ISAIAH
Prophecies related to the reign of Hezekiah
The book of Hezekiah (36-39)
(Awaiting revision)
This new section of the prophecies of Isaiah starts with chapters 36 to 39. These and the two following chapters are properly inserted in their historical setting. Chapters 36 to 39 have been called "the book of Hezekiah," and form the historical section of the book of Isaiah. Except for verses 9 to 20 of chapter 38, they are almost an exact repeat of 2 Kings, 17 18:13 to 20:19.
The circumstances of the reign of Hezekiah, mentioned in 2 Chronicles 32:32 as part of the "vision" of Isaiah, are therefore a compliment than Isaiah had predicted nearly thirty years before (Chapter 8:5-10), and which had alluded to subsequently (see Isaiah 10:12 the 19:33 .34, .25, 30 14:24:28.31 and 31:8). Chapters 36 and 37, dealing with the invasion and overthrow of Assyria, so do the consummation of chapters 7 to 35.
Chapters 38 and 39, on the other hand, concern the illness of Hezekiah, his recovery and failed, the historical basis of chapters 40 to 66. Chapters 36 and 37 are retrospective, and the chapters 38 and 39 are in prospect future facts. The four are clearly in your configuration outlined beautifully in the whole book. The fact that the whole passage is found in 2 Kings 18:13 the 20:19 does not provide any argument for the assumption that two or more authors compiled the book. The evidence that these chapters form the original narrative in 2 Kings show exactly the opposite.
Be that as it may, the fact remains that the chapters 36 and 37 shall inform the punishments that would begin to descend upon the nation of Israel because of his persistent rejection of the testimonies of God and his defiant rebellion against him, judgements that the Prophet had advised. In the reign of Hezekiah there was already the national corruption, and although there has been some restoration still very poor by the King, after the mercy of your recovery, it was evident that Judah would still have to be submitted to the disaster of the captivity.
All this, however, served to invoke the guarantee that no God would lay off your people permanently. Thus, the opening of the last section of the book, beginning with chapter 40, a large part of which is an extension of the blessings promised in chapter 35 and some previous passages, reveals the pleasure that God will be merciful and end the trial.
The King of Assyria invades Judah and threatens Jerusalem (36:1-22)
In chapter 36, Rabsaqué (lit. Head Butler, title used for a Governor or Chief of staff), sent by the King of Assyria, met with three delegates of King Hezekiah along the aqueduct of upper pool, on the road next to Neither camp. It's the same place where Ahaz had been when bowed to rely on Assyria instead of the Lord, to save him from the Alliance between Syria and Ephraim (Chapter 7:3).
The Rabsaqué told them that the Council and power of Judah were just empty words, and also trust in Egypt, because his army was weak and anyone could beat him. Any claim that they trusted in the Lord, I wouldn't be this one whose altars Hezekiah took, saying the people "before this altar worship?" (This was ignorance or deliberate misrepresentation; Hezekiah had removed the high places of the idols and worship of the Lord strengthened in the Temple).
The Rabsaqué the provoked further saying that the King of Judah could not provide enough Knights even if Sennacherib you donate 2000 horses. Since Judah was understaffed, how could they expect to defeat the Assyrians, even with the help of Egypt? Finally, argued falsely that the Lord himself had ordained to destroy Judah.
The emissaries of Hezekiah, fearing that the insolent threats of Rabsaqué spoken in Hebrew, were undermining the morale of the men of Judah, they asked him to speak in Aramaic. He not only refused, but declared that spoke for the people to hear, since it would be defeated and suffer with them.
Rabsaqué invited the people to surrender, said that not even you would Hezekiah deliver them and promised to leave them alone in their homes and eventually relocalizá them in a land of fertility equal.
He listed a number of conquered towns (including Samaria) whose gods had not been able to save them from the steamroller of Assyria and pointedly asks: what chance have they or the Lord of RID them?
Following the instructions of Hezekiah, the people answered him nothing, and their sent his robes as a sign torn with grief and returned to tell him the words of Rabsaqué.
R David Jones
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1 Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.
2 Then the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And he stood by the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller's Field.
3 And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to him.
4 Then the Rabshakeh said to them, "Say now to Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: "What confidence is this in which you trust?
5 I say you speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words. Now in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me?
6 Look! You are trusting in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.
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 said to Judah and Jerusalem, 'You shall worship before this altar'?" '
8 Now therefore, I urge you, give a pledge to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses—if you are able on your part to put riders on them!
9 How then will you repel one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen?
10 Have I now come up without the LORD against this land to destroy it? The LORD said to me, 'Go up against this land, and destroy it.' "
11 Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people who are on the wall."
12 But the Rabshakeh said, "Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat and drink their own waste with you?"
13 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out with a loud voice in Hebrew, and said, "Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!
14 Thus says the king: 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you;
15 nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, "The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria." '
16 Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: 'Make peace with me by a present and come out to me; and every one of you eat from his own vine and every one from his own fig tree, and every one of you drink the waters of his own cistern;
17 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
18 Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, "The LORD will deliver us." Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria?
19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Indeed, have they delivered Samaria from my hand?
20 Who among all the gods of these lands have delivered their countries from my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?' "
21 But they held their peace and answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, "Do not answer him."
22 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.
Isaiah chapter 36