1Ve čtrnáctém roce krále Ezechiáše se stalo, že asyrský král Senacherib vytáhl proti všem judským opevněným městům a zmocnil se jich. 2Asyrský král vypravil z Lakiše ke králi Ezechiášovi do Jeruzaléma vrchního číšníka s velikým sborem vojska. Vrchní číšník zaujal postavení vedle strouhy Horního rybníka na cestě k Valchářovu poli. 3Vyšli mu vstříc správce paláce, Chilkijahuův syn Eljakim, písař Šebna a herold, Asafův syn Joach. 4Vrchní číšník jim řekl: „Řekněte Ezechiášovi: Takto mluví velký král, asyrský král. Čemu tak důvěřuješ, nač se spoléháš? 5Představuješ si, že slova do větru se vyrovnají radě a statečnosti při vedení války. Komu to důvěřuješ, že ses proti mně vzbouřil? 6Hle, spoléháš se na podporu oné zlomené třtiny, Egypta, která pronikne rukou tomu, kdo se o ni opírá, a probodne ji. Faraon, egyptský král, je takový ke všem, kdo na něho spoléhají. 7Možná mi řeknete: ‘Máme důvěru v Jahva, svého Boha,’ ale což Ezechiáš právě jemu nezrušil výšiny a oltáře, když řekl mužům z Judy a z Jeruzaléma: ‘Budete se klanět před tímto oltářem’? 8Nuže! Vsaď se s mým pánem, asyrským králem: dám ti dva tisíce koní, seženeš-li k nim jezdce! 9Jak bys zahnal na ústup jediného z nejnepatrnějších služebníků mého pána? Ale ty ses spolehl na Egypt, že budeš mít vozy a jezdce! 10A pak, není to Jahvova vůle, že jsem přitáhl proti této zemi, abych ji zpustošil? Právě Jahve mi řekl: Vytáhni proti té zemi a zpustoš ji!“ 11Eljakim, Šebna a Joach řekli vrchnímu číšníkovi: „Prosím tě, mluv ke svým služebníkům aramejsky, protože tomu my rozumíme, nemluv k nám judsky, když to může slyšet lid, jenž je na hradbách.“ 12Ale vrchní číšník řekl: „Což mě můj pán poslal, abych ty věci řekl tobě nebo tvému pánovi? Ne snad spíš těm mužům, kteří sedí na hradbách a jsou odsouzeni, aby spolu s vámi jedli své výkaly a pili svou moč?“ 13Tu se vrchní číšník postavil a zakřičel silným hlasem v judském jazyce a řekl: „Slyšte slova velkého krále, asyrského krále. 14Takto mluví král: Ať vás Ezechiáš neklame! Nemůže vás vysvobodit. 15Ať ve vás Ezechiáš neudržuje důvěru v Jahva, když říká: ‘Jahve nás určitě vysvobodí, toto město nepadne asyrskému králi do rukou.’ 16Neposlouchejte Ezechiáše, neboť asyrský král mluví takto: Uzavřete se mnou mír, podrobte se mi, a každý z vás bude jíst plod své révy a svého fíkovníku, každý bude pít vodu ze své cisterny, 17dokud nepřijdu a neodvedu vás do země podobné vaší zemi, do země obilí a moštu, země chleba a vinohradů. 18Ať vás Ezechiáš neklame, když vám říká: ‘Jahve nás vysvobodí.’ Což někdo z bohů národů opravdu vysvobodil z rukou asyrského krále svou zemi? 19Kde jsou bohové Hamatu a Arpadu, kde jsou bohové Sefarvajimu, kde jsou bohové samařské země? Vysvobodili z mé ruky Samařsko? 20Kteří ze všech bohů těch zemí vysvobodili z mé ruky svou zemi, aby Jahve osvobodil Jeruzalém?“ 21Oni mlčeli a neodpověděli mu ani slovo, neboť tak zněl králův příkaz: „Neodpovíte mu.“ 22Správce paláce, Chilkijahuův syn Eljakim, písař Šebna a herold, Asafův syn Joach, přišli s roztrženými šaty k Ezechiášovi a přednesli mu slova vrchního číšníka.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 SENNACHERIB'S INVASION; BLASPHEMOUS SOLICITATIONS; HEZEKIAH IS TOLD OF THEM. (Isa. 36:1-22)
fourteenth--the third of Sennacherib's reign. His ultimate object was Egypt, Hezekiah's ally. Hence he, with the great body of his army (
2Chr 32:9), advanced towards the Egyptian frontier, in southwest Palestine, and did not approach Jerusalem.
2 Rab-shakeh--In
2Kgs 18:17, Tartan and Rab-saris are joined with him. Rab-shakeh was probably the chief leader; Rab is a title of authority, "chief-cup-bearer."
Lachish--a frontier town southwest of Jerusalem, in Judah; represented as a great fortified city in a hilly and fruitful country in the Koyunjik bas-reliefs, now in the British Museum; also, its name is found on a slab over a figure of Sennacherib on his throne.
upper pool--the side on which the Assyrians would approach Jerusalem coming from the southwest (see on
Isa 7:3).
