Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 19:5

So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

[See comments on 2Ki 19:1]

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Isaiah replied with this comforting promise: Hezekiah was not to be afraid of the blasphemous words of the Assyrian king; the Lord would frighten him with a report, so that he would return to his own land, and there would He cause him to fall by the sword. , the servants or young men of the Assyrian king, is a derogatory epithet applied to the officials of Assyria. “Behold, I put a spirit into him, so that he shall hear a report and return into his own land.” does not refer to the report of the destruction of his army (2Ki 19:35), as Thenius supposes, for Sennacherib did not hear of this through the medium of an army, but was with the army himself at the time when it was smitten by the angel of the Lord; it refers to the report mentioned in 2Ki 19:9. For even if he made one last attempt to secure the surrender of Jerusalem immediately upon hearing this report, yet after the failure of this attempt to shake the firmness of Hezekiah his courage must have failed him, and the thought of return must have suggested itself, so that this was only accelerated by the blow which fell upon the army. For, as O. v. Gerlach has correctly observed, “the destruction of the army would hardly have produced any decisive effect without the approach of Tirhakah, since the great power of the Assyrian king, especially in relation to the small kingdom of Judah, was not broken thereby. But at the prayer of the king the Lord added this miracle to the other, which His providence had already brought to pass. – For the fulfilment of the prophecy of Sennacherib’s death, see 2Ki 19:37.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

(5) So the servants . . .This verse merely resumes the narrative in a somewhat simple and artless fashion.

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

ISAIAH’S REPLY, 2Ki 19:6-7.

7. I will send a blast upon him The translators here evidently meant by blast some destructive plague or pestilence. The Hebrew is, literally, Behold, I put in him a spirit. Some understand by spirit the destroying angel mentioned in 2Ki 19:35, but it is better to understand it of a Divine impulse that is to seize him, and hurry him blindly on, so that as soon as he hears a certain rumour of approaching hosts, he will hasten a retreat to his own land, namely, Assyria. The rumour, here mentioned seems most naturally to refer to the report of the approach of the king of Ethiopia to fight against him. 2Ki 19:9. Others understand it of the report of the destruction of his army by the angel of the Lord; but it does not appear from 2Ki 19:35 that he was absent from his army when the destroying angel smote it. We take it that when the rumour of Tirhakah’s approach reached him, he was seized with sudden alarm. He first sends Rab-shakeh to demand again the surrender of Jerusalem, hoping, in case of its surrender, to be able to resist the forces of Egypt. But meantime Jerusalem disdains an answer, the angel suddenly smites his army, and under the impulse of a spirit of alarm and terror he returns to Nineveh.

Fall by the sword See the fulfilment of this prediction recorded in 2Ki 19:37.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Observe how gracious the Lord is. No sooner do his people call, but the Lord answers! And the Lord not only promises deliverance to his servant, but destruction to his enemy. Oh! for grace to see and believe this sure event, as it concerns salvation by Jesus! His church shall not only be blessed with everlasting joy; but the accursed enemy shall be condemned in everlasting ruin. So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love thee be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. Jdg 5:31 .

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

2Ki 19:5 So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

Ver. 5. So the servants of Hezekiah came. ] They came, and did their master’s message. Acta legatorum laconice uno verbo (venerunt) proponuntur.

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