B. C. cir. 710. cir. annum 19 And have cast their gods A. M. cir. 3294. into the fire for they were no Olymp. XVII. 3 gods, but the work of men's Numa Pompilii, hands, wood and stone: there- R. Roman, 6. fore they have destroyed them. 20 Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD, even thou only, 21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God 14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. 15 And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD, of Israel, Whereas thou hast prayed to me saying, against Sennacherib king of Assyria: b Heb. given.- Heb. By the hand of thy servants. preserved in the other copy; 2 Kings xix. 19. Syriac and Septuagint seem here to have had in their copies 'n Elohim, instead of Yehovah. Verse 21. Then Isaiah-sent unto Hezekiah] The Syriac and Septuagint understand and render the verb Verse 14. And read it—" And read them"]" vayikraem. So MS. Bodl. in this place; and so the other copy; instead of xp vaiyikraehu," and read IT." And spread it—“ And spread them"]" vai-passively, was sent. yiphresehu.hu is upon a rasure in a MS., which probably was at first □ mem. The same mistake as in the foregoing note. Verse 15. Unto the Lord-" Before JEHOVAH"] *That is, in the sanctuary. Forel, the Syriac, Chal dee, and the other copy, 2 Kings xix. 15, read liphney, "before the face." Whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib-"Thy prayer unto me concerning Sennacherib -I have heard"] "ny shamati; this word, necessary to the sense, is lost in this place out of the Hebrew text. One MS. of Dr. Kennicott's and one of De Rossi's have it written above the line in a later hand. The Septuagint and Syriac found it in their copies; and it Verse 18. The nations] haratsoth," the is preserved in the other copy; 2 Kings xix. 20. lands;" instead of this word, which destroys the sense, Verse 23. Against the Holy One of Israel.] For ten of Kennicott's and five of De Rossi's MSS. (one el, to, the other copy has by al, against, rather more ancient) have here □ goyim, "nations;" which is properly. undoubtedly the true reading, being preserved also in Verse 24. By thy servants-" By thy messengers"] the other copy; 2 Kings xix. 17. Another MS. sug-The text has Ty abdeycha, thy servants; but the gests another method of rectifying the sense in this malacheycha, thy mesplace, by reading malcam, “their king," instead sengers, as in the other copy, 2 Kings xix. 23; and as of Dartsam, "their land;" but it ought to be the Septuagint and Syriac found it in their copies in On malcheyhem, "all the countries and their this place. kings." Verse 20. Save us—“ Save us, we beseech thee"] The supplicating particle, na, is supplied here from eighteen MSS., three ancient, of Dr. Kennicott, and ten of De Rossi, and from the other copy; Kings xix. 19. true reading seems to be Reproached the Lord] Adonai: but one of my MSS. has 187' Yehovah Adonai, Jehovah the Lord. This reading is not found, I think, in any other MS., but several haven Yehovah for 1 Adonai. I will enter into the height of his border-"I will penetrate into his extreme retreats"] The text has That thou art the Lord, even thou only-" That marom, the height which seems to have been thou JEHOVAH art the only God."] The word taken by mistake from the line but one above. Two Elohim, "God," is lost here in the Hebrew text, but MSS, have here ¡malon, the lodge or retreat; which God's threatenings A. M. cir. 3294. cir. annum CHAP. XXXVII. my chariots am I come up to Olymp. XVII. 3. the height of the mountains, to Numa Pompilii, the sides of Lebanon; and I R. Roman., 6. will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the height of his border, and the forest of his Carmel. 25 I have digged, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the m besieged places. 26" Hast thou not heard long ago, how I have done it; and of ancient times, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps. Heb. the tallness of the cedars thereof, and the choice of the for-trees thereof.— Ŏr, the forest and his fruitful field. Or, fenced and closed. Or, Hast thou not heard how I have made it long ago, and formed it of ancient times? should I now bring it to be laid waste, and defenced cities to be ruinous is the word in the other copy, 2 Kings xix. 23, and I think is the true reading,.. against Sennacherib. B. C. cir. 713. Olymp. XVI. 4. cir. annum 29 Because thy rage against 4. M. cir. 3291. me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest. R. Roman., 3. 