MICA H iii, iv, v, vi, vii.

THE laft verfe of the third chapter of Micah was uttered in the time of Hezekiah, Jer. xxvi. 18; and here may both that chapter, and all that follow it be placed, as prophefied in fome time of Hezekiah's first 13 years, before Sennacherib befieged Jerufalem. For the Prophet seems to speak of that fiege and Sennacherib's blafphemy, chap. v. 1, 5. He fpeaketh glorious things of Christ and his kingdom, and nameth the very town where he should be born, chap. v. 2. In chapter iv. 1, 2, 3, he ufeth the very words of Isaiah, chap. ii. 2, 3, 4, to exprefs the conflux to the kingdom of Chrift, his power in it, and the peace which, at length, it fhould give to the world.

NAHUM i, ii, iii.

AFTER Shalmanefer, king of Nineveh, had taken Samaria, and carried the ten tribes captive, Nahum might predict the ruin of Nineveh, then the capital of the Affyrian empire.

ISAIAH xxiii.

SHALMANESER, having taken Samaria, turned his arms against the city of Tyre, which held out against him five years, and then was delivered from the fiege by the death of Shalmanefer. By this fuccefs they were too much elated, and growing very infolent, this occafioned the prophecy against them in this chapter; which foretels the miserable overthrow of Tyre, which was effected by Nebuchadnezzar Xing of Babylon. See Dr. PRIDEAUX's Con. An. 715, 720.

ISAIAH xxiv, xxv, xxvi, xxvii.

THESE chapters may refer to the final desolation of Judea and Ferufalem by Nebuchadnezzar. But I can difcover no marks of the time when they were delivered. However, with the threatenings he mixes many gracious promises and comforts. See Dr. LIGHTFOOT,

ISAIAH xxxviii, xxxix.

In this year king Hezekiah fell fick, and the other affairs happened, which are recorded in this chapter. For 15 years are added to Hezekiah's life, chap. xxxviii. 5. and as he reigned in all 29 years, this must have been the 14th year of his reign. And that it happened when the intentions of Sennacherib, king of Affyria, to attack Jerufalem were known, appears from Isaiah xxxviii. 6.

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ISAIAH

ISAIAH xxix, xxx, xxxi, xxxii, xxxiii, xxxiv, xxxv.

HEZEKIAH, having refused to pay the annual tribute to the king of Affyria, towards the end of the 14th year, Sennacherib coming upon him with a numerous army, he made all manner of preparation for a vigorous defence. 2 Kings xviii. 13. 2 Chron. xxxii. Ijai. xxxvi. Particularly, he entered into an alliance with the king of Egypt and Ethiopia. 2 Kings xviii. 21. Ifai. xxxvi. 6. This was a measure difpleafing to God, and therefore is protested against by his Prophet Isaiah in the xxxth and xxxift chapters. And at the fame time all the other chapters, from the xxixth to the xxxvith Chapter, especially those that have immediate reference to this invafion, might have been dictated to the Prophet by the spirit of God.

ISAIAH xxii. Verfe 1 to 15.

As in this paragraph are manifeft allufions to Sennacherib's invafion and Hezekiah's preparations for the defence of Jerufalem, (compare verse 9, 10, 11. 2 Chron. xxxii. 5, 30.) this prophetick admonition to the people, who depended too much upon these preparations, probably was delivered about this time. See LoWTH's Comment. on the place.

ISAIAH xxi.

THE inhabitants of Kedar were the defcendents of Ishmael, Gen. xxv. 13, and were one fpecies of Arabians dwelling in Arabia petræa. Thefe were to be ruined within a year after this prophecy was given out. Moft probably they were overthrown either by Sennacherib as he went into, or returned out of Egypt; or by Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, as he advanced out of Egypt against Sennacherib. 2 Kin. xix. 9. And therefore, this prophecy may be placed at this time, or within a year or two of it.

ISAIAH xx.

HEZEKIAH, having treated with Sennacherib, and agreed to pay him a fum of money, 2 Kings xviii. 14, 15, 16, Sennacherib turned his arms against Egypt; which he greatly diftreffed for three years together, Isa. XX. 3, 4. But firft he fent Tartan, one of his generals, before him to take Ashdod, the key to Egypt. At this time the prophecy against Egypt, in the xxth chapter of Isaiah, was delivered. Note-Sennacherib is, in ver. 1, called Sargon. Ver. 5. They the Jews, shall be afraid and afhamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.

ISAIAH xviii, xix.

THESE two chapters are also leveled against Egypt and Ethiopia, upon which the Jews relied too much; and therefore might be delivered about the fame time.

ISAIAH x. ver. 5, &c. xi, xii, xiii, xiv. to ver. 28.

IT appears from chap. x. 8-12, which is a profopopoeia, or fuppofed fpeech of the king of Affyria, that this chapter was delivered after the taking of Samaria by Salmanefer, 721; and fome time before Sennacherib befieged Jerufalem, 710, who was the only king of Affyria that befieged Jerufalem after the taking of Samaria. And the fpeech in this place bearing a near affinity to that of Sennacherib. 2 Kings xix. 10-14. Ifaiah xxxvii. 10-14, it is probable that this, and the other chapters, to the 28th verfe of the xivth chapter, were delivered about the time Sennacherib befieged Jerufalem, Note-In chapter x. 11, Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria, &c. Sennacherib speaks as king of Affyria, and fo takes in what his father Shalmanefer had done, as if done by himself.

ISAIAH xxxvi, xxxvii.

