2 Kings 18 22

2 Kings 18:22 kjv

But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

2 Kings 18:22 nkjv

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 in Jerusalem'?" '

2 Kings 18:22 niv

But if you say to me, "We are depending on the LORD our God"?isn't he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, "You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem"?

2 Kings 18:22 esv

But if you say to me, "We trust in the LORD our God," is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, "You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem"?

2 Kings 18:22 nlt

"But perhaps you will say to me, 'We are trusting in the LORD our God!' But isn't he the one who was insulted by Hezekiah? Didn't Hezekiah tear down his shrines and altars and make everyone in Judah and Jerusalem worship only at the altar here in Jerusalem?

2 Kings 18 verses

2 Kings 18 22 Meaning

2 Kings 18:22 presents the Assyrian Rabshakeh's strategic attempt to undermine the faith of Judah. He challenges Hezekiah's religious reforms, specifically the removal of high places and altars, by portraying them not as acts of purification and centralization of true worship to Yahweh, but as offensive acts against "their God." The Rabshakeh suggests that by dismantling these worship sites, Hezekiah has alienated Judah's God, thus implying that their trust in Him is misplaced and futile, and that God Himself is displeased or weakened.

2 Kings 18 22 Context

This verse is a direct quote from the Rabshakeh, an Assyrian official and spokesperson for King Sennacherib, addressing the officials of King Hezekiah during the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem (701 BCE). Chapter 18 describes Sennacherib's invasion and Hezekiah's initial, failed attempts to appease him, leading to the Assyrian army at Jerusalem's doorstep. The Rabshakeh's speech is a psychological attack, designed to break the will of the Judahites by challenging their faith in Yahweh and their king. Hezekiah had, years prior, enacted sweeping religious reforms, centralizing worship in Jerusalem and destroying "high places" and "altars" throughout Judah, which had often been sites of idolatry or unauthorized Yahwistic worship, contravening the Mosaic law of a single chosen place of worship. The Rabshakeh cleverly (or ignorantly) misinterprets these reforms as a provocation to Judah's God, trying to convince the people that their own king has undermined their divine protection.

2 Kings 18 22 Word analysis

• And if you say to me, 'We trust in the Lord our God,'

  • And if: Signals a direct counter-argument, anticipating a Jewish plea or reliance on their God. Rabshakeh strategically pre-empts their spiritual defense.
  • say: Direct address, aiming to engage and manipulate the listeners.
  • to me: Establishes the Rabshakeh's perceived authority as the Assyrian king's envoy.
  • 'We trust': From the Hebrew verb בטח (bāṭaḥ), meaning to lean on, rely on, or be secure in. It implies confidence and unwavering dependence. Rabshakeh targets this foundational element of Israelite faith.
  • 'in the Lord our God,': Utilizes the divine names יְהֹוָה (YHWH), the covenant name, and אֱלֹהִים (ʾĚlōhīm), the general term for God. "Our God" acknowledges their unique covenant relationship. The Rabshakeh knows their divine focus, but misunderstands its implications from his pagan perspective.

• is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has removed, and has told Judah and Jerusalem, 'You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem'?

