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 eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;
Don't listen to Hezekiah! This is what the king of Assyria says: Make a peace deal with me by giving me a gift, and surrender to me. Then each of you can eat from your own vineyard and fig tree, and drink water from your own well.
The Assyrian king is trying to convince the people of Jerusalem to abandon their leader Hezekiah and surrender by promising them they can keep their personal property and live peacefully under his rule.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred around 701 BC when the powerful Assyrian empire under King Sennacherib had conquered most of Judah and was besieging Jerusalem. The Assyrian official was using psychological warfare, speaking directly to the people on the city walls to undermine their trust in King Hezekiah. This was a common tactic - offering seemingly generous terms to encourage surrender rather than enduring a costly siege.
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