2 Kings 18 32

2 Kings 18:32 kjv

Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The LORD will deliver us.

2 Kings 18:32 nkjv

until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive groves and honey, that you may live and not die. But do not listen to Hezekiah, lest he persuade you, saying, "The LORD will deliver us."

2 Kings 18:32 niv

until I come and take you to a land like your own?a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life and not death! "Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, 'The LORD will deliver us.'

2 Kings 18:32 esv

until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, "The LORD will deliver us."

2 Kings 18:32 nlt

Then I will arrange to take you to another land like this one ? a land of grain and new wine, bread and vineyards, olive groves and honey. Choose life instead of death! "Don't listen to Hezekiah when he tries to mislead you by saying, 'The LORD will rescue us!'

2 Kings 18 verses

2 Kings 18 32 Meaning

This verse presents Rabshakeh's deceptive offer to the people of Judah, besieged in Jerusalem by the Assyrian army. It is a cynical promise of relocation to a land seemingly as desirable as their own, abundant with essential provisions like grain, new wine, bread, vineyards, olive trees, and honey. The underlying purpose is to convince them to surrender, appealing to their immediate need for survival ("that you may live and not die") under the guise of benevolence, while masking the brutal Assyrian policy of forced deportation and cultural assimilation. It is a psychological tactic designed to break their will and trust in Yahweh.

2 Kings 18 32 Context

This verse is part of the inflammatory speech delivered by Rabshakeh, a high official and propagandist of King Sennacherib of Assyria, to the people of Jerusalem. The immediate context is Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah (around 701 BC). Rabshakeh's strategy is not direct military attack at this moment, but psychological warfare: to demoralize the Judeans, undermine their faith in King Hezekiah and, crucially, their God Yahweh, and convince them to surrender.

Chapter 18 describes Sennacherib's campaign against Judah. Hezekiah initially attempts to appease Sennacherib with tribute (v. 13-16). However, this fails to deter the Assyrians, who then send a large army to besiege Jerusalem. Rabshakeh is sent to deliver an intimidating message, questioning Hezekiah's trust in Egypt (v. 21), claiming God's disfavor upon Jerusalem (v. 25), and directly challenging Yahweh's power by listing the gods of other conquered nations that could not deliver their people (v. 33-35). Verse 32 is part of his seductive plea directly to the people, offering them a tempting alternative to starvation and death under siege: an equivalent land where they can "live and not die." This offer leverages a profound fear of death and deprivation common during sieges, presenting a seemingly benevolent alternative. It is a direct polemic against God's covenant with Israel regarding the Promised Land, implying that Assyria can provide what Judah's God can no longer guarantee, thus portraying Yahweh as weak or irrelevant compared to Assyrian power.

2 Kings 18 32 Word analysis

• "until I come and take you away": This phrase reveals the Assyrian policy of forced deportation. It is not an invitation to a new home but a threat of involuntary resettlement. The word "take you away" (לקח qalaq, a primitive root; properly to take, implies a forceful capture or taking possession, often without consent, signifying captivity) signifies removal, not voluntary migration. This was a common and brutal practice of the Assyrian empire, aimed at breaking the national and religious identity of conquered peoples and preventing rebellion by scattering populations.

• "to a land like your own land": This is the core of Rabshakeh's deception. While on the surface it promises familiarity and equivalence (אדמה ka'ădamah, land), it fundamentally negates God's covenant with Israel concerning their specific Promised Land (ארץ eretz). The Assyrians were known for deporting populations to distant lands, alienating them from their heritage, often less productive for them. Rabshakeh cleverly plays on the desire for security and familiarity while offering a deceptive substitute. It’s a "like" but not "the same" – crucial for understanding the deception.

• "a land of grain": Hebrew דגן (dagan). This refers to cereal crops, a staple for bread, essential for survival. It emphasizes agricultural abundance.

