The Invasion of Sennacherib

321 After these things and this truth, come hath Sennacherib king of Asshur, yea, he cometh in to Judah, and encampeth against the cities of the bulwarks, and saith to rend them unto himself. 2 And Hezekiah seeth that Sennacherib hath come, and his face 'is' to the battle against Jerusalem, 3 and he taketh counsel with his heads and his mighty ones, to stop the waters of the fountains that 'are' at the outside of the city—and they help him, 4 and much people are gathered, and they stop all the fountains and the brook that is rushing into the midst of the land, saying, 'Why do the kings of Asshur come, and have found much water?' 5 And he strengtheneth himself, and buildeth the whole of the wall that is broken, and causeth 'it' to ascend unto the towers, and at the outside of the wall another, and strengtheneth Millo, 'in' the city of David, and maketh darts in abundance, and shields. 6 And he putteth heads of war over the people, and gathereth them unto him, unto the broad place of a gate of the city, and speaketh unto their heart, saying, 7 'Be strong and courageous, be not afraid, nor be cast down from the face of the king of Asshur, and from the face of all the multitude that 'is' with him, for with us 'are' more than with him. 8 With him 'is' an arm of flesh, and with us 'is' Jehovah our God, to help us, and to fight our battles;' and the people are supported by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

9 After this hath Sennacherib king of Asshur sent his servants to Jerusalem—and he 'is' by Lachish, and all his power with him—against Hezekiah king of Judah, and against all Judah, who 'are' in Jerusalem, saying, 10 'Thus said Sennacherib king of Asshur, On what are ye trusting and abiding in the bulwark, in Jerusalem? 11 'Is not Hezekiah persuading you, to give you up to die by famine, and by thirst, saying, Jehovah our God doth deliver us from the hand of the king of Asshur? 12 Hath not Hezekiah himself turned aside His high places, and His altars, and speaketh to Judah and to Jerusalem, saying, Before one altar ye bow yourselves, and on it ye make perfume? 13 'Do ye not know what I have done—I and my fathers—to all peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of the lands at all able to deliver their land out of my hand? 14 Who among all the gods of these nations whom my fathers have devoted to destruction 'is' he who hath been able to deliver his people out of my hand, that your God is able to deliver you out of my hand? 15 'And, now, let not Hezekiah lift you up, nor persuade you thus, nor give credence to him, for no god of any nation and kingdom is able to deliver his people from my hand, and from the hand of my fathers: also, surely your God doth not deliver you from my hand!' 16 And again have his servants spoken against Jehovah God, and against Hezekiah His servant, 17 and letters he hath written to give reproach to Jehovah, God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, 'As the gods of the nations of the lands that have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah doth not deliver His people from my hand.' 18 And they call with a great voice 'in' Jewish, against the people of Jerusalem who 'are' on the wall, to frighten them, and to trouble them, that they may capture the city, 19 and they speak against the God of Jerusalem as against the gods of the peoples of the land—work of the hands of man.

The LORD Delivers Hezekiah

20 And Hezekiah the king prayeth, and Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet, concerning this, and they cry to the heavens, 21 and Jehovah sendeth a messenger, and cutteth off every mighty one of valour—both leader and head—in the camp of the king of Asshur, and he turneth back with shame of face to his land, and entereth the house of his god, and those coming out of his bowels have caused him to fall there by the sword. 22 And Jehovah saveth Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Asshur, and from the hand of all, and He leadeth them round about; 23 and many are bringing in an offering to Jehovah, to Jerusalem, and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah, and he is lifted up before the eyes of all the nations after this.

Hezekiah's Sickness

24 In those days hath Hezekiah been sick even unto death, and he prayeth unto Jehovah, and He speaketh to him, and a wonder hath appointed for him; 25 and Hezekiah hath not returned according to the deed 'done' unto him, for his heart hath been lofty, and there is wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem; 26 and Hezekiah is humbled for the loftiness of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the wrath of Jehovah hath not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

Hezekiah Receives Envoys from Babylon

27 And Hezekiah hath riches and honour very much, and treasures he hath made to himself of silver, and of gold, and of precious stone, and of spices, and of shields, and of all 'kinds' of desirable vessels, 28 and storehouses for the increase of corn, and new wine, and oil, and stalls for all kinds of cattle, and herds for stalls; 29 and cities he hath made for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance, for God hath given to him very much substance. 30 And Hezekiah himself hath stopped the upper source of the waters of Gihon, and directeth them beneath to the west of the city of David, and Hezekiah prospereth in all his work; 31 and so with the ambassadors of the heads of Babylon, those sending unto him to inquire of the wonder that hath been in the land, God hath left him to try him, to know all in his heart,

The Death of Hezekiah

32 And the rest of the matters of Hezekiah, and his kind acts, lo, they are written in the vision of Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet, on the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 33 And Hezekiah lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in the uppermost of the graves of the sons of David, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem have done honour to him at his death, and reign doth Manasseh his son in his stead.

