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inroad of Assyria and its success, not only the approbation of, but even a mandate from
Jehovah.
- In Isaiah 36:7 it is put in the singular, "if thou sayest," probably addressed to the chief
Jewish spokesman.
** The expression 2 Kings 18:23, rendered in the A.V. "give pledges," in the margin of
the R.V. "make a wager," neither of which gives a good sense - we would translate "And
now enter into competition with my master." In ver. 24 the word (...) which is true
Semitic (comp. Schrader, u.s. pp. 186, 187), signifies a satrap, or governor,.but at the
same time also a military chief. "The least of the servants," i.e., both numerically and as
regards valor and discipline.
Alike politically and in its religious misrepresentations, the
speech was well calculated to appeal to such a populace as that of Jerusalem. Hence also
the representatives of Hezekiah requested the Rabh-Shakeh to communicate with them
not in "Jewish"* (that is, in Hebrew), as he had done, but in "Aramean," which, although
the commercial language of Syria and Palestine, would not be understood by the common
people.
- The term "Jewish" for Hebrew occurs only here and in the parallel passages (2
Chronicles 32:18 and Isaiah 36:11), and in Nehemiah 13:24.
The suggestion was haughtily rejected, and the Assyrian openly avowed that his object
was not to negotiate with the king nor his representatives, but to produce a reaction
among the besieged, whom he represented as reduced to the utmost straits. To them he
now directly appealed. They were not to allow themselves to be deceived. Hezekiah
would not be able to deliver them - viz., by the aid of Egypt - nor yet was this other
pretension well-founded, that Jehovah would deliver them. Rather was it their wisdom to
ignore the king, and make a treaty of submission* to Assyria, in virtue of which, instead
of their present misery, they might continue to enjoy undisturbed possession of their land
till they could be transported into districts equally fertile with their own.
- Lit., "make a blessing," probably not referring so much to religious ceremonies
connected with such treaties, as to the offering of gifts on such occasions, - the term, "a
blessing," being frequently used for "a present."
This bold avowal of the ultimate policy of Assyria must have marred an appeal otherwise
cleverly contrived. But its effectiveness would be completely destroyed - at least with the
pious in Israel - by the contemptuous reference to Jehovah, as if He were like the false
gods of other nations,* who in the past had been unable to deliver the lands of their
worshippers from the might of Assyria.
(^)