ISAIAH 36: 1-9, ASSYRIAN INVASION! PART 1

Much of the first half of the dealt with the issue of trust. Was going to trust Yahweh to protect them, or were they going to rely on themselves, on alliances with pagan nations, and on humanistic solutions to their problems? The next four chapters form a historical bridge from Assyrian hostilities towards Judah to Babylonian hostilities towards Judah. Both of these nations were deadly threats to and Judah— conquered the Northern Kingdom and conquered the Southern Kingdom—and they prefigure the end times nations of the world that will be trying to destroy Israel in the future. Chapters 36-37 reveal ’s trust in God and the subsequent miraculous deliverance from the conquest and destruction of King planned. Chapter 38, which is chronologically prior to the deliverance from the Assyrian Army, reveals Yahweh’s healing of Hezekiah from an illness. Chapter 39 reveals Hezekiah’s lack of trust in God—even godly people can be very fickle—and the pronouncement of judgment on Judah at the hands of Babylon. “Hezekiah faced three crises in a short time: an international crisis (the invasion of the Assyrian army), a personal crisis (sickness and near death), and a national crisis (the visit of the Babylonian envoys). He came through the first two victoriously, but the third one tripped him up” [Warren W. Wiersbe, “Isaiah” in The Exposition Commentary: : The Prophets, 43].

Oswalt summarized the first half of the book very well. “Chs. 7-12 posed a question: ‘Is God Sovereign of the nations?’ Can God deliver from Assyria? Or is he just one more of the gods, waiting to be gobbled up by a bigger god? In short, can God be trusted? Chs. 13-35 have sought to answer in four main sections: chs. 13-23; 24-27; 28-33; 34-35. In the first, God’s lordship over each of the nations is asserted. In the second, it is shown that God is not merely the reactor to the nations, but is in fact the sovereign Actor on the world’s stage. In the third, the superiority of God’s counsel over that of the merely human leaders is shown. Finally, the last two chapters show the ultimate results of the two courses of action, with ch. 35 ending at exactly the same point as chs. 11-12, with the promise that God can, and will, redeem. He may be trusted. However, the issue remains: is this merely abstraction or can it become concrete reality? had proved that the nations cannot be trusted. But what of God? Can his trustworthiness be demonstrated or only asserted? Must his promises for the distant future be clung to blindly, or can an earnest of their reality be experienced now? This is what chs. 36-39 are about” [John N. Oswalt, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament: The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39, 627].

These four chapters are not in chronological order; chapters 38-39 must have preceded the events of chapters 36-37. “This is plain from [Is.] 38:6 which anticipates the threat and defeat of the Assyrians (described in chaps. 36-37) as yet future. Moreover, extrabiblical historical records agree, placing Sennacherib’s siege of Judah (recounted in chaps. 36- 37) in 701 BC but the visit of Merodach-baladan’s delegation (39:1) in 703 BC” [Michael Rydelnik and James Spencer, “Isaiah” in The Moody Bible Commentary, 1055].

1

These four chapters bridge the first part of the book to the last part of the book. The first part of Isaiah emphasized the threat Assyria posed to Judah, and the second part emphasized the threat Babylon posed to Judah. Chapters 36-37 bring to a close the Assyrian emphasis in the first part of the book, and chapter 39 introduces the Babylonian nation into the narrative in the second part of the book.

Rydelnik believes the failure of Hezekiah concerning Babylon that was revealed in chapter 39 was placed there for a very strategic theological reason [Michael Rydelnik and James Spencer, “Isaiah” in The Moody Bible Commentary, 1055]. Hezekiah was a great, faithful king, but he was not perfect, and his dalliance with Babylon’s king, Merodach-baladan, proves it. By placing that incident at this point in the book, Isaiah is showing his readers that Hezekiah is not the Messianic king referred to earlier in the book (Is. 7:13-15, 9:6-7, 11:1-16). Chapter 7 referred to the virgin birth of a son named , chapter 9 to the child born and the son given who would be Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace, and chapter 11 revealed the concept of the Righteous Branch. Hezekiah is not the king identified in these Scriptures.

The second part of the book was focused on the future while the first half focused on a foe that was going to be destroyed and who would subsequently disappear from history. The Babylonian captivity to come was of much greater importance than the past defeat of Assyria. “[A]s is suggested at numerous points in the prophecies themselves, their scope is messianic and eschatological. They look forward to a time after the exile in Babylon, when God would judge the nations and bring peace to Jerusalem by means of his promised King” [John H. Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 367 quoted in Michael Rydelnik and James Spencer, “Isaiah” in The Moody Bible Commentary, 1055].

