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
In the 8th century BC, the Assyrian Empire under King Sennacherib was aggressively expanding and besieging Jerusalem as part of its conquest of Judah. King Hezekiah of Judah was leading resistance against this invasion, relying on his alliance with God, while Assyrian envoys were sent to undermine his authority by tempting the people with promises of peace. These offers were deceptive tactics in a larger campaign of intimidation, as Assyria sought to conquer without a full battle.
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