King Sennacherib

December 6, 2017

The obliteration of the name of the king of Nineveh (Nah 1:14-1:14)

To the king of Nineveh

“Yahweh has commanded

Concerning you.

‘Your name shall not be

Perpetuated no longer.

From the house

Of your gods

I will cut off

The craved image

With the cast image.

I will make your grave.

You are worthless.’”

Nahum announced that Yahweh had commanded that the name of the king of Assyria, probably King Sennacherib of Assyria (705-681), would not be perpetuated any longer.  The various carved images and cast mold idols would be cut off from the house of their gods.  Yahweh was going to make a grave for the king and all his idols, because they were all worthless.

December 5, 2017

Against the Assyrians (Nah 1:11-1:11)

To the Assyrians

“From you,

One has gone out

Who plots evil

Against Yahweh.

He counsels wickedness.”

In this prophecy, Nahum warned the Assyrians against the one who was plotting evil and counseling wickedness.  This one might be King Sennacherib, the king of Assyria from 705-681 BCE.

August 27, 2016

The deadly sickness of King Hezekiah (Isa 38:1-38:1)

“In those days,

King Hezekiah became sick.

He was at the point of death.

The prophet Isaiah,

Son of Amoz,

Came to him.

Thus says Yahweh.

‘Set your house in order.

You shall die.

You shall not recover.’”

Once again, this is almost word for word from 2 Kings, chapter 20. There is some kind of vague time indication with “in those days.” This section may have preceded the invasion of King Sennacherib. King Hezekiah became so sick that he was dying. The prophet Isaiah came to him and told him that Yahweh had said that he should get his house in order because he was not going to recover, but rather die.

August 26, 2016

Yahweh knows everything (Isa 37:28-37:29)

“I know your rising up.

I know your sitting down.

I know your going out.

I know your coming in.

I know your raging against me.

Because you have raged against me,

Your arrogance has come to my ears.

I will put my hook in your nose.

I will put my bit in your mouth.

I will turn you back on the way

By which you came.”

Once again, this is almost word for word from 2 Kings, chapter 19. Yahweh knew about the Assyrian king’s comings and goings, as well as his rising and falling. He also had heard about his rage and rant against him. Yahweh was going to put a hook on his nose and a bit in his mouth like a horse. King Sennacherib was going to go back the same way that he came.

 

August 25, 2016

The response of Yahweh (Isa 37:26-37:27)

“Have you not heard

That I determined it long ago?

I planned from days of old,

What now I bring to pass.

You should make fortified cities.

You should crash into heaps of ruins,

While their inhabitants,

Shorn of strength,

Are dismayed as well as confounded.

They have become

Like plants of the field,

Like tender grass,

Like grass on the housetops,

Blighted before it is grown.”

Once again, this is almost word for word from 2 Kings, chapter 19. Yahweh reminded King Sennacherib that he had allowed him to capture fortified cities, create ruins, and confuse and confound people. These people have become like plants in the field, tender grass or grass thatched houses.

August 25, 2016

The oracle of Yahweh against the Assyrian king (Isa 37:22-37:25)

“This is the word

That Yahweh

Has spoken

Concerning King Sennacherib.

‘She despises you.

She scorns you.

Virgin daughter Zion!

She tosses her head

Behind your back.

Daughter Jerusalem!

Whom have you mocked?

Whom have you reviled?

Against who have you raised your voice?

Against who have you haughtily lifted your eyes?

Against the Holy One of Israel!

By your messengers,

You have mocked Yahweh.

You have said.

‘With my many chariots,

I have gone up to

The heights of the mountains,

To the far recesses of Lebanon.

I felled its tallest cedars,

Its choicest cypresses.

I came to its remotest heights,

Its densest forest.

I dug wells.

I drank foreign waters.

I dried up with the sole of my foot

All the streams of Egypt’”

Once again, this is almost word for word from 2 Kings, chapter 19. In very poetic words, Isaiah speaks for Yahweh. Judah was his daughter Zion as well as his daughter Jerusalem, his favorite spot. King Sennacherib has mocked, reviled, raised his voice, and lifted up his eyes against the Holy One of Israel. He even sent messengers mocking Yahweh. He has bragged about his mighty exploits with chariots in mountains, trees, wells, and streams.

