Isaiah 37:19

“And, have cast their gods into the fire. &c.] And burnt them; and it may well be asked, where are they? (<233619>Isaiah 36:19): for they were no gods, but the works of men’s hands, wood and stone; they were made of wood or of stone, and therefore could not be called gods; nor could they save the nations that worshipped them, nor themselves, from the fire: therefore they have destroyed them; the Assyrian kings were able to do it, and did do it, because they were idols of wood or stone; but it did not therefore follow, that they were a match for the God of Israel, the true, and living God.”

“cast . . . gods into . . . fire--The policy of the Assyrians in order to alienate the conquered peoples from their own countries was, both to deport them elsewhere, and to destroy the tutelary idols of their nation, the strongest tie which bound them to their native land. The Roman policy was just the reverse.”

“And have cast their gods into the fire - This appears to have been the usual policy of the Assyrians and Babylonians. It was contrary to the policy which the Romans afterward pursued, for they admitted the gods of other nations among their own, and even allowed them to have a place in the Pantheon. Their design seems not to have been to alienate the feelings of the vanquished, but to make them feel that they were a part of the same people. They supposed that a vanquished people would be conciliated with the idea that their gods were admitted to participate in the honors of those which were worshipped by the conquerors of the world. But the policy of the Eastern conquerors was different. They…”

“And have: Isa 10:9-11, Isa 36:18-20, Isa 46:1, Isa 46:2; Exo 32:20; Sa2 5:21 cast: Heb. given no gods: Isa 40:19-21, Isa 41:7, Isa 44:9, Isa 44:10, Isa 44:17; Psa 115:4-8; Jer 10:3-6, Jer 10:11; Hos 8:6 Isaiah 37:20”