And the Lord sent an angel
The Targum is,
``the Word of the Lord sent Gabriel;''
Josephus F1 takes this angel, or messenger sent of God, to be the pestilence; and others suppose it to be a hot pestilential wind, common in the eastern countries, called "Samiel", or the poison wind, by which multitudes are sometimes destroyed at once; of which Thevenot and other travellers make mention, (See Gill on Job 27:21), (See Gill on Psalms 91:6), but be it as it may, it was sent of God, was under his direction, and by his power and providence did the execution according to his prediction:
which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and
captains in the camp of the king of Assyria;
the generals and officers of his army, with the common soldiers, to the number of 185,000, ( Isaiah 36:1 ) , among these, no doubt, were the three generals sent with railing letters to Hezekiah, particularly Rabshakeh, (See Gill on Isaiah 37:36)
so he returned with shame of face to his own land;
Assyria, particularly to Nineveh, the metropolis of it, ( Isaiah 37:37 )
and when he was come into the house of his god;
the temple of his idol, whose name was Nisroch:
they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword;
his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer, ( Isaiah 37:38 ) .