3 Eliakim--successor to Shebna, who had been "over the household," that is, chief minister of the king; in
Isa 22:15-
Isa 22:20, this was foretold.
scribe--secretary, recorder--literally, "one who reminds"; a remembrancer to keep the king informed on important facts, and to act as historiographer. In
2Kgs 18:18, the additional fact is given that the Assyrian envoys "called to the king," in consequence of which Eliakim, &c., "came out to them."
4 great king--the usual title of the Persian and Assyrian kings, as they had many subordinate princes or kings under them over provinces (
Isa 10:8).
5 counsel--Egypt was famed for its wisdom.
6 It was a similar alliance with So (that is, Sabacho, or else Sevechus), the Ethiopian king of Egypt, which provoked the Assyrian to invade and destroy Israel, the northern kingdom, under Hoshea.
7 The Assyrian mistakes Hezekiah's religious reforms whereby he took away the high places (
2Kgs 18:4) as directed against Jehovah. Some of the high places may have been dedicated to Jehovah, but worshipped under the form of an image in violation of the second commandment: the "brazen serpent," also (broken in pieces by Hezekiah, and called Nehushtan, "a piece of brass," because it was worshipped by Israel) was originally set up by God's command. Hence the Assyrian's allegation has a specious color: you cannot look for help from Jehovah, for your king has "taken away His altars."
to Jerusalem-- (
Deut 12:5,
Deut 12:11;
John 4:20).
8 give pledges--a taunting challenge. Only give the guarantee that you can supply as many as two thousand riders, and I will give thee two thousand horses. But seeing that you have not even this small number (see on
Isa 2:7), how can you stand against the hosts of Assyrian cavalry? The Jews tried to supply their weakness in this "arm" from Egypt (
Isa 31:1).
9 captain--a governor under a satrap; even he commands more horsemen than this.
10 A boastful inference from the past successes of Assyria, designed to influence the Jews to surrender; their own principles bound them to yield to Jehovah's will. He may have heard from partisans in Judah what Isaiah had foretold (
Isa 10:5-
Isa 10:6).
11 Syrian--rather, "Aramean": the language spoken north and east of Palestine, and understood by the Assyrians as belonging to the same family of languages as their own: nearly akin to Hebrew also, though not intelligible to the multitude (compare
2Kgs 5:5-7). "Aram" means a "high land," and includes parts of Assyria as well as Syria.
Jews' language--The men of Judah since the disruption of Israel, claimed the Hebrew as their own peculiarly, as if they were now the only true representatives of the whole Hebrew twelve tribes.
ears of . . . people on . . . wall--The interview is within hearing distance of the city. The people crowd on the wall, curious to hear the Assyrian message. The Jewish rulers fear that it will terrify the people and therefore beg Rab-shakeh to speak Aramean.
12 Is it to thy master and thee that I am sent? Nay, it is to the men on the wall, to let them know (so far am I from wishing them not to hear, as you would wish), that unless they surrender, they shall be reduced to the direst extremities of famine in the siege (
2Chr 32:11, explains the word here), namely, to eat their own excrements: or, connecting, "that they may eat," &c., with "sit upon the wall"; who, as they hold the wall, are knowingly exposing themselves to the direst extremities [MAURER]. Isaiah, as a faithful historian, records the filthy and blasphemous language of the Assyrians to mark aright the true character of the attack on Jerusalem.
13 Rab-shakeh speaks louder and plainer than ever to the men on the wall.
15 The foes of God's people cannot succeed against them, unless they can shake their trust in Him (compare
Isa 36:10).
16 agreement . . . by . . . present--rather, "make peace with me"; literally, "blessing" so called from the mutual congratulations attending the ratification of peace. So Chaldee. Or else, "Do homage to me" [HORSLEY].
come out--surrender to me; then you may remain in quiet possession of your lands till my return from Egypt, when I will lead you away to a land fruitful as your own. Rab-shakeh tries to soften, in the eyes of the Jews, the well-known Assyrian policy of weakening the vanquished by deporting them to other lands (
Gen 47:21;
2Kgs 17:6).
19 Hamath . . . Arphad--(See on
Isa 10:9).
Sepharvaim--literally, "the two scribes"; now Sipphara, on the east of Euphrates, above Babylon. It was a just retribution (
Pro 1:31;
Jer 2:19). Israel worshipped the gods of Sepharvaim, and so colonists of Sepharvaim were planted in the land of Israel (thenceforth called Samaria) by the Assyrian conqueror (
2Kgs 17:24; compare
2Kgs 18:34).
Samaria--Shalmaneser began the siege against Hoshea, because of his conspiring with So of Egypt (
2Kgs 17:4). Sargon finished it; and, in his palace at Khorsabad, he has mentioned the number of Israelites carried captive--27,280 [G. V. SMITH].
20 (Compare
Isa 10:11;
2Chr 32:19). Here he contradicts his own assertion (
Isa 36:10), that he had "come up against the land with the Lord." Liars need good memories. He classes Jehovah with the idols of the other lands; nay, thinks Him inferior in proportion as Judah, under His tutelage, was less than the lands under the tutelage of the idols.
21 not a word--so as not to enter into a war of words with the blasphemer (
Exod 14:14;
Jude 1:9).
22 clothes rent--in grief and horror at the blasphemy (
Matt 26:65).