Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 18:22
But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: [is] not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?
22. We trust in the Lord our God ] Probably Rab-shakeh knew something about the character of Egypt and her ability and likeliness to help. ‘Rahab that sitteth still’ (Isa 30:7 R.V.) was a name probably not undeserved. But now he enters on a matter which he does not understand. He had heard no doubt of the many altars and high places which Hezekiah had swept away in the beginning of his reign, and he might have been told by some, who murmured at their removal, and urged that Jehovah was really worshipped at them, that the king had put down many altars of the true God, and for a fancy of his own had ordered all his subjects to worship in Jerusalem. But he did not, probably could not, comprehend that the law of Jehovah had long before ordained that when His worship should be brought to its true form among His people, there should be only one temple for the whole land. Hence his argument is ‘How can you expect Jehovah to help you, when you have been breaking down His shrines and limiting His worship to a single spot’?
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The destruction of numerous shrines and altars where Yahweh had been worshipped 2Ki 18:4 seemed to the Rab-shakeh conduct calculated not to secure the favor, but to call forth the anger, of the god. At any rate, it was conduct which he knew had been distasteful to many of Hezekiahs subjects.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 22. Whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away] This was artfully malicious. Many of the people sacrificed to Jehovah on the high places; Hezekiah had removed them, (2Kg 18:4), because they were incentives to idolatry: Rab-shakeh insinuates that by so doing he had offended Jehovah, deprived the people of their religious rights, and he could neither expect the blessing of God nor the cooperation of the people.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away; thereby robbing him of that worship and service which he had in those places. Thus boldly he speaks of these things which he understood not, judging of the great God by their false and petty gods; and judging of Gods worship according to the vain fancies of the heathens, who measured piety by the multitude of altars.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
[See comments on 2Ki 18:17]
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(22) But if ye say.The address seems to turn abruptly from Hezekiah to his ministers, and to the garrison of Jerusalem in general. But the LXX., Syriac, Arabic, and Isa. 36:7 have the singular, But if thou say, which is probably original. (Hezekiah is presently mentioned in the third person, to avoid ambiguity.)
In the Lord our God.The emphatic words of the clause.
Whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away.This is just the construction which a heathen would naturally put on Hezekiahs abolition of the local sanctuaries. (2Ki. 18:4; 2Ch. 31:1.) The Assyrians would appear to have heard of Hezekiahs reformation, As he was a vassal of the great king, no doubt his proceedings were watched with jealous interest.
Ye shall worship . . . in Jerusalem?Literally, Before this altar shall ye worship, at Jerusalem. The great altar of burnt offering was to be the one altar, and Jerusalem the one city, where Jehovah might be worshipped.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
22. If ye say Here Rab-shakeh addresses more directly the three officers of Hezekiah, as also the other people on the wall. The parallel passage in Isaiah (Isa 36:7) reads, if thou say.
Whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away Rab-shakeh assumes that the removal of the high places and their altars was an offence to Jehovah, as was also the restricting of his worship to the altar in Jerusalem, and he argues that God would not favour a people whose king was guilty of such sacrilege and impiety. Compare 2Ch 32:12.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ki 18:22 But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: [is] not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?
Ver. 22. But if ye say unto me, We trust in the Lord our God. ] Thus he thinks to beat them off all their holds, that he may bring them to the bent of his bow. Satan doth the like: “whom resist steadfast in the faith.”
Is not that he whose high places, &c.?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
if ye say. Isa 36:7. If thou say. Spoken to one, but meant for all.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
We trust: 2Ki 18:5, Dan 3:15, Mat 27:43
whose high places: 2Ki 18:4, 2Ch 31:1, 2Ch 32:12, Isa 36:7, 1Co 2:15
Reciprocal: Num 23:1 – seven altars Jos 22:29 – to build 1Ki 3:3 – only he 1Ki 22:43 – the high 2Ki 18:19 – What confidence 2Ki 18:30 – make you 2Ki 21:3 – the high places 1Ch 22:1 – and this is the altar 2Ch 15:8 – the altar of the Lord 2Ch 30:14 – altars
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ki 18:22. But if ye say, We trust in the Lord His weak arguing here proceeds from his ignorance of that God in whom Hezekiah trusted, and of his law. Is not that he whose high places, &c., Hezekiah hath taken away? Thereby robbing him of that worship and service which he had in those places. Thus he speaks boldly of those things which he understood not, calling that a crime which was a great virtue, and judging of the great God by their false and petty gods, and of Gods worship according to the vain fancies of the heathen, who measured piety by the multitude of altars.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
18:22 But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: [is] not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath {h} taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?
(h) Thus the idolaters think that God’s religion is destroyed, when superstition and idolatry are reformed.