2 Kings 19:32

2Ki 19:32 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it.

Ver. 32. He shall not come into this city.] Because dear to God, who had appointed salvation for walls and bulwarks. {Isa 26:1} Semblably, of all that huge fleet three years a-rigging and furnishing, not one Spaniard set foot on English ground, but under the notion of a prisoner. See on 2Ki 19:28.

Nor shoot an arrow there, &c.] See Psa 48:12. {See Trapp on "Psa 48:12"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ki 19:32. Thus saith the Lord, He shall not come to this city — The king of Assyria shall be so far from possessing himself of the city at this time, that he shall not shoot so much as an arrow into it, much less raise any bulwarks to besiege it. There is a gradation in the words, says Dr. Dodd, as is usual with Isaiah. The first declaration is, that Sennacherib, if he shall attempt to besiege the city, shall never be able to succeed; he shall not come into this city. The second is, that he shall not bring his army so near the city as to come before it with shields, wherewith to defend themselves from those on the wall, or raise a bank against it. The third, that he shall not even shoot an arrow into the city, which might be done from far. It seems the army sent with Rab-shakeh did not form a close siege against it, but only disposed themselves so as to block it up at some distance; possibly waiting till the king of Assyria had taken Libnah and Lachish, (which they presumed he would speedily do.)

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

19:32-34 Sennacherib’s armies did not enter Jerusalem but returned home. In Sennacherib’s own account, he gave details of capturing and despoiling forty-six cities of Judah. He made no mention of the capture of Jerusalem but recorded only that he shut up Hezekiah “in Jerusalem . . . like a bird in a cage.” • For my own honor—in light of Sennacherib’s blasphemies and arrogance against God (18:25, 28-30; 19:10-13, 21, 27-28)—and for the sake of my servant David, to whom God had made his covenant promise (2 Sam 7:8-16) and whose faith Hezekiah had emulated (2 Kgs 18:3), the Lord would defend this city (see 20:6). The Lord decisively demonstrated that he alone is God and that he is faithful to his people who trust in him.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 32. He shall not, c.] Here follow the fullest proofs that Jerusalem shall not be taken by the Assyrians.

1. He shall not come into this city

2. He shall not be able to get so near as to shoot an arrow into it;

3. He shall not be able to bring an army before it,

4. Nor shall he be able to raise any redoubt or mound against it;

5. No; not even an Assyrian shield shall be seen in the country; not even a foraging party shall come near the city.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(32) Into this city.—Or, unto this city. Sennacherib shall not come hither to make his intended attack.

Nor shoot an arrow there (at it).—In open assault.

Nor come before it with shield.—As a storming party advances to the walls under cover of their shields.

Nor cast a bank against it.—In regular siege. Comp. 2Sa_20:15; Hab_1:10). The incidents of warfare here specified may be seen represented on the Assyrian sculptures from Khorsâbad and elsewhere.

(32-34) This may be, as Mr. Cheyne supposes, an after addition to the original prophecy. Isaiah may have spoken it a little later, in which case it was quite natural for an editor to append it here, as belonging to the same crisis. But it seems better to see here a return to the subject of the king of Assyria, after the parenthetic address to Hezekiah. The repetition of 2Ki_19:28 in 2Ki_19:33 favours this view.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

32. Therefore] The LXX. makes the same error here with regard to the word ‘therefore’ as was noticed above on 2Ki_1:3, and renders the Hebrew by οὐχ οὑτῶς. See former note.

He shall not come into [R.V. unto] this city] The R.V. renders the preposition correctly, and makes the same change in the next verse. We have no mention of Sennacherib’s personal approach nearer than Libnah. (See above verse 8.)

Nor [R.V. neither shall he] come] The change relieves the verse from the monotony of several clauses commencing in exactly the same way.

nor cast a bank [R.V. mount] against it] ‘Mount’ is the correct term for an embankment thrown up for the purposes of a siege, and occurs in the A.V. of Jer_6:6; Jer_32:24; Jer_33:4; Eze_4:2; Eze_21:22.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Nor come before it with shield - The “shields” of the Assyrians are very conspicuous in the sculptures, and were of great importance in a siege, since the assailing archers were in most instances defended, as they shot their weapons, by a comrade, who held before himself and his friend a shield of an enormous size. It was made of a framework of wood, filled in with wattling, and perhaps lined with skin; it was rested upon the ground, and it generally curved backward toward the top; ordinarily it somewhat exceeded the height of a man. From the safe covert afforded by these large defenses the archers were able to take deliberate aim, and deliver their volleys with effect.

