Isaiah 36:4-10
Summary for Isa 36:4-22: 36:4-22 a The Assyrian chief of staff attempted to use intimidation to negotiate a settlement without bloodshed. In his first speech (36:4-10 b), he rightly argued against Egypt’s ability to rescue but wrongly charged Hezekiah with misplaced trust in the Lord. Strikingly, the Assyrian did not see the contest as being between the gods of Assyria and the Lord but rather between Sennacherib—the great king—and the Lord. 36:4 c Great king is a title similar to emperor.36:5 d Who are you counting on: Judah had asked Egypt to help them (see 30:1-5 e).
36:6 f Egypt ... is completely unreliable: Isaiah argued the same case, pointing to the Lord as the only reliable source of help (31:1-3 g, 7 h; 39:7 i).
• A kind of reed that breaks easily grows near the Nile (see Ezek 29:6-7 j).
36:7 k We are trusting in the Lord our God: Ironically, the Assyrian chief of staff knew about and played on Isaiah’s message (26:4 l; 36:15 m; 37:10 n).
• Hezekiah showed his zeal for the Lord by tearing down the pagan shrines and altars (2 Kgs 18:4 o), but the Assyrians mistakenly thought Hezekiah had angered God in the process.
36:8 p At this time, cavalry mounted on horses was the newest military technology. The Assyrian chief of staff was mocking the Judeans because he knew that Judah had no trained men who knew how to ride.
36:10 q The Lord himself told us: It was common for a king to claim the approval of a deity in destroying other kingdoms. This claim was consistent with Isaiah’s prophecy in 10:5-6 r.
Copyright information for
TNotes