Isa 36:1
36:1 Now it came to pass {a} in the {b} fourteenth year of king
     Hezekiah, [that] Sennacherib king of Assyria came up
     against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them.

     (a) This history is rehearsed because it is as a seal and
         confirmation of the doctrine before, both for the
         threatenings and promises: that is, that God would
         permit his Church to be afflicted, but at length would
         send deliverance.
     (b) When he had abolished superstition, and idolatry, and
         restored religion, yet God would exercise his Church to
         try their faith and patience.

Isa 36:3
36:3 Then came forth to him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, who was {c}
     over the house, and Shebna {d} the scribe, and Joah,
     Asaph's son, the recorder.

     (c) For he was now restored to his office, as Isaiah had
         prophesied in @Isa 22:20.
     (d) This declares that there were few godly to be found in
         the king's house, when he was driven to end this wicked
         man in such a weighty matter.

Isa 36:4
36:4 And {e} Rabshakeh said to them, Say ye now to Hezekiah,
     Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What
     confidence [is] this in which thou trustest?

     (e) Sennacherib's chief captain.

Isa 36:5
36:5 I say, {f} [sayest thou], (but [they are but] vain words)
     [I have] counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost
     thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

     (f) He speaks this in the person of Hezekiah, falsely
         charging him that he put his trust in his wit and
         eloquence, while his only confidence was in the Lord.

Isa 36:6
36:6 Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on
     Egypt; on which if a man lean, it will enter his hand, and
     pierce it: so [is] {g} Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that
     trust in him.

     (g) Satan laboured to pull the godly king from one vain
         confidence to another: that is, from trust in the
         Egyptians, whose power was weak and would deceive them,
         to yield himself to the Assyrians, and so not to hope
         for any help from God.

Isa 36:9
36:9 How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the
     {h} least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on
     Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

     (h) He reproaches Hezekiah's small power, which is not able
         to resist one of Sennacherib's least captains.

Isa 36:10
36:10 And am I now come up without the LORD against this land to
      destroy it? the LORD said to me, {i} Go up against this
      land, and destroy it.

      (i) Thus the wicked to deceive us, will pretend the Name
          of the Lord: but we must try the spirits, whether they
          are of God or not.

Isa 36:11
36:11 Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah to Rabshakeh, {k}
      Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian
      language; for we understand [it]: and speak not to us in
      the Jews' language, in the ears of the people that [are]
      on the wall.

      (k) They were afraid, lest by his words, he should have
          stirred up the people against the king, and also
          pretended to grow to some appointment with him.

Isa 36:16
36:16 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of
      Assyria, Make {l} [an agreement] with me [by] a present,
      and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and
      every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the
      waters of his own cistern;

      (l) The Hebrew word signifies blessing, by which this
          wicked captain would have persuaded the people, that
          their condition would be better under Sennacherib than
          under Hezekiah.

Isa 36:19
36:19 Where [are] the gods of {m} Hamath and Arphad? where [are]
      the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria
      out of my hand?

      (m) That is, of Antioch in Syria, of which these two
          other cities also were: by which we see how every town
          had its peculiar idol, and how the wicked make God an
          idol because they do not understand that God makes
          them his scourge, and punishes cities for sin.

Isa 36:21
36:21 But they {n} held their peace, and answered him not a
      word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him
      not.

      (n) Not that they did not show by evident signs that they
          detested his blasphemy: or they had now rent their
          clothes, but they knew it was in vain to use long
          reasoning with this infidel, whose reign they would
          have so much more provoked.



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