Isaiah 36

^{1 a} This historie is rehearsed, because it is as a seale & confirmation of the doctrine afore, bothe for the threatnings & promises: to wit, that God wolde suffer his Church to be afflicted, but at length wolde send deliuerance.

^{1 b} When he had abolished supersticion, & idolatrie, & restored religion, yet God wolde exercise his Church to trye their faith and science.

^{1 !} Saneherib sendeth Rabshakeh to besege Jerusalem.

^{3 c} For he was now restored to his office as Isaiah had prophecied, {Chap. 22,20}.

^{3 d} This declareth that there were fewe godlie to be founde in the kings house, when he was driuen to send this wicked man in suche a weightie matter.

^{4 e} Saneheribs chief captaine.

^{5 f} He speaketh this in the persone of Hezekiah, falsely charging him, that he put his trust in his wit and eloquence, where as his onelie confidence was in the Lord.

^{6 g} Satan labored to pul the godlie King from one vaine confidence to another: to wit, from trust in the Egyptians, whose power was weake & wold deceiue them: to yelde him self to the Assyrians and so not to hope for any helpe of God.

^{9 /} Or, turne backe.

^{9 h} He reprocheth to Hezekiah his smale power, which is not able to resist one of Saneheribs least captaines.

^{10 i} Thus the wicked to deceiue vs wil pretend the Name of the Lord: but we must trye the spirits, whether thei be of God or no.

^{11 k} Thei were afraid, lest by his wordes, he shuld haue stirred the people against the King, and also pretended to growe to some appointement with him.

^{12 /} Ebr. the waters of their feet.

^{15 !} Hes blasphemies against God.

^{16 l} The Ebrewe word signifieth blessing: whereby this wicked captain wolde haue psuaded the people, that their condition shulde be better vnder Saneherib then vnder Hezekiah.

^{19 m} That is, of Antiochia in Syria, of the which these two other cities also were: whereby we se how euery towne had his peculiar idole and how the wicked make God an idole because they do not vnderstand that God maketh them his sourge & punisheth cities for sinne.

^{21 n} Not that thei did not shewe by euident signes that thei did detest his blasphemie: for thei had now rent their clothes, but they knewe it was in vaine to vie long reasoning with this infidele, whose rage thei shulde haue so much more prouoked.