Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 19:32
Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it.
32. Therefore ] The LXX. makes the same error here with regard to the word ‘therefore’ as was noticed above on 2Ki 1:3, and renders the Hebrew by . See former note.
He shall not come into [R.V. unto ] this city ] The R.V. renders the preposition correctly, and makes the same change in the next verse. We have no mention of Sennacherib’s personal approach nearer than Libnah. (See above verse 8.)
Nor [R.V. neither shall he ] come ] The change relieves the verse from the monotony of several clauses commencing in exactly the same way.
nor cast a bank [R.V. mount ] against it ] ‘Mount’ is the correct term for an embankment thrown up for the purposes of a siege, and occurs in the A.V. of Jer 6:6; Jer 32:24; Jer 33:4; Eze 4:2; Eze 21:22.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Nor come before it with shield – The shields of the Assyrians are very conspicuous in the sculptures, and were of great importance in a siege, since the assailing archers were in most instances defended, as they shot their weapons, by a comrade, who held before himself and his friend a shield of an enormous size. It was made of a framework of wood, filled in with wattling, and perhaps lined with skin; it was rested upon the ground, and it generally curved backward toward the top; ordinarily it somewhat exceeded the height of a man. From the safe covert afforded by these large defenses the archers were able to take deliberate aim, and deliver their volleys with effect.
Nor cast a bank against it – Mounds or banks were among the most common of the means used by the Assyrians against a besieged town. They were thrown up against the walls, and consisted of loose earth, trees, brushwood, stones, and rubbish. Sometimes the surface of the mound was regularly paved with several layers of stone or brick, which formed a solid road or causeway capable of bearing a great weight. The intention was not so much to bring the mounds to a level with the top of the walls, as to carry them to such a height as should enable the battering-ram to work effectively. Walls were made very solid toward their base, for the purpose of resisting the ram; halfway up their structure was comparatively weak and slight. The engines of the assailants, rams and catapults, where therefore far more serviceable if they could attack the upper and weaker portion of the defenses; and it was to enable them to reach these portions that the mounds were raised.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 32. He shall not, c.] Here follow the fullest proofs that Jerusalem shall not be taken by the Assyrians.
1. He shall not come into this city
2. He shall not be able to get so near as to shoot an arrow into it;
3. He shall not be able to bring an army before it,
4. Nor shall he be able to raise any redoubt or mound against it;
5. No; not even an Assyrian shield shall be seen in the country; not even a foraging party shall come near the city.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Which was true, though he sent Rab-shakeh and others with a great host against Jerusalem, 2Ki 18:17; either because that host went away with Rab-shakeh to Libnah, above, 2Ki 19:8; or rather, because that army did not form a close siege against it, but only marched towards it, and disposed themselves so as to block it up at some distance; possibly waiting till the king of Assyria had taken Libnah and Lachish, (which they presumed he would speedily do,) and should come up with the rest of his forces, when they intended to fall more vigorously to their work.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
[See comments on 2Ki 19:1]
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(32) Into this city.Or, unto this city. Sennacherib shall not come hither to make his intended attack.
Nor shoot an arrow there (at it).In open assault.
Nor come before it with shield.As a storming party advances to the walls under cover of their shields.
Nor cast a bank against it.In regular siege. Comp. 2Sa. 20:15; Hab. 1:10). The incidents of warfare here specified may be seen represented on the Assyrian sculptures from Khorsbad and elsewhere.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(32-34) This may be, as Mr. Cheyne supposes, an after addition to the original prophecy. Isaiah may have spoken it a little later, in which case it was quite natural for an editor to append it here, as belonging to the same crisis. But it seems better to see here a return to the subject of the king of Assyria, after the parenthetic address to Hezekiah. The repetition of 2Ki. 19:28 in 2Ki. 19:33 favours this view.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
32. Therefore In view of this decreed permanency of Judah.
He shall not come The different expressions here used indicate Sennacherib’s total failure to injure Jerusalem. “The four clauses,” says Keil, “stand in a graduated relation to one another not to take, not even to shoot at and attack, yea, not even to besiege, the city, will he come.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Final Oracle Of Deliverance Which Will Result In Its Own Fulfilment ( 2Ki 19:32-34 ).
The final oracle was put in plain and straightforward terms that could leave no doubt. It was the policy of great kings to be personally present when, at the end of a long siege, the city was about to fall. Thereby they could claim the victory for themselves and it became attached to their name. See for a clear example of this 2Sa 12:26-31. And it was even customary for them to pick up a bow and shoot an arrow, or to take up a shield or supervise the building of a mound, so that it could be portrayed on the reliefs made of the event (very much like our modern artificial photo-calls), making quite clear who was responsible for the victory. It was all staged.
