Sennacherib. Ignorant of God, he fell into various follies. 1. _Pride
and arrogance._ Unaware that he was but an instrument in the hand of
God (chap. x. 5-7), he imagined that his triumphs were due entirely
to his military genius and the power under his control. Blind as to
the true nature of his past career, he looked into the future with
boastful confidence; he had no doubt that he would go on conquering
and to conquer. His proud survey of the past and this arrogant
outlook into the future are follies repeated by many men much smaller
than Sennacherib. But every wise man will remember that he owes all
his past successes to God (Deut. viii. 10-18), and that all his
future is absolutely in the hand of God (James iv. 13-15).
2. _Blasphemous undervaluing of the power of God_ (vers. 18-20). He
therefore imagines that God's people are in his hand. On this account
he presents to them a curious reason why they should surrender (chap.
xxxvi. 16, 17). He promises them a quiet possession of their own
vines, which they possessed already but for his disturbance; and in
the same breath he adds, "Until I come and take you away;" and then,
to soften that sentence, he promises to take them to a land like
their own. He promises them no more, after all, than they had already
on the safe tenure of their own laws. The reason for surrender was
either a mockery of men whom he believed incapable of resisting him,
or an indication of the mental weakness into which pride was
betraying him. Ere long there was a terrible demonstration of his
folly (ch. xxxvii. 36, P. D. 3413), an appalling fulfilment of the
prediction concerning him (ch. x. 12-19).