Verse 11. - Thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands (compare the Assyrian inscriptions, passim). Tiglath-Pileser I. calls himself " the conquering hero, the terror of whose name has overwhelmed all regions" ('Records of the Past,' vol. 5. p. 8); Asshur-izir-pal, "the king who subdued all the races of men" (ibid., ch. 7. p. 11); Shalmaneser II., "the marcher over the whole world" (ibid., vol. 5. p. 29); Shamas-Vul, "the trampler on the world" (ibid., vol. 1:12). Sargon says that "the gods had granted him the exercise of his sovereignty over all kings" (ibid., ch. 9. p. 4), and that he "reigned from the two beginnings to the two ends of the four celestial points" (ibid., ch. 11. p. 33), i.e. from the furthest north to the furthest south, and from the extreme cast to the extreme west. Sennacherib himself says, "Aashur, father of the gods, among all kings firmly has raised me, and over all that dwell in the countries he caused to increase my weapons" (ibid., ch. 11. p. 49). From first to last, in their inscriptions, the monarchs claim a universal dominion.

37:1-38 This chapter is the same as 2Ki 19Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly,.... He boasts of the achievements of himself and his ancestors, and of more than was true; and which, if it had been true, was more to their disgrace than honour, namely, utterly to destroy kingdoms, and their inhabitants, to gratify their lusts; but though many had been destroyed by them, yet not all; not Ethiopia, whose king was come out to make war with him, and of whom he seems to be afraid; nor Egypt, which was in confederacy with Ethiopia; nor Judea, he was now invading; but this he said in a taunting way, to terrify Hezekiah:

and shalt thou be delivered? canst thou expect it? surely thou canst not. Is it probable? yea, is it possible thou shouldest be delivered? it is not; as sure as other lands have been destroyed, so sure shall thine.