Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern:
Don't listen to Hezekiah! This is what the king of Assyria says: Make a deal with me by giving me a gift, and come out to me. Then each of you can eat from your own grapevine and fig tree, and drink water from your own well.
The Assyrian king is trying to convince the people of Jerusalem to surrender by promising them they can keep their homes and enjoy their own food and water if they make a deal with him.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem around 701 BC, when the powerful Assyrian empire under Sennacherib was threatening the kingdom of Judah. The Assyrian official called the Rabshakeh was speaking directly to the people on the walls of Jerusalem, trying to undermine their trust in King Hezekiah and convince them to surrender. This was a common psychological warfare tactic used by ancient armies to avoid costly sieges.
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