  • is it not He: A rhetorical question designed to elicit agreement by presenting a seemingly undeniable truth. Rabshakeh leverages his polytheistic worldview, where destroying places of worship would logically offend a deity.
  • high places: Hebrew בָּמֹות (bāmōt). These were elevated cult sites. For Israel, they often facilitated syncretistic practices (mixing Yahweh worship with pagan rituals) or illicit Yahwistic worship outside God's prescribed central sanctuary. Their removal by Hezekiah was an act of obedience and religious purification. Rabshakeh fails to grasp this nuance, seeing only the removal of religious sites.
  • altars: Hebrew מִזְבְּחֹות (mizbĕḥōt). Places of sacrifice. To Rabshakeh, more altars likely meant more religious devotion or access to the divine, contrasting sharply with Yahweh's demand for singular worship.
  • Hezekiah has removed: Hebrew הֵסִיר (hēsîr), "to take away, abolish." This refers to King Hezekiah's radical religious reforms, consistent with Deuteronomic law. Rabshakeh twisting this into an affront against God reveals his ignorance of Yahweh's unique demands.
  • has told Judah and Jerusalem, 'You shall worship': Hebrew תִּשְׁתַּחֲוּוּ (tištaḥawū), "you shall prostrate yourselves, worship." This highlights Hezekiah's policy of religious centralization.
  • before this altar in Jerusalem': Refers specifically to the altar in the Temple in Jerusalem. This was God's chosen place of worship as stipulated in the Mosaic Law. Rabshakeh frames this legitimate centralization as a limitation or diminution of divine worship, aligning with his polytheistic assumptions that deities prefer more worship sites, not a singular, purified one.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "We trust in the Lord our God," versus "He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has removed": This deliberately crafted juxtaposition presents a false dilemma. The Rabshakeh insinuates that Hezekiah's actions somehow contradict the nature or will of the very God Judah claims to trust. He leverages a pagan understanding of divinity and worship to challenge Judah's monotheistic conviction and their king's pious actions.
  • Rabshakeh's Misunderstanding: His rhetoric demonstrates a fundamental inability to comprehend Yahweh's covenantal requirements. His arguments are built on pagan premises, where gods demand diverse altars and are susceptible to human manipulation, rather than the exclusive, holy worship demanded by the Lord God of Israel (Deut 12). He presents an "alternative fact" that cleverly turns an act of obedience into an act of offense against God.

2 Kings 18 22 Bonus section

The Rabshakeh's speech is a masterclass in psychological warfare. Beyond just physical siege, Assyria employed a "war of words" to undermine the enemy's will. By directly appealing to the common people (speaking in Hebrew, 2 Kgs 18:26-28) and targeting their deeply held religious convictions, he aimed to isolate King Hezekiah and erode the people's confidence in divine protection. The specific detail of Hezekiah's reforms highlights a crucial tension in Israelite history: the persistent struggle between covenant purity (as advocated by prophets and Deuteronomy) and popular syncretism, often practiced at the high places. The fact that Rabshakeh, an outsider, noticed and attempted to weaponize these reforms underscores their significant impact. His error lay in applying his pagan multi-deity framework to Yahweh, the one true God who demands singular worship in spirit and truth. This interaction serves as a powerful biblical reminder that God's people must discerningly cling to truth when faced with accusations that cleverly twist righteous actions into unrighteous ones.

2 Kings 18 22 Commentary

2 Kings 18:22 captures the strategic verbal assault by the Assyrian Rabshakeh, aimed at psychologically breaking Judah's resolve. By misinterpreting King Hezekiah's vital religious reforms—the removal of high places and illicit altars—as an act of disrespect toward God, Rabshakeh cleverly introduces doubt. In ancient Near Eastern thought, more altars usually meant more divine favor or accessibility. Thus, Hezekiah's centralization of worship to the single altar in Jerusalem would appear counterproductive to a polytheist, even insulting to a deity. However, for Judah, these reforms were acts of covenant faithfulness, bringing their worship into conformity with the Law of Moses which prescribed one central sanctuary. Rabshakeh's polemic, though framed as theological insight, was propaganda based on pagan assumptions, revealing his ignorance of Yahweh's unique nature as a covenant God who demands exclusive worship and purity. His challenge underscores that Judah's true strength lay not in military might or strategic alliances, but in their pure trust in the singular, holy God of Israel.

• Example: This situation is akin to an adversary mischaracterizing an act of obedience to God (e.g., abstaining from certain cultural practices for biblical purity) as an act of narrow-mindedness or religious extremism, aiming to undermine one's faith or commitment.
• Example: Like when the world criticizes God's commands as restrictive, while believers know that obedience leads to true freedom and blessing.