Isaiah 37:33 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Therefore thus saith the Lord— There is a gradation in these words, as is usual with Isaiah. The first declaration is, that Sennacherib, if he shall attempt to besiege the city, shall never be able to succeed: He shall not come into this city. The second is, that he shall not bring his army so near to the city as to come before it with shields, or raise a bank against it. To come before it with a shield, is, to defend himself with a shield when besieging a city, or making any attacks upon the walls. The third, that he shall not even shoot an arrow into the city, which might be done from far. The word סללה solelah rendered a bank, says Pilkington, seems rather to signify an engine of war made use of in slinging stones or any heavy body into or against a besieged city. The Hebrew word שׁפךֶ shapak with which it is connected, properly signifies to pour out, and therefore may be applied either to the pouring out of vessels earth or rubbish to raise a mount, or to the pouring out of stones from an engine. According to this observation, it might be rendered, nor play an engine there. In one of the Greek versions in the Hexapla it is rendered βηλοστασεις ballistas, or battering engines. See Ezekiel 26:8 in the original. Possibly it might be rendered, with equal propriety, nor raise a battery against it. See Parkhurst on the word סללה. This verse is to be understood properly and directly of Sennacherib and his army.