30 And this shall be a sign unto thee, Yo shall eat this year such as groweth of itself: and the second year that which springeth of the same and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof. 31 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward: 32 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of Mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this. 33 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields; nor cast a bank against it. It is not easy to נצים The word cities."] DY D'】 gallim nitstsim. give a satisfactory account of these two words, which The forest of his Carmel.] The forest and his fruit-have greatly embarrassed all the interpreters, ancient ful field; that is, I will possess myself of the whole and modern. For gallim I read □ goyim, as country. the Septuagint do in this place, sovŋ. netsim the Vulgate renders in this place compugnantium; in the parallel place, 2 Kings xix. 25, pugnantium; and the Septuagint paxiμwv, fighting, warlike. This rendering is as well authorized as any other that I know of; and, with the reading of the Septuagint, perfectly clears up the construction, See the margin on all the preceding verses. Verse 25. Water-"Strange waters"] The word zarim, strange, lost out of the Hebrew text in this place, is supplied from the other copy. A MS. supplies the word D‘¶ rabbim, many, instead of it. With the sole of my feet] With my infantry. All the rivers of the besieged places-"All the canals of fenced places."] The principal cities of Egypt, the scene of his late exploits, were chiefly defended by deep moats, canals, or large lakes, made by labour and art, with which they were surrounded. See Harmer's Observ. ii. p. 304. Claudian introduces Alaric boasting of his conquests in the same extravagant manner : "Subsidere nostris Sub pedibus montes; arescere vidimus amnes.- The mountains have passed away under our feet; Verse 26 Lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps "Lay waste warlike nations, strong fenced it does not appear that there is any good authority for this word. The true reading seems to be no shedephah, blasted, as it is in six MSS. (two ancient) here, and in the other copy. Verse 29. Will I put my hook in thy nose] Et frænum meum: Jonathan vocem in metheg, interpretatus est DD zemam, i. e., annulum, sive uncum, eumque ferreum, quem infigunt naribus camelæ eoque trahitur, quoniam illa feris motibus agitur: et hoc est, quod discimus in Talmude; et camela cum annulo narium: scilicet, egreditur die sabbathi. bridle: Jonathan interprets the word metheg by zemam, a ring, or that iron hook which they put in the nostrils of a camel to lead her about, check her in her restiveness, &c. And this is what we mean in the Talmud, when we say, And the camel with the ring "And my Hezekiah's sickness 34 By the way that he came, | behold, they were all dead A. M. cir. 3291. by the same shall he return, and corpses. shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. 35 For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake. 36 Then the w angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand and when they arose early in the morning, v2 Kings xx. 6; chap. xxxviii. 6. of her nostrils shall go out on the Sabbath day."— Jarchi in 2 Kings xix. 28, Ponam circulum in naribus tuis. "I will put a ring in thy nostrils."-Jerome. Just as at this day they put a ring into the nose of the bear, the buffalo, and other wild beasts, to lead them, and to govern them when they are unruly. Bulls are often ringed thus in several parts of England. The Hindoos compare a person who is the slave of his wife to a cow led by the ring in her nose. Verse 36. Then the angel] Before "the angel," the other copy, 2 Kings xix. 35, adds, "it came to pass the same night, that" 37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. B. C. cir. 713. Olymp. XVI. 4. Numa Pompilii, cir. annum R. Roman., 3. 38 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead. w2 Kings xix. 35.- Heb. Ararat. prediction of this miraculous deliverance of the kingdom of Judah :- "And to the house of Judah I will be tenderly merciful: And I will save them by JEHOVAH their God. And I will not save them by the bow; Nor by sword, nor by battle; By horses, nor by horsemen."-L. Verse 38. His sons smote him] What an awful punishment of his blasphemy! Who can harden his neck against God, and be successful? God does not lightly pass by blasphemy against himself, his government, his word, his Son, or his people. Let the pro The Prophet Hosea, chap. i. 7, has given a plain fligate take care! CHAPTER XXXVIII. Account of Hezekiah's dangerous sickness and miraculous recovery, 1-9. Tender and beautiful song of thanksgiving, in which this pious king breathed out the sentiments of a grateful heart, when his life was, as it were, restored. This ode may be adapted to other cases; and will always afford profit and pleasure to those who are not void of feeling and piety, 10–22. A. M. cir. 3291. B. C. cir. 713. IN a those days was Hezekiah | house in order: for thou shalt A. M. cir. 3291. Olymp. XVI. 4. cir. annum R. Roman., 3. sick unto death. And Isaiah die, and not live. Numa Pompilii, the prophet the son of Amoz 2 Then Hezekiah turned his came unto him, and said unto face toward the wall, and prayed him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine unto the LORD, с a2 Kings xx. 1, &c. ; 2 Chron. xxxii. 24. 2 Sam. xvii. 23; NOTES ON CHAP. XXXVIII. Verse 1. In those days] The reader is requested to consult the notes on 2 Kings xx. in reference to the principal parts of this chapter. Verse 2. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall] The furniture of an eastern divan or chamber, either for the reception of company or for private use, consists chiefly of carpets spread on the floor in the middle; and of sofas, or couches ranged on one or more sides of the room, on a part raised somewhat above the floor. On these they repose themselves in the day, and sleep at night. It is to be observed that the corner of the room is the place of honour. Dr. Pococke, when he was introduced to the Sheikh of Furshout, found him sitting in the corner of his room. 1 Mac. ix. 55.