2 Kings 19:24 - Exposition

I have digged and drunk strange waters ; rather, perhaps, I dig , and drink … and dry up—the preterit having again a present sense. Sennacherib means that this is what he is wont to do. As mountains do not stop him ( 2 Kings 19:23 ), so deserts do not stop him—he digs wells in them, and drinks water "strange" to the soil—never before seen there. And with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of besieged places ; rather, will I dry up all the rivers of Egypt (compare the Revised Version. " Mazor " is used for "Egypt" in Isaiah 19:6 and Micah 7:12 ). It is the old singular from which was formed the dual Mizraim. Whether it meant "land of strength" (Pusey), or "land of distress" (Ewald), may be doubted, since we have no right to assume a Hebrew derivation. There was probably a native word, from which the Hebrew Mazor , the Assyrian Muzr , and the Arabic Misr were taken. Sennacherib's beast is that, as he makes deserts traversable by digging wells, so, if rivers try to stop him, he will find a way of drying them up. Compare the boasts of Alaric in Clau-dian, who had probably this passage of Kings in his thoughts—

" To patior suadente fugam, cum cesserit omnis

Obsequiis natura meis?

Subsidere nostris Sub pedibus montes, arescere vidimus amnes

Fregi Alpes, galeisque Padum victricibus hausi ."