There is also a contrast presented in these chapters between Ahaz and Hezekiah that illuminates their respective attitudes towards God. Ahaz refused a sign from God (Is. 7:12), but Hezekiah accepted signs from God (Is. 37:30, 38:7-8).

Isaiah 36 deals with King Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah by the Assyrian Army. The contrast between King Hezekiah, who will turn to the Lord for deliverance, with his father Ahaz who foolishly entered into a doomed alliance with Assyria is a foundational, background issue although it is unspoken in this chapter. The point Yahweh is making through Isaiah is that trusting God will result in the divine protection of the nation that He promised them long before in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28.

Who was Hezekiah? Hezekiah was a largely faithful king of Judah who was commended in the Scriptures for his faithfulness. After and Solomon, the Scriptures had more to say about Hezekiah than about any other king of Judah.

2 Kings 18:1–7 1Now it came about in the third year of Hoshea, the son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah became king. 2He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. 4He removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it;

2 and it was called Nehushtan. 5He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. 6For he clung to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses. 7And the LORD was with him; wherever he went he prospered.…

2 Chronicles 31:20–21 20Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah; and he did what was good, right and true before the LORD his God. 21Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered.

“He began his reign in about 715 B.C., though he may have been coregent with his father as early as 729 B.C. He restored the temple facilities and services of worship, destroyed the idols and the high places (hill shrines where the people falsely worshiped Jehovah), and sought to bring the people back to vital faith in the Lord. He led the people in a nationwide two-week celebration of Passover and invited Jews from the Northern Kingdom to participate” [Warren W. Wiersbe, “Isaiah” in The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament: The Prophets, 42].

The other king involved in this historically and theologically significant episode is Assyria’s King Sennacherib. He became king in 705 B.C. and immediately faced some revolts within the territories Assyria controlled. The most serious of these was the revolt by Merodach-Baladan in Babylon which took a couple of years to bring under control. Once that happened, Sennacherib moved to quell some revolts in the west including Judah. Hezekiah attempted to bribe and buy off the Assyrian king with tribute, and, although the Assyrian accepted the money, he continued his assault on Judah and Jerusalem.

2 Kings 18:13–16 13Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and seized them. 14Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong. Withdraw from me; whatever you impose on me I will bear.” So the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15Hezekiah gave him all the silver which was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasuries of the king’s house. 16At that time Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the doorposts which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

According to an archeological find called the prism of Sennacherib, he conquered 46 strong walled Judean cities as well as numerous small cities, and he captured 200,150 people, male and female, in addition to livestock and territory. This invasion took place in 701 B.C.

Isaiah 36:1 1Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria .them [תָּ פַשׂ] cities of Judah and seized [בָּצַר] came up against all the fortified

This was no small, incidental skirmish; Judah was, for all practical purposes, totally conquered, the only exception being the city of Jerusalem (and apparently Libnah). The only reason that city was eventually spared was due to the divine intervention of Yahweh

3 which destroyed the Assyrian Army and caused the return of the land to Hezekiah’s control. Without the fact of divine intervention that ended Assyria’s aggression, Judah would have disappeared from the annals of history and there would have been no Judah to conquer by Babylon and no Judah to which the Jews could return after the Babylonian captivity ended. Obviously, Yahweh had, and still has, other plans for Judah.

The word “seized” indicates that Sennacherib definitely conquered the cities of Judah and held them under his control. Jerusalem was the last place in the nation that was supposed to fall to Sennacherib and his army.

means to lay hold of, to seize, or to capture referring to taking or capturing ,תָּ פַשׂ ,Seized by force or without consent. It has the sense of taking another entity or object into custody, often as the result of a military victory.

The fact that 46 fortified cities in Judah were conquered speaks to the strength of the Assyrian Army which was, at that time, the most powerful army in the Middle East and the area of the Mediterranean Sea, if not the world. It may also relate to the relative weakness of Judah, which, in the prior years, had been seeking alliances with pagan nations for protection which is an action implying weakness.

means to be inaccessible or to make inaccessible. It has the sense of ,בָּצַרׂ ,Fortified strengthening or fortifying in the sense of making a city or wall inaccessible. The word indicates the largest and most important habitation sites which were strategically important. Until siege warfare tactics were perfected by the Assyrians, these cities were, in fact, generally impregnable. Obviously, the Assyrians became very good at defeating the defenses of fortified cities; they took out every fortified city in Judah.

