Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 32:21

And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword.

21. all the mighty men] In number 185,000 according to 2Ki 19:35 and Isa 37:36. The agency was probably the plague, which is pictured as a destroying angel in 2Sa 24:16.

And when he was come ] The murder of Sennacherib did not occur till some 20 years after his Judan expedition (circ. 701 b.c.), i.e. not till 681 b.c.

they that came forth ] Render, some (or one) that came forth. The Chronicler no doubt follows Isa 37:38, “Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him”; but the accuracy of the present text of this passage of Isaiah is doubtful, for in the parallel passage (2Ki 19:37, C’thib) the words his sons are missing. The only notice of Sennacherib’s death known to us at present from the Inscriptions is simply “Sennacherib king of Assyria his son (sing.) slew him in a revolt.” No name is given to this son. (Schrader, Keilinschriftliche Bibliothek, vol. 11., p. 281).

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Verse 21. The Lord sent an angel] See 2Kg 19:36, and the note there.

House of his god] Nisroch.

They that came forth of his own bowels] His sons Adrammelech and Sharezer.

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

21. an angel . . . cut off all themighty men(See on 2Ki 19:35-37).

2Ch32:24-26. HEZEKIAH’SSICKNESS AND RECOVERY.

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

And the Lord sent an angel,…. The Targum is,

“the Word of the Lord sent Gabriel;”

Josephus a takes this angel, or messenger sent of God, to be the pestilence; and others suppose it to be a hot pestilential wind, common in the eastern countries, called “Samiel”, or the poison wind, by which multitudes are sometimes destroyed at once; of which Thevenot and other travellers make mention, [See comments on Job 27:21],

[See comments on Ps 91:6], but be it as it may, it was sent of God, was under his direction, and by his power and providence did the execution according to his prediction:

which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria; the generals and officers of his army, with the common soldiers, to the number of 185,000, Isa 36:1, among these, no doubt, were the three generals sent with railing letters to Hezekiah, particularly Rabshakeh,

[See comments on Isa 37:36]

so he returned with shame of face to his own land; Assyria, particularly to Nineveh, the metropolis of it, Isa 37:37

and when he was come into the house of his god; the temple of his idol, whose name was Nisroch:

they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword; his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer, Isa 37:38.

a Antiqu. l. 10. c. 1. sect. 5.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(21) And the Lord sent an angel.See 2Ki. 19:35, seq.; Isa. 37:36, seq. Hitzig thinks that Psalms 46-48. were composed by Isaiah to commemorate this great natural miracle, an hypothesis which is borne out by the similarity observable between the language and ideas of these psalms and those of Isaiahs prophecies.

Which cut off . . . valour.Literally, and he hid (i.e., caused to disappear, destroyed; the Greek ; Exo. 23:23) every valiant warrior, and leader and captain. (Comp. Psa. 76:5, a psalm which in the LXX. bears the title .) Kings gives the number of those who perished as 185,000.

With shame of face.Psa. 44:15, The shame of my face hath covered me. (Ezr. 9:7.)

And when he was come . . . with the sword.And he went into the house of his god, and certain of his own offspring there felled him with the sword. 2Ki. 19:37 gives the names of the parricidesviz., Adrammelech and Sharezer; and the name of the godviz., Nisrochwhich is probably corrupt. It is added that the assassins escaped into the land of Ararat. The chronicler as usual suppresses unfamiliar foreignnames.

They that came forth.Some of the issue (y, a verbal noun only found here). (For the whole phrase, comp. Gen. 15:4; 2Sa. 7:12.)

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

The Assyrians Destroyed. The End of Hezekiah’s Reign.

v. 21. And the Lord sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valor, the veteran soldiers, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria, 2Ki 19:35-37. So he, who had boasted so inordinately of his invincible army, returned with shame of face to his own land, utterly humiliated, even in the eyes of his own subjects. And when he was come into the house of his god, when, after some time, he was worshiping in the temple of his chief idol, they that came forth of his own bowels, his own sons, slew him there with the sword.

v. 22. Thus the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all other, whatever other enemies had designs against him, and guided them on every side, giving to His people the full measure of protection.

v. 23. And many, including members of the neighboring nations, brought gifts unto the Lord to Jerusalem, for they also had received the benefit of Jehovah’s interposition, and presents to Hezekiah, king of Judah, so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.

v. 24. In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, and prayed unto the Lord; and He spake unto him, and He gave him a sign, wrought a miracle in making him well. Cf 2Ki 20:1-11; Isaiah 38.

v. 25. But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up, he yielded to a degree of pride in boastfully exhibiting his treasures to the ambassadors of the king of Babylon, 2Ki 20:15; therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

v. 26. Notwithstanding, Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah, Isa 39:8; 2Ki 20:19.

