Commentary on Isaiah, Commentary on Isaiah · Chapter 37 · Verse 36 – Verse 38
Verſ. 36. Then the Angell of the Lord went out, and ſmote in the Camp of Aſſhur an hundreth fourſcore and fiue thouſand: ſo when they aroſe earely in the morning, Behold, they were all dead corpſes.
NOw the Prophet ſhewes what befell the Aſſyrian, that wee might not thinke the Lords words to be but winde: he teſtifies then that his propheſie tooke effect in deed; that ſo they might be the better perſwaded he was ſent of God, and had ſpoken nothing of his owne head. But this ſo admirable a worke muſt not be reſtrained to this one propheſie alone, but to the whole ſcope of his doctrine, which by this miracle was authoriſed, himſelfe knowne to be the ſeruant of God, and his calling ratified and confirmed. For doubtleſſe he annexeth this notable and rare example of Gods iuſtice as a thing then very freſh in mind, to teſtifie to the end of the world that it was God which ſpake by his mouth.
But now where the Angell made this ſlaughter, it appeares not. The common opinion is, that it happened whileſt Ieruſalem was beſieged; but it might well happen alſo in the way, that is to ſay, when Sennacherib came to lay ſiege againſt Ieruſalem. But I leaue it as a thing in ſuſpence, becauſe it is of no great moment: albeit we may eaſily iudge by the ſcope of the text, that this Tyrant came not ſo neere that he could throw any of his darts againſt the Citie.
Moreouer, we are to reiect an inuention of Satan, who hath indeuored by help of prophane hiſtories to darken ſo manifeſt and admirable a iudgement of God, which affirme, that part of Sennacheribs hoſt died of ye plague in the warres of Egypt, by reaſon whereof he was inforced to returne home into his owne countrie. But who will ſay that there died ſo many men of the peſtilence in one night? This father of lies (according to his ancient cuſtome) honors the Egyptians with this miracle, which God purpoſely wrought in fauor of his Church. The fact it ſelfe makes it more then manifeſt, that Ieruſalem was miraculouſlie deliuered, as from the gates of death, ſpeciallie if we way the meſſage which Iſaiah brought, as we hauehave ſeene before: by which he apparantlie teſtified that God wrought this worke rather for the Iewes then for the Egyptians.
And leſt any man ſhould imagin this miracle came to paſſe by naturall cauſes, it is expreſlie added, that all this multitude was ſlaine by the ſtroke of an Angell. Now it is no vnwonted thing for God thus to vſe the miniſterie of Angels, in procuring the ſafetie of the faithfull, for whoſe ſakes he hath created all the armies of heauen. It alſo ſerues greatly for the confirmation of our faith, when we ſee there are ſo many thouſands of them which wait for our ſaluation. The Lord himſelfe is ſtrong enough, and his truth it is which onelyonly keeps vsus: Rom. 8.38. For the Angels are but his hands as it were, in regard whereof, they are called powers and principalities:Eph. 1.21. but hee prouides exceedingly for our weakneſſe, by giuing ſuch celeſtiall miniſters to be our gardians and protectors. And yet the whole glorie muſt be aſcribed to God alone, we are to acknowledge the Angels but his inſtruments; for otherwiſe wee ſhould eaſilie ſlip into the error of the Papiſts, who aſcribing more then is meete to them, doe rob God of his power, to clothe them with it. With which error alſo, the learnedſt men of our time hauehave bin bewitched, as we know.
Now we cannot affirme certainly whether this were done by the hand of one, or manie Angels; neither is it much materiall: for the Lord is able eaſily to effect one and the ſame thing, by one or a thouſand of them. For he vſeth not their miniſterie, as if hee ſtood in need of their helpe, but rather to ſupport our infirmitie, as we hauehave ſaid before: yet it is moſt probable, and anſwers beſt to the Prophets words, that one Angell alone had commiſſion to doe this ſeruice. Euen as in the antient deliuerance, one Angell paſſed thorow the land of Egypt in a night, to ſlay their firſt borne: Exod. 12.29. Sometimes God alſo executes his iudgements by wicked angels: but he choſe one of his voluntarie ſeruants here, to deliuer his Church, as by his hand.
