24 In those days H3117 Hezekiah H3169 was sick H2470 to the death, H4191 and prayed H6419 unto the LORD: H3068 and he spake H559 unto him, and he gave H5414 him a sign. H4159
In those days H3117 was Hezekiah H2396 sick H2470 unto death. H4191 And the prophet H5030 Isaiah H3470 the son H1121 of Amoz H531 came H935 to him, and said H559 unto him, Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Set thine house H1004 in order; H6680 for thou shalt die, H4191 and not live. H2421 Then he turned H5437 his face H6440 to the wall, H7023 and prayed H6419 unto the LORD, H3068 saying, H559 I beseech H577 thee, O LORD, H3068 remember H2142 now how I have walked H1980 before H6440 thee in truth H571 and with a perfect H8003 heart, H3824 and have done H6213 that which is good H2896 in thy sight. H5869 And Hezekiah H2396 wept H1058 H1065 sore. H1419 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah H3470 was gone out H3318 into the middle H8484 court, H2691 H5892 that the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came to him, saying, H559 Turn again, H7725 and tell H559 Hezekiah H2396 the captain H5057 of my people, H5971 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 the God H430 of David H1732 thy father, H1 I have heard H8085 thy prayer, H8605 I have seen H7200 thy tears: H1832 behold, I will heal H7495 thee: on the third H7992 day H3117 thou shalt go up H5927 unto the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068 And I will add H3254 unto thy days H3117 fifteen H2568 H6240 years; H8141 and I will deliver H5337 thee and this city H5892 out of the hand H3709 of the king H4428 of Assyria; H804 and I will defend H1598 this city H5892 for mine own sake, and for my servant H5650 David's H1732 sake. And Isaiah H3470 said, H559 Take H3947 a lump H1690 of figs. H8384 And they took H3947 and laid H7760 it on the boil, H7822 and he recovered. H2421 And Hezekiah H2396 said H559 unto Isaiah, H3470 What shall be the sign H226 that the LORD H3068 will heal H7495 me, and that I shall go up H5927 into the house H1004 of the LORD H3068 the third H7992 day? H3117 And Isaiah H3470 said, H559 This sign H226 shalt thou have of the LORD, H3068 that the LORD H3068 will do H6213 the thing H1697 that he hath spoken: H1696 shall the shadow H6738 go forward H1980 ten H6235 degrees, H4609 or go back H7725 ten H6235 degrees? H4609 And Hezekiah H3169 answered, H559 It is a light thing H7043 for the shadow H6738 to go down H5186 ten H6235 degrees: H4609 nay, but let the shadow H6738 return H7725 backward H322 ten H6235 degrees. H4609 And Isaiah H3470 the prophet H5030 cried H7121 unto the LORD: H3068 and he brought H7725 the shadow H6738 ten H6235 degrees H4609 backward, H322 by H4609 which it had gone down H3381 in the dial H4609 of Ahaz. H271
In those days H3117 was Hezekiah H2396 sick H2470 unto death. H4191 And Isaiah H3470 the prophet H5030 the son H1121 of Amoz H531 came H935 unto him, and said H559 unto him, Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Set thine house H1004 in order: H6680 for thou shalt die, H4191 and not live. H2421 Then Hezekiah H2396 turned H5437 his face H6440 toward the wall, H7023 and prayed H6419 unto the LORD, H3068 And said, H559 Remember H2142 now, O LORD, H3068 I beseech H577 thee, how I have walked H1980 before H6440 thee in truth H571 and with a perfect H8003 heart, H3820 and have done H6213 that which is good H2896 in thy sight. H5869 And Hezekiah H2396 wept H1058 H1065 sore. H1419 Then came the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 to Isaiah, H3470 saying, H559 Go, H1980 and say H559 to Hezekiah, H2396 Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 the God H430 of David H1732 thy father, H1 I have heard H8085 thy prayer, H8605 I have seen H7200 thy tears: H1832 behold, I will add H3254 unto thy days H3117 fifteen H2568 H6240 years. H8141 And I will deliver H5337 thee and this city H5892 out of the hand H3709 of the king H4428 of Assyria: H804 and I will defend H1598 this city. H5892 And this shall be a sign H226 unto thee from the LORD, H3068 that the LORD H3068 will do H6213 this thing H1697 that he hath spoken; H1696 Behold, I will bring again H7725 the shadow H6738 of the degrees, H4609 which is gone down H3381 in the sun H8121 dial H4609 of Ahaz, H271 ten H6235 degrees H4609 backward. H322 So the sun H8121 returned H7725 ten H6235 degrees, H4609 by which degrees H4609 it was gone down. H3381
For Isaiah H3470 had said, H559 Let them take H5375 a lump H1690 of figs, H8384 and lay it for a plaister H4799 upon the boil, H7822 and he shall recover. H2421 Hezekiah H2396 also had said, H559 What is the sign H226 that I shall go up H5927 to the house H1004 of the LORD? H3068
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.