Isaiah 37:9

“And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, &c.] Not Rabshakeh, but the king of Assyria heard a rumour of this Ethiopian king coming out to war against him: his name, in Josephusf700, is Tharsices; in the Septuagint version it is Tharaca; and by Africanusf701 he is called Taracus; and is the same, who, by Strabof702, out of Megasthenes, is named Tearcon the Ethiopian: the Ethiopia of which he was king was either the upper Ethiopia or that beyond Egypt; to which agrees the Arabic version, which calls him Tharatha king of the Abyssines; but others take it for Cush, or rather Ethiopia in the land of Midian, or Arabia, as Bochart; which lay nearer to Judea than the other Ethiopia. Now…”

“Tirhakah--(See on Isa 17:12; Isa 18:6). Egypt was in part governed by three successive Ethiopian monarchs, for forty or fifty years: Sabacho, Sevechus, and Tirhakah. Sevechus retired from Lower Egypt owing to the resistance of the priests, whereupon Sethos, a prince-priest, obtained supreme power with Tanis (Zoan in Scripture), or Memphis, as his capital. The Ethiopians retained Upper Egypt under Tirhakah, with Thebes as the capital. Tirhakah's fame as a conqueror rivalled that of Sesostris; he, and one at least, of the Pharaohs of Lower Egypt, were Hezekiah's allies against Assyria. The tidings of his approach made Sennacherib the more anxious to get possession of Jerusalem before his…”

“And he heard say - The report or rumour referred to in Isaiah 37:7. In what way he heard this is not intimated. It is probable that the preparations which Tirhakah had made, were well known to the surrounding regions, and that he was already on his march against Sennacherib. Tirhakah - This king, who, by Eusebius and by most ancient writers, is called Ταρακὸς Tarakos, was a celebrated conqueror, and had subdued Egypt to himself. He reigned over Egypt eighteen years. When Sennacherib marched into Egypt, Sevechus or Sethon was on the throne. Sennacherib having laid siege to Pelusium, Tirhakah came to the aid of the city, and, in consequence of his aid, Sennacherib was compelled to raise the…”

“37:9 King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was then the ruler of Egypt.”

“he heard: Sa1 23:27, Sa1 23:28 Ethiopia: Cush, which is generally rendered Ethiopia, is applied in Scripture to at least three distinct and different countries. 1\. The country watered by the Gihon or Araxes ( Gen 2:13), also called Cuth, Kg2 17:30. 2\. A country of Arabia Petrea, bordering upon Egypt, which extended from the northern extremity of the Red sea along its eastern shore. (Compare Exo 3:1 with Num 12:1 and Hab 3:7). 3\. Ethiopia Proper, an extensive country of Africa, comprehending Nubia and Abyssinia; being bounded on the north by Egypt, on the east by the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, and on the south and west by various nations of Africa, and extending from about 6 degrees to 24…”