Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.
Now then, I ask you to make a deal with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you two thousand horses if you can find enough riders to put on them.
The Assyrian commander is mocking Judah's military weakness by offering them horses they don't have enough trained soldiers to ride.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem around 701 BC, when the powerful Assyrian army surrounded the city during King Hezekiah's reign. The Assyrian field commander (called the Rabshakeh) was using psychological warfare, taunting the people of Jerusalem by highlighting their military inferiority. Horses were crucial for ancient warfare, but having horses without skilled cavalry was useless.
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