2 Kings 18:34 - Exposition

Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? Hamath and Arpad had been recently conquered by Sargon. Of the latter city but little is known, net even its site. We find it generally connected with Damascus and Hamath, and may conjecture that it lay between them, either in Coele-Syria or in the Anti-Libanus. (On Hamath, see the commentary upon 2 Kings 14:25 ; and for its special god, Ashima, see that on 2 Kings 17:30 .) Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hens, and Ivah? , see the comment on 2 Kings 17:24 and 2 Kings 17:31 .) "Hena," mentioned always with Sepharvaim and Ivah ( 2 Kings 19:13 ; Isaiah 38:13 ), is probably Allah on the Euphrates, about seventy miles above Hit (Ivah). Nothing is known of its gods. Probably Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah had rebelled in conjunction, and been re-conquered at no distant date. Sargon mentions in his annals that he besieged and took Sepharvaim (Sippara) in his twelfth year. Have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand? There is probably some compression of the original narrative here. The meaning is, "Have they delivered their several cities, or has the god of Samaria delivered his city out of my hand?" No god had hitherto delivered any city which the Assyrians had attacked.