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
In the 8th century BC, the Assyrian Empire under King Sennacherib was invading Judah and besieging Jerusalem after King Hezekiah had rebelled against them. The Assyrians sent messengers to demoralize the people and persuade them to surrender by promising peace and prosperity, using familiar images of abundance like eating from one's own vine and fig tree. This tactic was a common strategy in ancient warfare to exploit cultural ideals of security and self-sufficiency.
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