-c Heb. Give charge concerning thy house. He describes another Arab Sheikh "as sitting in the corner of a large green tent, pitched in the middle of an encampment of Arabs; and the Bey of Girge as placed on a sofa in a corner to the right as one entered the room."-Harmer's Observ. ii. p. 60. Lady Mary Montague, giving an account of a visit which she made to the Kahya's lady at Adrianople, says, "She ordered cushions to be given me; and took care to place me in the corner, which is the place of honour."-Letter xxxiii. The reason of this seems to be, that the person so placed is distinguished, and in a manner separated, from the rest of the company, and as it were guarded by the wall on each side. We are to suppose Hezekiah's couch placed in the same situation; in which, turning on either side, he must 3 And said, Remember now, Olymp. XVI. 4. O LORD, I beseech thee, how I Numa Pompilii, have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept • sore. R. Roman., 3. 4 Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying, 5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold I will add unto thy days fifteen years. 6 And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city. 7 And this shall be a sign unto thee from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he hath spoken; Neh. xiii. 14. 35. the life of Hezekiah. B. C. cir. 713. cir. annum 8 Behold, I will bring again the A. M. cir. 3291. shadow of the degrees, which is Olymp. XVI. 4. gone down in the sun dial of Numa Pompilii, Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees. it was gone down. R. Roman., 3. 9 The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness: 10 I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years. 11 I said, I shall not see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world. 12 Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off e Heb. with great weeping.- Chap. xxxvii. Heb. degrees by or with the sun. Psa. xxvii. 13; cxvi. 9. 2 Kings xx. 8, &c. ; chap. vii. 11. turn his face to the wall; by which he would withdraw himself from those who were attending upon him in his apartment, in order to address his private prayer to God. Ver. 3. And he said, I beseech thee, O JEHOVAH, remember now how I have endeavoured to walk before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart; and have done that which is good in thine eyes. And Hezekiah wept, and lamented grievously.-L. Ver. 4. Now [before Isaiah was gone out into the middle court] the word of JEHOVAH came unto him, saying, Go [back,] and say unto Hezekiah, thus saith JEHOVAH the God of David thy father, I have heard thy supplication; I have seen thy tears. Behold [I will heal thee; and on the third day thou shalt go up into the house of JEHOVAH. Ver. 5. And] I will add unto thy days fifteen years. And I will deliver thee, and this city, from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will protect, this city. And [Hezekiah said, By what sign shall I know that I shall go up into the house of JEHOVAH ? Ver. 7. And Isaiah said,] This shall be the sign unto thee from JEHOVAH, that JEHOVAH will bring to effect this word which he hath spoken. * Job vii. 6. with the eleventh verse, seems to have observed, that the seventh and eighth verses of 2 Kings xx. were wanted to complete the narration: he therefore added them at the end of the chapter, after he had inserted the song of Hezekiah, probably with marks for their insertion in their proper places; which marks were afterwards neglected by transcribers. Or a transcriber might omit them by mistake, and add them at the end of the chapter with such marks. Many transpositions are, with great probability, to be accounted for in the same way. Verse 6. I will defend this city.] The other copy, 2 Kings xx. 6, adds: “for mine own sake, and for the sake of David my servant;" and the sentence seems somewhat abrupt without it. Verse 8. Which is gone down-" By which the sun is gone down"] For ww bashshemesh, the Septuagint, Syriac, and Chaldee read von hashshemesh.— Houbigant. In the history of this miracle in the book of Kings, (2 Kings xx. 9-11,) there is no mention at all made of the sun, but only of the going backward of the shadow: which might be effected by a supernatural refraction. The first os, the sun, in this verse is omitted in the Septuagint, MS. Pachom. The words in the translation included within crotch- Verse 9. The writing of Hezekiah] Here the book ets are supplied from the parallel place, 2 Kings xx. of Kings deserts us, the song of Hezekiah not being 4, 5, to make the narration more perfect. I have inserted in it, Another copy of this very obscure pasalso taken the liberty, with Houbigant, of bringing sage (obscure not only from the concise poetical style, forward the two last verses of this chapter, and insert-but because it is probably very incorrect) would have ing them in their proper places of the narration with the same mark. Kimchi's note on these two verses is as follows: "This and the following verse belong not to the writing of Hezekiah; and I see no reason why they are written here after the writing; for their right place is above, after And I