Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 36:16
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;
16. Make an agreement with me by a present ] R.V. Make peace with me. Lit. “Make to me a blessing” (see R.V. marg.). The expression does not occur elsewhere, and its exact sense is doubtful. Probably “make peaceful submission to me.”
come out to me ] The ordinary phrase for the surrender of a city (1Sa 11:3; Jer 21:9, &c.). and eat ] that ye may eat. If they will but yield now, they may at once resume the cultivation of their fields and orchards.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Hearken not to Hezekiah – Do not listen to his entreaties to confide in him, and in Yahweh; do not unite with him in endeavoring to make any resistance or opposition to us.
Make an agreement with me by a present – The Septuagint read this, Ei boulesthe eulogethenai – If you wish to be blessed, or happy, come out to me. The Hebrew is literally, Make with me a blessing ( berakah). The idea of its being done by a present, is not in the Hebrew text. The word blessing here probably means the same as peace. Make peace with me, perhaps because peace was regarded as a blessing; and perhaps the word is used with a reference to one of the significations of: barak, which is to kneel down, and this word may refer to their kneeling down; that is, to their offering allegiance to the king of Assyria. The former is, however, the more probable sense, that the word means peace, because this was an evident blessing, or would be the source of rich blessings to them. It is not, however, used in this sense elsewhere in the Bible. The Chaldee renders it, Make peace ( shalama’) with me.
And come out to me – Surrender yourselves to me. It is evident, however, that he did not mean that be would then remove them from their city and country, but he demanded a surrender, intending to come and remove them at some other period Isa 36:17.
And eat ye every one of his own vine – An emblem of safety, when every man might be permitted to partake of the fruit of his own labor. All that he now professed to desire was, that they should surrender the city, and give up their means of defense, and then he would leave them in security and quietness, until it should please his master to come and remove them to a land as fertile as their own.
And drink ye every one – Another emblem of security and happiness. This promise was made to induce them to surrender. On the one hand, he threatened them with the dreadful evils of famine if they refused and allowed their city to be besieged Isa 36:12; and on the other, he promised them, for a time at least, a quiet and secure residence in their own city, and then a removal to a land not inferior to their own.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 16. Make an agreement] berachah, make a blessing with me; i.e., Give me a ransom for the city, and I will not destroy it; give me the yearly tribute thou hast promised.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
16. agreement . . . by . . .presentrather, “make peace with me”;literally, “blessing” so called from the mutualcongratulations attending the ratification of peace. SoChaldee. Or else, “Do homage to me”[HORSLEY].
come outsurrender tome; then you may remain in quiet possession of your lands till myreturn from Egypt, when I will lead you away to a land fruitful asyour own. Rab-shakeh tries to soften, in the eyes of the Jews, thewell-known Assyrian policy of weakening the vanquished by deportingthem to other lands (Gen 47:21;2Ki 17:6).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Hearken not to Hezekiah,…. To his exhortations and persuasions to trust in the Lord; nor would he have them obey him in things civil, any more than hearken to him in things sacred, though their liege lord and sovereign; for his view and endeavour were to stir them up to mutiny and rebellion; and so the Targum,
“do not obey Hezekiah:”
or receive any orders from him, or pay any regard to them:
for thus saith the king of Assyria, make an agreement with me by a present; or, “make a blessing with me” i; either send a large and liberal gift to secure his favour, and their happiness; a most insolent and unrighteous demand this, when he had already received three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold, to withdraw his army; or make a blessed peace with me; suggesting that it would turn more to their account to give up themselves to him, than to be in the condition they were; so the Targum,
“make peace with me:”
this sense Ben Melech gives; and the Septuagint version is, “if ye would be blessed” k, or happy,
come out to me; forsake your king, throw off your allegiance to him, surrender yourselves and city to me:
and eat ye everyone of his vine, and everyone of his fig tree: and drink ye everyone the waters of his own cistern; promising liberty and property, but does not tell them how long they should enjoy them; he signifies that they should enjoy everything that was necessary, convenient, and delightful; vines and fig trees are mentioned, because common in Judea, and all had cisterns near them for their use; unless this last clause is to be understood of everyone having their own wives; see Pr 5:15 as the other clauses may design the enjoyment of their estates and possessions, without any molestation or infringement of them; see Mic 4:4.
i “facit mecum benedictionem”, V. L. Pagninus, Montanus. k , Sept.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
16. Do not listen to Hezekiah. While he labors to turn away the hearts of the people from Hezekiah, he at the same time invites them to pleasures, that they may forget God and not expect anything from him. It is as if he had said, “Do not believe God, but rather believe my king.” Thus Satan deals with us; for, darkening the goodness of God by his clouds, and holding out to us the masks of false hope, he secretly and indirectly creeps into the place of God, or employs creatures to entangle us in his nets. He holds out pleasures, and some kind of more agreeable life, with this boast, “God shews it to you at a distance, I present it to you.”
