Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 38:6
And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.
6. This is the only verse which would lead us to suppose that the events synchronised with Sennacherib’s invasion; but its genuineness is doubtful. An unqualified assurance of deliverance is hardly consistent with the prophet’s attitude to the king’s policy at the time supposed. Hezekiah was deeply committed to projects of rebellion in the first years of Sennacherib’s reign, and a political message from Isaiah in those circumstances could hardly fail to be accompanied by a warning against the tendency which prevailed at the court. Since the verse breaks the connexion between Isa 38:5 ; Isa 38:7, and since the latter part is a reproduction (in 2 Kings an exact reproduction) of ch. Isa 37:35, there are some grounds for supposing that it has been inserted by the compiler of the books of Kings.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And I will deliver thee and this city – The purport of this promise is, that he and the city should be finally and entirely delivered from all danger of invasion from the Assyrians. It might be apprehended that Sennacherib would collect a large army, and return; or that his successor would prosecute the war which he had commenced. But the assurance here is given to Hezekiah that he had nothing more to fear from the Assyrians (see the notes at Isa 31:4-5; Isa 37:35). In the parallel place in 2Ki 20:6, it is added. I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant Davids sake. In the parallel passage also, in 2Ki 20:7-8, there is inserted the statement which occurs in Isaiah at the end of the chapter Isa 38:21-22. It is evident that those two verses more appropriately come in here. Lowth conjectures that the abridger of the history omitted those verses, and when he had transcribed the song of Hezekiah, he saw that they were necessary to complete the narrative, and placed them at the end of the chapter, with proper marks to have them inserted in the right place, which marks were overlooked by transcribers. It is, however, immaterial where the statement is made; and it is now impossible to tell in what manner the transposition occurred.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 6. I will defend this city.] The other copy, 2Kg 20:6, adds: “for mine own sake, and for the sake of David my servant;” and the sentence seems somewhat abrupt without it.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
6. In 2Ki20:8, after this verse comes the statement which is put at theend, in order not to interrupt God’s message (Isa 38:21;Isa 38:22) by Isaiah (Isa38:5-8).
will deliverThe citywas already delivered, but here assurance is given, thatHezekiah shall have no more to fear from the Assyrians.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria,…. So that it seems that Hezekiah’s sickness was while the king of Assyria was near the city of Jerusalem, and about to besiege it, and before the destruction of the Assyrian army; unless this is said to secure Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from all fears of a return of that king, to give them fresh trouble:
and I will defend this city; from the present siege laid to it, ruin threatened it, or from any attack upon it, by the Assyrian monarch.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
6. And I will deliver thee. Those who think that Hezekiah was sick during the time of the siege found an argument on this, that otherwise this promise would appear to be superfluous. But there is little force in that reasoning; for the Assyrian might have recruited his forces, and mustered a fresh army, at a later period, for the purpose of again invading Judea and attacking Jerusalem. The very defeat of which we have now read might have been a provocation to his rage and cruelty, so that the Jews had good reason for being continually alarmed at any reports which they heard. (76) That promise, therefore, is far from being superfluous, because along with life it promises protection from the enemy, against whom he would not otherwise have been secured, and may be regarded as an enlargement and increase of that blessing which the Lord promised to Hezekiah; as in the former chapter he promised abundance of fruits to accompany the deliverance. (Isa 37:30.)
(76) “ Quand on leur apportoit nouvelles de l’ ennemi .” “When news were brought to them about the enemy.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
6. This verse has been taken by some to imply that Hezekiah’s sickness was at the beginning of the Assyrian invasion. This seems gratuitous, or assumed without adequate support. See Isa 39:1.
I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria This is a promise of assured protection from Assyria forever hereafter, as comments further on will show.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Isa 38:6 And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.
Ver. 6. See 2Ki 20:6-7 See Trapp on “ 2Ki 20:6 “ See Trapp on “ 2Ki 20:7 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
I will deliver thee and this city. The city was thus still besieged.
I will. Hezekiah trusted this promise.
defend = shield. See note on Isa 31:5.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Isa 12:6, Isa 31:4, Isa 37:35, 2Ch 32:22, 2Ti 4:17
Reciprocal: 1Ki 13:3 – General 2Ki 19:34 – I will defend Isa 33:6 – wisdom
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
38:6 And I will deliver thee and this city {c} from the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.
(c) He not only promises to prolong his life, but to give him rest and quietness from the Assyrians, who might have renewed their army to revenge their former defeat.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The Lord furthermore promised unconditionally to deliver Hezekiah and Jerusalem from the king of Assyria. This deliverance happened later in 701 B.C. (chs. 36-37).
"The close association of Hezekiah’s recovery with the city’s deliverance suggests that the king epitomizes the city. Both Hezekiah and Jerusalem came to the threshold of death, but both were given a new lease on life because of the king’s faithful deeds." [Note: Chisholm, Handbook on . . ., p. 91.]
Isa 38:21-22 fit chronologically at this place in the narrative.