2 Kings 18:23

_NOW THEREFORE, I PRAY THEE, GIVE PLEDGES TO MY LORD THE KING OF ASSYRIA, AND I WILL DELIVER THEE TWO THOUSAND HORSES, IF THOU BE ABLE ON THY PART TO SET RIDERS UPON THEM._ Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges, х_ HIT`AAREB_ (H6148), has, among other significations, that of giving security, or a pledge. But in Hithpael, with _ 'ET_ (H854) following, it denotes-`to enter into a contest,' That is the meaning here-`enter the lists with my lord the king of Assyria;' and so the Septuagint has: michtheete too kurioo mou basilei Assurioon]. AND I WILL DELIVER THEE TWO THOUSAND HORSES, IF THOU BE ABLE ... TO SET RIDERS UPON THEM. The challenge referred to Hezekiah's competency to furnish not two thousand fighting men-that he might readily have done-but two thousand cavalry soldiers. The Jews were deficient in this 'arm,' their mountainous country not b

17-37 Rabshakeh tries to convince the Jews, that it was to no purpose for them to stand it out. What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? It were well if sinners would submit to the force of this argument, in seeking peace with God. It is, therefore, our wisdom to yield to him, because it is in vain to contend with him: what confidence is that which those trust in who stand out against him? A great deal of art there is in this speech of Rabshakeh; but a great deal of pride, malice, falsehood, and blasphemy. Hezekiah's nobles held their peace. There is a time to keep silence, as well as a time to speak; and there are those to whom to offer any thing religious or rational, is to cast pearls before swine. Their silence made Rabshakeh yet more proud and secure. It is often best to leave such persons to rail and blaspheme; a decided expression of abhorrence is the best testimony against...

Verse 2 Kings 18:23. _I WILL DELIVER THEE TWO THOUSAND HORSES_] Another insult: Were I to give thee _two thousand_ Assyrian horses, thou couldst not find riders for them. How then canst thou think that thou shalt be able to stand against even the _smallest division of_ _my troops_?...

The phrase translated “give pledges,” or “hostages” (margin) may perhaps be best understood as meaning “make an agreement.” If you will “bind yourself to find the riders” (i. e., trained horsemen), we will “bind ourselves to furnish the horses.” The suggestion implied that in all Judaea there were not 2000 men accustomed to serve as cavalry....

EXPOSITION 18-25 THE HISTORY OF THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH AFTER THE FALL OF SAMARIA. 2 KINGS 18:1 THE ACCESSION OF HEZEKIAH. HIS SUCCESSES. HIS WAR WITH SENNACHERIB. 2 KINGS 18:1 THE EARLY YEARS Or HEZEKIAH. From his narrative of the destruction of the kingdom of Samaria, the writer

2 Kings 18:17...

IV. THE REIGN OF HEZEKIAH, MANASSEH AND AMON 1. Hezekiah and Sennacherib's Invasion CHAPTER 18 _ 1. Hezekiah, King of Judah (2 Kings 18:1; 2 Kings 2 Chron. 29-32)_ 2. The Revival (2 Kings 18:4) 3. Victory over the Philistines (2 Kings 18:8) 4. Israel's captivity (2 Kings 18:9) 5. Sennacherib's invasion (2 Kings 18:13) 6. Sennacherib's messengers and message ...

2 KINGS 18:13 TO 2 KINGS 19:37. SENNACHERIB'S CAMPAIGN. 2 Kings 18:13. In the fourteenth year: if Hezekiah began to reign five years before the fall of Samaria (722 B.C.), and Sennacherib did not succeed till 706 B.C., this date cannot be correct. The king of Assyria took upwards of 200,000 Jewish captives. 2 Kings 18:14. Lachish (p. 28) was besieged by Sennacherib, and his exploits there are depicted on a bas-relief in the British Museum. 2 Kings 18:16. which Hezekiah overlaid: Skinner asks, Should it be Solo

_Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord_ R.V. MY MASTER. The change conforms to verses 24 and 27 below. Having ridiculed any trust in Egypt, and expressed his opinion that Hezekiah could not expect help from Jehovah, after demolishing all the altars in the land, Rab-shakeh comes to his third argument. This is, -you have no forces to resist us". He puts this into the form of a taunt. The verb rendered -give pledges", has in its simpler voice, the sense of -mortgaging" or -giving something in pledge". In the present verse it appears to mean -pledge yourself", -put yourself under some penalty". And so the taunt is equivalent to saying: -You dare not undertake to find two thousand riders, if I offer you the horses for them. If you dare, then do it. The horses are ready; I challenge you to provide the men". _I will deliver_ R.V. GIVE. The verb is the one usually rendered -give",...

B. SENNACHERIB'S INITIAL SURRENDER DEMANDS 18:17-19:7 The Assyrian king was not satisfied with the tribute paid by Hezekiah. He wanted nothing less than the total surrender of Jerusalem. While he himself was engaged in military operations in the lowland region of Palestine, he sent an embassy to Jerusalem to demand capitulation (2 Kings 18:17-37). In response to the bombastic demands and blasphemous assertions of these pagans, Isaiah delivered an oracle promising deliverance for Judah (2 Kings 19:1-7). Whereas older commentators viewed the actions and words of the Assyrian envoys in this section as improbable, more recent scholars have been forced to concede the historical verisimilitude of 2 Kings 18:17