KJV ORIGINAL
And am I now come up without the LORD against this land to destroy it? the LORD said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Do you think I came to attack this land without the LORD's permission? The LORD himself told me, 'Go and attack this land and destroy it.'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
The Assyrian commander is claiming that God himself commanded him to attack Jerusalem and destroy it.
📚 Historical Context
This is part of the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem around 701 BC, when the powerful Assyrian army surrounded the city. The Assyrian field commander (called the Rabshakeh) was trying to demoralize the people of Jerusalem by claiming that their own God had actually sent the Assyrians to destroy them. This was a common psychological warfare tactic used by ancient armies to break the enemy's will to fight.
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