Isaiah 37

^{1 !} Hezekiah asketh counsel of Isaiah who promiseth him the victorie

^{1 a} In signe of grief and repentance.

^{2 b} To haue comfort of him by the worde of God, that his faith might be confirmed and so his prayer by more earnest: teaching here by that in all dangers these two are the onelie remedies, to seke vnto God and his ministers.

^{3 c} We are in as great sorowe as a woman which trauaileth of childe, and can not be deliuered.

⁴ )d) That is, wil declare by effect that he hathe heard it: for when God dissereth to punish, it semeth to the flesh, that he knoweth not the sinne, or heareth not the cause.

^{4 e} Declaring, that the ministers office doeth not onely stand in comforting by the worde, but also in praying for the people.

^{7 f} Of the Egyptians and Ethiopians, that shal come and fight against him.

^{8 g} Which was a citie toward Egypt, thinking thereby to haue staied the force of his enemies.

^{10 h} Thus God wolde haue him to vtter a moste horrible blasphemie before his destruction: as to call the autor of all trueth, a deceiuer: some gather hereby, that Shebnah had disclosed vnto Sancherib the answer that Isaiah sent to the King.

^{10 !} The blasphemie of Sanerherib.

^{12 i} Which was a citie of the Medes.

^{12 k} Called also Charre a citie in Mesopotamia, whence Abraham came after his fathers death.

^{16 !} Hezekiah prayer.

^{16 l} He groundeth his praier on Gods promes, who promised to heare them from betwene the Cherubims.

^{18 m} Meaning, of the ten tribes.

^{20 n} He declareth for what cause he praied, that they might be deliuered: to wit, that God might be glorified thereby through all the worlde.

^{22 o} Whome God had chosen to him slef, as a chaste virgine, and ouer whome he had care to preferue her from the lusts of the tyrant, as afather wolde haue ouer his daughter.

^{23 p} Declaring hereby that they that are enemies to Gods Church, fight against him whose quarel his Church onely mainteineth.

^{25 q} He boasteth of his policie, in that that he can finde measures to nourish his armie: and of his power, in that that his armie is so great, that it is able to drye vp whole riuers, and to destroy the water, which the Jewes had closed in.

^{26 r} Signifying that God made not his Church to destroy it, but to preserue it, & therefore he saieth that he formed it of olde, euen in his eternal counsel, which can not be changed.

^{27 /} Ebr. are short in hand.

^{27 s} He sheweth that the state and power of moste florishing cities endureth but a moment in respect of the Church, which shal remaine for euer, because God is the mainteiner therof.

^{28 t} Meaning, his counsels & enterprises.

^{29 u} Because Saneherib shewed him self, as a deuouring fish & furious beast, he vseth these similitudes to teache how he wil take him and guide him.

^{29 x} Thou shalt loose thy labour.

^{30 y} God giueth signes after two fortes: some go before the thing, as the signes that Moses wroght in Egypt, which were for the confirmacion of their faith: and some go after the thing, as the sacrifice, whcih they were commanded to make thre daies after their departure: & these later are to kepe the benefites of God in our remembrance of the which sorte this here is.

^{30 z} He promiseth that for two yeres the grounde of it self shulde fede them.

^{31 a} They whome God had deliuered out of the hands of the Assyrians, shal prosper: and this properly belongeth to the Church.

^{35 b} For my promes sake made to Dauid.

^{36 !} The armie of Saneherib is slayne of the Angel.

^{37 c} Which was the chiefest citie of the Assyrians.

^{38 d} Who was also called Sardanapalus in whome daies ten yeres after Saneheribs death, the Chaldeans ouercame the Assyrians by Merodach their King.

^{38 !} And he him self of his owne sonnes.

^{38 /} Or, Armenia.