(1-23) Invasion and Divine overthrow of Sennacherib. ( Comp. 2Kings 18:13 to 2Kings 19:37. ) The Assyrian monarch's own record of the campaign may be read on his great hexagonal prism of terra-cotta, preserved in the British Museum, containing an inscription in 487 lines of cuneiform writing, which is lithographed in the Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia, III. 38, 39, and printed in G. Smith's History of Sennacherib.

(1) After these things, and the establishment thereof.--Rather, After these matters, and this faithfulness (2Chronicles 31:20). For the date, see Note on 2Kings 18:13.

Sennacherib.--So the Vulg. The LXX. gives ?????????? or ???; Herodotus, ???????????; Josephus, ????????????. The Hebrew is Sanch?rib. The real name as given by the Assyrian monuments is Sin-ahi-iriba, or erba ("Sin," i.e.,the moon-god,"multiplied brothers").

And thought to win them for himself.--Literally, and said to himself that he would break them open (2Chronicles 21:17), or and commanded to break them open for himself. Kings states that he fulfilled his purpose; he "came up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them." Sennacherib himself boasts as follows: "And Hazakiyahu of the country of the Jews who had not submitted to my yoke, forty-six strong cities of his, fortresses, and the small cities of their neighbourhood, which were without number . . . I approached, I took." The chronicler's object is to relate the mighty deliverance of Hezekiah. Hence he omits such details as would weaken the impression he desires to produce. For the same reason nothing is said here of Hezekiah's submission and payment of tribute (2Kings 18:14-16); and perhaps for the further reason (as suggested by Keil) that "these negotiations had no influence on the after-course and issue of the war," but not because (as Thenius alleges) the chronicler was unwilling to mention Hezekiah's (forced) sacrilege. They are omitted also in Isaiah, where the account is in other respects abridged as compared with Kings.

Verse 1. - The establishment thereof; translate, and this (his) truth. The word is the same with the third of the trio (see above), as given in ver. 20 of the foregoing chapter. The evident meaning intended to be conveyed is, "After these things and this truth," i.e. truthfulness of conduct on the part of Hezekiah, the strict rendering being, "After the things and the truth this." Sennacherib... came ... entered into Judah... encamped against the fenced cities... thought to win. This verse and these items of it may without any inconvenient strain be made conterminous with just one verse in Kings, the thirteenth of 2 Kings 18. The king personally seems to have devoted himself especially to the siege of Lachish, an Amoritish city indeed originally, and a place of great strength of petition, but conquered by Judah (Joshua 10:26, 31-35; 2 Chronicles 11:9; 2 Chronicles 25:27; and infra here and in parallel). This invasion of Sennacherib (Herod., 2:141), son of Sargon, may be with moderate certainty affixed to the date B.C. 701. Thought to win. A weak rendering for the preferable purposed or boasted to break them (Genesis 7:11).

32:1-23 Those who trust God with their safety, must use proper means, else they tempt him. God will provide, but so must we also. Hezekiah gathered his people together, and spake comfortably to them. A believing confidence in God, will raise us above the prevailing fear of man. Let the good subjects and soldiers of Jesus Christ, rest upon his word, and boldly say, Since God is for us, who can be against us? By the favour of God, enemies are lost, and friends gained.After these things, and the establishment thereof,.... What are recorded in the preceding chapters, when matters were well settled, especially with respect to religion and temple service, and when Hezekiah was well established in the throne of his kingdom, had fought with and defeated the Philistines, and cast off the Assyrian yoke, and was in very prosperous circumstances; for it was in the fourteenth year of his reign that what follows was done:

Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them for himself; or to break them, or into them; or through them (y) to break down the walls to take them, and join them to himself, as the Targum, and he did take them, see 2 Kings 18:13.

(y) "ad perrumpendum eas", Montanus; "diffindere illas", Piscator; "abscindere", Schmidt.