14 And Hezekiah taketh the letters out of the hand of the messengers, and readeth them, and goeth up to the house of Jehovah, and Hezekiah spreadeth it before Jehovah. 15 And Hezekiah prayeth before Jehovah, and saith, 'O Jehovah, God of Israel, inhabiting the cherubs, Thou 'art' God Himself—Thyself alone—to all the kingdoms of the earth: Thou hast made the heavens and the earth. 16 Incline, O Jehovah, Thine ear, and hear; open, O Jehovah, Thine eyes, and see; and hear Thou the words of Sennacherib with which he hath sent him to reproach the living God. 17 'Truly, O Jehovah, kings of Asshur have laid waste the nations, and their land, 18 and have put their gods into fire, for they 'are' no gods, but work of the hands of man, wood and stone, and destroy them. 19 And now, O Jehovah our God, save us, we pray Thee, out of his hand, and know do all kingdoms of the earth that Thou 'art' Jehovah God—Thyself alone.'
20 And Isaiah son of Amoz sendeth unto Hezekiah, saying, 'Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed unto Me concerning Sennacherib king of Asshur I have heard: 21 this 'is' the word that Jehovah spake concerning him: 'Trampled on thee—laughed at thee, Hath the virgin daughter of Zion Behind thee shaken the head—Hath the daughter of Jerusalem? 22 Whom hast thou reproached and reviled? And against whom lifted up a voice? Yea, thou dost lift up on high thine eyes—Against the Holy One of Israel! 23 By the hand of thy messengers Thou hast reproached the Lord, and sayest: In the multitude of my chariots I have come up to a high place of mountains—The sides of Lebanon, And I cut down the height of its cedars, The choice of its firs, And I enter the lodging of its extremity, The forest of its Carmel. 24 I have digged, and drunk strange waters, And I dry up with the sole of my steps All floods of a bulwark. 25 Hast thou not heard from afar, it I made, From days of old that I formed it? Now I have brought it in, And it becometh a desolation, Ruinous heaps 'are' fenced cities, 26 And their inhabitants 'are' feeble-handed, They were broken down, and are dried up, They have been the herb of the field, And the greenness of the tender grass, Grass of the roofs, And blasted corn—before it hath risen up! 27 And thy sitting down, and thy going out, And thy coming in, I have known, And thine anger towards Me; 28 Because of thine anger towards Me, And thy noise—it came up into Mine ears, I have put My hook in thy nose, And My bridle in thy lips, And have caused thee to turn back, In the way in which thou camest. 29 And this to thee 'is' the sign, Food of the year 'is' the spontaneous growth, And in the second year the self-produced, And in the third year sow ye, and reap, And plant vineyards, and eat their fruits. 30 And it hath continued—The escaped of the house of Judah That hath been left—to take root beneath, And hath made fruit upward. 31 For from Jerusalem goeth out a remnant, And an escape from mount Zion; The zeal of Jehovah 'of Hosts' doth this. 32 Therefore, thus said Jehovah, Concerning the king of Asshur: He doth not come in unto this city, Nor doth he shoot there an arrow, Nor doth he come before it with shield. Nor doth he pour out against it a mount. 33 In the way that he cometh in—In it he turneth back, And unto this city he doth not come in, The affirmation of Jehovah— 34 And I have covered over this city, To save it, for Mine own sake, And for the sake of David My servant.'
35 And it cometh to pass, in that night, that a messenger of Jehovah goeth out, and smiteth in the camp of Asshur a hundred eighty and five thousand, and they rise early in the morning, and lo, all of them 'are' dead corpses. 36 And Sennacherib king of Asshur journeyeth, and goeth, and turneth back, and dwelleth in Nineveh; 37 and it cometh to pass, he is bowing himself in the house of Nisroch his god, and Adramelech and Sharezar 'his sons' have smitten him with the sword, and they have escaped to the land of Ararat, and Esar-Haddon his son reigneth in his stead.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Kings 19:14-37
Commentary on 2 Kings 19:8-19
(Read 2 Kings 19:8-19)
Prayer is the never-failing resource of the tempted Christian, whether struggling with outward difficulties or inward foes. At the mercy-seat of his almighty Friend he opens his heart, spreads his case, like Hezekiah, and makes his appeal. When he can discern that the glory of God is engaged on his side, faith gains the victory, and he rejoices that he shall never be moved. The best pleas in prayer are taken from God's honour.
Commentary on 2 Kings 19:20-34
(Read 2 Kings 19:20-34)
All Sennacherib's motions were under the Divine cognizance. God himself undertakes to defend the city; and that person, that place, cannot but be safe, which he undertakes to protect. The invasion of the Assyrians probably had prevented the land from being sown that year. The next is supposed to have been the sabbatical year, but the Lord engaged that the produce of the land should be sufficient for their support during those two years. As the performance of this promise was to be after the destruction of Sennacherib's army, it was a sign to Hezekiah's faith, assuring him of that present deliverance, as an earnest of the Lord's future care of the kingdom of Judah. This the Lord would perform, not for their righteousness, but his own glory. May our hearts be as good ground, that his word may strike root therein, and bring forth fruit in our lives.
Commentary on 2 Kings 19:35-37
(Read 2 Kings 19:35-37)
That night which followed the sending of this message to Hezekiah, the main body of their army was slain. See how weak the mightiest men are before Almighty God. Who ever hardened himself against Him and prospered? The king of Assyria's own sons became his murderers. Those whose children are undutiful, ought to consider whether they have not been so to their Father in heaven? This history exhibits a strong proof of the good of firm trust and confidence in God. He will afflict, but not forsake his people. It is well when our troubles drive us to our knees. But does it not reprove our unbelief? How unwilling are we to rest on the declaration of Jehovah! How desirous to know in what way he will save us! How impatient when relief is delayed! But we must wait for the fulfilling of his word. Lord, help our unbelief.