6 on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this "broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into 7 his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him. But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, 8 Ye shall worship before this altar? Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou 9 be able 'on thy part to set riders upon them. How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt 10 for chariots and for horsemen? And am I now come up without the LORD against this land to destroy it? The LORD said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

11

Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to 12 us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall. But Rabshakeh said, Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?

13

Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried with a loud voice 'in the Jews' language, and 14 said, Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria. Thus saith the 15 king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you. Nei

ther let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. 16 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern; 17 Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and 18 wine, a land of bread and vineyards. Beware lest Hezekiah 'persuade you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out 19 of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered Samaria out of my 20 hand? Who are they among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand? 21 But they held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's command22 ment was, saying, Answer him not. Then came Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

Ver. 2. The form xviii. 17 as stat. absol. meaning xxvi. 1.—

3 Or, but counsel and strength are for war. Heb. make with me a blessing.

• I say it is mere lip work the counsel and strength for carrying on war. • make a wager. for thee (i. e., for thy advantage). h in Aramaic. iin Judaic.

(where were your gods) that delivered Samaria, etc.

TEXTUAL AND GRAMMATICAL. occurs only here and 2 Kings Yet comp. . which differs in in the sense of "considerable for number," comp. Num. xx. 20; 1 Kings iii. 9; x. 2; 2 Kings vi. 14.——, abbreviated compared with 2 Ki. xviii. 17 b.; see introduction to this chapter. 2 Kings xviii. 18 begins with "And when they had called to the king," which are wanting here in accordance with the tendency to abbreviate.

in Hezekiah's none. According to the question ver. 4, "what confidence," etc.? the contents of this confidence is set forth: "thou sayest namely: counsel and strength for war." The words are parenthetical, and words of the Assyrian, by which he gives his opinion of the expression imputed to Hezekiah. This expression is put as an exclamation, thus as a clause without explicit predicate. This is a somewhat pathetic form of sentence. It reveals an intention of making Hezekiah's words appear to be empty pathos, absurd boastfulness. If the entire first clause of verse 5 were to be construed as the utterance of the Assyrian, then the second clause must begin with instead of ny. For then a reason would need to follow showing Hezekiah's words to be empty boast. But if ver. 5 a contaiu in its chief clause Hezekiah's words, then ny is perfectly

(in order to restore likeness of expression when there missing here for abbreviation's sake.-' is likeness of meaning; 2 Kings however would avoid is paratactic.

Sy is exchanged here for is of inferior significance here instead of the simple 2 Kings xviii. 34), the

singular may be taken as collective.-, after a ques- | dcre, ad silentium redigere aliquem. Yet it is true that it tion referring to the future, may be taken in the sense occurs seldom in this sense (Job xi. 3). Usually Hiphil is direct causative of ut; but fundamentally it means quod, and has a cau"mutitatem facere, to make silence, sal sense: Who has delivered? Are there any way gods to be silent." Here, "they made the people be silent" (beside the Assyrian gods) that deliver? because (ac- would imply that many of them wanted to reply to the cording to your opinion) Jehovah will deliver Jerusa- words of ver. 12 sqq., but that Hezekiah's messengers, even before Rabshakeh had finished, had commanded lem.["The parallel 2 Kings xviii. 35 orits these besilence and themselves made no response. According fore lands; another exception to the general statement that the narrative of Isaiah is an abridgement.-J. A. A.]. to this the perfect does not merely continue the recital, but states an accompanying circumstance speaking. But the reviser of Isaiah's text was not acquainted with this meaning of the Perfect [!]. He thought the word meant only to continue the recital. Therefore he changed it to the Imperfect with Vav

of 2 Kings | that had already occurred before Rabshakeh had done והחרישו העם instead of ויחרישו .21 .Ver

Ver. 22. p, the participle in the construct state retains the construction of its verb with the accu

1; xxxv. 22; 1. 3, etc.). Hiphil means first mutum red-sative; comp. 2 Sam. xiii. 31.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL.