Nor cast a bank against it - “Mounds” or “banks” were among the most common of the means used by the Assyrians against a besieged town. They were thrown up against the walls, and consisted of loose earth, trees, brushwood, stones, and rubbish. Sometimes the surface of the mound was regularly paved with several layers of stone or brick, which formed a solid road or causeway capable of bearing a great weight. The intention was not so much to bring the mounds to a level with the top of the walls, as to carry them to such a height as should enable the battering-ram to work effectively. Walls were made very solid toward their base, for the purpose of resisting the ram; halfway up their structure was comparatively weak and slight. The engines of the assailants, rams and catapults, where therefore far more serviceable if they could attack the upper and weaker portion of the defenses; and it was to enable them to reach these portions that the “mounds” were raised.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

About it, as was then the custom in besieging cities. Josephus and others suppose that Sennacherib’s army was destroyed before Jerusalem. But it seems more probable it fell on the road to Egypt, ver. 7. The camp, which is still shewn, might be that of Rabsaces, chap. xviii. 17. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Which was true, though he sent Rab-shakeh and others with a great host against Jerusalem, 2Ki 18:17; either because that host went away with Rab-shakeh to Libnah, above, 2Ki 19:8; or rather, because that army did not form a close siege against it, but only marched towards it, and disposed themselves so as to block it up at some distance; possibly waiting till the king of Assyria had taken Libnah and Lachish, (which they presumed he would speedily do,) and should come up with the rest of his forces, when they intended to fall more vigorously to their work.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

32. Therefore — In view of this decreed permanency of Judah.

He shall not come — The different expressions here used indicate Sennacherib’s total failure to injure Jerusalem. “The four clauses,” says Keil, “stand in a graduated relation to one another — not to take, not even to shoot at and attack, yea, not even to besiege, the city, will he come.”

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the King of Assyria. The oracle concludes with a general announcement, addressed to all whom it may concern, not to any one individually, concerning the existing distress. First, it is laid down what shall not be the issue. Hei.e. Sennacheribshall not come into rather, untothis cityi.e. Jerusalemnor shoot an arrow therei.e. , he shall not begin the attack, as was usually done, with discharges of arrows, to clear the walls of their defenders, and make it safe for the sappers and miners and the siege artillery to draw nearnor come before it with shieldi.e. advance close, to raise the scaling-ladders, or mine the walls, or fire the gates, under the protection of huge shieldsnor east a bank against it. Much less shall he proceed to the last extremity of raising mounds against the walls, and planting upon them his balistae and his battering-rams, with the object of effecting a breach. Each of the successive stages of a siege is touched, and negatived. None of these things shall be done. There shall be no siege. (For representations of the Assyrian sieges, banks, and engines, see Layard, "Monuments of Nineveh," second series, plates 21, 31, 39, 43, etc.; and Rawlinson, "Ancient Monarchies," vol. 1. p. 303; vol. 2. p. 81.)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He shall not - The army sent with Rabshaketh did not form a close siege against it, but only disposed themselves so as to block it up at some distance; possibly waiting 'till the king of Assyria had taken Libnah and Lachish, (which they presumed he would speedily do.)

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

This is the end of the message from Yahweh, spoken through the prophet Isaiah to King Hezekiah. It uses parallelism throughout. (See: Parallelism)

nor shoot an arrow here

"Arrow" is metonymy representing all tools of warfare and destruction. AT: "nor do any fighting here" (See: Metonymy)

or build up a siege ramp against it

"and they will not even build up high mounds of earth against the city wall to enable them to attack the city"

this is Yahweh's declaration

Yahweh speaks of himself by name to express the certainty of what he is declaring. AT: "this is what Yahweh has declared" or "this is what I, Yahweh, have declared" (See: First, Second, or Third Person)

for my own sake and for my servant David's sake

"for the sake of my own reputation and because of what I promised to King David, who served me well"

translationWords

Yahweh

king

Assyria

bow and arrow

declare

servant

David

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

He will not advance upon it. He will not set a shield before it.

A ramp. A heap of earth to raise a mount upon which to stand to wage war against the city, and because one presses it down and beats it with sticks and sledge hammers, so that it becomes trodden and pressed down with strength, it is called סוללה, an expression of, “Beat down [=סולו], beat down [=סולו] the highway.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.