Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 36:18
[Beware] lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
18 20. The long record of Assyrian conquest shews the folly of Hezekiah’s trust in Divine power. Cf. ch. Isa 10:9-11.
persuade ] Rather, beguile.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Hath any of the gods of the nations … – This is said to show them the impossibility, as he supposed, of being delivered from the arm of the king of Assyria. He had conquered all before him, and not even the gods of the nations had been able to rescue the lands where they were worshipped from the hands of the victorious invader. He inferred, therefore, that Yahweh, the God of Palestine, could not save their land.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you,…. To trust in the Lord, stand up in your own defence and not listen to these proposals; or, lest he “deceive you” m; with vain words; whom he would represent not only as not being their lawful king, and therefore never gives him that title, but also as a deceiver and impostor, of whom they should be cautious, and guard against:
saying, the Lord will deliver us; and therefore need not fear the boasts and threats, the force and fury, of the enemy:
hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land; over whom he presided, and to whom the people of it were devotees:
out of the hand of the king of Assyria? this reasoning would have had some weight in it had the Lord God of Israel been like the gods of the nations, but he is not; he is the Former and Maker of all things, and sits in the heavens, and does whatsoever he pleases in heaven and in earth; and therefore, though they could not deliver their nations that worshipped them, it did not follow that the God of Israel could not deliver Hezekiah and his people.
m “ne forte decipiat vos”, Calvin, Vatablus; “ne seducat vos”, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
18. Lest perhaps Hezekiah deceive you. This is another argument different from the former, by which he endeavors to withdraw the people from Hezekiah and from confidence in God. Formerly he boasted that he was God’s servant, and that God had sent him to destroy Judea, and on that ground he assured himself of certain victory; but now he openly insults God himself. At the first onset wicked men do not usually betray their scorn and impiety, but at length the Lord makes known their dispositions, and constrains them to discover the venom of their own heart. Now therefore the wicked Rabshakeh bursts forth with greater violence, and boasts that he will gain the victory over God himself.
Have any of the gods of the nations rescued their land? He speaks in the person of his master, that he had obtained great victories over many and powerful nations. They had their “gods,” by whose protection they thought that they were defended; and therefore Sennacherib thought that he had vanquished the “gods” themselves, because he had vanquished the nations which relied on their aid. The consequence is, that he breaks out into such insolence as not to hesitate to compare himself to the living God, and is impelled by such rage that he brings his own strength into conflict with the power of God.
Thus, although at first wicked men conceal their contempt of God, yet they afterwards shew that they claim everything for themselves, and that they are “without God.” (44) (Eph 2:12.) In words, indeed, they pretend to ascribe victories to their idols; but afterwards, as Habakkuk says, they
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sacrifice to their net, and offer incense to their drag.” (Hab 1:16.)
We see hypocrites do this also at the present day; for they run to do honor to their idols after having obtained a victory, but immediately afterwards boast of their plans, and wisdom, and courage, and military forces; which plainly shews that they ascribe to themselves and not to their idols all that has happened.
By such insolent boasting, therefore, he shewed that it was a lie, when he said that he acknowledged God to be the author of his victories. Besides, it was impossible that these words should not give dreadful agony to the heart of the good king, when he was informed that the promises of God were condemned as false, when that wicked man openly insuited God and linked their cause with idols. And these things are related, in order that we may behold the patience of the good king, and may resolve to imitate him when anything of the same kind shall take place.
Have they delivered? When he sets himself in opposition to all the gods, and declares that he is more powerful than they are, this is so much at variance with common sense, that it is abhorred even by wicked men themselves; yet if the Lord press hard upon them, if he put them to the torture, he speedily extorts from them such language. When they make a premeditated speech, they pretend that they are worshippers of God, but afterwards God constrains them to bring out and acknowledge what was lurking within. Let us therefore learn, that superstition is always accompanied by pride; so that they who do not know God, do not scruple to rise up against everything that is called God; and let us not be astonished at the rebellion and insolence of wicked men, for nothing but the pure knowledge of God can teach us humility. And yet that wicked man cannot be excused as if he justly reproached idols with their weakness and uselessness; for we ought to observe his sentiments and the purpose of his heart, since he does not ridicule the superstition and vain confidence of the nations, but in the idols themselves he pours contempt on the power of God. In like manner, when Dionysius the tyrant ridiculed his gods, he fought with God and defied him to a contest; for he attacked, in opposition to his conscience, such a deity as his mind could comprehend. The same observation might be made on all other infidels who treated with scorn false religions which they supposed to be from God.