• "and new wine": Hebrew תירוש (tirosh). This refers to freshly pressed, unfermented wine. It signifies blessing, celebration, and agricultural prosperity (e.g., Deut 7:13; Pro 3:10). Its inclusion underscores the promise of rich agricultural output beyond mere sustenance.

• "a land of bread": Hebrew לחם (lechem). A fundamental sustenance, literally "food" but specifically bread here, produced from grain. This reinforces the promise of abundant provision.

• "and vineyards": Hebrew כרם (kerem). Land used for growing grapes, yielding wine. This repeats and emphasizes the promise of abundant grapes/wine.

• "a land of olive trees": Hebrew זית (zayit) refers to the olive tree, specifically for oil (יצהר yitshar as in Deut 8:8 which specifically mentions yitshar - fresh oil from olives). Olive oil was crucial for food, light, and anointing in ancient Israel. It symbolized prosperity and divine blessing in the Promised Land.

• "and honey": Hebrew דבש (devash). Refers to fruit syrup (often from dates or figs) or actual beehoney. Paired with "milk" (though not mentioned in this verse directly, the "land of milk and honey" phrase is a cultural touchstone), honey symbolized extraordinary fertility and sweetness of the land (Exo 3:8, Deu 8:8).

• "that you may live and not die": This phrase is a powerful emotional appeal during a siege. It highlights the stark choice Rabshakeh presents: surrender and "live," or resist and "die." It's a calculated attempt to sow fear and override their commitment to God and king by appealing to basic human instinct for survival. This also implies that resisting Assyria (and by extension, trusting in Yahweh for deliverance) would inevitably lead to their demise.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey": This extended description is designed to evoke the promises associated with the biblical Promised Land. It mirrors descriptions in Deuteronomy (e.g., Deut 8:7-9), creating a convincing, yet utterly false, parallel. Rabshakeh understands the deep spiritual and national attachment of the Judeans to their land and its promised abundance under God's blessing. He attempts to offer a human-sourced, manipulative imitation of God's covenant blessings.

2 Kings 18 32 Bonus section

The description of the "land" Rabshakeh promises, while seeming positive, lacks a crucial element present in the biblical descriptions of the Promised Land: "milk." The "land flowing with milk and honey" is a specific theological term representing God's abundant blessing and favor. By omitting "milk" (חלב chalav) here, Rabshakeh's otherwise detailed description remains an imitation, subtly falling short of the divine promise. This may be an oversight by him or a subconscious admission that Assyria could never replicate the divine nature of God's provision. The true Promised Land was a place of rest, security, and covenant fulfillment, something Assyrian deportation, driven by cruelty and conquest, could never provide. The proposal also implicitly contrasts Assyria's perceived power with Yahweh's seeming inability to prevent the siege, serving to blaspheme God.

2 Kings 18 32 Commentary

Rabshakeh's address in 2 Kings 18:32 is a masterful display of ancient psychological warfare, designed to fracture the will of a besieged people. It blends truth (the Assyrian power to remove them) with blatant lies (the supposed benevolence of such removal and the equivalence of the land). His promise of "a land like your own land" loaded with specific agricultural riches like grain, new wine, bread, vineyards, olive trees, and honey, directly imitates God's covenantal descriptions of the Promised Land given to Israel (Deuteronomy 8:7-9). This was a deliberate attempt to present Assyria as a substitute for Yahweh, suggesting that King Sennacherib could provide security and blessing that Judah's own God apparently could not. The core lie is that forced exile could ever replicate the covenantal relationship of God with His people in His promised inheritance. "That you may live and not die" is a sharp blade of fear, cutting through Hezekiah's appeals for trust in God, aiming to replace faith with survival instinct. The entire offer, despite its enticing description of plenty, represents a surrender to an idolatrous power, effectively choosing earthly convenience over covenant faithfulness. It highlights the insidious nature of temptations that offer a tangible, immediate benefit, which ultimately leads to spiritual compromise or slavery.