account places this expedition which he himself | xxxiv. 8). As is well-known, national archives

are found not only among civilized but also among uncivilized people. Of Joah, Asaph's son, nothing more is known. Both the names are Levitical, comp. 1 Chr. vi. 6; xxix. 12; xxvi. 4. In 2 Chr. xxxiv. 8 is mentioned a Joah son of Joahaz, who was recorder to king Josiah.

calls his third in the year 714. This difference between the Assyrian and Biblical chronology is limited for the time after 722 to the date of expedition of Sennacherib against Palestine and Egypt. For, as SCHRADER (p. 300) expressly says, in respect to the time of Mannasseh both reckonings "agree satisfactorily:" [For the Au- 4. And Rabshakeh-destroy it.-Vers. thor's method of reconciling this discrepancy in 4-10. On the Assyrian monuments the kings date, see the general Introd. ? 3, and the intro- designate themselves, or are designated, “great duction to chapters xxxvi.-xxxix.]. The omis-king," "mighty king," "king of the nations." sion of three verses 2 Kings xviii. 14 sqq., relat- The Assyrian secks to prove to Hezekiah that his ing to the payment of ransom show the designed only recourse is to yield himself unconditionally abbreviation of this account. to the great king. "That thou rebellest" It may be asked: does this refer to the matter mentioned 2 Kings xviii. 7, or to that mentioned 2 Kings xviii. 14 sqq., viz. the refusal to surrender the city in addition to the ransom? Both must be understood. For to the Assyrian, that refusal was only a symptom that the rebellious disposition was not sufficiently broken.

3. And the king--the recorder.-Vers. 2, 3. SCHRADER (p. 199) remarks on Rabshakeh that there occurs no mention on the monuments of the chief cup-bearer, as a high dignitary and officer of state. But rab-sak is mentioned. That however is not the chief cup-bearer. For sak ineans chief, captain, collective chiefs. Therefore rab-sak is the chief of the captains (comp. rab sarisim, rab tabbachim), perhaps the chief of the general's staff. Then the form 7p is a Hebraizing occasioned by accordance of sound with p Gen. xl. 1 sqq. Chald. 'pun or which means pincerna, pocillator. The names Tartan and Rabsaris 2 Kings xviii. 17 are omitted here. Lacish, whence this detachment of troops came, is the modern Umm-Lâkhis, in the S. W., of Judea near the border of Philistia, on the road

from Jerusalem to Gaza. This was the extreme southern point to which Sennacherib penetrated at that time. On the approach of the Egyptian army he retired to Altaku (Eltekeh) that lay N. E. of Lacish. There is a bas-relief (SCHRADER, p. 170) with the inscription: Sennacherib, the king of the nations, the king of the land of As

syria, sits on an exalted throne and receives the spoil of the city Lacish."

In showing further, how nugatory every thing was on which Hezekiah relied, he calls Egypt a bruised reed, that breaks when one rests on it and Isaiah himself says the same xxx. 3, 5, 7 in other pierces the hand. This reproach was well founded. words. Ezek. xxix. 6, 7, employs this figure, amplifying it. In another sense and connection Isaiah uses the image of the bruised reed xlii. 3, where and used together show that the former word does not mean "broken" but "bruised." What the Assyrian says ver 6 is an undeniable truth. But he omits making it general as the prophets did. For what was true of Egypt was equally true of Assyria, and of any but sell their aid so dear, that it becomes doubtother world-power. They do no favor for nothing, charge of relying on Egypt may be true, or it ful whether friend or foe harms the most. [The may be a malicious fabrication, or a shrewd guess from analogy.--J. A. ALEXANDER.]