The Reign of Manasseh

331 A son of twelve years is Manasseh in his reigning, and fifty and five years he hath reigned in Jerusalem; 2 and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, like the abominations of the nations that Jehovah dispossessed from the presence of the sons of Israel, 3 and he turneth and buildeth the high places that Hezekiah his father hath broken down, and raiseth altars for Baalim, and maketh shrines, and boweth himself to all the host of the heavens, and serveth them. 4 And he hath built altars in the house of Jehovah of which Jehovah had said, 'In Jerusalem is My name to the age.' 5 And he buildeth altars to all the host of the heavens in the two courts of the house of Jehovah. 6 And he hath caused his sons to pass over through fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and observed clouds and used enchantments and witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and a wizard; he hath multiplied to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger. 7 And he placeth the graven image of the idol that he made in the house of God, of which God said unto David, and unto Solomon his son, 'In this house, and in Jerusalem that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I put My name to the age, 8 and I add not to turn aside the foot of Israel from off the ground that I appointed to your fathers, only, if they watch to do all that I have commanded them—to all the law, and the statutes, and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.' 9 And Manasseh maketh Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, to do evil above the nations that Jehovah destroyed from the presence of the sons of Israel. 10 And Jehovah speaketh unto Manasseh and unto his people, and they have not attended,

11 and Jehovah bringeth in against them the heads of the host that the king of Asshur hath, and they capture Manasseh among the thickets, and bind him with brazen fetters, and cause him to go to Babylon. 12 And when he is in distress he hath appeased the face of Jehovah his God, and is humbled exceedingly before the God of his fathers, 13 and prayeth unto Him, and He is entreated of him, and heareth his supplication, and bringeth him back to Jerusalem, to his kingdom, and Manasseh knoweth that Jehovah—He 'is' God. 14 And after this he hath built an outer wall to the city of David, on the west of Gihon, in the valley, and at the entering in at the fish-gate, and it hath gone round to the tower, and he maketh it exceeding high, and he putteth heads of the force in all the cities of the bulwarks in Judah. 15 And he turneth aside the gods of the stranger, and the idol, out of the house of Jehovah, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of Jehovah and in Jerusalem, and casteth 'them' to the outside of the city. 16 And he buildeth the altar of Jehovah, and sacrificeth upon it sacrifices of peace-offerings and thank-offering, and saith to Judah to serve Jehovah, God of Israel; 17 but still the people are sacrificing in high places, only—to Jehovah their God. 18 And the rest of the matters of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the matters of the seers, those speaking unto him in the name of Jehovah, God of Israel, lo, they are 'on the book of' the matters of the kings of Israel; 19 and his prayer, and his entreaty, and all his sin, and his trespass, and the places in which he had built high places, and established the shrines and the graven images before his being humbled, lo, they are written beside the matters of Hozai. 20 And Manasseh lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in his own house, and reign doth Amon his son in his stead.

The Reign of Amon

21 A son of twenty and two years 'is' Amon in his reigning, and two years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, 22 and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, as did Manasseh his father, and to all the graven images that Manasseh his father had made hath Amon sacrificed, and serveth them, 23 and hath not been humbled before Jehovah, like the humbling of Manasseh his father, for Amon himself hath multiplied guilt. 24 And his servants conspire against him, and put him to death in his own house, 25 and the people of the land smite all those conspiring against king Amon, and the people of the land cause Josiah his son to reign in his stead.

The High Priest Questions Jesus

19 The chief priests, therefore, questioned Jesus concerning his disciples, and concerning his teaching; 20 Jesus answered him, 'I spake freely to the world, I did always teach in a synagogue, and in the temple, where the Jews do always come together; and in secret I spake nothing; 21 why me dost thou question? question those having heard what I spake to them; lo, these have known what I said.' 22 And he having said these things, one of the officers standing by did give Jesus a slap, saying, 'Thus dost thou answer the chief priest?' 23 Jesus answered him, 'If I spake ill, testify concerning the ill; and if well, why me dost thou smite?' 24 Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the chief priest.

Peter Denies Jesus

25 And Simon Peter was standing and warming himself, they said then to him, 'Art thou also of his disciples?' he denied, and said, 'I am not.' 26 One of the servants of the chief priest, being kinsman of him whose ear Peter cut off, saith, 'Did not I see thee in the garden with him?' 27 again, therefore, Peter denied, and immediately a cock crew.

