Annotations upon the remaining historicall part of the Old Testament. The second part. to wit, the books of Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther : wherein first, all such passages in the text are explained as were thought likely to be questioned by any reader of ordinary capacity : secondly, in many clauses those things are discovered which are needfull and usefull to be known ... and thirdly, many places that might at first seem to contradict one another are reconciled ... / by Arthur Jackson.

CHAP. XXXII.

Vers. 1. SEnnacherib king of Assyria came, and entred into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, &c.] See the notes, 2. Kings 18.13. &c. for many severall passages in this chapter.

And thought to winne them for himself.] That is, resolved to take them for him∣self, and indeed accordingly he took many of them, 2. Kings 18.13.

Vers. 3. He took counsel with his princes, and his mighty men, to stop the waters of the fountains, which were without the citie.] That is, to fill up the fountains and springs with earth, and to carry the waters by pipes under ground into the citie, that so the Assyrians if they came against Jerusalem might be distressed for want of wa∣ter, whilest they within the citie were abundantly supplyed.

And they did help him.] That is, his Princes and his mighty men aided him in this work.

Vers. 4. Who stopt all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, &c.] That is, the brook Gihon, of which vers. 30. that ranne through the midst of the countrey where Jerusalem stood. See 1. Kings 1.33.

Vers. 10. Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem?] That is, being thus shut up without hope of help, yet notwithstanding ye still refuse to yield up the citie?

Vers. 17. He wrote also letters to rail on the Lord God of Israel, &c.] To wit, upon Rabshakeh his return to Sennacherib at Libnah, and the report of the approch of Tirhakah the king of Ethiopia. See 2. Kings 19.8, 9.

Vers. 18. To affright them, and to trouble them, that they might take the citie.] That is, to sow the seeds of discord amongst them, whilest some should desire to have the citie yielded up, and others should oppose them.

Vers. 20. For this Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the sonne of A∣mos, prayed and cried to heaven.] See 2. Kings 19.14, 15. and at the same time Isaiah sent a comfortable message to Hezekiah, wherein he prophesied of the destru∣ction of Sennacherib, and the good of Sion.

Vers. 21. And the Lord sent an angel which cut off all the mighty men of va∣lour, &c.] A hundred fourescore and five thousand in all, and that in one night. See the note, 2. Kings 19.35,

They that came forth of his own bowels, slew him there with the sword.] That is, his own sonnes Adramelech, and Sherezer. 2. Kings 19.27.

Vers. 22. Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah, &c. and guided them on every side.] He governed them and took care of them all as a shepheard doth of his flock.

Vers. 24. In those dayes Hezekiah was sick to the death, and prayed unto the Lord.] The prophet Isaiah having visited him, and told him that he should die and not live. See the notes. 2. Kings 20.1, 2, 3.

And he spake unto him, and he gave him a signe.] That is, he assured him that he should recover, and confirmed that promise with a signe from heaven; but withall he gave him also direction to lay a lump of figgs to the boil. See the 2. Kings 20.5. &c.

Vers. 25. For his heart was lifted up.] And this he manifested in shewing his riches to the Babylonian Embassadours, for which he was reproved and threatned by the prophet Isaiah. See 2. Kings 20.12, 19.

Vers. 27. And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honour. &c.] This is added to shew what it was for which his heart was lifted up, as was said before, v. 25.

Vers. 30. This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper water-course of Gihon, &c.] The brook Gihon divided it self into two streams, one of which Hezekiah turned from the usuall channell, and brought it strait down into the west side of the city of David.

Vers. 31. Howbeit, in the businesse of the embassadours of the princes of Ba∣bylon, &c.] To wit, the Embassadours which Besodach-Baladan king of Babylon by the advice of his princes sent unto him, see 2. Kings 20.12. God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart. See Gen. 22.1.