Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 32:5
Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised [it] up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired Millo [in] the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.
5. Also he strengthened himself ] R.V. And he took courage. Cp. 2Ch 1:1 (note).
broken ] R.V. broken down; cp. 2Ch 25:23 (note).
raised it up to the towers ] Render, repaired the towers, lit. “brought up [healing, restoration] upon the towers; cp. 2Ch 24:13 (Heb.); Neh 4:1 (Heb.). The ellipse is harsh, but not too harsh for the Chronicler. Vulg. reads, “built towers upon it.”
another wall ] R.V. the other wall. In Isa 22:9-11 the preparations to meet the Assyrian attack are described by the prophet who speaks of a “ditch” (R.V. “reservoir”) made at this time between “the two walls.” In Excavations at Jerusalem, 1894 1897, Dr Bliss describes a buttressed wall (pp. 96 ff.) built without lime (see his frontispiece for an illustration of it) and enclosing the pool of Siloam on the S.E, which, he says, “may date back as far as Hezekiah” (pp. 325 f.). Dr Bliss also, following up a clue given by earlier explorers found a second wall (running at an angle to the first) enclosing the pool on the west. This second wall was probably due to Herod, but Dr Bliss suggests that the line it follows may have been defended by a wall as early as Hezekiah’s day (p. 326). Thus it is not hard to infer the general course of Hezekiah’s two walls.
Millo ] Cp. 1Ch 11:8, note.
darts and shields ] These were meant, not for such trained soldiers as Hezekiah could collect, but for the levy en masse with which the king proposed to man the walls. A dart to throw and a shield to protect the thrower as he threw were all that the citizen-soldier needed. The Heb. word ( shela) means “dart, missile”; the more general rendering of the R.V. “weapons” obscures the meaning of Hezekiah’s preparations.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The breaches in the wall of Jerusalem were not entirely due to the old hostility of Joash (marginal reference); but may have been caused either by neglect and carelessness in the reign of Ahaz 2 Chr. 28, or by the simple process of natural decay. Hezekiah pulled down houses for the purpose of his repairs Isa 22:10.
On Millo, see the marginal references notes.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 5. Raised it up to the towers] He built the wall up to the height of the towers, or, having built the wall, he raised towers on it.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The wall that was broken by Joash, 2Ch 25:23, and not since repaired.
Up to the towers; either,
1. As high as the towers, or the tops of the wall. Or,
2. As far as the two towers, or gates, which were made in the form of towers, and had the use of towers, to wit, that of Ephraim and the corner gate, both mentioned above, 2Ch 25:23. Or, brought up engines or instruments of defence upon the towers.
Millo; of which see 1Ki 9:24; 11:27.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5, 6. he strengthened himselfHemade a careful inspection of the city defenses for the purpose ofrepairing breaches in the wall here, renewing the masonry there,raising projecting machines to the towers, and especially fortifyingthe lower portion of Zion, that is, Millo, “(in) the originalcity of David.” “In” is a supplement of ourtranslators, and the text reads better without it, for it was not thewhole city that was repaired, but only the lower portion of Zion, orthe original “city of David.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Also he strengthened himself,…. In the Lord his God, and fortified his city, and put it in the best manner of defence he could:
and built up all the wall that was broken; which was broken from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate by Joash king of Israel; and though it might have been repaired by Uzziah, it might again be broken down in the times of Ahaz, by Pekah, king of Israel, or some other enemy, see
2Ch 25:3
and raised it up to the towers; from the corner tower to the tower of the gate of Ephraim, which, as before observed, had been broken down:
and another wall without; a second wall, either all around the city, or at such a part of it which was weakest; Josephus z says the city of Jerusalem had three walls about it:
and repaired Millo in the city of David; a wall on the north side of the city:
and made darts and shields in abundance; darts to cast from the walls of the city, to annoy the enemy with, and shields to defend them from those of the enemy.
z De Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 4. sect. 3.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(5) Also he strengthened himself.And he took courage. (2Ch. 15:8; 2Ch. 18:1.)
