Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Isaiah 37:12
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, &c.] They have not. But what then? is the God of Israel to be put upon a level with such dunghill gods? so Sennacherib reckoned him, as Rabshakeh before, in his name, (<233618>Isaiah 36:18-20): as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden, which were in Telassar. Gozan was the same, it may be, with the Gausanitis of Ptolemyf703 which he makes mention of in his description of Mesopotamia; and the rather, since Haran or Chapman was a city of Mesopotamia, (<011131>Genesis 11:31 <440702>Acts 7:2,4) called by Ptolemy by the name of Carraef704; and who also, in the same place, makes mention of Rezeph, under the name of Rhescipha; though he likewise speaks of another place in Palmyrene in Syria, called Rhaesaphaf705, which some think to be the place here intended. Eden was also in Mesopotamia, in the eastern part of which was the garden of Eden; and this Telassar, inhabited by the children of Eden, was a city in that country, which is by Ptolemyf706 called Thelda; though Hillerusf707 is of opinion that the city Thalatha is meant, which is placedf708 near the river Tigris, a river of paradise. A very learnedf709 men is of opinion, that the Eden, Isaiah here speaks of, belongs either to Syria of Damascus, and to the Lebanon and Paneas from whence Jordan arose; or to Syro-Phoenicia, and the Mediterranean sea, which the name Thalassar shows, as if it was yalassa, the Syrians being used to derive not a few of their words from the Greeks: and certain it is, that there is now a village called Eden on Mount Lebanon, which Thevenotf710 mentions; and another, near Damascus, Mr. Maundrellf711 speaks of; (see Amos 1:5) and Tyre in Phoenicia is called Eden, (<262813>Ezekiel 28:13).
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