Thus the promise was that deliverance would come so soon that the king of Assyria would not even come to the city, or shoot his arrow there, or pick up a shield, or order the building of a mound. Rather he would soon be scurrying back to Assyria by the way in which he had come, and this would be because YHWH was defending Jerusalem, for the sake of His own glory, and for the sake of His servant David who had chosen it, to whom He had made such great promises.
This ties in quite adequately with the promise in 2Ki 19:7, and yet also contains within it the seed of the glorious coming event that no one expected, the actual destruction of a large part of the mighty Assyrian army. The fact that what will now happen was never prophesied indicates the genuineness both of the prophecies and of the event itself.
Analysis.
“Therefore thus says YHWH concerning the king of Assyria, He will not come to this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor will he come before it with shield, nor cast up a mound against it” (2Ki 19:32).
“By the way that he came, by the same will he return, and he will not come to this city, says YHWH” (2Ki 19:33).
“For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake, and for my servant David’s sake” (2Ki 19:34).
Note that in ‘a’ Sennacherib would not come to the city and in the parallel that would be because YHWH was defending it. Centrally in ‘b’ he would return home having failed in his purpose.
2Ki 19:32
“Therefore thus says YHWH concerning the king of Assyria, He will not come to this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor will he come before it with shield, nor cast up a mound against it.”
Like modern politicians ancient kings could not resist a ‘photo-call’. They wanted to go down in history. Thus at any great victory, especially towards the end of a siege, they would arrive and make some military gesture towards the enemy that could later be recorded on stone. This might take the form of shooting an arrow, brandishing a shield and sword, or ostentatiously supervising the building of siegeworks. But in this case YHWH promised that this would not happen, simply because the victory would not be achieved. There would be no crowning moment.
2Ki 19:33
“By the way that he came, by the same will he return, and he will not come to this city, says YHWH.”
Indeed far from gaining victory he would shortly be returning home (with YHWH’s hook through his nose, and YHWH’s bridle in his mouth) from Libnah. He would never even approach Jerusalem. Thus it would not only be the end of his operations against Jerusalem and Judah, it would also be the end of all his current operations outside Assyria. This could only indicate real trouble at home which necessitated his presence. It would also turn out to be because he would need to re-establish his army. “By the way that he came, by the same will he return.’ Compare 2Ki 19:28.
2Ki 19:34
“For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.”
And the reason for it would be because YHWH was defending Jerusalem for His own sake (so that He might be seen to be faithful to His promises to David) and for His servant David’s sake, who had chosen Jerusalem and dedicated it to YHWH, Who accepted it and had also thereby chosen it (compare 1Ki 11:12-13). God had not forgotten His promises to David, and would stand by them at all costs.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
2Ki 19:32 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it.
Ver. 32. He shall not come into this city. ] Because dear to God, who had appointed salvation for walls and bulwarks. Isa 26:1 Semblably, of all that huge fleet three years a-rigging and furnishing, not one Spaniard set foot on English ground, but under the notion of a prisoner. See on 2Ki 19:28 .
Nor shoot an arrow there, &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
cast a bank: i.e. erect an earthwork.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
He shall not come: Isa 8:7-10, Isa 10:24, Isa 10:25, Isa 10:28-32, Isa 37:33-35
cast a bank: 2Sa 20:15, Eze 21:22, Luk 19:43, Luk 19:44
Reciprocal: 2Ki 18:30 – this city Isa 29:3 – General Isa 33:19 – shalt not Mic 5:6 – the Assyrian
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ki 19:32. Thus saith the Lord, He shall not come to this city The king of Assyria shall be so far from possessing himself of the city at this time, that he shall not shoot so much as an arrow into it, much less raise any bulwarks to besiege it. There is a gradation in the words, says Dr. Dodd, as is usual with Isaiah. The first declaration is, that Sennacherib, if he shall attempt to besiege the city, shall never be able to succeed; he shall not come into this city. The second is, that he shall not bring his army so near the city as to come before it with shields, wherewith to defend themselves from those on the wall, or raise a bank against it. The third, that he shall not even shoot an arrow into the city, which might be done from far. It seems the army sent with Rab-shakeh did not form a close siege against it, but only disposed themselves so as to block it up at some distance; possibly waiting till the king of Assyria had taken Libnah and Lachish, (which they presumed he would speedily do.)