Once Assyria invaded Judah, Hezekiah attempted to fortify Jerusalem for the siege he knew must come. He had the springs outside the city walls stopped up and had water from the Gihon Spring enter the city through a tunnel emptying into the (2 Kings 20:20) although the exact timing of when the tunnel was built remains debated. We do have to admit that the Assyrian invasion was a very pressing issue that certainly could have prompted the tunnel’s construction. He rebuilt walls and erected towers, and he encouraged the people by reminding them they served Yahweh (2 Chron. 32:1-8).

2 Chronicles 32:7–8 7“Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; for the one with us is greater than the one with him. 8“With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Hezekiah began rebelling against Assyrian domination of his kingdom, along with some other nations in the area, and apparently entered into an alliance with for protection from Assyria (cf. Is. 36:6). He stopped paying tribute to Sennacherib. The rebellion in the area of Judah that Hezekiah supported and his refusal to continue paying tribute was the impetus for the Assyrian king’s invasion of Judah.

2 Kings 18:7 7…And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.

4

Lachish was an important defensive stronghold in Judah, second only to Jerusalem in importance. It was located about 30 miles southwest of Jerusalem and 15 miles west of Hebron. The tell is about 18 acres in size and is today called Tell-el-Amarna. “Lachish was strongly defended with a double line of defense. The summit was surrounded by a ring wall some nineteen ft. thick, with alternating salient and recesses and a series of defense towers. A further fifty ft. down the slope was a second wall or revetment of stone and brick some thirteen ft. thick, with alternate projecting and recessed sections and towers located at strategic points. The walls enclosed an area approximately rectangular in plan. On the W of the city, a roadway led up the hillside, and at the point where it entered the city gate a large square bastion was erected” [J. Arthur Thompson, s.v. “Lachish,” The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Volume 3, H-L, ed. Merrill C. Tenney, 3:853].

After Lachish was conquered and Sennacherib had Jerusalem surrounded, Hezekiah tried to bribe the Assyrian king into leaving Judah, but the king took the money and increased the pressure on Jerusalem to surrender (2 Kings 18:13-16; Is. 33:1).

Sennacherib memorialized his conquest of the city with artwork, alabaster bas-reliefs, that lined the walls of a room in his Nineveh palace. The Assyrian Army employed the typical siege strategy of warfare they in large part developed and perfected and which became the common tactical offensive military strategy for hundreds of years.

Sennacherib sent his commanders to Jerusalem to advise Hezekiah to surrender.

from Lachish to Jerusalem to [רַ ב־שָּקֵה] Isaiah 36:2 2And the king of Assyria sent King Hezekiah with a large army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the highway of the fuller’s field.

Assyria did have Jerusalem surrounded with a large army, and the Assyrians confined the citizens to Jerusalem and allowed no one to leave, but they never began the actual siege in terms of building siege ramps and physically attacking the city. Sennacherib later wrote of this situation: “Hezekiah, the Judaean, I shut up in Jerusalem, his royal city, like a bird in a cage. I put sentry-posts closely round this city, to turn back to his fate anyone who ventured out of his city gate” [D. J. Wiseman, s.v. “Sennacherib,” The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Volume 5, Q-Z, ed. Merrill C. Tenney, 5:340]. It is noteworthy that this pagan king did not mention conquering the city—because he did not.

Isaiah 37:33 33“Therefore, thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, ‘He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield, or throw up a siege ramp against it.

means chief cupbearer, but came to be a reference to a court ,רַ ב־שָּקֵה ,Rabshakeh official of high rank in the Assyrian court, a chief officer with close ties to the king. It was a high-ranking position with command responsibilities. This must have been a very powerful position, because two other high-ranking officials accompanied the Rabshakeh who appears to be superior to them. He was possibly the vizier or chief officer of the empire which implies that he was second in command of Assyria reporting to only the

5 king. One presumes that only the most trusted person would hold this position. This is a trifecta of very powerful people sent to demand King Hezekiah’s surrender—or else. These men represented the power of life and death for the people of Jerusalem.

According to 2 Kings 18:17, Sennacherib sent two other high-ranking military or along with Rabshakeh ,[רַ ב־סָּרִ יס] and Rab-saris [תַרְ תָּ ן] governmental representatives, Tartan to demand Hezekiah’s surrender. These two men held extremely powerful positions which at least implies that the Rabshakeh was even more powerful than were they.

was a supreme commander, a Field Marshall, of the Assyrian Army which was ,תַרְ תָּ ן ,Tartan the highest general grade commanding officer in that army.

