Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The LORD our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
Isn't Hezekiah trying to convince you to let yourselves die of hunger and thirst by saying, 'The LORD our God will rescue us from the king of Assyria'?
The Assyrian king is trying to shake the people's faith by claiming that trusting God will only lead to their death through starvation.
📚 Historical Context
In the 8th century BC, King Hezekiah of Judah was confronting a massive invasion by the Assyrian Empire under King Sennacherib, who sought to conquer Jerusalem and force surrender. Assyrian messengers spread propaganda to undermine Hezekiah's leadership, accusing him of deceiving the people by claiming that God would deliver them, which they warned would lead to starvation and thirst if resistance continued. This was part of a broader psychological strategy to break the morale of the Judeans and highlight the Assyrians' military dominance.
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