Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 19:36

So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.

36. and dwelt at Nineveh ] Apparently, and very naturally, deterred from any of his grander schemes by the terrible calamity which had befallen him, Sennacherib went to his own capital. How long a time elapsed between this overthrow around Jerusalem and the death of the king, spoken of in the next verse, we have not sufficient data to decide. The canon of Ptolemy fixes the accession of Sennacherib in b.c. 702, his death in b.c. 680. These dates cannot be made to harmonize with the Scripture chronology.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Dwelt at Nineveh – The meaning is not that Sennacherib made no more expeditions at all, which would he untrue, for his annals show us that he warred in Armenia, Babylonia, Susiana, and Cilicia, during his later years; but that he confined himself to his own part of Asia, and did not invade Palestine or threaten Jerusalem anymore. Nineveh, marked by some ruins opposite Mosul, appears here unmistakably as the Assyrian capital, which it became toward the close of the 9th century B.C. It has previously been mentioned only in Genesis (marginal reference). Sennacherib was the first king who made it his permanent residence. Its great size and large population are marked in the description of Jonah Jon 3:2-3; Jon 4:11, whose visit probably fell about 760 B.C.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 36. Dwelt at Nineveh.] This was the capital of the Assyrian empire.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

God spared

Sennacherib, not in mercy, but in wrath, reserving him to a more dreadful and shameful death by the hands of his own children.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

36. So Sennacherib king of Assyria .. . went and returnedthe same way as he came (2Ki19:33). The route is described (Isa10:28-32). The early chariot track near Beyrout is on the rockyedge of Lebanon, which is skirted by the ancient Lycus (Nahr-elKelb). On the perpendicular face of the limestone rock, at differentheights, are seen slabs with Assyrian inscriptions, which having beendeciphered, are found to contain the name of Sennacherib. Thus, bythe preservation of these tablets, the wrath of the Assyrian invadersis made to praise the Lord.

dwelt at NinevehThisstatement implies a considerable period of time, and his Annals carryon his history at least five years after his disastrous campaign atJerusalem. No record of his catastrophe can be found, as the Assyrianpractice was to record victories alone. The sculptures give only thesunny side of the picture.

2Ki19:37. SENNACHERIBSLAIN.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

[See comments on 2Ki 19:1]

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(36) Departed, and went.Broke up camp, and marched. There should be a stop at returned.

And dwelt at Nineveh.Or, and he abode in Nineveh, implying that he did not again invade the west. Sennacherib records five subsequent expeditions to the east, north, and south of his dominions, but these obviously were nothing to the peoples of Palestine. (See Notes on 2Ki. 20:12.)

Nineveh.The capital of Assyria, now marked by large mounds on the east bank of the Tigris, opposite Mosul. (The Arabic version has the king of Mosul, instead of the king of Assyria.) It is usually called Ninua in the inscriptions; sometimes Nin, seldom Nin (Greek, Nvos.)

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

2Ki 19:36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.

Ver. 36. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed. ] Being glad he had escaped with the skin of his teeth, with the safeguard of his life. But his preservation was but a reservation only; and the rather, because he ascribed it to Nisroch his tutelar god, worshipping him still, notwithstanding his army’s overthrow.

And dwelt at Nineveh. ] Where he had not lived fifty-five days before he was butchered, saith Tobit; /APC Tob 1:21 who also telleth us, /APC Tob 1:18 that at his return he in a rage slew many of the Israelites in Nineveh. The like whereunto we read of Selymus II, that in revenge of his loss at the battle of Lepanto, he would have put to death all the Christians in his dominions, and did many.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

departed. There is no mention of the capture of Jerusalem in Sennacherib’s inscription. This omission is more remarkable than what Sennacherib says. Had he taken Jerusalem, the omission would be unaccountable. Compare 2Ch 32:21 and Psa 129:4, Psa 129:5.

and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton (App-6) to greatly emphasize the fact of his defeat.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Sennacherib: 2Ki 19:7, 2Ki 19:28, 2Ki 19:33

Nineveh: Gen 10:11, Gen 10:12, Jon 1:2, Jon 3:2-10, Nah 1:1, Nah 2:8, Mat 12:41

Reciprocal: 1Ki 20:20 – escaped 2Ki 17:3 – king of Assyria 2Ch 32:21 – he was come Isa 37:38 – his god

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

2Ki 19:36. So Sennacherib departed Ashamed to see himself, after all his proud boasts, thus defeated, and disabled to pursue his conquests, or even to secure what he had gained, the flower of his army being cut off; nay, and continually afraid of falling under the like stroke himself. The manner of the expression, He departed, and went, and returned, intimates the great disorder and distraction of mind he was in.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments