Sennacherib’s invasion
1 ① In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. 2From Lakish the king of Assyria sent his field commander with a large army to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. They halted at the channel of the Upper Pool on the highway of the Fuller’s Field. 3So Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator, went out to him together with Shebna， the secretary， and Joah， son of Asaph， the recorder. 4The field commander said to them, “Give Hezekiah this message of the great king of Assyria: How can you be so confident? 5Do you think words can replace strategy and military strength? On whom are you relying to rebel against me?
6You rely on Egypt, a broken staff which pierces the palm of him who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh, king of Egypt, for all who rely on him. 7Yes, you may say to me: ‘We rely on Yahweh our God.’ But isn’t he the one whose altars and high places Hezekiah removed when he commanded Judah and Jerusalem: You shall worship before this altar?
8Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king. I will give you two thousand horses if you are able to supply riders. 9How could you ever repulse one of the least of my master’s gen erals? And you rely on Egypt for chariots and horsemen! 10Do you think that I have come to attack and destroy this land without consulting Yahweh? He himself said to me: Go up to this land and conquer it!”
11Then Eliakim and Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, “Speak to your servants in Aramaic, we understand it. Do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of these people on the walls.”
12But the field commander said, “Do you think that my master sent me to speak these words only to your master and you? Isn’t it also to the men on the walls who with you will have to eat their own dung and drink their urine?”
13Then the field commander stood and cried out with a loud voice in Hebrew, “Hear the words of the great king of Assyria: 14Do not let Hezekiah deceive you! No, he will not be able to help you! 15Do not listen to him when he tells you to trust in Yahweh, saying, ‘Yahweh will save us; this city will not be given over to the king of Assyria.’ 16Do not listen to Hezekiah but to what the king of Assyria says, ‘Make your peace with me 17and surrender. So I will let each of you eat of your vine and of your fig tree and drink the water of your cistern until I come again. Then I will take you to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, of bread and vineyards.’
18Hezekiah is misleading you when he says that Yahweh will save you. Have the gods of the nations rescued their lands from the hands of the king of Assyria? 19Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Shepharvaim? And have the gods delivered Samaria from my hand? 20Who among all the gods of these nations has been able to save his country from me? Do you think that Yahweh could deliver Jerusalem from my hand?’ ”
21The people were like deaf and remained silent, for the king had commanded them not to answer him.
22Then Eliakim with Shebna and Joah came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him what the field commander had said.
- Is 36,1 The next two chapters repeat chapters 18 and 19 of 2 Kings, that relate the siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib's army. The first story was taken up in the commentary on 2 Kings 18:17. Now, we look at the second event. Isaiah encourages resistance even though there is no human hope of salvation. He promises an intervention from God which occurs in the form of an epidemic - the angel of Yahweh wiping out the Assyrian army. In 22:8 we remarked on Isaiah's opposition to any compromise with the great powers - a seemingly negative attitude for a small insecure nation. Here he relies solely on the power of faith - as Elijah had done before - and saves his nation.
