Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 2 Kings · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
Verſ. 1. IN thoſe dayes was Hezekiah ſick unto death.] That is, immediately after the ſlaughter made in the Aſſyrian army by the angel, related in the end of the former chapter: and indeed manifeſt it is, that Hezekiah ſickned in the fourteenth yeare of his reigne (which was the yeare wherein Sennacherib invaded Judea, chap. 18.13. Now in the fourteenth yeare of Hezekiah, did Sennacherib king of Aſſyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them:) for he reigned in all but nine and twenty years, chapter 18.2. now a promiſe was made him of living fifteen years longer, verſ. 6. and withall it is moſt probable, that he fell not ſick before the departure of the Aſſyrian army; becauſe not long before that, when he had received thoſe blaſphemous letters from Sennacherib, he went into the temple and prayed unto the Lord, &c. chap. 19.14. though he was newly delivered from ſo great feares, yet partly for the further triall of his faith, and partly to render him yet better, and to honour him with the enſuing miracle, God was pleaſed to viſit him with this dangerous ſickneſſe.
Thus ſaith the Lord, Set thy houſe in order, &c.] That is, make thy will, and diſpoſe of thoſe things which it is fit ſhould be ſet in order before thy death. Hezekiah had not yet a ſonne to ſucceed him in the throne, for Manaſſeh was borne three years after this, as being but twelve years old at his fathers death, chap. 21.1. and therefore it is probable, that this was one chief thing which Iſaiah had reſpect to in theſe words, that he ſhould adviſe and determine what was requiſite concerning his ſucceſſour, for (ſaith he) thou ſhalt dye and not live, that is, thou art but a dead man by the ordinary courſe of nature; there is no way of recovery for thee, unleſſe the Lord ſhall be pleaſed by his almighty power to deliver thee: it is true indeed, this condition was not expreſſed, yet was it underſtood; the Lord purpoſely (or elſe where) concealing this part of his will, that Hezekiah receiving the ſentence of death in himſelf, might the more earneſtly ſeek for help unto the Lord: and that Hezekiah took it for a conditionall threatning, and not a declaration of what God had abſolutely determined, is evident by his praying to God for mercy herein.
Verſ. 2. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed, &c.] To wit, either becauſe that wall was towards the Temple, or rather to hide his tears, and that being thereby the freer from diſtractions, he might the more freely poure forth his requeſts unto God, to whom he now turned, as to his onelyonly hope and comfort.
Verſ. 3. I beſeech thee, O Lord, remember now, how I have walked before thee in truth, &c.] Beſides that love of life, and horrour of death, which is naturally in all men, and which grace hath much adoe to overmaſter, even in the beſt of Gods ſervants, there were many things that made the ſentence of death in a ſpeciall manner terrible to Hezekiah: as firſt, becauſe he had yet no ſonne to ſucceed him in the throne, chap. 21.1. and it muſt needs be very grievous to him to think that the promiſe made to David and Solomon, 1. Kings 8.25. There ſhall not fail thee a man in my ſight, to ſit on the throne of Iſrael, ſhould not be made good to him in his poſteritie, who had to his utmoſt endeavoured to keep the condition required of God at the giving of that promiſe: Secondly, becauſe he could not but fear, leſt upon his death Religion would go to wrack again, leſt the reformation newly begun, would ſoon come to nothing, and the poore Church of God would quickly be overgrown with ſuperſtition again: Thirdly, becauſe he ſaw that thoſe that had been already forward enough to aſcribe all the calamities that had befallen the kingdome in his time, to his ſuppreſſing their high places, altars, and idols, would be now much more bold to inſult over him, if God ſhould thus ſuddenly cut him off: And fourthly, eſpecially becauſe his own faith muſt needs be ſorely aſſaulted, and ſhaken with theſe temptations, and that the rather, becauſe the coming of the Prophet to him in ſuch a manner, as Gods Herald, to threaten him with death, Thou ſhalt die, and not live, might ſeem to imply, that God meant to hew him down in diſpleaſure: doubtleſſe, in theſe regards the heart of Hezekiah was almoſt overwhelmed with terrours; (as himſelf afterward expreſſed in his ſong, Iſa. 38.10.—14.) and hence it is, that in this his prayer he pleads his integritie, that what he had done in the reformation of his kingdome, he had done with an upright heart, becauſe he knew it was good in his eyes; not by way of expoſtulation or pleading his merits, but to ſupport and ſtrengthen his faith againſt theſe temptations, that he might with the more hope and confidence call upon God, and might by this argument move the Lord to ſhew him mercy.
