18 Truly, Yahweh, the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the countries and their land,
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
Truly, O Jehovah. Here Hezekiah begins to distinguish between the false gods and the true God, which we also ought to do very carefully. Wicked men, who have no light, indulge in some confused imaginations about God, which quickly pass away, so that they think that there is no God, or care nothing about him. [1] But God does not wish that his people shall be moved by a slight and passing opinion, but that he shall be acknowledged by them as the true God, who drives away all superstitions by the brightness of his power. [2] It is not; enough, therefore, that we believe in something which heathens imagine to be a deity, but we must believe in God in such a manner as to distinguish him from pretended gods, and to separate truth from falsehood; and, indeed, when he has once shone into our hearts, those false religions which formerly occupied our minds immediately give way. This doctrine ought to be the more carefully held, because many persons rest satisfied with dark speculations, and think that it is enough if they acknowledge some deity. They evidently do not know whether they ought to worship the God of the Mahometans or of the Jews; and fly in the air, so that, as the saying is, they neither touch heaven nor earth. Nothing can be more destructive than this imagination; for it mingles and confounds idols with God, whose majesty does not hold its due rank if it does not reign in solitary grandeur over the ruins of all the false gods. Thus the beginning of true piety is, that from the whole multitude of false gods we shall wisely distinguish that one God to whom we ought to be entirely devoted. For they are not gods, but the work of the hands of man, wood and stone. By two arguments Hezekiah shews that "they were not gods;" first, because they consisted of matter, [3] and secondly, because they were formed by the hands of men. Nothing can be more absurd than for a man to assume the right to create a god, not only because he had a beginning, while God is eternal, but because not even for a single moment does he subsist by his own power. Let the whole world collect all its strength into a single man, [4] he will not even be able to create a fica. What presumption is it, therefore, that every mortal man shall make for himself either one god or many! [5] Since, therefore, there is nothing in us but what is frail and fading, we shall never be able to produce a deity. Besides, it is in the highest degree absurd to attempt, as an exercise of skill, to frame some deity out of matter which is corruptible and devoid of feeling, as if "wood or stone," whenever it received a shape, began to be a god. In this manner, therefore, all the superstitions that men have ever invented are speedily overturned; for the existence of those gods can be found nowhere but in their own brains, and, indeed, all that they have of themselves contrived is condemned as empty and false.
1 - "Encor qu'il y en air un." "Though there be a God."
2 - "Dechassant par la splendeur de sa vertu toutes tenebres d'ignorance." "Who drives away by the brightness of his power all the darkness of ignorance."
3 - "D'autant qu'ils estoyent de matire corruptible." "Because they were of corruptible matter."
4 - "En un seul homme."
5 - "Quel orgueil estce donc que le premier qui voudra mettre la main a la besogne se face autant de dieux que bon luy semblera!" "What presumption is it then that whoever shall first put his hand to the work shall make as many gods as he thinks proper!"
Of a truth - It is as he has said, that all the nations had been subjected to the arms of the Assyrian. He now intends to add Jerusalem to the number of vanquished cities and kingdoms, and to boast; that he has subdued the nation under the protection of Yahweh, as he had done the nations under the protection of idol-gods.
Have laid waste all, the nations - Hebrew, as Margin, 'All the lands.' But this is evidently an elliptical form of expression, meaning all the inhabitants or people of the lands. In 2-Kings 19:17, it is thus expressed. 'The kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands.'
The nations - הארצות haratsoth, "the lands; "instead of this word, which destroys the sense, ten of Kennicott's and five of De Rossi's MSS. (one ancient) have here גוים goyim, "nations;" which is undoubtedly the true reading, being preserved also in the other copy; 2-Kings 19:17. Another MS. suggests another method of rectifying the sense in this place, by reading מלכם malcam, "their king, "instead of ארצם artsam, "their land;" but it ought to be מלכיהם malcheyhem, "all the countries and their kings."
Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and (m) their countries,
(m) Meaning, the ten tribes.
Of a truth Lord,.... This is a truth and will be readily owned what the king of Assyria has said that his ancestors have destroyed all lands, or at least have endeavoured to do it, and have had it in their hearts to do it:
the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries: or "all the lands and their land" (m); the Targum is,
"all provinces and their lands;''
the countries and town and villages in them, or the chief cities and villages round about them.
(m) "omnes terras, et terram eorum", Pagninus, Montanus; "vel terram inquam eorum", Vatablus.
have laid waste--conceding the truth of the Assyrian's allegation (Isaiah 36:18-20), but adding the reason, "For they were no gods."
*More commentary available at chapter level.