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1 Now it came to passe in the third yere of Hoshea sonne of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the sonne of Ahaz king of Iudah, began to reigne.
2 Twentie and fiue yeeres old was he when hee began to reigne, and hee reigned twentie and nine yeeres in Ierusalem: His mothers name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah.
3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Dauid his father did.
4 ¶ He remooued the high places, and brake the images, and cut downe the groues, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for vnto those dayes the children of Israel did burne incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Iudah, nor any that were before him.
6 For he claue to the Lord, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandements, which the Lord commanded Moses.
7 And the Lord was with him, and hee prospered whithersoeuer hee went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and serued him not.
8 He smote the Philistines euen vnto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the towre of the watchmen to the fenced cities.
9 ¶ And it came to passe in the fourth yeere of king Hezekiah, (which was the seuenth yeere of Hoshea, sonne of Elah king of Israel) that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came vp against Samaria, and besieged it.
10 And at the end of three yeeres they tooke it: euen in the sixt yeere of Hezekiah (that is the ninth yeere of Hoshea king of Israel) Samaria was taken.
11 And the king of Assyria did carie away Israel vnto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the riuer of Gozan, & in the cities of the Medes:
12 Because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed his Couenant, and all that Moses the seruant of the Lord commanded, and would not heare them, nor doe them.
13 ¶ Now in the fourteenth yeere of king Hezekiah, did Sennacherib king of Assyria come vp against all the fenced cities of Iudah, and tooke them.
14 And Hezekiah king of Iudah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I haue offended, returne from me: that which thou puttest on me, wil I beare. And the king of Assyria appointed vnto Hezekiah king of Iudah, three hundred talents of siluer, and thirtie talents of gold.
15 And Hezekiah gaue him all the siluer that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the kings house.
16 At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doores of the temple of the Lord, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Iudah had ouerlaid, and gaue it to the king of Assyria.
17 ¶ And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh, from Lachish to king Hezekiah, with a great hoste against Ierusalem: and they went vp, and came to Ierusalem: and when they were come vp, they came and stood by the conduit of the vpper poole, which is in the high way of the fullers field.
18 And when they had called to the king there came out to them Eliakim the sonne of Helkiah, which was ouer the houshold, and Shebna the Scribe, and Ioah the sonne of Asaph the Recorder.
19 And Rabshakeh said vnto them, Speake yee now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
20 Thou sayest, (but they are but vaine words) I haue counsell and strength for the warre: now on whom doest thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
21 Now behold, thou trustest vpon the staffe of this bruised reed, euen vpon Egypt, on which if a man leane, it will goe into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt vnto all that trust on him.
22 But if ye say vnto me, We trust in the Lord our God: is not that hee whose high places, and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Iudah and Ierusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Ierusalem?
23 Now therefore, I pray thee, giue pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliuer thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders vpon them.
24 How then wilt thou turne away the face of one captaine of the least of my masters seruants, and put thy trust on Egypt for charets and for horsemen?
25 Am I now come vp without the Lord against this place, to destroy it? The Lord sayd to me, Goe vp against this land, and destroy it.
26 Then said Eliakim the sonne of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Ioah, vnto Rabshakeh, Speake, I pray thee, to thy seruants in the Syrian language, (for wee vnderstand it) and talke not with vs in the Iewes language, in the eares of the people that are on the wall.
27 But Rabshakeh sayd vnto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speake these wordes? hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eate their owne doung, and drinke their owne pisse with you?
28 Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loude voice in the Iewes language, and spake, saying, Heare the word of the great king, the king of Assyria.
29 Thus sayth the king, Let not Hezekiah deceiue you, for he shall not be able to deliuer you out of his hand:
30 Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliuer vs, and this city shall not bee deliuered into the hand of the king of Assyria.
31 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus sayth the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eate yee euery man of his owne vine, and euery one of his figge tree, and drinke yee euery one the waters of his cisterne:
32 Untill I come and take you away to a land like your owne land, a land of corne and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oile Oliue, and of honie, that yee may liue, and not die: and hearken not vnto Hezekiah, when hee perswadeth you, saying, The Lord will deliuer vs.
33 Hath any of the gods of the nations deliuered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
34 Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharuaim, Hena, and Iuah? haue they deliuered Samaria out of mine hand?
35 Who are they among all the gods of the countreys, that haue deliuered their countrey out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliuer Ierusalem out of mine hand?
36 But the people helde their peace, and answered him not a word: for the kings commaundement was, saying, Answere him not.
37 Then came Eliakim the sonne of Hilkiah, which was ouer the houshold, and Shebna the Scribe, and Ioah the sonne of Asaph the Recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and tolde him the words of Rabshakeh.
Good reign of Hezekiah in Judah, Idolatry. (1-8) Sennacherib invades Judah. (9-16) Rabshakeh's blasphemies. (17-37)1-8 Hezekiah was a true son of David. Some others did that which was right, but not like David. Let us not suppose that when times and men are bad, they must needs grow worse and worse; that does not follow: after many bad kings, God raised one up like David himself. The brazen serpent had been carefully preserved, as a memorial of God's goodness to their fathers in the wilderness; but it was idle and wicked to burn incense to it. All helps to devotion, not warranted by the word of God, interrupt the exercise of faith; they always lead to superstition and other dangerous evils. Human nature perverts every thing of this kind. True faith needs not such aids; the word of God, daily thought upon and prayed over, is all the outward help we need.
9-16 The descent Sennacherib made upon Judah, was a great calamity to that kingdom, by which God would try the faith of Hezekiah, and chastise the people. The secret dislike, the hypocrisy, and lukewarmness of numbers, require correction; such trials purify the faith and hope of the upright, and bring them to simple dependence on God.
17-37 Rabshakeh tries to convince the Jews, that it was to no purpose for them to stand it out. What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? It were well if sinners would submit to the force of this argument, in seeking peace with God. It is, therefore, our wisdom to yield to him, because it is in vain to contend with him: what confidence is that which those trust in who stand out against him? A great deal of art there is in this speech of Rabshakeh; but a great deal of pride, malice, falsehood, and blasphemy. Hezekiah's nobles held their peace. There is a time to keep silence, as well as a time to speak; and there are those to whom to offer any thing religious or rational, is to cast pearls before swine. Their silence made Rabshakeh yet more proud and secure. It is often best to leave such persons to rail and blaspheme; a decided expression of abhorrence is the best testimony against them. The matter must be left to the Lord, who has all hearts in his hands, committing ourselves unto him in humble submission, believing hope, and fervent prayer.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.