And it came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah ,.... In the beginning of it: which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel : the beginning of his seventh: that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it ; see 2 Kings 17:5 . read more
And at the end of three years they took it ,.... That is, at the first end of them, at the beginning, in which sense the phrase is taken in Deuteronomy 15:1 , even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is, the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken: see 2 Kings 17:6 . read more
And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria ,.... Of the places he disposed of them in, after mentioned; see Gill on 2 Kings 17:6 . read more
Because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord ,.... In his law, and by his prophets: but transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded ; which evils are at large insisted on in the preceding chapter as the cause of their captivity: and would not hear them, nor do them ; contrary to the agreement of their fathers at Sinai, who promised to do both, Exodus 24:3 . read more
Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah ,.... Eight years after the captivity of Israel: did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them ; many of them, the frontier towns, and proceeded as far as Lachish; ambitious of enlarging his dominions, his father having subdued the kingdom of Israel, and being also provoked by Hezekiah's refusing to pay him tribute. Mention is made of this king by name, by Herodotus and other Heathen writers, see... read more
And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish ,.... A city in the tribe of Judah, about twenty miles from Jerusalem, towards the southwest F17 Bunting's Travels, &c.; p. 99. ; which the king of Assyria was now besieging, 2 Chronicles 32:9 at first Hezekiah made provision to defend himself, and encouraged his people not to be afraid of the king of Assyria, 2 Chronicles 32:1 , but understanding he had taken his fortified cities, and made such progress with his... read more
And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house. To make up the three hundred talents of silver, for which purpose he exhausted both, which had been done more than once before by the kings of Judah; these were their resources in times of distress; see 2 Kings 12:18 . read more
At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord ,.... The plates of gold with which they were covered; or scraped off the gold from them, as the Targum interprets it: and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid : or the posts, as the Targum, the lintel or side posts of the doors of the temple; which though covered in Solomon's time, the gold was worn off, or had been taken off by Ahaz, but was renewed by Hezekiah; and who, in this... read more
In the fourth year - This history has been already given, 2 Kings 17:3 , etc. read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 18:9-16
The kingdom of Assyria had now grown considerable, though we never read of it till the last reign. Such changes there are in the affairs of nations and families: those that have been despicable become formidable, and those, on the contrary, are brought low that have made a great noise and figure. We have here an account, I. Of the success of Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, against Israel, his besieging Samaria (2 Kgs. 18:9), taking it (2 Kgs. 18:10), and carrying the people into captivity (2... read more