Here we ought also to observe another kind of blasphemy, by which the majesty of God is wickedly dishonored; which is, that Rabshakeh confounds God with idols, and represents him to be one of the multitude. For what blasphemy is it to confound the immortal God and creator of all things with what is most detestable, to confound truth with falsehood, glory with shame, heaven with earth?
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The Lord is great,” says David, “and worthy of the highest praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are nothing; but the Lord made the heavens. Majesty and honor are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.” — (Psa 96:4.)
(44) “ Et n’ont que faire de luy “ “And have nothing to do with him.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(18) Hath any of the gods of the nations . . .The Rabshakeh speaks in the natural language of polytheism. The Jehovah of Israel was one of gods many and lords many, a simple national deity; but Asshur and Ishtar, the gods of Assyria, were supreme above them all (Records of the Past, i. 25, 33).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
“Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, ‘Yahweh will deliver us.’ Have any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? And have they (i.e. have their gods) delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who are they among all the gods of these countries who have delivered their country out of my hand, that Yahweh should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?”
The Rabshakeh now called on them to consider the experience of all the other nations. This demonstrated quite clearly that no gods could deliver a nation out of the hands of the king of Assyria, for his gods were too powerful. Let them consider Hamath, Arpad and Sepharvaim (2 Kings 18 adds ‘Hena and Ivvah’ compare Isa 37:13). And above all let them consider Samaria. Samaria even included Yahweh among their gods (an indictment indeed of their polytheism), and yet they fell. Thus how can Jerusalem expect to be any different? Do they really think that Yahweh on His own is superior to all these gods?
These words were a mistake for two reasons. Firstly because Judah did see their God as different from the gods of the nations and he was therefore by these words stirring latent faith. But secondly because Yahweh was in fact different, and would react accordingly. It was a direct challenge being laid down to Yahweh.
Hamath was in central Syria and Arpad in northern Syria. Sepharvaim may have been Sibraim in Syria. Thus he is drawing attention to fairly local gods, those of Syria and Israel.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Isa 36:18-20. Beware, lest Hezekiah persuade Let not Hezekiah seduce you with words of this kind. Vitringa. Agreeably to the opinion of all the Pagan nations, Rabshakeh considers and speaks of Jehovah as the tutelary deity of the Jews: Now, as their tutelary deities had not delivered the cities and nations here mentioned, the Assyrian with a blasphemous insolence infers, that the God of Israel could not deliver Jerusalem out of his hands. See chap. Isa 10:9, &c. and Hezekiah’s fine answer to this reproach in the 18th and 19th verses of the next chapter.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
lest: Isa 36:7, Isa 36:10, Isa 36:15, Isa 37:10, Psa 12:4, Psa 92:5-7
Hath: Isa 37:12, Isa 37:13, Isa 37:17, Isa 37:18, 2Ki 18:33-35, 2Ki 19:12, 2Ki 19:13, 2Ki 19:17, 2Ki 19:18, 2Ch 32:13-17, Psa 115:2-8, Psa 135:5, Psa 135:6, Psa 135:15-18, Jer 10:3-5, Jer 10:10-12, Dan 3:15, Hab 2:19, Hab 2:20
Reciprocal: 1Sa 17:36 – seeing 2Ki 18:34 – the gods 2Ch 32:8 – rested 2Ch 32:11 – to give over 2Ch 32:15 – persuade Isa 10:7 – in his heart Isa 37:11 – General Isa 37:19 – And have Isa 37:38 – his god Isa 46:2 – they could Eze 25:8 – the house Eze 31:5 – his height Amo 6:2 – better Mat 27:43 – trusted
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The commander made the fatal mistake, however, of comparing Israel’s God to the gods of the nations, specifically Aram (Syria). Even Samaria had fallen to Assyria 21 years earlier; their gods, including Yahweh, did not deliver them. Of course, Yahweh had handed over the Northern Kingdom to Assyria because of her idolatry, but the commander viewed its demise as a result of Assyrian supremacy.
"The Assyrian accuses Hezekiah of seducing the people (Isa 36:18); in fact, it is the Assyrian who has been seduced by his own power." [Note: Oswalt, pp. 640-41.]