Though Hezekiah is mentioned, yet the comparison is actually made between God and the king of Assyria; for Hezekiah, as he was the servant of God, made no false pretensions, and did not boast of any vain confidence, but, relying on true and most certain promises, faithfully exhorted the people to seek God; but Rabshakeh adorned his king by robbing God, and yet was the servant of Satan, to withdraw the people from confidence in God to all impiety.
Make with me a blessing. (41) “To make a blessing” is to conduct themselves in a friendly manner; as if he had said, “Do not give any hostile indication, or risk a battle. Surrender, make your submission to my king.” Sennacherib does not merely demand that he shall be heard, but likewise that the people shall swear allegiance to hint; and, in order to allure them to him the more powerfully, he makes use of the word blessing as a cloak to that bondage which was in itself hateful. He bids them purchase a quiet life, and other conveniencies which they formerly enjoyed, by that miserable revolt; that is, by forsaking Hezekiah and going out to him; for to revolt from a pious king, whom God had appointed, and who was a type of Christ, was more wretched and miserable than anything else that could befall them, and could not take place without denying God himself, who had set up in Judea that token of heavenly favor.
(41) “Make [an agreement] with me [by] a present, or seek my favor by a present. — Hebrews Make with me a blessing. — Eng. Ver. εἰ βούλεσθε σὐλογηθὢναι “if you wish to be blessed.” — Sept. “Come out to me for the sake of peace, and bless me, and bring me a peace-offering.” — Jarchi. ברכה (berachah,) blessing is here figuratively used for peace; for since blessings commonly ran in this form, Peace to thee, to you, it appears that peace was called blessing. The Chaldee interpreter has therefore rendered it correctly, — עבדו עמי שלמא, (guabdu gnimmi shalma,) make peace with me.” — Rosenmuller.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
“Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria.”
The contrast is again drawn out. On the one hand this nonentity Hezekiah, on the other the king of Assyria. Whose word are they going to listen to?
Isa 36:16
“Make a blessing with me, and come out to me.”
The blessing was a form of greeting, thus he is saying here, ‘Greet me in a welcoming way, and come out and receive me.’ It was a specific offer that if they did so they would be dealt with leniently. Alternately it may mean ‘make a pact with me and thereby receive a blessing’.
Isa 36:16
“And eat every man of his own vine, and every one of his own fig tree, and drink everyone the waters of his own cistern.”
Let them but surrender and they will immediately again have access to all their possessions, and food and water in plenty. He is seeking to appeal to their recognition of the hardships of the siege, and to their personal interests. All must have had nightmares about what was happening to their fields and vineyards. And they could have them again as soon as they surrendered.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Isa 36:16. Make an agreement with me. Make peace with me. Vitringa. The full meaning of the next phrase, come out to me, is, rejoice in your liberty. He invites the people, now shut up through fear within the walls of Jerusalem, to make a treaty of peace with him, and thus to enjoy their liberty without fear or danger.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
every one = man, as in Isa 36:6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Make an agreement with me by a present: or, Seek my favour by a present, Heb. Make with me a blessing, Gen 32:20, Gen 33:11, 1Sa 25:27, 2Sa 8:6, 2Ki 5:15, 2Ki 18:31, 2Co 9:5, *marg.
come out: 1Sa 11:3, 2Ki 24:12-16
eat ye: 1Ki 4:20, 1Ki 4:25, Mic 4:4, Zec 3:10
Reciprocal: Jdg 3:15 – sent a present 1Sa 11:1 – Make 2Sa 8:2 – brought gifts 1Ki 10:25 – every man
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
36:16 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make {l} [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;
(l) The Hebrew word signifies blessing, by which this wicked captain would have persuaded the people, that their condition would be better under Sennacherib than under Hezekiah.