 

August 25, 2016

Yahweh hears King Hezekiah via Isaiah (Isa 37:21-37:21)

“Then Isaiah,

Son of Amoz,

Sent to King Hezekiah,

Saying.

‘Thus says Yahweh,

The God of Israel.

You have prayed to me

Concerning King Sennacherib of Assyria.’”

Once again, this is almost word for word from 2 Kings, chapter 19. Isaiah will interpret the word of Yahweh. He sent word to King Hezekiah that Yahweh had heard his prayer about King Sennacherib. This is good news for King Hezekiah.

August 24, 2016

Rabshakeh returned to his king (Isa 37:8-37:9)

“Rabshakeh returned to his king.

He found the king of Assyria

Fighting against Libnah.

He had heard

That the king had left Lachish.

Now the king of Assyria heard

Concerning King Tirhakah of Ethiopia.

‘He has set out to fight against you.’”

Once again, this is almost word for word from 2 Kings, chapter 19. Rabshakeh wanted to return to his king to let him know what was happening in Jerusalem. However, the king of Assyria had left Lachish to fight against the town of Libnah since Lachish and Libnah were about 10 miles apart in the Judah territory, about 25 miles west of Jerusalem. The Assyrian king also got word that the Ethiopian King Tirhakah was setting out to fight against him. This King Tirhakah is sometimes known as Taharqa. As a young 20 year old general, he fought with King Sennacherib in Palestine. He then served as king of Egypt and Ethiopia from 690-664 BCE. So he would not have been king when this occurred about 10-15 years earlier. Nevertheless, there was a constant war between these two great Mideast powers, Egypt and Assyria.

 

August 24, 2016

The response of Isaiah (Isa 37:5-37:6)

“When the servants of King Hezekiah

Came to Isaiah,

Isaiah said to them.

‘Say to your master.

Thus says Yahweh.

Do not be afraid

Because of the words

That you have heard,

With which the servants

Of the king of Assyria

Have reviled me.

I myself will put a spirit in him,

So that he shall hear a rumor.

He will then return to his own land.

I will cause him to fall

By the sword in his own land.’”

Once again, this is almost word for word from 2 Kings, chapter 19. Here we have the first royal intervention of the great prophet Isaiah, whose influence had a great impact on future Israelite life. The response of Isaiah is quite remarkable. Because the servants of the king of Assyria had reviled Yahweh, he was going to retaliate against the Assyrian king. This oracle of Yahweh, via Isaiah, said that Yahweh would spread a rumor that would make the Assyrian army return to its own land, where the king would be killed at home in Assyria. The fact is that King Sennacherib of Assyria did return home without capturing Jerusalem. He was then killed by his sons in Assyria.

July 19, 2016

The approach of the Assyrians (Isa 10:27-10:32)

“He has gone up from Rimmon.

He has come to Aiath.

He has passed through Migron.

At Michmash he stores his baggage.

They have crossed over the pass.

They lodge for the night at Geba.

Ramah trembles.

Gibeah of Saul has fled.

Cry aloud!

O daughter of Gallim!

Listen!

O Laishah!

Answer her!

O Anathoth!

Madmenah is in flight.

The inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.

This very day,

He will halt at Nob.

He will shake his fist

At the mount of daughter Zion,

The hill of Jerusalem.”

The invaders of Assyria come from the north, as these are all northern towns in the territory of Benjamin, which is just north of Judah. Nob was near the Mount of Olives, so that it was the closest town to Jerusalem. Apparently there he was going to shake his fist at Mount Zion. This seems like a movement of troops knocking off small towns along the way to Jerusalem. This is probably a reference to the unsuccessful attack of King Sennacherib (705-681 BCE), of Assyria, around 701 BCE on Jerusalem.  Indications about this story can be found in 2 Kings, chapters 18-19, and 2 Chronicles, chapter 32, as well as an Assyrian cuneiform prism dating from the 7th century BCE.