Isaiah 36:16

16 Do not ye hear Hezekiah. For why the king of Assyrians saith these things, Make ye blessing with me, and go ye out to me; and eat ye each man his vinery, and each man his fig tree, and drink ye each man the water of his cistern, (Do not ye listen to Hezekiah. For the king of Assyria saith these things, Make ye peace with me, and come ye out to me; and then each person shall eat the fruit of his own vine, and the figs from his own fig tree, and drink the water from his own cistern,)

Isaiah 36:16 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 36:16

Hearken not to Hezekiah
To his exhortations and persuasions to trust in the Lord; nor would he have them obey him in things civil, any more than hearken to him in things sacred, though their liege lord and sovereign; for his view and endeavour were to stir them up to mutiny and rebellion; and so the Targum,

``do not obey Hezekiah:''

or receive any orders from him, or pay any regard to them: for thus saith the king of Assyria, make an agreement with me by a
present;
or, "make a blessing with me" ^F9; either send a large and liberal gift to secure his favour, and their happiness; a most insolent and unrighteous demand this, when he had already received three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold, to withdraw his army; or make a blessed peace with me; suggesting that it would turn more to their account to give up themselves to him, than to be in the condition they were; so the Targum, ``make peace with me:'' this sense Ben Melech gives; and the Septuagint version is, "if ye would be blessed" ^F11, or happy, come out to me;
forsake your king, throw off your allegiance to him, surrender yourselves and city to me: and eat ye everyone of his vine, and everyone of his fig tree: and
drink ye everyone the waters of his own cistern;
promising liberty and property, but does not tell them how long they should enjoy them; he signifies that they should enjoy everything that was necessary, convenient, and delightful; vines and fig trees are mentioned, because common in Judea, and all had cisterns near them for their use; unless this last clause is to be understood of everyone having their own wives; see ( Proverbs 5:15 ) as the other clauses may design the enjoyment of their estates and possessions, without any molestation or infringement of them; see ( Micah 4:4 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 (hkrb yta wve) "facit mecum benedictionem", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus.
F11 (ei boulesye euloghyhnai) , Sept.

Isaiah 36:16 In-Context

14 The king saith these things, Hezekiah deceive not you, for he may not deliver you; (The king saith these things, Let not Hezekiah deceive you, for he cannot save you;)

15 and Hezekiah give not to you trust on the Lord, and say, The Lord delivering shall deliver us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyrians. (and let not Hezekiah make you to trust in the Lord, and say, The Lord rescuing shall save us; and this city shall not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.)

16 Do not ye hear Hezekiah. For why the king of Assyrians saith these things, Make ye blessing with me, and go ye out to me; and eat ye each man his vinery, and each man his fig tree, and drink ye each man the water of his cistern, (Do not ye listen to Hezekiah. For the king of Assyria saith these things, Make ye peace with me, and come ye out to me; and then each person shall eat the fruit of his own vine, and the figs from his own fig tree, and drink the water from his own cistern,)

17 till I come, and take away you to a land which is as your land; to a land of wheat and of wine, to a land of loaves and of vineries. (until I come, and take you away to a land which is like your land; to a land full of corn, or of grain, and wine, a land full of loaves and of vineyards.)

18 Hezekiah trouble not you, and say, The Lord shall deliver us. Whether the gods of folks delivered (to) each his land from the hand of the king of Assyrians? (Let not Hezekiah trouble you, and say, The Lord shall save us. Did any of the gods of these other nations rescue their lands from the hands, or the power, of the king of Assyria?)