v. 27. And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches, in personal possessions and in gifts brought to him by neighboring nations, and honor; and he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, costly gilded weapons, and for all manner of pleasant jewels, various articles which were highly prized in those days;

v. 28. storehouses also for the increase of corn and wine and oil, and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks, folds for his small cattle.

v. 29. Moreover, he provided him cities, probably to be understood of the watch-towers erected for the use of the shepherds, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God, the Giver of all good gifts, had given him substance very much.

v. 30. This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon, namely, at the approach of Sennacherib’s army, and brought it straight down to the west side of the City of David, in a special subterranean canal. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. Hezekiah’s Pool, or reservoir, in the northwest part of Jerusalem still remains, and at least a part of the subterranean channel dug by him has been laid open. 2)

v. 31. Howbeit, in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, very likely the king’s miraculous recovery, God left him, to try him, that He might know all that was in his heart; it was a test of Hezekiah’s faith and sincerity, especially in the matter of giving all glory to God alone, both for his health and for his possessions.

v. 32. Now, the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his goodness, all the various displays of his kindness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah, the prophet, the son of Amoz, Isaiah 36-39, and in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel, 2 Kings 18-20.

v. 33. And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchers of the sons of David, in a place higher on the slope than the tombs then occupied. And all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honor at his death, by the usual burning of spices, as in the case of Asa, 2Ch 16:14. And Manasseh, his son, reigned in his stead. Hezekiah died in the true faith and was given the testimony that he was a king after the Lord’s heart. Blessed is everyone that heeds the warning of the Lord’s servants in time and willingly returns from the way of error.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

2Ch 32:21 And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword.

Ver. 21. And the Lord sent an angel. ] See 2Ki 19:35 .

So he returned with shame of face. ] He was not so much preserved, as reserved to a greater mischief

And when he was come. ] See 2Ki 19:36-37 .

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

returned with shame. This is referred to in Hezekiah’s “Songs of the degrees” (Psa 129:4, Psa 129:5). Revised Version “be ashamed and turned backward”. See App-67.

they that came forth of his own bowels. The phrase occurs only here. See notes on 2Ki 19:37.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

the Lord: 2Ki 19:20, 2Ki 19:35-37, Isa 10:16-18, Isa 37:21, Isa 37:36, Isa 37:37, Isa 42:8

angel: 2Sa 24:16, Psa 18:50, Dan 3:28, Dan 6:22, Mat 13:49, Mat 13:50, Act 12:23

cut off all: Job 9:4, Psa 76:5, Psa 76:7, Psa 76:12

the leaders: Isa 10:8, Isa 10:16-19, Isa 10:33, Isa 10:34, Isa 17:12-14, Isa 29:5-8, Isa 30:30-33, Isa 33:10-12, Isa 36:9, Rev 6:15, Rev 6:16, Rev 19:17, Rev 19:18

with shame: Psa 132:18, Pro 11:2, Pro 16:18

he was come: 2Ki 19:36, 2Ki 19:37, Isa 37:37, Isa 37:38

slew him: Heb. made him fall

Reciprocal: Gen 15:4 – shall come Deu 28:7 – flee before 2Sa 16:11 – seeketh 2Ki 19:7 – I will cause 1Ch 5:20 – for they cried 2Ch 6:34 – they pray Psa 33:16 – no king Psa 34:17 – cry Psa 76:3 – There Isa 29:8 – as when Isa 31:8 – shall the Isa 33:6 – fear Isa 37:7 – I will cause Jer 21:2 – according Nah 1:7 – that Nah 1:14 – I will make Joh 9:31 – him 1Co 10:10 – destroyer 1Ti 1:9 – murderers

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

2Ch 32:21. The Lord sent an angel The Jewish comment, termed the Targum, says, The Word of the Lord (the Eternal Word) sent Gabriel to do this execution, and that it was done with lightning, and in the passover night, the same night wherein the firstborn in Egypt were slain. Which cut off the mighty men, and the leaders and captains With a vast number of common soldiers, 2Ki 19:35. They that came forth of his own bowels slew him See 2Ki 19:37. And with him the Assyrian empire began to fall, and never recovered its former strength. For the next year after Sennacheribs death, the Medes revolted, being encouraged to it, no doubt, by this great loss at Jerusalem. And by their example, several other nations fell off from the Assyrians and asserted their independence.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

32:21 And the LORD sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and {o} captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his {p} own bowels slew him there with the sword.

(o) To the number of 185,000 as in 2Ki 19:35-36.

(p) Meaning, Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes