Chapter Ver. 17. Until I come and take you away to a land like XXXVI. your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and

vineyards.] if they would seek the Favour of the King of Allyria by making him a Present, and delivering themselves up to his Mercy, he promises they should be transported to a better Country than that to which the IPraelities were carry'd, and in the mean time every one enjoy his own Possesions.

Ver. 18. Beware left Hezekiah perfmade you, saying, The Lord will deliver w. Harh any of the gods of the nations de. livered his land out of the hand of the king of Allyria?] He was afraid Hezekiah's avowed Confidence in God would prevail with them to trust to him for deliverance, which makes him so often desire them not to depend upon that. He argues very popularly and strongly, if his Suppofition had been true, That the God of Israel, the God of the whole Earth (yea, of Heaven and Earth) was like those of all other Nations, who presided only over one Country or City..

Ver. 19. Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?] Hamath and Arphad were Cities or Countries which the King of Allyria had conquer'd: Some think Hena and Iva were the Gods of Sepharvaim, which is confuted by 2 Kings 17. 31.. They were rather Cities whose Gods could not protect them; and the Gods of Samaria he tells them had been able to do nó 'more than the rest. . . .

Ver. 20. Who are they amongst all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver. Jerusalem out of my band?] He desires an instance of one God that had been able to save his Country, when his Master invaded it, and therefore it was best for them to yield their City up to him, fince God himself could not preserve it, unless he could do more than any other had done, which he concluded was un. likely. It must be acknowledg’d that Rabshakeh was an excellent Orator, as well as a Soldier; 'not inferiour in Eloquence to Julius Cæfar.

· The Argument of Chapter XXXVII.
Hezekiah having receiv'd an Account of the Conference, dis-
i patches his Commissioners to Isaiah' to acquaint him of the

Particulars, and to defire him in the Name of his Majesty,
to recommend their Cause to God. The Prophet advises the
King not to be concern'd, and gives him affurance that God
would make the presumptuous Tyrant fly to his own Country
precipitately, and there meet his Death. Rabshakeh returns
to Sennacherib, and met him before Libnah, of which pro-
bably he was obliged to raise the Siege, and go against Tir-
haka, who was approaching to give him Battle : But before
he went, he sent a nenacing Letter to Hezekiah, to the
same purpose is Rabshakeh's Speech; which being full of -
Blasphemy, he laid before God in the Temple, and earnestly
implared his Protection : To which God returns á favourable

Answer by his Prophet, threatning to put a Hook in the Ty
- rant's Nose, and make him fly to his own Country dishonou-.

rably; and promising a Succession of happy. Years, and plenty
of all Things to Hezekiah and his Subjects, the? the Land
af Judah. had been lamentably ravagd by the Allyrians,
the Fruit destroy'd, and the Fields lain uncultivated, which
inight otherwise' have occasion’d a Farine among them, had
not God given an extraordinary Blessing to it. And then
at the 17th Verse, he gives a brief Account of that fainous
Overthrow, and of the Death of Sennacherib in the Tem-
ple of Nisroc his God.

CH A P. XXXVII.
Chapter
XXXVII. Verse 1. A N D it came to pass when Hezekiah heard

o it, that he rent his clothes, and covered him.
self with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.] See
the last Verse of the foregoing Chapter. He faited and
mourn'd, and went into the Temple to pray. Sometimes
they put on Sackcloath next their Skin, instead of a Shirt:
But here it seems to signify only that he was cloathed in
this vile Habit in token of his great Trouble and Sorrow.

Ver. 2. And he sent Eliakim who was over the houshold, and
Shebnah the scribe, and the elders of the priefts covered with fack.

..

cloth,