.was a high-ranking political or military officer ,רַ ב־סָּרִ יסׂ ,Rab-saris

Rabshakeh, Tartan, Rab-saris are not proper names, even though the text can make it seem to be the case, but titles representing high-ranking military and/or government officials.

It is interesting to note that Rabshakeh stood in the exact same place to demand Jerusalem’s surrender where Isaiah stood to warn Ahaz not to be afraid of and Israel, but whose advice Ahaz refused to heed (Is. 7:3-16). “Besides setting the stage geographically, that information has theological significance. Ahaz had faced the Aram- Israel challenge at that same place (Isa. 7:3). Isaiah had told Ahaz that he would not fall to his enemy, that the Lord would deliver him. But Ahaz had refused to believe the man of God. Now Hezekiah was also confronted with a message of deliverance from the same man of God. The geographic notation heightened the tension over the question of whether Hezekiah would respond positively to the Word of God” [John A. Martin, “Isaiah” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, 1086].

“It was because Ahaz failed to trust God earlier that the Assyrian official stood there now (cf. 8:5-8). The very nation that Ahaz had trusted proved to be the greatest threat to her safety only one generation later. Father and son both faced a threat of destruction, both recognized the inadequacy of their own strength, but one trusted man and suffered defeat whereas the other trusted God and enjoyed deliverance” [Thomas L. Constable, “Isaiah” in Thomas Constable’s Notes on the Bible, Volume IV: Isaiah-Daniel, 4:98].

King Hezekiah sent three emissaries out to meet Sennacherib’s ambassadors.

,who was over the household ,[חִ לְקִיָּה] the son of Hilkiah [אֶלְיָּקִ ים] Isaiah 36:3 3Then Eliakim the recorder, came ,[אָּסָּף] the son of Asaph [יֹואָּ ח] the scribe, and Joah [שֶבְ נָּא] and out to him.

These men were important members of Hezekiah’s administration. means “God will establish.” He was in charge of the household of King ,אֶלְיָּקִ יםׂ ,Eliakim Hezekiah having received the key of the house of David (Is. 22:22). He was held in high regard by God who said of him, “… I will summon My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah” (Is. 22:20). Some theologians equate this position with that of the prime minister. Shebna, identified as the scribe in the verse before us today, was formerly in charge of the

6 household of David, but was removed from office due to the sin of pride and replaced by Eliakim. Some theologians believe this office was a priestly office, but that seems very unlikely. The key was to the house of David, not to the Temple. Why would anyone other than the High Priest be considered to be in charge of the Temple?

was the scribe which at least implies that there was a scribe who was ,שֶבְ נָּאׂ ,Shebna considered the top scribe of the nation. Originally, the word referred to military functions of some kind, and it may have been a reference to the commander’s staff as the staff of his office. In this sense, the commander would be numbering or marshalling his troops. Under David and Solomon, secretaries or scribes were used as the king’s secretaries to write letters, draft decrees, and manage finances. Hezekiah established a group of scribes to copy old records and to put oral history to writing. At that point, the word began to describe a class of students and interpreters of the law. According to :15-25, Eliakim replaced Shebna as the holder of the key to the house of David, implying that Shebna was demoted to the position of scribe.

means “Yah is brother.” Nothing is known about this man other than the fact ,יֹואָּ ח ,Joah that he accompanied the other two men to deal with Rabshakeh.

The Assyrians were masters at engaging in psychological warfare, but they had the viciousness, born of a dark spirit, and the military might to back it up. They were not engaging in these tactics from a position of weakness. One of the Assyrian tactics was to make an offer of surrender before engaging in a siege, and that was often a successful tactic. It saved the Assyrians a lot of time, expense, and casualties. The first psychological attack they launched was to denigrate the confidence Judah had in their alliance with Egypt, a nation Assyria had already defeated in a battle at Eltekeh. And, in fact, Egypt would prove to be no help to Judah in this crisis.

Isaiah 36:4–6 4Then Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great that you have? 5“I say, ‘Your [בִטָּחֹון] king, the king of Assyria, “What is this confidence for the war are only empty words.’ Now on whom do [גְ בּורָּ ה] and strength [עֵצָּה] counsel you rely, that you have rebelled against me? 6“Behold, you rely on the staff of this crushed reed, even on Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is king of Egypt to all who rely on him.

