Isaia 36:16-22

16 Non date retta ad Ezechia, perché così dice il re d’Assiria: Fate la pace con me, arrendetevi, e ciascun di voi mangerà della sua vite e del suo fico, e berrà dell’acqua della sua cisterna,

17 finch’io venga a menarvi in un paese simile al vostro: paese di grano e di vino, paese di pane e di vigne.

18 Guardate ch’Ezechia non vi seduca, dicendo: L’Eterno ci libererà. Ha qualcuno degli dèi delle nazioni potuto liberare il suo paese dalle mani del re d’Assiria?

19 Dove sono gli dèi di Hamath e d’Arpad? Dove sono gli dèi di Sefarvaim? Hanno essi forse liberata Samaria dalle mie mani?

20 Fra tutti gli dèi di quei paesi, quali son quelli che abbian liberato il loro paese dalle mie mani? E l’Eterno avrebbe a liberare Gerusalemme dalle mie mani?"

21 E quelli si tacquero e non risposero verbo, perché il re aveva dato quest’ordine: "Non gli rispondete".

22 Ed Eliakim, figliuolo di Hilkia, prefetto del palazzo, Scebna, il segretario, e Joah, figliuolo d’Asaf, l’archivista, vennero ad Ezechia con le vesti stracciate, e gli riferirono le parole di Rabshake.

Isaia 36:16-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 36

In this chapter we have an account of the king Assyria's invasion of Judea, and of the railing speech of Rabshakeh his general, to discourage the ministers and subjects of the king of Judah. The time and success of the invasion are observed in Isa 36:1 the messenger the former king sent to the latter, and from whence, and with whom, he conferred, Isa 36:2,3, the speech of the messenger, which consists of two parts; the first part is directed to the ministers of Hezekiah, showing the vain confidence of their prince in his counsels and strength for war, in the king of Egypt, and in his chariots and horsemen, and even in the Lord himself, pretending that he came by his orders to destroy the land, Isa 36:4-10. The other part is directed to the common people on the wall, he refusing to speak in the Syrian language, as desired, Isa 36:11,12, dissuading them from hearkening to Hezekiah to their own deception; persuading them to come into an agreement with him for their own safety and good; observing to them that none of the gods of the nations could deliver them out of his master's hands, and therefore it was in vain for them to expect deliverance from the Lord their God, Isa 36:13-20, to which neither ministers nor people returned any answer; but the former went with their clothes rent to Hezekiah, and reported what had been said, Isa 36:21,22.