Isaiah 36:16
Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The phrase "make a blessing with me" is a clever twist, not just a simple request for a gift. It’s an invitation to enter into a treaty, framed in a way that suggests their submission will be a blessing to them, a way for them to secure their own future prosperity by yielding.
The Assyrian commander, Rabshakeh, has just finished a fiery speech to the people of Jerusalem, filled with insults and threats. Now, he directly addresses the people again, urging them to abandon their king Hezekiah and trust in the promises of the Assyrian king instead. He offers them a seemingly peaceful future where they can enjoy their own vineyards and fig trees, implying that surrender is their only sensible option.
Assyria's envoy offers a deal that sounds like peace, but it's a trap designed to sever trust. What does 'making a blessing' truly mean in this context?
Rabshakeh, the Assyrian envoy, confronts Jerusalem's leaders, urging them to "Make an agreement with me by a present" (Isaiah 36:16). This phrase, literally translating to 'make a blessing with me,' is a cunning distortion.
A False Peace
This tactic highlights how deception often uses positive words to mask destructive intentions. True peace, as we'll see, comes from trusting God, not from appeasing enemies with false promises.
Rabshakeh paints a picture of peaceful prosperity: eating from your own vine, drinking from your own well. But is this security real, or just a mirage?
The Assyrian envoy's promise— "each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern" (Isaiah 36:16)—is designed to lull Jerusalem into a false sense of security.
Empty Promises
Understand the original words
berakah · Hebrew Noun
A formal agreement or settlement of hostilities, often implying submission to a superior power. In a theological context, it contrasts with the peace (shalom) that comes only through reconciliation with God.
This dramatic confrontation reveals the Assyrian king's strategy: to sow terror and distrust, using deceptive promises of peace and prosperity to break the spirit of besieged peoples before a final, devastating conquest.
c. 705 BC
Sargon II dies; Sennacherib becomes King of Assyria
Sennacherib inherits a vast and powerful Assyrian empire, facing rebellions in Babylon and the west.
701 BC— this verse
Sennacherib's Campaign in the Levant
Sennacherib launches a major military campaign to crush rebellion in Phoenicia, Philistia, and Judah. He besieges numerous Judean cities.
701 BC
Siege of Jerusalem
The Assyrian army surrounds Jerusalem, demanding surrender. Rabshakeh, Sennacherib's envoy, delivers a defiant ultimatum to the city's inhabitants.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Army Annihilation
According to the biblical account, a divine intervention causes a massive loss of Assyrian soldiers overnight, forcing Sennacherib to withdraw his army from Jerusalem.
This passage describes a similar promise of peace and prosperity in ancient Israel, where 'Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan to Beersheba, each man under his own vine and under his own fig tree,' painting a picture of security that the Assyrian king is trying to mimic to lure the people of Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 21:9This verse shows a similar deceptive offer from a conquering king, where those who surrender will live, and those who stay and fight will die. The Assyrian king's promise echoes this strategy of offering a seemingly peaceful outcome to encourage surrender.
Micah 4:4This prophetic passage offers a future vision of peace and security, directly contrasting the Assyrian king's manipulative promises. It paints a picture of God's people living securely, 'each man under his vine and under his fig tree,' a promise of true peace that the Assyrian king counterfeits.
Ezekiel 28:26This verse speaks of Israel dwelling securely in their own land after judgment, free from their oppressors. It highlights the ultimate security God promises His people, a stark contrast to the temporary and deceitful 'peace' offered by the Assyrian king.
cambridgeIsaiah 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 ou…
barnesIsaiah 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;"
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, Ει…
The phrase "make a blessing with me" is a clever twist, not just a simple request for a gift. It’s an invitation to enter into a treaty, framed in a way that suggests their submission will be a blessing to them, a way for them to secure their own future prosperity by yielding.
The Assyrian commander, Rabshakeh, has just finished a fiery speech to the people of Jerusalem, filled with insults and threats. Now, he directly addresses the people again, urging them to abandon their king Hezekiah and trust in the promises of the Assyrian king instead. He offers them a seemingly peaceful future where they can enjoy their own vineyards and fig trees, implying that surrender is their only sensible option.
The Assyrian commander, Rabshakeh, has just finished a fiery speech to the people of Jerusalem, filled with insults and threats. Now, he directly addresses the people again, urging them to abandon their king Hezekiah and trust in the promises of the Assyrian king instead. He offers them a seemingly peaceful future where they can enjoy their own vineyards and fig trees, implying that surrender is their only sensible option.
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The enemy's strategy here is to exploit the people's desires for comfort and stability, offering a temporary illusion of safety to break their resolve and trust in God's deliverance.
c. 681 BC
Sennacherib Assassinated
Sennacherib is murdered by his own sons in Nineveh, leading to a succession struggle and internal instability in the Assyrian Empire.
"Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own…" — The phrase "make a blessing with me" is a clever twist, not just a simple request for a gift. It’s an invitation to enter into a treaty, framed in a way that suggests their submission will be a *bl…
