Isaiah 37:24

“By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord, &c.] Particularly by Rabshakeh, and the other two that were with him, who, no doubt, assented to what he said; not content to reproach him himself, he set his servants to do it likewise; he made use of them as instruments, and even set them, as well as himself, above the Lord: and hast said, by the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains; not only with his foot soldiers, but with his chariots, and a great number of them, he had travelled over hills and mountains, as Hannibal over the Alps, and was now upon the high mountains which were round about Jerusalem, and very near the mountain of the Lord’s house; of which…”

“said--virtually. Hast thou within thyself? height--imagery from the Assyrian felling of trees in Lebanon (Isa 14:8; Isa 33:9); figuratively for, "I have carried my victorious army through the regions most difficult of access, to the most remote lands." sides--rather, "recesses" [G. V. SMITH]. fir trees--not cypresses, as some translate; pine foliage and cedars are still found on the northwest side of Lebanon [STANLEY]. height of . . . border--In Kg2 19:23, "the lodgings of his borders." Perhaps on the ascent to the top there was a place of repose or caravansary, which bounded the usual attempts of persons to ascend [BARNES]. Here, simply, "its extreme height." forest of . . . Carmel--rather,…”

“By thy servants - Hebrew, ‘By the hand of thy servants.’ That is, by Rabshakeh Isaiah 36:0, and by those whom he had now sent to Hezekiah with letters Isaiah 37:9, Isaiah 37:14. And hast said - Isaiah does not here quote the precise words which Rabshakeh or the other messengers had used, but quotes the substance of what had been uttered, and expresses the real feelings and intentions of Sennacherib. By the multitude of my chariots - The word ‘chariots’ here denotes war-chariois (see the notes at Isaiah 2:7; Isaiah 66:20). To the height of the mountains - Lebanon is here particularly referred to. Chariots were commonly used, as cavalry was, in plains. But it is probable that Lebanon was…”

“37:24 Isaiah seems to be familiar with the typical royal Assyrian boasts, including that they possessed the highest mountains. These words sound very much like those found in the annals of the Assyrian kings inscribed on the walls of their temples.”

“thy servants: Heb. the hand of they servants, Isa 37:4, Isa 36:15-20; Kg2 19:22, Kg2 19:23 By the: Isa 10:13, Isa 10:14, Isa 36:9; Exo 15:9; Psa 20:7; Dan 4:30 tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof: Heb. tallness of the cedars thereof and the choice of the fir trees thereof. Isa 10:18, Isa 14:8; Ezek. 31:3-18; Dan 4:8-14, Dan 4:20-22; Zac 11:1, Zac 11:2 of his Carmel: or, and his fruitful field, Isa 29:17 Isaiah 37:25”

“Second turn, "By thy servants (K. thy messengers) hast thou reviled the Lord, in that thou sayest, With the multitude (K. chethib ברכב) of my chariots have I climbed the height of the mountains, the inner side of Lebanon; and I shall fell the lofty growth of its cedars, the choice (mibhchar, K. mibhchōr) of its cypresses: and I shall penetrate (K. and will penetrate) to the height (K. the halting-place) of its uttermost border, the grove of its orchard." The other text appears, for the most part, the preferable one here. Whether mal'ăkhekhâ (thy messengers, according to Isa 9:14) or ‛ăbhâdekhâ (thy servants, viz., Rabshakeh, Tartan, and Rabsaris) is to be preferred, may be left…”