will protect this city, ver. 6, And so they stand in the book of Kings," 2 Kings xx. 7, 8. The narration of this chapter seems to be in some parts an abridgment of that of 2 Kings Verse 12. Mine age-is removed from me as a IX. The abridger, having finished his extract here shepherd's tent] 'yroi is put for roch, say the been of great service. The MSS. and ancient Versions, especially the latter, will help us to get through some of the many difficulties which we meet with in it. Verse 11. The Lord-" JEHOVAH"] Yah, Yah, seems to be Yehovah, in MS. Bodl., and it was so at first written in another. So the Syriac. See Houbigant. I believe Yehovah was the original reading. See the note on chap. xii. 2. R. Roman., 3. Numa Pompilii, ness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me. 13 I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me. roim, rabbins; (Sal. ben Melec on the place ;) but much more probably is written imperfectly for Dy shepherds. See note on chap. v. 1. I shall be removed from this state to another, as a shepherd removes his tent from one place to another for the sake of his flock. Is not this a strong intimation of his belief in a future state? I have cut off like a weaver my life-"My life is cut off as by the weaver"] Dp kippadti. This verb is rendered passively, and in the third person, by the Syriac, Chaldee, and Vulgate. Verse 13. The last line of the foregoing verse or phun nhh my miyom ad layelah tashlimeni, “In the course of the day thou wilt finish my web;" or, as the common version has it, "From day even to night wilt thou make an end of me,” is not repeated at the end of this verse in the Syriac version; and a MS. omits it. It seems to have been inserted a second time in the Hebrew text by mistake. I reckoned till morning, &c.-"I roared until the morning like the lion"] For shivvithi, the Chaldee has ' nihameith: he read Ny shaagti, the proper term for the roaring of a lion; often applied to the deep groaning of men in sickness. See Psa. xxii., xxxii. 3, xxxviii. 9; Job iii. 24. The Masoretes divide the sentence, as I have done; taking " caari, like a lion, into the first member; and so likewise the Septuagint. Verse 14. Like a swallow-"Like the swallow"] D' kesis; so read two MSS., Theodot., and Hieron. Mine eyes fail] For 17 dallu the Septuagint read 14 calu, seλov. Compare Psa. lxix. 4, exix. 82, 123; Lam. ii. 11, iv. 17, in the Hebrew and in the Septuagint. O LORD " O Lord"] For MSS. and eight editions read Yehovah, thirty Adonai. of thanksgiving. B. C. cir. 713. 16 O LORD, by these things A. M. cir. 3291 men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit; so wilt me, and make recover Olymp. XVI. 4. Numa Pompilii, cir. annum R. Roman., 3. thou me to live.". 17 Behold for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. 18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. 19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth. 4 Heb. thou hast loved my soul from the pit. 9; lxxxviii. 11; cxv. 17; Eccles. ix. 10.Psa. lxxviii. 3, 4. Psa. vi. 5; xxx Deut. iv. 9; vi., 7, Verse 15. I shall go softly all my years in the bit terness of my soul" Through the rest of my years will I reflect on this bitterness of my soul"] eddaddeh; recogitabo, Vulg., reputabo, Hieron. in loc. Verse 16. By these things men live" For this cause shall it be declared"] IIɛpı avans yap avnyysλn σοι, και εξήγειρας μου την πνοην, Sept. They read in their copies is in 'hy not very different from the present text, from which all the ancient Versions vary. They entirely omit two words, ¡n ulecol bahen; as to which there is some variation in the MSS. One MS. has 221 ubechol, and in all ; two others o vechol, and all, and ten MSS. have on bahem, in them, in the masculine gender. Taking this as in the common Version, we may observe, it is not an unfrequent case, that afflictions, and especially such as tend to a speedy death, become the means, not only of saving the soul, but also of lengthening the life. Make me to live" Hast prolonged my life."] A MSS. and the Babylonish Talmud read 'n vetachayeni, and so the ancient Versions. It must necessarily be in the second person. Verse 17. For peace I had great bitterness—“ My anguish is changed into ease"]mar li mar, “mutata mihi est amaritudo.” Paronomasia; a figure which the prophet frequently admits. I do not always note it, because it cannot ever be preserved in the translation, and the sense seldom depends upon it. But here it perfectly clears up the great obscurity of the passage, See Lowth on the place. Thou hast rescued] nɔwn chashachta, with Ɔ caph, instead of p koph; so the Septuagint and Vulgate; Houbigant. See Chappelow on Job xxxiii. 18. From perdition] hanno mishshachath beli, iva un awoλntai, Sept. ut non periret, “that it may not perish." Vulg. Perhaps inverting the order of the words. See Houbigant. Undertake for me" Contend for me"] pay ashekah, with shin, Jarchi: this sense of the word is established by Gen. xxvi. 20: "He called the name Thou hast in love to my soul] pn chashakta, of the well pay esek, because they strove with him:""thou hast lovingly embraced" or kissed "my soul peyan hithasseku, equivalent to 12 yaribu, at the out of the pit of corruption." Beginning of the verse. Verse 19. Thy truth] 8 4x el amittecha. A |