An hundred, fourſcore, and fiue thouſand.] We are not to maruell that this was ſo great an armie, as ſome ignorants doe, who eſteeme it but a fable, when they heare tell of ſuch an huge multitude of ſouldiers; becauſe a leſſe number ſerues the turne now a daies. But hiſtories doe plainly teſtifie, that the eaſterne people mannaged things cleane contrarie to vsus; and it is to bee ſeene among them yet at this day. It was no maruell they brought ſo many forth to battel, becauſe they were much more inabled to indure cold and heat then wee, they had more able bodies to labour, they were more ſparing in diet; neither were they giuen to delicious and daintie fare, with which vice our ſouldiers are corrupted.
As touching the manner of this diſcomfiture, here is nothing ſet downe for certaine. The RabbinesRabbins too bold in coining fables. without any teſtimony or likely coniecture, affirme, that they were ſmitten with thunder and lightning. For as they are bold to coine fables, ſo are they not afraid to auouch any thing that comes in their heads, euen as if they had found the ſame recorded in ſome anthentique hiſtorie. But the words ſhew, that this was no ſuch apparant ſlaughter: for the Prophet ſaith, that they lay all dead vponupon the earth: if they had bin ſmitten with lightning, eueryevery one would hauehave perceiued it, neither would the Prophet hauehave concealed it. The cōiecture of the Rabbines then you ſee, is confuted out of the very text: but I had rather lane off in the mid way. It ſufficeth that wee know thus much; the Lord was minded to deliuer Ieruſalem out of the hand of the Aſſyrian; and he ſmote the hoſt with ſudden death, altogether without mans helpe.
Verſ. 37. So Sennacherib King of Aſhur departed, and went away, and returned, and dwelt at Nineueh.
NOw Iſaiah ſhewes, with what diſhonour this Tyrant retired; who before, in his conceit, had deuoured all Iudeah, and durſt challenge the Lord himſelfe. In that he expreſſeth his recoiling backe, with ſo manie words to one purpoſe, it is to caſt diſgrace vponupon his cowardly flight: for it is no ſuperfluous repetition when he ſaith, he departed, hee vvent his vvay, and he returned. Il partit, il s'en alla, il retourna.The name of King is alſo added to his further ſhame. As if he ſhould ſay; See this King, this great King, Chap. 36.4. whom Rabſhekeh extolled ſo highly, becauſe of his power. Hee came not into Iudeah to returne with infamie; but God for his mercy and truthes ſake droue him out thence, euen as chaffe before the wind.
Where it is ſaid, hee returned to dwell in Nineueh, it ſhewes vsus further, that hee not onelyonly left his courage, but his forces alſo quailed; for hee would not willingly hauehave ſtaied at home, if deſpaire had not been as a chaine to keepe him in: he contented himſelfe with his kingdome then, whereof Nineueh was the mother Citie. Afterwards when the Caldeans had ſubdued the Aſſyrians, the Monarchy was tranſported vntounto Babylon; to wit, ten yeeres after the death of Sennacherib, in which time Eſar-haddone, (of whom mention is here made) reigned. For Paricides being winked at, and ſupported by many, the forraigne enemies might eaſilie conquer and ſubdue a nation full of factions: and therefore Merodach hauing made vſe of this occaſion, inuaded the Aſſyrians, and brought them vnderunder his command.
Verſ. 38. And as hee was in the Temple worſhipping Niſrock his God, Adramelech and Sharezer his ſonnes ſlew him with the ſword: and Eſar-haddon his ſonne reigned in his ſtead.
THe RabbinesRabbins bold in coining fables. giuegive themſelues the like libertie heere to coine deuices; for they faine that Sennacherib asked his idoll, why he could not vanquiſh the Iewes: and it anſwered, becauſe Abraham meant to hauehave ſacrificed his ſonne to God. And then this Tyrant following this example, determined to offer page missing howſoeuer he could not by and by diſpatch himſelfe out of theſe incumbrances,Rom. 8.26. yet the holy Ghoſt did ſuggeſt into this confuſed and perplexed ſpirit of his, ſuch groanes, as could not be expreſſed. And in truth it had been an vncoth and abſurd meſſage, if ſo bee God had not conforted him inwardly by the ſecret worke of his Spirit, who was now a good as ſtricken downe to hell with the outward ſound of the Prophets words. Now for as much as hee would neuer hauehave repented, being ſeaſed on by deſpaire, mortification went formoſt; next, followed that ſecret worke of the Spirit, which conſecrated this poore dead body a liuing ſacrifice acceptable vntounto God.