Verſ. 4. And it came to paſſe afore Iſaiah was gone out into the middle court, &c.] Some reade this, afore Iſaiah was gone out into the middle citie: and indeed it is by many held, that Jeruſalem was divided into three parts; whereof one was the citie of David▪ which is called Zion; another that which was of old called Jebus, or Salem; and a third, that which lay betwixt theſe two and joyned them together, and was called the middle citie, the ſame where Huldah the propheteſſe dwelt, chap. 22.14. for ſo ſome reade that place, ſhe dwelt in Jeruſalem in the ſecond part, and accordingly they underſtand this place that before the Prophet was gone out of the citie of David into the middle citie, the Lord ſent him back to Hezekiah with a promiſe of recovery: but becauſe the text ſeems moſt plainly to ſpeak of the Prophets going out of the kings houſe, and the tender compaſſion of God in the ſpeedy ſending back of the Prophet to comfort the afflicted ſoul of Hezekiah, is the more eminently diſcovered by this, that afore Iſaiah was gone out into the middle court of the kings houſe, he was ſent back again to the king, this tranſlation is juſtly put into the text of our Bibles, as the beſt; and this middle court I take to be the ſame which is called the court within the porch, 1. Kings 7.8.
Verſ. 5. Thus ſaith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, &c.] In ſending to Hezekiah the promiſe of his recovery, the Lord ſtiles himſelf the God of David his father, becauſe the promiſe made to David concerning the continued ſucceſſion of his ſeed in the throne of Judah, ſhould by this means be made good to Hezekiah, who ſhould now live to have an heir to ſucceed him; even as in former time, to imply that God would perform to the Iſraelites what he had promiſed to Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, he uſed to ſtile himſelf the God of Abraham, the God of Iſaac, and the God of Jacob.
On the third day thou ſhalt go up unto the houſe of the Lord.] The ſuddenneſſe of his recovery makes it evident that it was miraculous, and the mention of his going to the houſe of the Lord, ſweetens the tidings of his recovery, ſince nothing could more glad his heart then to hea…e that having received the ſentence of death in himſelf, he ſhould yet again praiſe God in his holy Temple.
Verſ. 6. And I will deliver thee, and this citie out of the hand of the king of Aſſyria, &c.] Though Sennacherib were returned (as is moſt probable) into his own countrey: yet, firſt, there might be ſome garriſons left behind here and there in the cities he had taken: and ſecondly, juſt cauſe had Hezekiah to fear, that having reinforced his army, he would return again, and endeavour to wipe of the ſtain of his preſent flight; and to remove thoſe fears, the Lord aſſures him, that as he had, ſo he would ſtill deliver both him and Jeruſalem out of the hand of the Aſſyrian.
Verſ. 7. And Iſaiah ſaid, Take a lump of dry figges, &c.] That is, a maſſe made of drie figges. Both the boil that Hezekiah had in this dangerous ſickneſſe, and the maſſe of figges appointed to be laid to the boil, which are ordinarily uſed for the ripening of ſuch hard, purulent, peſtilentiall tumours, make it very probable it was the plague, whereof Hezekiah was now ſick; and though therefore the medicine preſcribed was proper for the cure in a naturall way; yet if we conſider how ſpeedie the cure was, we may well think that there was a miraculous and ſupernaturall virtue added of God, to haſten the operation of theſe naturall means.
Verſ. 8. And Hezekiah ſaid unto Iſaiah, What ſhall be the ſigne that the Lord will heal me? &c,] Not becauſe he believed not, did Hezekiah deſire this ſigne, but for the ſtrengthening of his faith; the rather, becauſe the promiſe he now made, did ſo directly contradict what he had ſaid before. See the note Judg. 6.15.
Verſ, 9. Shall the ſhadow go forward ten degrees, or go backward ten degrees?] Becauſe it is left to Hezekiahs choice, whether the ſhadow ſhould go forward, or backward ten degrees, and both are propounded, as equally miraculous, for the confirmation of his faith; hence I conceive it is evident, firſt, that the Prophet meant it, of the retiring, or going forward of the ſhadow ſo many degrees in an inſtant, for the leaſurely going forward of the ſhadow, would not have had any wonder in it, and could not therefore be proffered to him as a miraculous ſigne to aſſure him of his recovery: ſecondly, that the degrees that it was to go forward, or backward, were not the lines, wherewith in the dials the houres are marked out (for there could not be ten houres for it to go forward, and ten to go backward, ſince the day was never twenty houres long in the climate of Judea) but it muſt be meant of thoſe leſſer lines or degrees, where with half houres, or quarter of houres are marked; yea rather I conceive it is meant of the quarters, and that becauſe this miraculous motion of the ſunne was to be obſerved in the diall of Ahaz: now had the ſunne gone backward ten houres, or five houres, it might have been as well obſerved in the motion of the ſunne; but going back no more then ten of theſe ſmaller degrees it could not be ſo well obſerved in the ſun it ſelf, as in the ſhadow of the diall.
