Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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2 Kings
Book: 2 Kings
Chapter: 18
Overview:
Good reign of
Hezekiah in
Judah,
Idolatry.
(1-8) Sennacherib
invades
Judah.
(9-16) Rabshakeh's blasphemies.
(17-37)
1-8 Hezekiah was a true son of
David. Some others did that
which was right, but not like
David. Let us not suppose that
when times and men are bad, they must needs grow worse and
worse; that does not follow: after many bad
Kings,
God raised
one up like
David himself. The brazen
Serpent had been carefully
preserved, as a memorial of
God's
Goodness to their fathers in
the
Wilderness; but it was idle and wicked to burn
Incense to
it. All
Helps to devotion, not warranted
By the
Word of God,
interrupt the
Exercise of
Faith; they always lead to
superstition and other dangerous evils. Human nature perverts
every thing of this kind. True
Faith needs not such aids; the
Word of God, daily thought upon and prayed over, is all the
outward help we need.
9-16 The descent
Sennacherib made upon
Judah, was a great
calamity to that kingdom,
By which
God would try the
Faith of
Hezekiah, and chastise the people. The secret dislike, the
hypocrisy, and lukewarmness of
Numbers, require correction; such
trials purify the
Faith and
Hope of the upright, and bring them
to simple dependence
On God.
17-37 Rabshakeh tries to convince the Jews, that it was to
No
purpose for them to stand it out. What confidence is this
wherein thou trustest? It were
Well if sinners would submit to
the force of this argument, in seeking peace with
God. It is,
therefore, our
Wisdom to yield to him, because it is in vain to
contend with him: what confidence is that which those trust in
who stand out against him? A great
Deal of art there is in this
speech of
Rabshakeh; but a great
Deal of pride, malice,
falsehood, and
Blasphemy.
Hezekiah's nobles held their peace.
There is a time to keep silence, as
Well as a time to speak; and
there are those to whom to offer any thing religious or
rational, is to cast pearls before
Swine. Their silence made
Rabshakeh yet more proud and secure. It is often best to leave
such persons to rail and blaspheme; a decided expression of
abhorrence is the best
Testimony against them. The matter must
be left to the
Lord, who has all hearts in his hands, committing
ourselves unto him in humble submission, believing
Hope, and
fervent
Prayer.