Jesus before Pilate

28 They led, therefore, Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium, and it was early, and they themselves did not enter into the praetorium, that they might not be defiled, but that they might eat the passover; 29 Pilate, therefore, went forth unto them, and said, 'What accusation do ye bring against this man?' 30 they answered and said to him, 'If he were not an evil doer, we had not delivered him to thee.' 31 Pilate, therefore, said to them, 'Take ye him—ye—and according to your law judge him;' the Jews, therefore, said to him, 'It is not lawful to us to put any one to death;' 32 that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled which he said, signifying by what death he was about to die. 33 Pilate, therefore, entered into the praetorium again, and called Jesus, and said to him, 'Thou art the King of the Jews?' 34 Jesus answered him, 'From thyself dost thou say this? or did others say it to thee about me?' 35 Pilate answered, 'Am I a Jew? thy nation, and the chief priests did deliver thee up to me; what didst thou?' 36 Jesus answered, 'My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my officers had struggled that I might not be delivered up to Jews; but now my kingdom is not from hence.' 37 Pilate, therefore, said to him, 'Art thou then a king?' Jesus answered, 'Thou dost say 'it'; because a king I am, I for this have been born, and for this I have come to the world, that I may testify to the truth; every one who is of the truth, doth hear my voice.' 38 Pilate saith to him, 'What is truth?' and this having said, again he went forth unto the Jews, and saith to them, 'I do find no fault in him;

Jesus Sentenced to Die

39 and ye have a custom that I shall release to you one in the passover; will ye, therefore, 'that' I shall release to you the king of the Jews?' 40 therefore they all cried out again, saying, 'Not this one—but Barabbas;' and Barabbas was a robber.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 18:19-40

Commentary on John 18:13-27

(Read John 18:13-27)

Simon Peter denied his Master. The particulars have been noticed in the remarks on the other Gospels. The beginning of sin is as the letting forth of water. The sin of lying is a fruitful sin; one lie needs another to support it, and that another. If a call to expose ourselves to danger be clear, we may hope God will enable us to honour him; if it be not, we may fear that God will leave us to shame ourselves. They said nothing concerning the miracles of Jesus, by which he had done so much good, and which proved his doctrine. Thus the enemies of Christ, whilst they quarrel with his truth, wilfully shut their eyes against it. He appeals to those who heard him. The doctrine of Christ may safely appeal to all that know it, and those who judge in truth bear witness to it. Our resentment of injuries must never be passionate. He reasoned with the man that did him the injury, and so may we.

Commentary on John 18:28-32

(Read John 18:28-32)

It was unjust to put one to death who had done so much good, therefore the Jews were willing to save themselves from reproach. Many fear the scandal of an ill thing, more than the sin of it. Christ had said he should be delivered to the Gentiles, and they should put him to death; hereby that saying was fulfilled. He had said that he should be crucified, lifted up. If the Jews had judged him by their law, he had been stoned; crucifying never was used among the Jews. It is determined concerning us, though not discovered to us, what death we shall die: this should free us from disquiet about that matter. Lord, what, when, and how, thou hast appointed.

Commentary on John 18:33-40

(Read John 18:33-40)

Art thou the King of the Jews? that King of the Jews who has been so long expected? Messiah the Prince; art thou he? Dost thou call thyself so, and wouldest thou be thought so? Christ answered this question with another; not for evasion, but that Pilate might consider what he did. He never took upon him any earthly power, never were any traitorous principles or practices laid to him. Christ gave an account of the nature of his kingdom. Its nature is not worldly; it is a kingdom within men, set up in their hearts and consciences; its riches spiritual, its power spiritual, and it glory within. Its supports are not worldly; its weapons are spiritual; it needed not, nor used, force to maintain and advance it, nor opposed any kingdom but that of sin and Satan. Its object and design are not worldly. When Christ said, I am the Truth, he said, in effect, I am a King. He conquers by the convincing evidence of truth; he rules by the commanding power of truth. The subjects of this kingdom are those that are of the truth. Pilate put a good question, he said, What is truth? When we search the Scriptures, and attend the ministry of the word, it must be with this inquiry, What is truth? and with this prayer, Lead me in thy truth; into all truth. But many put this question, who have not patience to preserve in their search after truth; or not humility enough to receive it. By this solemn declaration of Christ's innocence, it appears, that though the Lord Jesus was treated as the worst of evil-doers, he never deserved such treatment. But it unfolds the design of his death; that he died as a Sacrifice for our sins. Pilate was willing to please all sides; and was governed more by worldly wisdom than by the rules of justice. Sin is a robber, yet is foolishly chosen by many rather than Christ, who would truly enrich us. Let us endeavour to make our accusers ashamed as Christ did; and let us beware of crucifying Christ afresh.