Verſ. 10. And Hezekiah anſwered, It is a light thing for the ſhadow to go down ten degrees, &c.] The very going downward or forward of the ſunne or ſhadow ten degrees, would have been a wonderfull miracle, to wit, being done on a ſudden, or in an inſtant; yet becauſe it is naturall for the ſunne or ſhadow to go forward, though it had removed farre faſter away forward then at other times, it had not been ſo great a miracle as to remove backward, which was a courſe directly againſt nature; and therefore doth Hezekiah reject this, and chooſe the going backward of the ſhaddow to be his ſigne.
Verſ. 11. He brought the ſhadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the diall of Ahaz.] Though the ſunnes going backward were the cauſe of the ſhadows going backward, as is expreſſed, Iſaiah 38.8. Behold I will bring again the ſhadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the ſunne diall of Ahaz, ten degrees backward; ſo the ſunne returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down: yet the retiring of the ſhadow is onelyonly expreſt, becauſe this miraculous turning of the ſunne ten degrees backward, was not ſo eaſily diſcerned in the ſunne it ſelf, as in the ſhadow of the dialls, and though doubtleſſe the ſhadow went backward alike in all dialls, yet the diall of Ahaz is onelyonly mentioned; either, becauſe it was the court diall, and ſo in that the ſick king or his ſervants by his appointment, were to obſerve the miracle; or becauſe it was ſet up by Ahaz in ſome publick place for common uſe, and ſo the miracle was therein moſt generally obſerved by the people.
Verſ. 12. At that time Berodach-baladan the ſonne of Baladan king of Babylon ſent letters and a preſent unto Hezekiah.] This Berodach-baladan is called Merodach-baladan, Iſai. 39.1. by other writers Mardocem-padus; and is by many good writers counted the firſt Babylonian Monarch, at leaſt he is the firſt that took that title: for Eſar-haddon ſucceeding his father Sennacherib in the monarchy of Aſſyria, chap. 19.37. it ſeems this Merodach Sennacheribs lievtenant in Babylon, taking advantage of the loſſe of the Aſſyrians before Jeruſalem (where an Angel had ſlain ſo many thouſands) and withall of the young kings weakneſſe, and his contention with his brothers, revolted from him, and made himſelf king of Babylon. Now his Caldeans the great Aſtronomers of thoſe times, having obſerved with aſtoniſhment, this ſtrange alteration in the ſunnes motion, and hearing a report that it was done by the God of the Jews, to aſſure their king of his recovery; Merodach took this occaſion to ſend his Embaſſadours to Hezekiah, both to enquire of the wonder, 2. Chron. 32.31. Howbeit in the buſineſſe of the Embaſſadours of the princes of Babylon, who ſent unto him, to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, &c. and to congratulate the recovery of Hezekiah; and withall doubtleſſe to aſſure to himſelf the friendſhip of Hezekiah, a known enemy to the Aſſyrian kings, from whom he was revolted; and therefore it may well be that it was ſome years after that miracle was wrought.
Verſ. 13. And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and ſhewed them the houſe of his precious things, &c.] Though a little before he had been brought low enough, yet now he was greatly enriched, partly by the ſpoil of Sennacheribs camp, and partly by the rich preſents brought him from many places, 2. Chron. 32.23. And many brought gifts to the Lord to Jeruſalem, and preſents to Hezekiah king of Judah: and theſe riches he ſhewed to the Embaſſadours in a vain-glorious oſtentation, as being puffed up in his mind, in that he was become the wonder of the world, for the ſunnes going backward for his ſake; and ſought to by a prince ſo farre remote from him, whoſe Embaſſadours he would have ſee, that their maſter had cauſe enough to deſire to be in league with him; and of this pride is that ſpoken, 2. Chron. 32.25. Hezekiah rendred not again according to the benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up, &c.
Verſ. 14. And Hezekiah ſaid, They are come from a farre countrey, even from Babylon.] This is ſpoken by way of boaſting.
Verſ. 17. All that is in thine houſe, and that which thy fathers have laid up in ſtore unto this day, ſhall be carried into Babylon, &c.] Thus he is threatened, both becauſe his heart was lifted up, 2. Chron. 32.25. and becauſe his ambition to aſſure himſelf of the Babylonian friendſhip, argued too much truſt in his aid; a great ſinne, in him that had ſuch experience of Gods defence.
Verſ. 19. Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my dayes?] However it be grievous to think that theſe things ſhould befall our poſterity in future times, yet it is Gods mercy, that yet it ſhall not be in my dayes.
Verſ. 20. And how he made a pool, &c.] This was it ſeems, a great pool in the city of David, and the water was brought in pipes under the ground from the fountain of Gihon▪ when Sennacherib did firſt beſiege Jeruſalem, 2. Chron. 32.30. Hezekiah alſo ſtopped the watercourſe of Gihon, and brought it to the west ſide of the citie of David: and is therefore called the kings pool.