mounted on the towers” has no meaning. But if יעל be taken as a Hiph., “he caused to ascend upon the towers,” the object is wanting; and if we supply walls, it is arbitrary, for we might just as well suppose it to be machines which he caused to be carried to the top of the towers for defence against the enemy (2Ch 26:15). The lxx have wholly omitted the words, and the translation of the Vulg., et exstruxit turres desuper, appears to be only a guess, but is yet perhaps correct, and presupposes the reading מגדּלות עליה ויּעל, “and brought up upon it towers,” in favour of which Ewald also decides. This conjecture is in any case simpler than Bertheau's, that על ויעל is a false transcription of ועליה: “he built the whole wall, and towers upon it, and outside was the other wall,” and is therefore to be preferred to it. The “other wall” enclosed the lower city (Acra). This, too, was not first built by Hezekiah; he only fortified it anew, for Isa 22:11 already speaks of two walls, between which a body of water had been introduced: see on 2Ch 32:30. He fortified also the Millo of the city of David (see on 1Ch 11:8), and supplied the fortifications with weapons (שׁלח, a weapon of defence; see on Joe 2:8) in multitude, and with shields; cf. 2Ch 26:14.
Verses 6-8
And, moreover, he set captains of war over the people, i.e., the populace of Jerusalem, assembled them in the open space at the city gate (which gate is not stated; cf. Neh 8:1, Neh 8:16), and addressed them in encouraging words; cf. 2Ch 30:22. On 2Ch 32:7, cf. 2Ch 20:15, Deu 31:6, etc. “For with us is more than with him.” רב, quite general, the closer definition following in 2Ch 32:8 : “With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is Jahve, our God, to help us.” An arm of flesh = frail human power; cf. Isa 21:3 : their (the Egyptians') horses are flesh, not spirit; Jer 17:5; Psa 56:5. “And the people leaned themselves on (i.e., trusted in) the words of Hezekiah.” These statements are not inconsistent with the account in 2Ki 18:14-16, that Hezekiah began to negotiate with the Assyrian king Sennacherib when he had begun to take the fenced cities of the land unto Lachish, promised to pay him tribute, and actually paid the sum demanded, employing for that purpose even the sheet gold on the temple doors. These negotiations are passed over, not only in our narrative, but also in Isa 36, because they had no influence upon the after course and the issue of the war. Sennacherib was not induced to withdraw by the payment of the sum demanded, and soon after the receipt of it he sent a detachment