SENNACHERIB returning out of Egypt, where he had been 3 years, notwithstanding the agreement of peace, which he made with Hezekiah, marched his army again into Judea, laid fiege to Lachish, and from thence fent three of his generals with a proud and blafphemous message to Jerufalem, 2 Kings xviii. 17, 18. 2 Chron. xxxii. 9, &c. This event, with the circumftances which attended and followed it, are recorded in the xxxvith and xxxviith chapters of Ifaiah.

NOTE-Before Sennacherib laid fiege to Jerufalem, Tirhakah, king of Ethiopia advanced against him out of Egypt. 2 Kings xix, 9. But, as the Prophet Isaiah had predicted, did the Jews no fervice; for he was overthrown by Sennacherib, who after that returned to Jerufalem, where his army being 185000 men, were all miraculously destroyed in one night. See Dr. PRIDEAUX's Con. at the year 710.

ISAIAH xl, xli, xlii, xliii, &c. to the End of the Book.

As there is no direction to lay these chapters, or any of them, in any particular time, they may all be alloted to the eleven laft years of Hezekiah's prolonged life.

ISAIAH xxii. ver. 15 to the End.

SHEBNA had been fecretary to king Hezekiah, and the good and pious Eliakim, the mafter of his houfhold, Ifai. xxxvi. 3. 22. Shebna, by the queftions, chap. xxii. 16, seems to have been a foreigner, and not well affected to the Jewish religion. What haft thou to do here? and whom, what relations haft thou here? It is poffible this Shebna, a man of great abilities, might have got the young king Manaffeh, but 12 years old, and the whole management of affairs into his own hands; having routed Eliakim by fuch arts as courtiers are wont to practife. For he was now both treasurer, and mafter of the houfhold. To this, perhaps, the wicked conduct of Manaffeh may be affigned. Shebna, fecure of the stability and continuance of his power and grandeur, was hewing out a magnificent fepulchre for himself and heirs, to perpetuate his memory to all fucceeding times. On this occafion, Isaiah might publish this prophecy, predicting Shebnah's captivity and death, in a remote foreign country, and the future exaltation of good Eliakim. This, which would greatly exafperate Shebna, and might occafion Ifaiah's being put to a cruel death, [fawn afunder, Heb. xi. 37.] was fulfilled about twenty-two years after, when Shebna was taken captive with Manaffeh by Efarhaddon, and carried to Babylon, where Shebna continued all his life. But Manaffeh, upon his repentance, was reftored to the throne of Judah. And then, probably, good Eliakim was restored and intrufted with the management of all his affairs, and affifted him in the great reformation he made in religion. 2 Chron. xxxiii, 11-17. 17. See Dr. PRIDEAUX'S Con. Anno 677. Manaffeb 22.

JEREMIAH i, ii.

IN this year Jeremiah, in the council of God, received his prophetic commiffion, as in the firft chapter. See alfo chap, xxv. 3. And in this year probably he published the admonitions, warnings, and threatenings, in the fecond chapter.

JEREMIAH xi, verfe 1-18.

THE Prophet, ver. 29, most probably refers to the covenant, which Jofiah publickly made to keep God's commandments, upon finding the book of the law. 2 Kings xxii. 11. xxiii. 3. This was in the 18th year of king Jofiah. 2 Kings xxii. 3.

JEREMIAH iii, iv, v, vi, vii, viii, ix, x, xii, &c. to the xxi. THESE chapters, for any thing that appears to the contrary, do lie in regular order, nor have we any ground or intimation for tranfpofing any

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of them. There is a date, chap. iii. 6, In the days of Jofiah, without mentioning the year of his reign; which, however, fhews, that that chapter was delivered in fome part of his reign. And whereas a fevere drought is frequently mentioned in several of these chapters, (viz. chap. iii. 3. v. 24, 25. viii. 13, 20. ix. 10, 12. xii. 4. xiv. 1, 2, 3, 4.) this fhews, that they are to be laid together in the fame year, or years, in which the drought continued; and all the reft, to the xxift, may follow in order of time; and all might be delivered in the last years of king Jofiah. Dr. LIGHTFOOT.

JEREMIAH xi, ver. 18, to the end.

IN fome part of the fame years the men of Anathoth might confpire against Jeremiah.

HABAKKUK i, ii, iii. ZEPHANIAH i, ii, iii.

As these two Prophets prophefied the fame things, that Jeremiah did, and upon the fame occafion, that is, deftruction and defolation upon Judah and Jerufalem, because of the many heinous fins they were guilty of, they might prophefy about this time.

JEREMIAH xxii. ver. 1—24.

JEREMIAH being fent of God to the king's house, there proclaimed God's judgment's againft him and his family, contained in these verses of this chapter. This was foon after Jehoahaz, or Shallum, was carried captive into Egypt, by Pharaoh-necho, king of Egypt, who flew Jofiah, ver. 10, 11. Weep not for the dead, Jofiah, but weep fore for him that goeth away, Jehoahaz; for he shall return no more. Note Jeboabaz reigned but 3 months.

JEREMIAH xxvi.

AFTER that, the Prophet was ordered to go to the temple, and to denounce to all the people the judgments of God, if they did not repent. By this he was brought in danger of his life, through the refentment of the Priests and Prophets, ver. 7, 8; but was preferved by the princes, ver. 16.

In this chapter, and in the begining of this year, Jeremiah prophefied of the coming of Nebuchadnezzar against Judah and Jerufalem. JEREMIAH

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