The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

2 KINGS XVIII. ver. 1. 2, 3. 2 CHRON. XXIX.

[World 3281] [Ahaz 14] [Hezekiah 1] [Hoshea 3] [Division 252] HEZEKIAH reigneth in the third year of Hoshea, and so first it is evi∣dent that he reigned in his fathers life time; for if Hoshea began in the twelfth of Ahaz as he did, 2 King. 17. 1. and Hezekiah began in the third of Hoshea, as he did 2 King. 18. 1. then doth it follow inevitably that Hezekiah began his Reign in the fourteenth of Ahaz, and said to reign sixteen years, 2 King. 16. 2. The reason of this is also resol∣ved out of that observation before, about Shalmanezers first expe∣dition against Samaria, and his then expedition against Jerusalem, for he had subdued and deposed Ahaz, and made him to become as a private man, and set up Hezekiah on the Throne in his stead, whom God had reserved for the benefit of his people, and for an instrument of much glory to himself out of the bloody sacrifices of Ahaz to Molech, and out of the massacring hand of the enemy that slew some of his sons. See 2 Chron. 28. 3. 7. It is said in 2 King. 18. 7. That Hezekiah rebelled against the King of Assyria and served him not; intimating that he had been under the Assyrian homage, but he would bear it no longer, and that in time provoked Sennacherib against him. Secondly, Observe how very young Ahaz was when he begat Hezekiah: He was twenty years old when he began to reign, 2 King. 16. 2. and in the fifteenth year of his reign his son Hezekiah begins to reign, being then five and twenty years old cur∣rent, 2 King. 18. 2. and so was born when Ahaz was but ten years old: the like not to be parallelled again in all the Scripture, unless it was in the very young age of Judah, when he begat his eldest son Er, Gen. 38.

[World 3281] [Ahaz 14] [Hezekiah 1] [Hoshea 3] [Division 252] HOSHEA reigneth wickedly, but not so wickedly as the Kings of Israel had done that had been before him. This is remarkable, that the last King of all that suc∣cession should be the best, and yet under him the Kingdom destroyed.

2 CHRON. XXIX. XXX, XXXI.

[World 3282] [Ahaz 15] [Hezekiah 1] [Hoshea 4] [Division 253] HEZEKIAHS first year properly; and so is it reckoned, 2 King. 18. 9. 10. for his fourth year is said to be Hosheas seventh, and his sixth Hosheas 9. For though the beginning of his reign was somewhat coincident with the third of Hoshea, yet was it but a little time, and that year was soon out: therefore the Holy Ghost doth tell us, when it was that he began his reign at the very first: namely in Hosheas third: yet he rather counteth the beginning of his first year, from the first day of a new year, and from his entring

upon the work of reformation, then from the other date.

Hezekiah upon the first day of the year beginneth to cleanse the house of the Lord, and even in the life time of Ahaz casteth out those defilements that Ahaz had brought into the Temple, in eigh∣ty and eight days the Priests do cleanse the house and the Court, and by Sacrifices they make a new Dedication. In the second Month they appoint and keep the Passover, and Hezekiah and the Prin∣ces send throughout all the ten Tribes to invite them to come in to the true Religion: this overture of reconciliation to God, and to the house of David they have now before they be destroyed: some of them imbrace it, come and eat the Passover, but not purified: yet by Hezekiahs prayer all goes well with them. The people de∣parting from this Passover go abroad through the land, and break down Idols, not only in Judah but also in divers places of the Coun∣try of the ten Tribes. Hezekiah at Jerusalem restoreth the Priests to their courses, and the Tithes to the Priests.

In this purging and cleansing of the Temple, which Hezekiah per∣formed in the beginning of his reign it may well be supposed, that that Copy of Solomons Proverbs was found mentioned, Prov. 25. 1. and was transcribed by some of Hezekiahs servants out of the old Manuscript, which it is like was much soiled and spotted with time and neglect.

2 KING. XVII. ver. 3.

[World 3282] [Ahaz 15] [Hezekiah 1] [Hoshea 4] [Division 253] HOSHEA after his subjection to the King of Assyria, and receiving his Crown from him, yet revol∣teth and relieth upon the King of Egypt. Thus did the ten Tribes trust in Egypt be∣fore their captiving; and so likewise did Judah before her captivity, as they had both trusted on Assyria.

2 KING. XVI. vers. 19, 20. 2 CHRON. XXVIII. ver. 26, 27.

[World 3283] [Ahaz 16] [Hezekiah 2] [Hoshea 5] [Division 254] AHAZ dieth having li∣ved a good while a de∣posed King, and having seen his Son depose the Idolatry that he had erected.

[World 3283] [Ahaz 16] [Hezekiah 2] [Hoshea 5] [Division 254] EGypt becomes a broken Reed to Israel: they lean upon it, but it does pierce their hand, and not support them.