The king of Assyria was called “the great king, the king of Assyria” signifying that he was king over many other kings and provincial rulers his armies had conquered in his name. “Great king” is the name the Assyrian kings bestowed upon themselves when having their exploits recorded in the royal annals. We probably shouldn’t downplay the role pride and arrogance played in the name the Assyrian king applied to himself, “the great king, the king of Assyria.” It is also worth noting that Rabshakeh only referred to the King of Judah as Hezekiah and not as King Hezekiah which is an indication of contempt and disrespect. It as though the Assyrian is saying, “How dare this pipsqueak of a tribal chieftain defy the great king, the king of Assyria!”

At some point, we have to realize that Hezekiah did have enough confidence in his own ability to stand up to Assyrian domination in the region and refuse to pay tribute which was an act guaranteed to incite a negative response from Assyria. He obviously

7 determined that a self-defense pact with Egypt would protect him from the Assyrian Army, but that turned out to be incorrect.

means trust, hope, and confidence. It refers to grounds for feeling ,בִטָּחֹוןׂ ,Confidence hopeful about the future, especially concerning specific, future events. It expresses a sense of well-being and security which is the result of having something or someone in whom to place confidence.

Whatever confidence Hezekiah may have had in an alliance with pagan Egypt was probably shaken by this point because Assyria had already defeated the Egyptian Army in the battle at El Tekeh. Sennacherib, however, did not conquer Egypt; therefore, that nation probably remained as a threat on the southern flank. That does not, however, deter the Assyrian king from reminding Hezekiah that Egypt will be no help, and which was also a factual claim. Isaiah had already warned the king of Judah against entering into an alliance with Egypt which he called a “covenant with death” (Is. 28:15). Isaiah had previously warned the king that any alliance with Egypt was an alliance with one “whose help is in vain and empty” (Is. 30:7). Egypt could not profit them, but could only be a source “for shame and also for reproach” (Is. 30:5). Relying on Pharaoh and Egypt for help against Assyria could only result in harming oneself as the result of depending on an unreliable ally as the metaphor of leaning on a broken reed suggests.

It also seems that Jerusalem’s defensive setup was no defense against the might of the Assyrian Army, and Hezekiah knew it. By this time in the narrative, Judah, with the only exception being Jerusalem (and apparently Libnah), had been devastated. The first thing Hezekiah did upon hearing the words of Rabshakeh was to go into mourning and send for the prophet of God, Isaiah (Is. 37:1-2), so that he might hear the Word of God from the prophet. That act does not indicate that Hezekiah thought he could defeat the Assyrians by means of his own military power.

We also know the identity of the person in whom Hezekiah had confidence and that was in Yahweh. Earlier, he reminded the people of Jerusalem that Yahweh was their help, and that He was the One who could fight their battles for them (2 Chron. 32:7-8). We also know that Hezekiah “did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done” (2 Kings 18:3), and he “trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel” (2 Kings 18:5). Eventually, Rabshakeh will get around to attacking Hezekiah’s confidence in Yahweh, but Hezekiah was not going to be moved off of his trust in Him.

The Rabshakeh proclaimed that whatever confidence Hezekiah derived from the counsel and strength of those around him was misplaced confidence because he was hearing only empty words that could not be backed up with action. Apart from divine intervention, that was actually true.

means counsel, advice, or a plan referring to something that provides ,עֵצָּה ,Counsel direction or advice as to a decision or course of action.

means strength, power, or might. In this context, it is referring to the strength ,גְבּורָּהׂ ,Strength of an army or of a military plan.

8

Whatever words and plans the advisors to the king had given him, they were merely talk and could never achieve the desired results in the arena of warfare.

Next, the Rabshakeh mischaracterized and/or misunderstood the work Hezekiah had done in Judah to eliminate the high places that the Jews had erected to worship in Yahweh in unauthorized places. Hezekiah properly consolidated worship in Jerusalem at the Temple. At the same time, he also removed the idols from the high places, specifically the Asherah (2 Kings 18:4) which is connected to Baal worship.

Isaiah 36:7 7“But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar’?

The Rabshakeh was trying to drive a wedge between King Hezekiah and his people. Many people were probably unhappy about Hezekiah’s removal of the high places, but, on the other hand, those must have been people who were not living in Jerusalem and who therefore did not have easy access to the Temple and who had already been conquered by Assyria. Many others were certainly angry over the fact that he had removed their pagan shrines as well. Despite Hezekiah’s godly reforms, paganism was a serious problem in Judah.