Ver. 7. As proof that even Jehovah cannot be expected to help; the Assyrian appeals to the fact that Hezekiah has done away with all the high places and altars of Jehovah, and has left remaining only a single spot for worship in Jeruwith all high-places in Judea, even those that salem. As is well-known IIezekiah did away Kings xviii. 4, comp. J. G. MULLER in Herz. were monotheistic, consecrated to Jehovah (2) R.- Encycl., VI. p. 176), and thus had stringently

ye

And he stood, etc. The locality is described by exactly the same words that vii. 3 describe the place where Isaiah was to meet Ahaz. That now the Assyrians stand in such threatening attitude by the conduit of the upper pool is the fruit of Ahaz having so insolently rejected the promise given him at that time, and in the same place, and having preferred to call Assyria to his aid. We do not err, therefore, in understanding by this literal agreement of the naming of the place in both passages, that an intimation of the divine nemesis is intended. On Eliakim the chamber-carried out the principle of the one, and only aulain and Shebna the scribe see xxii. 15, 20 sqq. it reads "ye shall worship before one altar, and thorized central sanctuary. In 2 Chr. xxxii. 12 The "scribe" appears as a state officer first burn incense upon it," instead of, as here, under David, 2 Sam. viii. 17, where he is dis-shall worship before this altar." The Assyrian, tinguished from several other officers. He was ignorant of the higher commandment that had the king's secretary, who wrote all that the king's prompted Hezekiah's obedience, saw in this conservice demanded. Thus his office would lead duct a reduction, an arrest of Jehovah-worship. him to meddle with every branch of government, Less probable is the explanation that the Assyand we find him expressly mentioned in matters rian has in mind what is related 2 Kings xvi. 10of finance (2 Kings xxii. 3 sqq.), and of war (2 17, and has confounded Ahaz and Hezekiah. For Kings xxv. 19; Jer. lii. 25). The 7 (LXX. such confusion is hardly credible. Ver. 8. He ὑπομνηματογράφος, ἐπὶ τῶν ὑπομνημάτων, VULG., & His derisive proposition intimates both the next holds up to contempt Hezekiah's own power. commentariis), is certainly not the monitor (THENIUS), but the one that was charged with record- abundance of Assyria's cavalry and war chariots ing the res gestas of the king, and of the kingdom, (comp. chap. v. 28) and the weakness of Judah and preserving them for posterity (comp. 2 in this respect. is "to pledge," then "to Sam. viii. 16; xx. 24; 2 Kings iv. 3; 2 Chr. pledge for others," i. e., go security, and in fact

By

in the double sense of a benefit to be done to a | Hebrew. See the Assyrian Grammars of OPPERT third party (e. g., "! xxxviii. 14, 1337 Gen. 1859 and of MENANT, 1868. Eliakim would not xliii. 9) or of a performance incumbent on a third have called the dialect of the northern Israelites, party. But there is a pledging when two or more Jewish had Rabshakeh spoken that. For at that bind themselves to a performance in common, tional name as it did after the exile. At the time the name Judah had not become the naeven when the pledging is not specifically made latter period comprised all that was Heprominent or is silently presumed. Thus the word acquires the meaning, "to enter into, be-brew, even what had perhaps attached itself to come one, to mix oneself in with." Here the the tribe of Judah from the isolated elements of the other tribes (comp. Neh. xiii. 24). notion sponsio appears evident: pledge thyself, i. e., unite thyself by a mutual pledge with the Eliakim understood, not the motherking of Assyria. But as under the present cir- tongue of the Assyrian, but the Syro-ChaldaicAramaic, thus the language whose territory lay cumstances the one party pledged himself to conditions he thinks impossible to the other, the between that of the Hebrew and of the Assyrian pledging acquires the significance of a wager, in and that was suited for mediating between them. which sense also CLERICUS has taken the word. According to ALEX. POLYHISTOR. in EUSEBIUS, Chron., arm. I., p. 43, Sennacherib erected a Ver. 9. Two inferences are drawn from the remonument to himself with a Chaldaic inscrippresentation of ver. 8; the positive, that Heze- tion, and with the later Persian kings Aramaic kiah cannot hope to resist the least captain of seems to have been the government language for Assyria, and the negative, that this personal ina- intercourse with the nations of western Asia (Ezr. bility explains how Judah must be leaning on iv. 7). Our passage shows that Aramaic would Egypt. The relation of Tn to what follows not be known to all people of Judah without is not simple genitive of the subject (commander study and of course. of the small servants, KNOBEL), but is a partitive Eliakim's remonstrance only exposed a weak genitive: of one captain from among the most in-place, of which Rabshakeh immediately took adferior servants of my lord, i. e., who belongs to vantage. He noticed, that his words were rethe most inferior servants of my lord. Ver. 10. garded as likely to produce an impression among The Assyrian feigns to have received a commis- the people prejudicial to Hezekiah's intention, sion direct from Jehovah to go against Judah and and at once he acts as if his mission were to the destroy it. That this was false appears from people, and not at all to Hezekiah, though ver. 4 xxxvii. 6, 21 sqq., where the LORD Himself pro- and 2 Kings xviii. 18, 19 show the contrary. Lounces the words of the Assyrian blasphemous, He proceeds therefore to warn the people to save and takes Judah in protection after a grand themselves from the dreadful fate that impended, fashion. The Assyrian may possibly have heard and to beware of letting Hezekiah deceive them. something of Isaiah's prophecies, who, he may In D, "with you," end of ver. 12, there is emhave known, was then in Jerusalem, which pro- phasis implying reproach for those addressed. phecies treated of a subjection of Judah to Assy- The Assyrian means: those sitting on the wall ria (comp. vii. 17 sqq., x. 5 sqq.). These and will fare well with us (comp. come out to me similar prophetic utterances may have afforded ver. 16), but they will have to endure the dreadthe occasion for this pretext. But no prophecy fulest distress with you. Vers. 16, 17. Rabsha"go up against this land and destroy it," nor any-keh makes definite proposals in the name of the thing like it exists in Isaiah, or any other Prophet.

