The Prophet and His Day: Isaiah 1-39 - Free Bible Commentary

C. This section seems to form a needed coherent transition from an emphasis on Assyria(chapters 36 and 37) to Babylon (chapters 38 and 39).D. There has been some discussion about the relationship of Hezekiah’s refusal to succumb tothe demands and threats of Sennacherib of Assyria and Hezekiah paying tribute to him inII Kings 18:14-16. It is in the realm of possibility that Hezekiah initially paid tribute and thenlater refused to do so. The exact relationship between these two passages is only conjecture.E. This chapter and the parallels have a more concentrated use of “trust” (BDB 105, KB 120)than any other context in the OT.1. Isaiah 36:4,5,6 (twice),7,9,152. II Kings 18:19,20,21 (twice), 22,24,30; 19:103. II Chronicles 32:10“Trust” (()") and “belief” (0/!, see Special Topic at 22:23) are crucial in understanding theproper functioning of the personal relationship involved in covenant. It is more thanobedience!WORD AND PHRASE STUDYNASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 36:1-31Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up againstall the fortified cities of Judah and seized them. 2 And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh fromLachish to Jerusalem to King Hezekiah with a large army. And he stood by the conduit of theupper pool on the highway of the fuller's field. 3 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was overthe household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to him.36:1 “in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah” It seems from the dating of the reigns of these Judeankings and their relationship to secular history that there is a textual error in the word “fourteenth.”Because II Kgs. 18:1 says that Hezekiah was co-regent with his father between 729 and 715 B.C. andthen became king himself from 715 to 686 B.C., it is probable that this should read the “twenty-fourthyear of King Hezekiah” (cf. Gleason L. Archer, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, pp. 207,211; E. J.Young, Book of Isaiah, pp. 540-542; The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 234; J. A. Motyer,Tyndale OT Commentaries, vol. 18, p. 222).In the chart in the Appendix Four, #3 of this volume there is a list of three different dates forHezekiah’s reign.1. John Bright – 715-687 B.C.2. E. J. Young – 727-699 B.C.3. R. K. Harrisona. co-reign – 729-716/15b. reign – 716/15-687/86These are three well-respected scholars, yet note the variety. Be careful of rigid dating of these reignsand co-reigns. Scholarship is just not in agreement at this point in time. Hopefully new informationfrom archaeology can help clarify the date!} “Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and seized them”We learn from Assyrian documents that Sennacherib (reigned from 705-681 B.C.) claims to haveconquered 46 walled cities. Because of the Assyrian records of Sennacherib’s reign an invasion ofJudah in 701 B.C. fits this passage.346