John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 37:24

"By thy servants hast thou defied the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir-trees thereof; and I will enter into its farthest height, the forest of its fruitful field;" — Isaiah 37:24 (ASV)

By the hand of your servants. This also heightens the baseness and cruelty of the insult, for it is harder to bear reproaches from a servant than from his master, the insult being made more grievous by the low status of the person. Hence, proud and insolent men, to make their threats more galling and offensive, also boast that they will do this or that by one of their servants or attendants, for the purpose of demonstrating more strongly their contemptuous feelings towards those whom they hate. The Prophet therefore intended to represent more strongly the baseness of the blasphemy by this circumstance: Sennacherib had not only vomited it from his own mouth but had also employed "his servant" Rabshakeh to utter scornful language against the holy name of God.

I will ascend the heights of the mountains, the sides of Lebanon. Regarding these words, which he repeats as spoken by Sennacherib, some understand them to relate generally to former victories he had gained, through which, as we have already said, he had vanquished many nations. But I prefer to take a simpler view and interpret them as relating to the present siege.

In this light, perceiving almost the whole of Judea subjected to his power and having taken possession of the hills surrounding the country on all sides, Sennacherib swells with insolence as if he has gained a complete victory. He threatens that he will take within his grasp those battlements and Mount Lebanon, with its cedars, firs, and other attractions. It is as if he were saying that nothing will hinder him from taking possession of the bulwarks, castles, and best-fortified places, and controlling all of Judea as he pleases. Thus, tyrants, though they acknowledge that war is uncertain, still dream of controlling the successful outcomes of battles.