Built up all the wall that was broken.Isa. 22:9-10, where many breaches are spoken of, and it is said that houses were pulled down to fortify the wall.
Raised it up to the towers.Heb., and went up on the towers, or, and caused to go up on the towers. A different division of the Hebrew letters will give the sense and raised upon it towers, which is probably correct. Thenius prefers to keep the ordinary reading, which he understands to mean, and heightened the towers; alleging that 2Ch. 26:9 shows that the wall was already furnished with towers. The LXX. has simply , and towers; the Vulgate, et exstruxit turres desuper. The Syriac renders, Let them show themselves strong, and make another wall opposite the wall, and let them stop up the ditch which David made.
Another wall without.Literally, and on the outside of the wall (he built) anotherviz., the wall enclosing the lower city or Aera, which he built, that is, repaired and strengthened. (See Isa. 22:11, the two walls.)
Repaired.2Ch. 11:11.
Millo.The rampart. See Note on 1Ch. 11:8.
In the city of David.To wit, the city of David.
Darts.Shelah. See Note on 2Ch. 23:10, and comp. 2Ch. 26:14. The Hebrew is missiles in abundance, and shields.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. The wall that was broken What particular part of the walls, and when and how they were broken, is not told. Rawlinson suggests that they had fallen by neglect and carelessness in the reign of Ahaz, or by the natural process of decay, and were hastily repaired with the ruins of neighbouring houses. Isa 22:10.
Raised it up to the towers The Hebrew text reads, literally, he brought up upon the towers, but the meaning is obscure. The text seems to be defective, and the most plausible emendation is, he raised up towers upon it; that is, he built towers upon the wall. Perhaps he merely fortified the towers which Uzziah had built. 2Ch 26:9.
Another wall without Thought by some to be the wall of the lower city, but the reference is uncertain.
Millo The ancient fortress or rampart which David built on Zion. See note on 2Sa 5:11.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ch 32:5. Raised it up to the towers And he also added towers to it. Houbigant.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
2Ch 32:5 Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised [it] up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired Millo [in] the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.
Ver. 5. And raised it up to the towers. ] Or, Mounted the warlike engines upon the towers, for his better defence.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
repaired Millo. See notes on 2Sa 5:9. 1Ki 11:27.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Also he
Cf. Isa 22:1-13 The divine view at this time:
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
he strengthened: 2Ch 12:1, 2Ch 14:5-7, 2Ch 17:1, 2Ch 17:2, 2Ch 23:1, 2Ch 26:8, Isa 22:9, Isa 22:10
that was broken: 2Ch 25:23
another wall: 2Ki 25:4, Jer 39:4
Millo: Jdg 9:6, 2Sa 5:9, 1Ki 9:24, 1Ki 11:27, 2Ki 12:20
darts: or, swords, or weapons, 2Ch 26:14, 2Ch 26:15
Reciprocal: 2Ch 11:12 – he put shields 2Ch 14:7 – Therefore 2Ch 17:12 – in Judah 2Ch 33:14 – he built Neh 2:18 – So they strengthened Eze 21:20 – the defenced Joe 2:8 – sword
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ch 32:5. He built up all the wall that was broken Which Joash, king of Israel, had broken down, and which had not since been repaired. And raised it up to the towers Either as high as the towers, or tops of the wall; or from the gate of Ephraim as far as the two towers, which were at the corner-gate, having been raised there for the defence of it. So that the wall, that had been broken down, was all rebuilt. See 2Ch 25:23. And repaired Millo Of which see note on 1Ki 9:15.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
32:5 Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised [it] up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired {a} Millo [in] the {b} city of David, and made {c} darts and shields in abundance.
(a) He made a double wall.
(b) Read 2Sa 5:9.
(c) Some read, swords or daggers.