And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father did. Some of the kings of Judah, that were better than some others, are said to do that which was right, but not like David; or they did as he did, but not according to all that he did, as is here said of Hezekiah. read more
He removed the high places ,.... Which the best of the kings of Judah never attempted, and which is observed of them to their discredit: and broke the images, and cut down the groves ; the idols his father set up and served, 2 Kings 16:4 , groves and idols in them, were early instances of idolatry; See Gill on Judges 3:7 , and their use for temples are still continued, not only among some Indian nations F12 See Dampier's Voyage, vol. 1. p. 411. , but among some Christians in... read more
He trusted in the Lord God of Israel ,.... To be his protector and defender, and had no dependence on idols as an arm of flesh; the Targum is, he trusted in the Word of the Lord God; not in Nehushtan, but in him the brasen serpent was a type of, even in the Word and Son of God, his alone Saviour and Redeemer: so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah : for though Josiah was like him in some things, yet not in all: nor any that were before him ; from the times... read more
For he clave to the Lord ,.... To his worship and service; to the fear of the Lord, as the Targum: and departed not from following him ; from his worship, as the same paraphrase: but kept his commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses ; both moral, ceremonial, and judicial. read more
And the Lord was with him ,.... The Word of the Lord was for his help, as the Targum: and he prospered whithersoever he went forth ; that is, to war: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria : which is explained in the next clause: and served him not ; he refused to be his servant, as his father Ahaz had been, 2 Kings 16:7 , to which he was not obliged by any agreement of his; and, if it was in his power, might lawfully shake off his yoke, which is all that is meant by... read more
He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord - In chap. 29 of the second book of Chronicles, we have an account of what this pious king did to restore the worship of God. He caused the priests and Levites to cleanse the holy house, which had been shut up by his father Ahaz, and had been polluted with filth of various kinds; and this cleansing required no less than sixteen days to accomplish it. As the passover, according to the law, must be celebrated the... read more
Brake in pieces the brazen serpent - The history of this may be seen in Numbers 21:8 ; (note), Numbers 21:9 ; (note). We find that this brazen serpent had become an object of idolatry, and no doubt was supposed to possess, as a telesm or amulet, extraordinary virtues, and that incense was burnt before it which should have been burnt before the true God. And he called it Nehushtan - נהשתן . Not one of the versions has attempted to translate this word. Jarchi... read more
He trusted in the Lord - See the character of this good king: He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; He clave to the Lord; He was steady in his religion; he departed not from following the Lord; He kept God's commandments. And what were the consequences? 1. The Lord was with him; 2. He prospered whithersoever he went. read more
THE EARLY YEARS Or HEZEKIAH . From his narrative of the destruction of the kingdom of Samaria, the writer turns, with evident relief, to the accession of the good king Hezekiah in Judah, and to a brief account of The narrative is still exceedingly brief, and has to be filled out from the Second Book of Chronicles, where the religious reformation of Hezekiah is treated with great fullness (2 Kings 29-31.). read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 18:1-8
We have here a general account of the reign of Hezekiah. It appears, by comparing his age with his father?s, that he was born when his father was about eleven or twelve years old, divine Providence so ordering that he might be of full age, and fit for business, when the measure of his father's iniquity should be full. Here is, I. His great piety, which was the more wonderful because his father was very wicked and vile, one of the worst of the kings, yet he was one of the best, which may... read more