king of Assyria, in opposition to the designs of Hezekiah against which he warns them. "Make 5. Then said Eliakim——words of Rab- with me a blessing," i. e., an alliance of blessing, shakeh.-Vers. 11-22. Hezekiah's messengers he says. 7 is not merely the blessing itself, had so far hearkened in silence. But apprehen- but also, by metonymy, either what the blessing sive of the effect of the words of ver. 10 on the involves (comp. Gen. xii. 2), or what people assembled on the wall, they beg the mesthe blessing produces (e. g., a rich gift 1 Sam. senger of the Assyrian not to speak the Jewish tongue but to speak in Aramaic. The people is called 7 because, in the opinion of the Asxxv. 27, etc.). Thus here the alliance, the treaty might easily take this pretended mandate for reality. Had not the LORD Himself called As- syrian, it would be a source of blessing. The syria “the rod of mine anger" (x. 5)? Dis-word occurs in this sense nowhere else. ' with couragement might arise from this among the often occurs in the sense of deditio: 1 Sam. xi. people, and paralyze every effort at self-defense. 3; 1 King xx. 31; Jer. xxi. 9; xxxviii. 2, 21. To means primarily the dialect of the tribe eat his vine and his fig tree, and drink his of Judah. It was thus spoken in Jerusalem and waters (metonymic expressions, comp. on i. 7; was the purest and best Hebrew. Rabshakeh v. 18) is a figurative description of a peaceful and spoke this dialect. A considerable time had undisturbed existence (comp. Mic. iv. 4; 1 Kings elapsed since that fatal resort of Ahaz to Assyria v. 5). On ver. 17 SCHRADER remarks: "Such spoken of in chap. vii., certainly more than a recommendation of surrender to the Assyrian twenty-five years. During this time the Assyrian were even for an Assyrian a little maladroit." I rulers were in constant intercourse with Judah, cannot see that. The fate that Rabshakeh proand were properly attentive to Jewish affairs. posed was relatively a mild one. Humanly This explains how there would be in their court speaking, there was no hope of deliverance. If persons that could speak the dialect of Judah. the Assyrian would revenge the revolt of HezeBesides the Assyrian and Hebrew languages were kiah on the capital, who would hinder him? daughters of the same Semitic stem, and an As- Even after a glorious defence, which was sure to syrian would find no great difficulty in learning be attended with much suffering, they must pre