king of Judah, was the son of Ahaz, and born in the year of
the world 3251. At the age of five-and-twenty he succeeded his father in
the government of the kingdom of Judah, and reigned twenty-nine years in
Jerusalem, namely, from the year of the world 3277 to 3306, 2 Kings
xviii, 1, 2; 2 Chron. xxix, 1. The reign of his father Ahaz had been
most unpropitious for his subjects. A war had raged between the kingdoms
of Israel and Judah, in which Pekah, king of Israel, overthrew the army
of Ahaz, destroying a hundred and twenty thousand of his men; after
which he carried away two hundred thousand women and children as
captives into his own country: they were, however, released and sent
home again, at the remonstrance of the Prophet Oded. As idolatry had
been established in Jerusalem and throughout Judea, by the command of
Ahaz, and the service of the temple either intermitted, or converted
into an idolatrous worship, the first object of his son Hezekiah, on his
accession to the throne, was to restore the legal worship of God, both
in Jerusalem and throughout Judea. He cleansed and repaired the temple,
and held a solemn passover. He improved the city, repaired the
fortifications, erected magazines of all sorts, and built a new
aqueduct. In the fourth year of his reign, Salmanezer, king of Assyria,
invaded the kingdom of Israel, took Samaria, and carried away the ten
tribes into captivity, replacing them by different people sent from his
own country. But Hezekiah was not deterred by this alarming example from
refusing to pay that tribute to the Assyrians which had been imposed on
Ahaz: this brought on the invasion of Sennacherib, in the fourteenth
year of the reign of Hezekiah, of which we have a very particular
account in the writings of the Prophet Isaiah, who was then living,
Isaiah xxxvi.
Immediately after the termination of this war, Hezekiah “was sick unto
death,” owing, as the sacred historian strongly intimates, to his heart
being improperly elevated on occasion of this miraculous deliverance,
and not sufficiently acknowledging the hand of God in it, 2 Kings xx;
Isaiah xxxviii. Isaiah was sent to bid him set his house in order, for
he should die and not live. Hezekiah had instant recourse to God by
prayer and supplications for his recovery; and the prophet had scarcely
proceeded out of the threshold, when the Lord commanded him to return to
Hezekiah, and to say to him, “Thus saith the Lord, I have heard thy
prayer, and I have seen thy tears: I will heal thee: on the third day
thou shalt go up to the house of the Lord, and I will add unto thy days
fifteen years.” And to confirm to him the certainty of all these tokens
of the divine regard, the shadow of the sun on the dial of Ahaz, at his
request, went backward ten degrees. After his recovery, he composed an
ode of thanksgiving to the God of all his mercies, which the Prophet
Isaiah has recorded in his writings, Isaiah xxxviii, 10, 11. Yet, as an
instance of human fickleness and frailty, we find Hezekiah, with all his
excellencies, again forgetting himself, and incurring the divine
displeasure. The king of Babylon having been informed of his sickness
and recovery, sent ambassadors to congratulate him on his restoration:
an honour with which the heart of Hezekiah was greatly elated; and, to
testify his gratitude, he made a pompous display to them of all his
treasures, his spices, and his rich vessels; and concealed from them
nothing that was in his palace. In all this the pride of Hezekiah was
gratified; and to humble him, Isaiah was sent to declare to him that his
conduct was displeasing to God, and that a time should come when all the
treasures of which he had made so vain a display should be removed to
Babylon, and even his sons be made eunuchs to serve in the palace of the
king of Babylon. Hezekiah bowed submissively to the will of God, and
acknowledged the divine goodness toward him, in ordaining peace and
truth to continue during the remainder of his reign. He accordingly
passed the latter years of his life in tranquillity, and contributed
greatly to the prosperity of his people and kingdom. He died in the year
of the world 3306, leaving behind him a son, Manasseh, who succeeded him
in the throne: a son every way unworthy of such a father.
the world 3251. At the age of five-and-twenty he succeeded his father in
the government of the kingdom of Judah, and reigned twenty-nine years in
Jerusalem, namely, from the year of the world 3277 to 3306, 2 Kings
xviii, 1, 2; 2 Chron. xxix, 1. The reign of his father Ahaz had been
most unpropitious for his subjects. A war had raged between the kingdoms
of Israel and Judah, in which Pekah, king of Israel, overthrew the army
of Ahaz, destroying a hundred and twenty thousand of his men; after
which he carried away two hundred thousand women and children as
captives into his own country: they were, however, released and sent
home again, at the remonstrance of the Prophet Oded. As idolatry had
been established in Jerusalem and throughout Judea, by the command of
Ahaz, and the service of the temple either intermitted, or converted
into an idolatrous worship, the first object of his son Hezekiah, on his
accession to the throne, was to restore the legal worship of God, both
in Jerusalem and throughout Judea. He cleansed and repaired the temple,
and held a solemn passover. He improved the city, repaired the
fortifications, erected magazines of all sorts, and built a new
aqueduct. In the fourth year of his reign, Salmanezer, king of Assyria,
invaded the kingdom of Israel, took Samaria, and carried away the ten
tribes into captivity, replacing them by different people sent from his
own country. But Hezekiah was not deterred by this alarming example from
refusing to pay that tribute to the Assyrians which had been imposed on
Ahaz: this brought on the invasion of Sennacherib, in the fourteenth
year of the reign of Hezekiah, of which we have a very particular
account in the writings of the Prophet Isaiah, who was then living,
Isaiah xxxvi.
Immediately after the termination of this war, Hezekiah “was sick unto
death,” owing, as the sacred historian strongly intimates, to his heart
being improperly elevated on occasion of this miraculous deliverance,
and not sufficiently acknowledging the hand of God in it, 2 Kings xx;
Isaiah xxxviii. Isaiah was sent to bid him set his house in order, for
he should die and not live. Hezekiah had instant recourse to God by
prayer and supplications for his recovery; and the prophet had scarcely
proceeded out of the threshold, when the Lord commanded him to return to
Hezekiah, and to say to him, “Thus saith the Lord, I have heard thy
prayer, and I have seen thy tears: I will heal thee: on the third day
thou shalt go up to the house of the Lord, and I will add unto thy days
fifteen years.” And to confirm to him the certainty of all these tokens
of the divine regard, the shadow of the sun on the dial of Ahaz, at his
request, went backward ten degrees. After his recovery, he composed an
ode of thanksgiving to the God of all his mercies, which the Prophet
Isaiah has recorded in his writings, Isaiah xxxviii, 10, 11. Yet, as an
instance of human fickleness and frailty, we find Hezekiah, with all his
excellencies, again forgetting himself, and incurring the divine
displeasure. The king of Babylon having been informed of his sickness
and recovery, sent ambassadors to congratulate him on his restoration:
an honour with which the heart of Hezekiah was greatly elated; and, to
testify his gratitude, he made a pompous display to them of all his
treasures, his spices, and his rich vessels; and concealed from them
nothing that was in his palace. In all this the pride of Hezekiah was
gratified; and to humble him, Isaiah was sent to declare to him that his
conduct was displeasing to God, and that a time should come when all the
treasures of which he had made so vain a display should be removed to
Babylon, and even his sons be made eunuchs to serve in the palace of the
king of Babylon. Hezekiah bowed submissively to the will of God, and
acknowledged the divine goodness toward him, in ordaining peace and
truth to continue during the remainder of his reign. He accordingly
passed the latter years of his life in tranquillity, and contributed
greatly to the prosperity of his people and kingdom. He died in the year
of the world 3306, leaving behind him a son, Manasseh, who succeeded him
in the throne: a son every way unworthy of such a father.