and separating Akra and Zion from Bezetha, Moriah, and Ophel, as a stream once, doubtless, did, could, with peculiar propriety, be said to run through the midst of the land on which the [Holy] City was built. And that this is the correct meaning of the phrase is not only apparent from the force of circumstances, but is positively so declared in the Septuagint, where, moreover, it is called a 'river,' which, at least, implies a much larger stream than the Kedron, and comports well with the marginal reading, where it is said to overflow through the midst of the land. Previous to the interference of man, there was, no doubt, a very copious stream that gushed forth in the upper portion of that shallow, basin-like concavity north of Damascus Gate, which is unquestionably the upper extremity of the Gihon valley, and pursuing its meandering course through this valley, entered the Tyropœon at its great southern curve, down which it flowed into the valley of the Kedron" [Barclay, City of the Great King].
5, 6. he strengthened himself—He made a careful inspection of the city defenses for the purpose of repairing breaches in the wall here, renewing the masonry there, raising projecting machines to the towers, and especially fortifying the lower portion of Zion, that is, Millo, "(in) the original city of David." "In" is a supplement of our translators, and the text reads better without it, for it was not the whole city that was repaired, but only the lower portion of Zion, or the original "city of David."
6. he … gathered them together … in the street—that is, the large open space at the gate of Eastern cities. Having equipped his soldiers with a full suit of military accoutrements, he addressed them in an animated strain, dwelling on the motives they had to inspire courage and confidence of success, especially on their consciousness of the favor and helping power of God.
9-20. (See on 2Ki 18:17-35; also 2Ki 19:8-34).
18. they cried with a loud voice … unto the people of Jerusalem … on the wall—It appears that the wall on the west side of the city reached as far to the side of the uppermost pool of Gihon at that time as it does now, if not farther; and the wall was so close to that pool that those sent to negotiate with the Assyrian general answered him in their own tongue (see on 2Ki 18:27).
2Ch 32:21-23. An Angel Destroys the Assyrians.
21. an angel … cut off all the mighty men—(See on 2Ki 19:35-37).
2Ch 32:24-26. Hezekiah's Sickness and Recovery.
24. In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death—(See on 2Ki 20:1-11).
2Ch 32:27-33. His Riches and Works.
27-29. he had exceeding much riches and honour—(compare 2Ki 20:13; Isa 39:2). A great portion of his personal wealth, like that of David and Uzziah, consisted in immense possessions of agricultural and pastoral produce. Besides, he had accumulated large treasures in gold, silver, and precious things, which he had taken as spoils from the Philistines, and which he had received as presents from neighboring states, among which he was held in great honor as a king under the special protection of Heaven. Much of his great wealth he expended in improving his capital, erecting forts, and promoting the internal benefit of his kingdom.
30. stopped the … watercourse of Gihon, and brought it … to the west side of the city, &c.—(Compare 2Ki 20:20). Particular notice is here taken of the aqueduct, as among the greatest of Hezekiah's works. "In exploring the subterranean channel conveying the water from Virgin's Fount to Siloam, I discovered a similar channel entering from the north, a few yards from its commencement; and on tracing it up near the Mugrabin gate, where it became so choked with rubbish that it could be traversed no farther, I there found it turn to the west in the direction of the south end of the cleft, or saddle, of Zion, and if this channel was not constructed for the purpose of conveying the waters of Hezekiah's aqueduct, I am unable to suggest any purpose to which it could have been applied. Perhaps the reason why it was not brought down on the Zion side, was that Zion was already well-watered in its lower portion by the Great Pool, 'the lower pool of Gihon.' And accordingly Williams [Holy City] renders this passage, 'He stopped the upper outflow of the waters of Gihon, and led them down westward to the city'" [Barclay, City of the Great King]. The construction of this aqueduct required not only masonic but engineering skill; for the passage was bored through a continuous mass of rock. Hezekiah's pool or reservoir made to receive the water within the northwest part of the city still remains. It is an oblong quadrangular tank, two hundred forty feet in length, from one hundred forty-four to one hundred fifty in breadth, but, from recent excavations, appears to have extended somewhat farther towards the north.
31. in the business of the ambassadors who sent … to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, &c.—They brought a present (2Ch 32:23; see on 2Ki 20:12, 13), and a letter of congratulation on his recovery, in which particular enquiries were made about the miracle of the sun's retrocession—a natural phenomenon that could not fail to excite great interest and curiosity at Babylon, where astronomy was so much studied. At the same time, there is reason to believe that they proposed a defensive league against the Assyrians.
God left him, to try him, &c.—Hezekiah's offense was not so much in the display of his military stores and treasures, as in not giving to God the glory both of the miracle and of his recovery, and thus leading those heathen ambassadors to know Him.