The Assyrian may have been thinking that he could discourage the Israelites by denigrating their reliance on Egypt, which was a correct understanding of the situation, but one which the Israelites would surely find discouraging because they had placed some degree of reliance on their alliance with Egypt, and discourage them by telling them that Hezekiah was alienating their God. He also may have known that some of the people did not trust Egypt, but their trust was instead in Yahweh, and he wanted to discourage them as well. In the end, he was trying to discourage them by convincing them that they had no hope on earth or from heaven.

Next, Rabshakeh denigrated their ability to fight a war with Assyria which was certainly an accurate assessment of the military situation. After all, Judah had already been largely conquered apparently without any significant military resistance. All the Jews could do was try to defend their walled cities which was a doomed effort.

with my master the king of [עָּרַ ב] Isaiah 36:8–9 8“Now therefore, come make a bargain Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders of the least of my master’s [פֶחָּה] one official [שּוב] on them. 9“How then can you repulse servants and rely on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

The Rabshakeh offered the Israelites a deal. If they could find 2,000 men to ride horses, ,means to take, to give in pledge ,עָּרַבׂ ,he would give them 2,000 horses to ride. Bargain to exchange, to conduct trade, or to barter. Of course, we know that the Assyrians never bargain in good faith; therefore, we cannot take this offer seriously, but the contempt he shows by presenting it to them comes through loud and clear. “It was a contemptuous taunt in view of the Jews’ pitiable weakness in that military arm, in comparison with the mighty Assyrian cavalry, and their attempt to bolster their strength in that area from Egypt” [Merrill F. Unger, “Isaiah” in Unger’s Commentary on the Old Testament, 1239].

9

In the Rabshakeh’s mind, the result of having no help either from Egypt or from God should result in the desire on the part of the people of Judah to make peace with Assyria; therefore, he was making them an offer he apparently hoped they could not refuse. One of the problems; however, is that the Assyrian’s definition of peace and the Israelites definition of peace were two different definitions! It is true that Assyria went easier on those who surrendered to the Assyrian Army without a fight, but that does not mean they went totally easy on them either. Even if they surrendered without a fight, people were deported from their homes to settle in distant places, some were sold into slavery, and the leaders were tortured and executed. Even surrender had serious, adverse consequences, but what would ultimately be futile resistance had even more serious— and deadly—repercussions.

The Rabshakeh’s offer to give Judah horses, if they could find the riders to mount them, was a serious slam against Judah’s military prowess. This brings up an interesting situation in which Judah found herself. If they had been obedient to Yahweh from the beginning, they would not have needed a powerful military because Yahweh would have blessed them with divine protection and success. Absent obedience, it didn’t matter how powerful a military Judah had because God would ensure defeat as part of His divine disciplinary program. In fact, Israel was forbidden to use horses and chariots, because they were to depend on Yahweh and therefore had no need for such implements of warfare. Isaiah had actually condemned the leaders of Judah for engaging in this very thing prohibited so many centuries before. In this situation, God is providing a lesson on obedience and deliverance. Judah and Jerusalem were too weak to resist the Assyrian Army, but they would see God’s deliverance based on King Hezekiah’s faithfulness.

Promises of divine protection from and success over enemy military power:

Leviticus 26:7–8 7‘But you will chase your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword; 8five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword.

Deuteronomy 28:7 7“The LORD shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and will flee before you seven ways.

Prohibition on horses which implies a prohibition on chariots:

Deuteronomy 17:16 16“Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never again return that way.’

Isaiah 31:1 1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help And rely on horses, And trust in chariots because they are many And in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD!

Promises of divine discipline at the hands of an enemy:

10

Leviticus 26:17, 25, 33 17‘I will set My face against you so that you will be struck down before your enemies; and those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you.… 25‘I will also bring upon you a sword which will execute vengeance for the covenant … 33‘You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste.

Deuteronomy 28:25, 36 25“The LORD shall cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you will go out one way against them, but you will flee seven ways before them, and you will be an example of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth.… 36“The LORD will bring you and your king, whom you set over you, to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone.

The Rabshakeh was so contemptuous of Israel’s military prowess that he told them they could not defend against even one of Sennacherib’s servants.

means, in this context, to turn back. In other words, Judah was, according ,שּובׂ ,Repulse to the Rabshakeh, so weak that she could not even turn back one minor Assyrian official refers to a governor or an official, the head of a provincial ,פֶחָּה ,of the king. Official government especially procurators and prefects of imperial provinces.

The point being made was that Judah could not defeat the cavalry under the command of a minor government official ruling under the auspices of Assyria let alone defeat the mighty army facing them outside the walls of Jerusalem.

11